“So, what happens now?” I ask, looking around the table at all the wide eyes and varying expressions. I expect someone to give me a plan, or at least tell me I can’t know what happens now, what I don’t expect is for Ty to walk over to me, placing his hand slowly and gently on my shoulder. “Now we welcome you to the family and introduce you to Eli.”
Looking up at him, I see something shadowed in the depths of his eyes and when he focuses on Luke, they have a silent conversation ending with each of their heads nodding before Kitty stands up. “Well, I live for the drama! You wait until Charlie finds out—”
“He’s already met her,” Luke says, standing up and wrapping his arm around my waist.
Her mouth snaps open. “What?” Pulling her cell out, she clicks some buttons. “Why didn’t he tell—dammit! Why won’t my cell work?”
“Blocked signal,” Evan says, his voice bored. “You gotta go back outside.”
“Ugh.” She huffs a breath before standing up and going to walk out of the room, but turns to face me at the last minute. “Let’s have a girls’ night… I’ll give you all the gossip.” Waggling her brows, she leaves in spectacular fashion, cursing Charlie out.
LUKE
I stare at Lily, her face peaceful and her body still as she sleeps. The idea of getting in bed beside her and resting my body sounds like bliss, but I can’t. I need to have a meeting with Ty, Evan, and Charlie.
After we left Evan’s cabin yesterday, we came right home and haven’t left once. I know Eli wants to see me and will love having another new person around, but making sure Lily is okay and recovering from her injuries is more important right now.
Showing her around the compound and her getting to know everyone can wait… at least for a couple of days.
I don’t even want to imagine what it must have been like for her to tell relative strangers what happened to her. The anger flowing through me is beyond anything I’ve ever felt. Not even the night with my dad compares to this feeling. I scrub my palm over my face as I stand up, knowing I can’t go there, not right now… not ever.
Closing the bedroom door softly, I walk down the stairs where Kay is sitting with Eli next to her.
“Uncle Luke!” Holding my arms open, I bend at the knees, ready to catch him as he launches himself at me. “It’s been forever!”
“I know,” I grunt, wrapping my arms around him and closing my eyes. “I’m sorry, lil’ dude. I’ve had some stuff going—”
“Mom said you got married.” He pulls back, frowning and searching my face for what I’m not sure of. “Why couldn’t I be there?”
Moving my attention over to Kay, I beg her silently to help me out, but when she shrugs and grins, I know I won’t get any help from her.
“I… it was…” I let him down, feeling like the kid in this situation as he stares up at me with his hands on his hips. “I… fuck.”
He gasps. “Uncle Luke!”
“Crap, sorry.” I let my head drop back and exhale a puff of air before looking back at him. “It was last minute, but—”
“When can I meet her?”
“I… you’re just full of questions today, huh?” I ruffle his hair.
“I missed you.” He shrugs, sadness shining through his green eyes. “I wanna meet her. She’s named after a flower, right?”
Chuckling, I nod before crouching down. “She sure is.” Pausing, I think about my words carefully. “She’s a little hurt at the moment but as soon as she’s feeling better, she’s gonna be so excited to meet you.”
He blinks several times. “She’s hurt?”
“Yeah. Her… someone hurt her.”
“Like Dad did with Mom?”
All the air is sucked out of the room, and when I look over at Kay, I see her pale face and the sadness emanating from her. Her mouth opens and closes several times, but her body is as still as a statue.
“Yeah,” I say, looking back at Eli. “But remember how we got you and Mom safe?” He nods. “That’s what we’re doing for Lily, but she needs a little time, okay?”
He watches me for a beat, the wheels in his head turning before he announces, “We’ll look after her until you’re back.”
He pushes his shoulders back, making himself as tall as he can be. “Thanks, bud. You’re the man of the house right now. You know the drill, right?”
“Yep.” He taps the side of his head. “It’s all up here.”
Holding my hand out for a high five, he slaps his against mine before sitting down next to Kay and taking her hand in his before looking back at the TV.
