Page 76 of Hide Little Traitor

“Are you sure they aren’t killing each other?” I worry my lip. Having the four of them in a small space is a bad idea given the amount of animosity they each harbor.

“Neither of them has a weapon, so I think we’re in the clear.”

“Have you made any progress on who attacked the house yesterday?”

Ryker shakes his head. “We feel fairly confident it wasn’t anyone Salvatore sent, although we haven’t completely ruled it out. Right now we’re focusing on keeping you safe, and everything else is secondary.”

“Will we move somewhere else today?”

“We’ll be here a few days,” Ronan tells me. “Kingston is confident we’re off the grid enough that no one will be able to find us and that there’s no way whoever attacked could have tracked the helicopter. Lying low here gives us a chance to look into who attacked us while also keeping you out of harm’s way.”

“Is Damon going to be okay locked up here with all of us? I know how much he hates…actually all of us apart from you.”

“I don’t think I’m exempt from that hatred after last night.” Ronan smirks.

“Oh, definitely not. Someone was very grumpy this morning.” Ryker lifts his head slightly, giving me a glimpse at the bruises blossoming across his jaw.

“You did antagonize him,” Ronan points out.

“Ryker,” I groan.

“That guy has a stick up his ass the size of the fucking Titanic. I’m just helping to dislodge it.”

It’s another hour before Damon finally comes back inside, ignoring the three of us at the table. He pours himself a bowl of sugary cereal and milk before leaning on the counter rather than joining us.

We haven’t seen Kingston since we emerged either, but we’re pretty sure he’s working in his bedroom.

Ryker opens his mouth to say something but stops himself when both Ronan and I glare at him. He’s done enough meddling this morning, and if Damon were outside speaking to Kingston as well, he’s probably close to the edge.

I assume they were speaking about Caroline’s accident, a story that still breaks my heart every time I think about it.

I don’t need anyone to give me proof to tell me Salvatore orchestrated the entire thing, because that’s what he did to my parents as well.

When people become a threat to what he wants, he makes sure they can’t escape him.

“Do you want to sit down, Damon?” I ask softly.

His eyes flicker up to meet mine, and I force myself to hold them. I’ve spent too much time bowing down to him, I have no intention of continuing that pattern. “It’s a little crowded over there.”

I glance at the three empty seats before looking back to him with a small smile. “Sure it is.”

“You got something to say, Duchess?” He pushes to his full height.

I shake my head. “Nope.”

Ryker snickers, earning him a kick beneath the table from Ronan.

I’m going to have my hands full with the two of them, it seems.

“You could have at least put more clothing on,” Damon snaps.

I glance down at the T-shirt that covers my body with my brows raised. “Sure thing, D.”

His eyes flare at the nickname I haven’t used for years.

Turning my attention back to my breakfast, I take a bite and pretend not to notice the way his attention lingers on me.

“You know you’re over your daily recommended sugar intake between that bowl and the monstrosity you call coffee, and it’s only nine in the morning,” Ryker says, breaking the tense quiet.