“He adores you,” was her response. “Like I said, one redeeming quality. Well… okay maybe he has two.”
“Uh huh.”
“Don’t look at me like that, we’re talking about you.”
Yeah, we were and that reality was so much more unpleasant. “I’d rather tease you, though—if you’re having sex with him, I don’t know if I want you to tell me that.” While I wasn’t looking directly at her, I didn’t miss the way she shifted her gaze away or the vulnerability that flashed through her eyes. “But if he isn’t good to you, I will hurt him.”
“He hasn’t hurt me,” she assured me. “Besides, I’m more than capable of dealing with emotionally constipated men. At least he appears to have more emotional depth than a teaspoon.”
I grimaced at that. “Look, I don’t know exactly what happened with Adam…”
“Nothing,” Lainey said firmly. “Absolutely nothing has or will. That’s been made abundantly clear. He can barely stand the sight of me.” Then she cut a hand through the air. “You know, let’s not worry about him right now. The less said the better. I haven’t seen or heard from either him or Ezra in weeks. I kind of like it that way.”
That wasn’t true, but I didn’t call her on it. Not yet. Exhaustion settled on me like a lead weight. “You know I’m on your side.”
“I do.” She settled so we were side by side and like me, she looked up at the ceiling. “You know, for a gang living in a warehouse, this place is not a dump.”
That should not be funny.
It really shouldn’t.
But I laughed until I wanted to cry again. Thankfully, Lainey didn’t let me cry alone.
“I’m on your side too,” she reminded me.
“I’ve always been so damn grateful for that.”
Eventually though, we needed to leave this room. But that required me washing my face. I wanted to tell her everything and at the same time, I didn’t want to burden her anymore than I had.
“Are you really okay?” she asked me when I came out of the bathroom. I still couldn’t get over that this was Milo’s room. A part of me was curious and I kind of wanted to look around, but the rest of me didn’t want to intrude.
“No,” I said. “I’m not.”
Surprise and worry vied for dominance in her expression.
“But I will be.” I had no idea how long that would take, or even what it would look like. Telling someone—Freddie, then Rome—that seemed a good start. At the same time, everyone else who learned the truth had died.
One step at a time. I closed my eyes. I couldn’t handle it if something happened to them because of me.
“I had to, he threatened all of you.”
“No, you were wrong. We’ll protect you.” Absolute certainty in Rome.
“It’s not that simple.”
“Actually, it is that simple, Hellspawn. We will protect you.” Echoed by Liam.
That loyalty, it was everything. Clasping Lainey’s hand, I smiled at her. “Have I said how damn good it is to see you?”
“No, but I rather thought that was implied. After all, I’m me and you’re you.”
A laugh escaped and she grinned. “Yes, we are. And Lainey?”
“Yeah?”
“Later, we need to talk about Adam.” As angry with him as she always had been, his rejection had also hurt her. But after the last few months, especially after his visit on the road, I had to wonder if that was more tangled lies, like the Vandals trying to protect me had been.
She made a face. “If you insist, but I’m good if I never talk about him again.”
It wasn’t true. She knew it. I knew it. But sometimes, we needed our little lies.
“We could talk about all these boys who seem very invested in you,” she suggested, and I made a face.
“Not sure I’m ready for that. Not even sure I totally understand it.” Even if I craved it. Craved them.
“We’ll figure it out.” That seemed like a plan, when we got to the door and I opened it, she let out a little grunt. “Well, I guess I’m off house arrest.”
Milo was in the hall when we came out and Lainey made a face. He zeroed in on her and I swore the air went electric before he looked at me.
“Then again, the pretty boy is right here, so maybe I’m not.” The droll comment was so Lainey. Was there a bull she wouldn’t wave a red flag at?
That said, “Milo, have you really kept her locked up?” Because that wasn’t going to fly.
“She needed to sit down,” he grumbled without an ounce of apology. “She takes off with two strangers and just shows up here like she’s in charge, then thought it was okay to go after you to a place she insisted was terrible for you.”
My heart fisted. He’d protected her.
“Actually, it is that simple, Hellspawn. We will protect you.”
“You must really think I’m an idiot.”
“No,” Milo retorted. “I think you’re hotheaded and foolish.”
“Oh, Pretty Boy, you have no idea what I’m capable of.”
The words flew back and forth between them, but Milo didn’t look impressed, even if he couldn’t quite keep his gaze off her. As for Lainey, she was enjoying herself, so I just bit back my next comment and settled on. “Thank you for looking after her.” That seemed to surprise him and when Lainey opened her mouth to object, I focused on her. “Thank you for coming to help me, even if you had no idea what you were getting into.”
Maybe it was foolish, but it was also brave. It meant a lot to me.
“But don’t lock her up again,” I finished, swinging my gaze back to my brother. “Or we’re going to have a real problem.”
“She’s stubborn,” Lainey advised.
“I’ve noticed,” Milo grunted.
Yes, I was.
“I’m also kind of hungry,” I admitted. Hungry for food and for the guys. Hungry to try and put the pieces all back together.
My stapler was still at Liam’s, but if I moved back in here, then I needed to bring that with me.
“C’mon,” Milo said, jerking his head toward the hall. “What do you want to eat? I can send one of the boys to get it.”
Maybe whatever we had on hand, cause I didn’t want anyone to leave. The guys were staged out around the couches, coffee in hand, talking though the conversation stuttered when we came in. Doc had arrived and he locked his gaze on me as soon as I walked in.
My stomach dropped at the concern in his eyes. While I hadn’t been expecting him, maybe I should have. Hopefully, whatever test results he had were good news.
Yes, we all needed more good news.
Lainey squeezed my hand, a reminder she was right there and I grinned at her.
Yes. She was.
We weren’t alone.
They were all there.
“Boo-Boo,” Freddie exclaimed. “Ball-Cracker! Together again!”
Ball-Cracker?
The bubble of tension exploded from around me and I laughed.
When I glanced at Lainey, she grinned and shrugged. Yeah. Ball-Cracker fit.
“Come, sit down, tell them how wonderful I am.”