“You okay?” I mouth to Kay. She looks down at Eli and back at me before nodding with a small but sad smile on her face. “I won’t be long,” I tell them before heading out of the house and back to Evan’s cabin, not knocking as I walk inside and down into his safe room.
They’re all sitting at the table, silence between them, but when my gaze clashes with Charlie’s, he stands up, practically running at me before grabbing my t-shirt.
“Why the fuck wouldn’t you call me?!” I let him hold me against the wall, when in reality I could get out of his hold with one hand. “He needs to be locked up. We’re meant to get the bad guys off the streets not help them fuckin’ stay there!”
“No,” I say, my voice calm. “My job is to protect my wife, and that means not having everyone question her, examine her, making her go over and over it again and a-fuckin-gain.”
He grabs me tighter, pushing me as he growls out, “He’s a rapist.”
My breaths come harsher. “Yeah, I fuckin’ know. I see what he did to her—the scars he’s left, the choices he took.” My voice gets louder the longer I talk. “But she’s more important than him… he’ll get what’s coming to him.”
Charlie eases up. “Don’t say that to me, I can’t know your plan.” I stand at my full height before shrugging. I’m a couple of inches taller than him but with the way he commands the room you’d never know. “Can we talk about what we need to now?”
Raising a brow, I wait as he grips me tighter for a beat before huffing and letting me go. I raise my brow as he stomps over to his chair and yanks it out before throwing himself down in it.
I get what he’s feeling. I really fuckin’ do, but what he does isn’t always for the best. What may be good for everyone out there, may not be for the one person who means more to you than anyone else in this world.
Fuck. Is that really how I feel about her?
I never entertained what would happen between us. Never thought it all through. But she’s away from them now and can start her life again. I just hope I’ll be right there next to her as she does.
LILY
Luke: I’ll be back tonight but you don’t have to wait up for me.
Lily: I’ll wait up. X
Luke: I’m sorry. I should be there with you, not on a job.
I roll my eyes and lean back on the sofa. He explained a little of the job he’s undercover on at the moment last night and the reason he hadn’t been back to the house in the woods for a while. I understood, if anything I was a little jealous that he could get out and do stuff while I was stuck in here on my own.
Lily: It’s okay. Have fun… or whatever it is you’re meant to say. And be safe! X
The cell vibrates in my hand just as the front door flings open. My heart jumps into my throat and I lift off the sofa automatically. I’m on high alert until I realize I’m safe here. I don’t have time to overthink anything though because a boy comes rushing inside, only halting when he sees me. His bright-green eyes are open wide, and I instinctively know who it is.
That was another thing Luke told me about last night—his relationship with Eli. He said he connected with him because of his past and I didn’t need to guess why.
“Eli.” I smile just as Evan rushes in behind him.
“Dude! You can’t just run into Luke’s house like that any—oh crap, sorry, Lily.”
I wave him away, trying to appear like the intrusion hasn’t
affected me. “It’s okay, honestly, I’m bored out of my mind.” Stepping forward, I hold my hand out to Eli. “It’s nice to meet you, Luke’s told me so much about you.”
“He has?”
“Uh-huh. He’s Thor, right?”
Eli’s eyes flash before he turns to face Evan. “See? I told you she’d like me.”
“I knew she’d like you.” Evan rolls his eyes. “But she’s probably doing—”
“Wanna come watch me train?”
“Eli—”
“Train?” I ask, cutting Evan off.
“Yeah!” Eli grabs my hand. I flinch but try to cover it up the best I can. He’s a kid—he won’t hurt me. “Evan gives me boxing lessons sometimes. Come and see!”
“I—”
“Dude, she probably doesn’t want…” Evan trails off as Eli pulls me out of the house and I thank God I actually have respectable clothes on—which reminds me, I really need to ask Luke where I can get some more.
“You’re gonna love it, Lil.” Eli looks up at me when we’re halfway across the compound. “Can I call you Lil, Lil?”
