Page 32 of Pieces of You

I checked my watch.

Almost two in the morning.

Colt seemed certain something was happening tonight. It was why nobody had gone to bed. But he’d also warned us it could be hours—if not longer—before we heard anything.

“Daddy?” Kit glanced over at Colt. “Can I get you anything?”

Colt offered a quick smile over his laptop. “I’m good, baby. Thanks.”

Kit was seated at one of the picnic tables with Jordan and Noa, and I could smell their scheme from a mile away. They were trying to get close to Colt. But why? He was reading the same news we were—while waiting for Greer to make contact.

“Offer him a blow job.” Noa couldn’t whisper to save his life.

Two hours later, Tate and Kingsley called it a night, and Macklin and Walker were off shortly after.

At that point, Lucian gave Cam and Noa a half-hour warning, and when Noa protested, Lucian pointed to their cabin.

“We’ll be twenty feet away, chipmunk. If something happens, Colt can wake us up.”

I might do that with Kit as well. There was no reason for him to stay up much longer. One yawn was setting off another, and he seemed to be stuffing his face with ice cream just to pass the time.

“But, ohhhh,” Noa whined. “I’m not tired!”

“No, you’re way past that, freckles,” KC chuckled tiredly.

In any case, I wasn’t going to bed until Colt did, so I got up and asked if anyone was interested in more coffee.

“I wouldn’t mind a refill,” KC said. “Unlike Lucian, I’m allowed.”

Lucian gave him a look.

We’d all been exposed to his long-suffering journey with decaf after four PM. Poor man.

I assumed Nathan and Ash didn’t want any coffee. It was evidently their turn to do laps in the pool.

I got tired just watching them.

While I was in the kitchen preparing a new pot of coffee, I rummaged through the cupboards and found a stash of chocolate bars. I’d earned a Twix, thank you very much.

Then I leaned back against the counter and yawned.

What a fucking vacation this had been.

It was a good thing I loved my job, because I was going back soon.

I hadn’t read three books per week. I hadn’t started my new workout regimen. I hadn’t tried three new restaurants. I hadn’t sorted through my closet.

Maybe I hadn’t earned my Twix.

Once the coffee was done, I poured it into a thermos and returned outside.

With my Twix.

I was a grown man. I could do whatever I wanted.

Right when I reached the doorway to the patio, I caught a glimpse of Colt’s laptop screen. I didn’t know what the fuck that was, but it wasn’t some online newspaper. It looked like a map in night mode, and it made me pause.

I squinted, wishing I had my glasses.