• Four •
“Quality time with your brother not sound appealing to you?”
Storm
She was happy again. I’d been close to leaving here and dealing with the consequences when I checked the cameras in the house and found Briar frowning as she stood in the living room. Talking to her, distracting her from whatever she’d been lost in thought about, hadn’t eased my mind. Looking at my phone and seeing her and Dovie on the back porch bed swing, laughing and talking, however, made me settle.
I clicked off the camera and slid my phone back into my pocket, then glanced up to see Thatcher watching me with a dark amused gleam in his eyes.
“Does she know you have her under twenty-four-hour surveillance?” he asked, then took a drink from the cup of coffee in his hand.
“It’s for her security,” I bit out, annoyed that he knew what I had been looking at.
“Is that what we’re calling it these days? What happened to good ole stalker activity?”
“That’s not what it is.”
Fuck, he was getting on my nerves.
Thatcher smirked. “I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. I’d do it. If I gave a shit, that is.”
I did not want to be compared to the psycho. “Wilder did it with Oakley,” I reminded him.
Thatcher chuckled. “Yeah, keep trying to convince yourself that what you’re doing is the same as what Wilder did, but we both know it’s completely different.”
I wasn’t arguing about this. It wasn’t his business.
“Where is King?” I asked him.
Thatcher shrugged. “Hell if I know. Probably changing motherfucking diapers.”
Great. I needed to talk to him. He was aware Briar and Dovie were living with me now, but I still wanted to make sure he didn’t say anything tonight to make her feel unwelcomed. I knew Rumor would be there with the baby, and she didn’t know about Briar yet. Or at least, I didn’t think she did. King hadn’t mentioned it. Sure, Briar was the daughter of the man who had molested Rumor when she was younger, but Briar was also the one who had poisoned the bastard and dumped his dead body in the ocean.
I needed to find King.
“Storm,” Sebastian called, and I turned to see him coming out of the underground cellars that were hidden beneath the stables.
“Yeah?”
He glanced at his brother, then back at me. “I’m headed to Tennessee in the morning to look at a horse. You want to go with me?”
Fuck no. I shook my head. “Not good timing for me.”
“He’s got to be close to make sure the little songbird doesn’t fly away,” Thatcher said, but I ignored him. It was just best to let his shit slide off my back.
“No one wants to go. Not even Wells,” Sebastian sighed. “I hate road trips alone.”
“You didn’t ask me,” Thatcher told him, looking almost amused by the fact.
Sebastian cut his eyes over at him. “And?”
Thatcher shot him a smug look, then headed toward the corral that was being rebuilt this week.
“Quality time with your brother not sound appealing to you?” I asked him.
Sebastian rolled his eyes. “I’d rather be alone. He’s been weird as fuck lately.”
I frowned. “He’s always weird as fuck.”
“He’s taken it to a new level.”
I’d been too busy with Briar to keep up with the goings-on around here. Stellan had made it real clear this morning that I wasn’t supposed to go after Jameson until we had cause. It had pissed me off, but he was right. If I killed the son of a bitch, then it would be a messy cleanup. But Stellan didn’t tell me I couldn’t go warn him. I glanced back at Thatcher’s retreating form. I should take Thatcher when I go. His just being there would scare the shit out of Jameson.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I pulled it out. Briar was getting a text on her phone. Tensing, I opened the app and read the text. It was from Pepper Abe.
Pepper: You not responding is making me worried. Let me know you’re okay, or I’m going to have to take a drive north.
Fuck. I wasn’t there to delete it this time. Things weren’t locked in tightly enough for me to feel comfortable about this friendship she had with Pepper.
Briar: Hey! Sorry I haven’t texted. It’s been kind of a whirlwind.
I smiled at her response.
Pepper: So, you’re good then? When you didn’t say anything after my last text, I was worried.
Dammit, Pepper. Let it go.
Briar: Last text?
My smile was gone. Fuck, I didn’t need this right now.
Pepper: Yeah. I sent you one a couple of nights ago.
Pause. Then …
Briar: Oh. I didn’t get it. My phone might have been off. I’m not sure.
She didn’t seem suspicious.
Pepper: That’s odd. It said it was delivered. Well, anyway, I am just glad you’re doing good. Are you staying in Georgia awhile?
That’s right. Let it go. Move on to another subject.
Briar: Yes, I think I am. Storm has been … amazing. It’s new for me, and it’s all happened so fast, but I’m happy.
She thinks? What the fuck did that mean? She needed to KNOW!
Pepper: I’m happy to hear it. Just be careful, and if you need anything, call. I don’t care who they are, I will get you.
Like fucking hell she would. Briar was mine.
Briar: Thanks. I appreciate your friendship and your caring about me.
Ah, my girl hadn’t had much of that in her life. It was why I couldn’t bring myself to block Pepper’s number in her phone. But I would have to keep a close watch on their contact. I didn’t need Pepper putting shit in her head.
Pepper: You got a place here if you ever need it.
She will never need it.
Briar: Thank you.
I waited a few more minutes to make sure the texting had ended, then slid my phone back into my pocket.
“What was that?” Sebastian asked, studying me closely. Too fucking closely.
“Nothing,” I replied, walking past him and back out to my truck.
“You were reading texts and not responding,” Sebastian said behind me.
“Mind your own business, Sebastian,” I warned, not looking back at him.
His brother might accept what I was doing, but Sebastian would be judgmental. I didn’t need that. I would do what I had to in order to keep Briar safe and with me. I didn’t care how many lines I crossed to do it.
There had to be a better program I could put on her phone so that I saw texts before they went to her phone. I wanted the calls to come to me first too. Wilder would know. This was his area of expertise. I just had to convince him why I needed it. That semi-moral motherfucker wouldn’t like the idea of me screening all of Briar’s calls and texts. Her emails too. I needed a way to get her emails. I wondered if there was a way for me to see through her phone camera. There had to be. I would call him later when I was alone.