Chuckling, I nod. “Sure.”
“Awesome.” He continues to lead me over to the giant warehouse. “Mom said Uncle Luke hasn’t shown you around, so I’ll help him out.” He tries to push open the door but struggles, so when Evan comes beside us and leans his hand on it, it slowly opens.
Looking over at him, I try to shield the slight terror that must show in my eyes, but I can tell he sees it.
“You’re okay,” he tells me. He doesn’t ask me, doesn’t interrogate me on how I’m feeling, instead he just tells me I am, and for that I’m grateful.
“This is where everyone has meetings each morning,” Eli says, pointing at the large table we’re walking past. “This is the kitchen, office, safe that has all the super-cool gadgets inside, and this…” He comes to a stop at the edge of the mats covering half of the floor. “This is the training area.” My gaze roves around the back of the warehouse, seeing all the gym equipment. “And that’s Uncle Evan’s workstation.” I look down at Eli, his face open and grin wide. “He has one at his cabin too. He loves computers.”
“Really?” I ask, my eyes wide. “Me too!”
Eli’s eyes slowly widen, his mouth open as he rolls his head to Evan who’s standing beside him. “Did you hear that, Uncle Evan? She likes computers!”
Evan raises his brows. “Really?”
“Sure.” I shrug. “I mean I’m not a whizz or anything, but I can totally work a spreadsheet.”
Evan snorts. “Maybe we should get you to organize the office system. It’s a mess at the moment with Kay out on jobs all the time.”
I chuckle but don’t say anything. The silence wraps around us before Evan claps his hands. “Get the gloves on, dude.” Eli bounces over to a cupboard before pulling stuff out and leaving me standing beside Evan. “If you don’t want to watch you don’t have to…” He trails off, biting his bottom lip. “But if you wanna learn a few moves, I can teach you. I teach self-defense classes at the community center.”
“I…” I look over at Eli. “Maybe I’ll just watch for a few minutes.”
He nods, stepping onto the mat and turning around. “Lexi and Kitty will be back in a minute, maybe you can hang out with them?”
I mentally try to place the name Lexi, running through conversations I’ve had with Luke, and when I remember she’s Evan’s girlfriend, it makes sense.
I don’t answer him before he turns around and starts Eli’s lesson. I flinch every time his fist connects with his palm, my stomach rolling with the sound of the hits. I feel like a baby, like I shouldn’t feel like this now. I should be okay. I’m safe—safer than I’ve ever been before—yet I can’t shake the feeling, the images, the memories.
I’m stuck inside a space in my mind I don’t want to be. I need to find the key to the door, unlock it, and step into the world I deserve to be in. But do I truly deserve it?
“Hey.” I startle at the voice behind me before spinning around as my hand lands on my chest, keeping my heart from escaping. “Shit, sorry.” Kitty grimaces, her gaze moving from me to Evan and Eli. “Eli get you out of the house?”
“Yeah,” I whisper, unsure on how to talk to her or how to act.
“He tends to do that.” She stares at him for a beat before turning to Lexi. “This is Lexi, Evan’s…” She smirks. “Baby momma.”
“Shut up.” Lexi rolls her eyes before moving toward me and holding her hand out. I let out a relieved breath. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too.”
“Aunt Kitty!” Eli shouts, running over to us. “I got Lil out of the house.” He grins big and wide. “Ty owes me five bucks.”
Kitty laughs, a full-on, throw-your-head-back laugh. “You’ll be rich by the time you turn ten if you keep on hustling us like this.”
I step to the side when Evan and Lexi start talking, feeling like the odd one out, which I am. I don’t know these people, they may be Luke’s family, but they’re not mine.
My skin crawls the further away I get from them, darkness grasping me, willing me to come toward it. I need to get back to Luke’s house, back to the safety he provides.
“Come on, Lil. Let’s go watch a movie.” I look down when a small hand slips inside of mine, my mouth and brain not working, but my legs moving forward with Eli. “You ever watched Avengers?”
