The jealousy I’ll be forced to deal with is almost worth her appreciation. It’s probably even unfounded. Lyla told me that Thane wasn’t attracted to her, but she didn’t say she wasn’t attracted to him.
Maybe he was lying.
Here’s hoping he wasn’t because I would hate to have to kick an injured man’s ass.
While Lyla’s in the shower, I decide to call RJ to see what he’ll say about Thane staying with us.
“Kind of busy, bro,” he answers.
“I’ll make it quick. I just need to ask you for a favor.”
“Okay, what?”
“Thane’s about to be released from the hospital.”
There’s a long silence followed by “And?”
“And Lyla wants him to come and stay with us.”
“Us? At our house?”
“Yeah.”
“What the fuck, Bear?”
“It’s just until he recovers. Lyla’s worried about him, and he did nearly die to save her life.”
“I don’t know…”
“Please? I want Lyla to stay with us, and if Thane can’t, then she’s gone too.”
He exhales heavily through the phone. “Fine. Whatever.”
“You won’t have to see him or deal with him, I promise. Just don’t start any shit, and don’t tell anyone they’re both staying with us.”
“Not even Remy? Colt? Do they know?”
“Not yet. I’ll tell them eventually.”
“Eventually, as in when they figure it out on their own?”
“Something like that.”
“Whatever, bro. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I hope so too,” I agree before ending the call.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Lyla
“Thank you again for agreeing to let Thane stay,” I tell Bear while we put sheets on the bed in the spare room.
“RJ promised not to mess with him, so…”
“So, I know you’re not thrilled, but it means a lot that I can be here for him after everything that happened.”
“I know,” he agrees as he shoves a pillow into a pillowcase.
Barrett isn’t happy about the temporary living arrangement, but he’s doing it for me.
“Any updates from my dad?” I ask him once the bed is made and we go sit in the living room to wait for some of the Devil Hounds to bring Thane straight from the hospital.
“No. They’re still looking for him.”
“I can’t believe he’s still out there and hasn’t been arrested yet.”
“Well, Thane did put a bullet in him,” Barrett remarks as he slips his arm around my shoulders. “If I had to guess, he’s been holed up somewhere healing. Or maybe even dying of blood loss or infection.”
“Is it wrong that I hope that’s what happened?” I ask softly.
“God, no. This man nearly killed Thane and tried to kidnap you. Twice!”
“I have loved staying with you, Bear, and working on getting Bruised Not Broken off the ground. You know that. But I want my life back. I’m tired of being a prisoner, living in fear that he’ll show up here and hurt you and your family. I need to be free of all of this, go where I want when I want without a babysitter. No offense. I know you’re not my babysitter. I just don’t want you to feel obligated to be with me around the clock.”
“I get it, baby, and I’m sorry. I wish I knew how to find this fucker once and for all.”
I nod and lean my head against his shoulder as I stare at the television screen but don’t actually watch it.
Finally, I have an idea.
“Maybe there’s a way to figure out if he’s dead or alive,” I tell Bear as I lift my head to turn and face him.
“How’s that?”
“We could lure him into a trap.”
“A trap? Oh no. No way I’m going to let you put yourself out there as bait.”
“I wouldn’t have to be bait.”
“Then what exactly are you proposing?”
“Leading him back to the house one night.”
“No, Lyla. That would be way too dangerous. We’ve been trying our best to prevent him from finding out you’re here.”
“I know that. But if I keep hiding, so will he, right, since he wants me for whatever reason? That’s why I think we should lure him here, let him see me come in the front door. He won’t know I left out the back. You’ll pretend to leave me alone, and then my dad’s guys could be ready to swarm the house.”
“All while you’re someplace safe?”
“Yes! I could walk out to the woods, meet up with someone on a four-wheeler, and be gone before he even steps foot in the house.”
“I don’t know, Ly. It’s risky.”
“So is being a sitting duck,” I point out. Grabbing a handful of his leather, I plead with him. “Come on, Bear. You know I’m right about this. I can’t hide here forever. And who knows, eventually, we might slip up. He could find me on his own when we’re not prepared.”
Barrett clenches his teeth. “That’s my worst nightmare.”
“Mine too. I can’t expect you to be by my side every second of the day.”
“I could be.”
“I know you could. You shouldn’t have to. You’ll get sick of me.”
“That will never happen.”
“You don’t know that for certain.”
“I do, but I’ll think about it, talk to your dad and Remy, see what they think. For now, let’s just give Thane a few days to get settled in, okay?”
“Okay.”
His smiling lips brush mine, warming me up from my head to my toes like a big, steaming pot of coffee. God, I’ve got it bad for this man. The longer I’m around Barrett, the more attached to him I’ll get, the more I’ll stupidly hope he wants more than sex, even though he’s made it clear that he’s never going to want something serious.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Barrett
After weeks of watching Lyla wait on Thane like his servant, I start to think that she might be right about setting a trap for the asshole who is after her. Her biological father.
That’s why I take a Saturday afternoon off, leaving Lyla and Thane home with RJ and Jordan to go by the Devil Hounds’ clubhouse to talk to her father.
“Why are you here instead of with my daughter?” he snaps at me from behind his desk.
“She’s safe. She’s with my brother, prospect, and Thane. He might still be recovering, but he’s strong enough to use the gun he keeps under his pillow.”
“So that’s where he is, huh?”
I freeze after his words sink in. “Why are you acting like you didn’t know Thane was staying with us? Two of your guys brought his stuff over.”
“Hmm,” he gives as a nonanswer.
“Yeah, well, now you know he’s staying with us and eats as much as three men, so you owe me.”
Isaac narrows his eyes at me. “I owe you? I’m letting my baby girl stay with you without putting any bullet holes in you.”