Dex narrowed his eyes with uncharacteristic suspicion, looking so much like me.
“What?” I shifted uncomfortably.
“Nothing.” Dex shrugged. “So, we’re confirmed? You’re coming?”
“Tell Shaw I got out of the meeting,” I replied.
My son snorted. “Right. Shaw, Ryan, and I are driving up together. We’d offer to drive you, but I don’t think we’ll all fit into one truck with all of our shit …”
Like I wanted to be trapped in a confined space with Ryan for two hours. “I’m taking my truck. In fact”—I thought about how I hadn’t had a moment’s peace in months—“I might head up there a day early.”
“You should. You work too much.” Dex clapped me on the shoulder and grinned. “See you there.”
“Yeah, see you in—there.” I’d almost said, “See you in hell.”
Because that was what it would be.
Trapped in a cabin on Lake Tahoe with a woman I wanted but couldn’t have.
Yeah, New Year’s Eve in hell.
Chapter Three
RYAN
Driving in snow was not one of my favorite things. Thankfully, I’d been lucky to get a rental last minute. The SUV handled the snow-dusted roads, leading me to the lake much better than my small Honda could. Still, I was tense as I sat forward in my seat, my eyes glued to the dark road, peering through the falling snow, as I drove up through the hills on the winding road of the El Dorado Freeway. The snow was thicker here than it had been on the highway, and I slowed to begin my descent as I hit Emerald Bay Road.
Sweat gathered under my arms with the tension.
But I was almost there. According to my GPS, this road would take me down to Lake Tahoe where Joe’s friend had a large cabin right on the water.
When I’d agreed to spend New Year’s Eve as a third wheel with my sister and her husband, I thought we’d all be driving up together. But Shaw had called yesterday morning to tell me she and Dex wanted to have a night alone, so they were driving up early. I’d told her I would be happy to leave them to their romantic cabin and spend New Year’s at home, but Shaw got really upset at the idea, so I gave in.
And now I was driving at a crawl as I made my way through the snow. Exhaustion pulled at me. I was actually grateful for the tension that kept me awake.
The things we do for family.
To my great relief, I finally reached the lake. I only knew this because of GPS—I couldn’t see anything beyond my headlights. The lights caught on the signs outside each entrance to the cabins at the end of a woodland-surrounded road.
My headlights hit a snow-dusted sign that declared it was No. 6, and I slowed, turning down onto its private road. As I approached, the driveway opened to reveal a medium-size cabin with a truck sitting outside. I narrowed my eyes as my headlights lit up the vehicle.
That was Joe’s truck.
My heart rate kicked up for a few seconds as I pulled beside it.
Then I remembered that Dex had the same truck as his father.
Calming down, I turned the rearview mirror toward me and double-checked my cheek and eye. Thankfully, the swelling had gone down completely, but there was still bruising. Hopefully, my makeup covered it because no amount of makeup seemed to conceal the dark circles under my eyes.
I hadn’t slept since Christmas Eve.
I didn’t even know how I was functioning.
Just like that, now that I’d reached my destination, an overwhelming wave of weariness crashed over me.
As much as I’d come here for Shaw, I’d also come hoping that being away from my apartment and being with my people would allow my body to relax.
That I’d sleep.
A sudden knock on the driver’s side window scared the crap out of me.
“Shit!” I yelled, turning to glare at the knocker as my heart pounded.
Light spilled down from the cabin, casting shadows over the face peering in at me.
Oh, hell no.
Joe.
I stared, shocked and confused.
Then he opened my door, resting his arm along it and his other on top of the car. His expression was grim as his deep voice rumbled through me. “Looks like there’s been a communication problem.”
I was going to kill Shaw.
Following Joe up the porch stairs and into the cabin, I vowed to kill my sister. Yet I couldn’t even find the energy to be all that angry with her. My ankles felt like they had twenty pounds of stone tied around them, and I was grateful Joe had taken my luggage. I didn’t think my fingers could grip onto anything.
In fact, as soon as the heat from the log-burning fire hit me, something happened.
I stopped inside the open-plan living area. Joe’s body wavered as he continued walking ahead of me. His voice sounded distorted, like I was underwater.
The room tilted and little black dots scattered across my vision.
I thought I heard Joe shout my name.
That was the last thing I heard before the dots joined together and all I saw was black.
The first thing I was aware of was the throbbing in my cheek, near my eye.
Confused, it took me a second to remember the assault, and then my eyes flew open in panic.
Daylight streaming into an unfamiliar room greeted me, and the tightness in my chest worsened as I tried to remember where the hell I was and what was happening.
“You’re awake.”
The familiar voice drew my attention. Turning my head on a soft pillow, I found Joe sitting in an armchair by the side of the bed. His clothes and hair were rumpled and his eyes a little bleary, like he hadn’t slept.
Despite my confusion, I relaxed.
“Where am I?” The words croaked out of me. My mouth was so dry.
“Lake Tahoe.” Joe leaned forward, his eyes narrowed. “You don’t remember last night?”
Slowly his voice brought back the memories.
I’d passed out upon arrival.
When I woke up, Joe was trying not to freak out. I promised him I just needed to sleep, that I hadn’t slept in days. He tried to ask questions, but I’d fallen asleep on him.
“What time is it?” I pushed into a sitting position, glad to feel the strength back in my arms. While there was a heaviness in my head, my eyelids felt lighter for having slept.
“It’s midday, New Year’s Eve. You’ve slept around fifteen hours.”
Holy crap.
Guessed I needed it, though.
Joe’s expression darkened as he stared at my face. “When you fainted, you hit the floor on your cheek pretty hard. I put some ice on it. Funny thing, though … the ice took off your makeup and beneath the fresh swelling were bruises.”
Shit.
I looked away. “Joe …”
“What happened?”
Protecting my sister from what had happened was one thing. Protecting myself from Joe’s need to protect was another. While I wanted many things from him I couldn’t have … I didn’t want his protection. I didn’t need it. I was alone. And I didn’t need the illusion of not being alone.
“You know, I’m starving. While my sister was setting us up, did she happen to stock the cabin with food?”
I whipped off the covers and stopped when I realized I was in my sleep shorts. I glared at Joe.