“No,” I croak out.
“Awesome! We’ll start from the beginning, get you ready for the new one in the movies.”
Someone behind us pulls open the door, but I can’t bring myself to look who it is, all I’m concentrating on is the steps I’m taking and getting closer to Luke’s house.
“Lily!” I freeze at Evan shouting my name, and when the gravel crunches behind me, I tense up, expecting… what? What am I expecting? “She’s right here, Luke. Chill out.” Evan rolls his eyes when I look up, handing over his cell. “It’s Luke.”
Taking it from him tentatively, I bring it to my ear. “Hello?”
“Darlin’.” His breath comes over the line. “I couldn’t get a hold of you.”
“Sorry, I was in the warehouse—”
“What?”
“Eli came and…” I trail off as Eli pulls on my hand.
“Tell him we’re going to watch The Avengers.”
“Did you hear that?” I ask Luke, standing in the middle of the compound.
“Yeah.” He chuckles. “I should be back in a few hours but if they get to be too much, ask them to leave.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Yeah, you fuckin’ can, darlin’. I gotta go but try to keep your cell on.”
“I will,” I tell him. “See you later.”
I hand it back to Evan when the line goes dead, watching the grin on his face before he turns around to Lexi and puts his arm around her. “Luke’s totally whipped.”
“Totally?” She snorts. “You sound like a teenage girl.”
He gasps dramatically before pulling away from her and pretending to flip his hair. “How, like, dare you, like, say that.”
Even I find myself chuckling at his impersonation, and when he walks away, throwing his hips left and right while holding his hand in the air, I can’t stop the full-blown laughter.
I’m nearly crying when Lexi follows him, and Kitty stands next to me, her arm against mine. I look over at her, but her gaze is focused on something else, her back straight, her body tense, and when I follow her line of sight, I see a guy I haven’t met yet.
It takes me a minute to realize who he is, and when I remember what Luke said, I understand why she’s being like this.
“Be polite, but not overly,” she whispers, only loud enough for me to hear.
“Hey, Kit.” He stops in front of us, his smile wide, but I see something behind it when his gaze skirts to me and then back to Kitty as he reaches forward and hugs her.
“Hey.” She hugs him back, the on-alert look long gone as she asks, “Wh
at you up to?”
“Gotta head to this job and meet Luke.” He looks back at me. “Lily, right?”
“Yeah.” I nod, my arm frozen by my side. “Nice to meet you.”
“Dean,” he says, and points at his chest as if I wouldn’t know who he was talking about.
“Well, we’ll let you get to Luke while we stuff our faces and watch movies.” Kitty links her arm through mine and starts walking, causing a ripple effect of Eli following us with his hand still in mine. “So! Avengers again, huh, Eli?”
I want to ask what that was all about—the warning she gave me but then the best-of-friend’s routine with Dean—but when we get to Luke’s door and I turn around, I find Dean leaning against his car watching us. I wish I could see the look on his face from here, but the feeling flowing through my veins tells me whatever Luke suspects must be right because he gives me the heebie-jeebies.
LUKE
I knew Dex would have questions about where I’ve been for the last week, and although Ty told me to feed him a bullshit story, I’m not down with that. My motto is if I’m gonna lie, it’ll have a grain of truth to it—it makes it easier to stick to the lie that way.
“I got married,” I’d told him when I first got here, shrugging as I took a pull of my beer.
He watched me for several minutes, staring at me to see if he could see a lie, only I knew he wouldn’t find one.
And now I’ve drank five shots in celebration—at least that’s what they think I’ve drank—and the sun has set, the darkness calling me to go home.
Pulling my cell out before I open the message app, I’m about to tell Lily I’ll be home soon—not that she’s asked but I feel compelled to tell her.
Damn, I’m in deep and there’s nothing I can or want to do to make it any different. I know she wants me to live my life the way I did before her, but it won’t ever be the same, not if I have it my way.
Catching Teardrops Page 24
