Chapter 11
Ledger
The trek up to the cabin from Zone One is nearly a mile, though it feels longer with the multiple zig zags.
Usually, I enjoy the slow walk up from The Shop where I usually end my days.
It gives me time to clear my head of the mundane problems of running a business.
Tonight, however, the distance is killing me.
It’s taking everything in me not to run the rest of the way to the house to her.
I don’t run, though. Instead, my pace is casual, my body relaxed.
My heart, however, is pounding rapidly. With each step forward, I can feel the pull to Blair grow more taut and demanding.
I’m a sick man. Anchor would never approve of the union I seek with his daughter.
What’s worse is that I agree with him. I’m not good for Blair.
I can’t have her, not really, but by shoving her into Wes’s path, I’ve given her over to someone who will treat her like how I would if I was a sane individual.
I can hear voices as I grow closer to the house.
As I round the last bend, the cabin comes into view.
Almost everyone is out in the backyard. There’s a fire going in the firepit and Wes is manning the grill, flipping a big slab of meat as I approach.
A few feet away on the other side of the fire is Santi and Rhett, who are talking passionately about something.
The cabin itself is lit up, the lights on in almost every room and spilling out into the backyard.
My gaze snags on movement through a window.
Blair moves around in the kitchen, peering through cabinets searching for something.
My feet slow as I watch her. From here, I can tell her expression is pinched with concentration.
When she pulls whatever she was looking for from one of the cabinets, her expression doesn’t relax.
Instead, it only seems to deepen as if something’s bothering her.
A moment later, she steps out through the back door with two large casserole dishes in both of her hands.
She takes each step down the back stairs, eyeing the dishes warily as she attempts not to drop them.
Wes notices her at the same time as I start to jog forward to help.
He places the tongs down and moves to assist Blair.
“Hold on, grab the mitt too. The dish is hot,” she warns as Wes starts to take one from her.
“I got it,” he assures her.
I get a whiff of whatever’s she’s made and instantly my stomach grumbles loudly. Shit, that smells amazing.
“What’s for dinner?” I ask them as I approach.
“Steak,” Wes answers, as he nods his greeting to me. “And…” He glances at my godchild, waiting for her response.
Blair smiles at him, then at me. The worry that had her brows pulled together and had her mouth pinched tight has vanished from view. But there, in the depths of her eyes, I can see it lurking like a shadow just beneath the surface of her calm demeanor.
“Wes has the garlic butter roasted mushrooms in his hands and in mine, I have the parmesan roasted asparagus with tomatoes, drizzled with balsamic vinegarette,” she replies.
Wes whistles as he stares down at the dish in his hand. “Alright, if this tastes as good as it looks and smells, I’ll allow you to continue to help cook—”
“What smells better than the steak?” Santi yells from across the yard.
“Oh boy,” I groan, then sigh. “Brace yourself, Santiago and food are a dangerous combination.”
Wes chuckles as we all head for the large wooden table on the far side of the yard. Santi makes a beeline for us, ditching Rhett without a backward glance. He meets us halfway to the table then practically yanks the dish from Wes’s hands to peer down into it.
“Oh, hell yes! I can already tell that I’m going to devour this.” Santi looks over at what Blair’s carrying and groans. “Fuck, we’re going to have two cooks now? How did I get this lucky?”
The dishes are placed at the table that someone has already set with placemats, dishes, and glasses of water. There are even two white candlesticks that are lit and gently blowing in the breeze. These little touches must’ve been Blair’s doing. The rest of us never bother with setting the table.
“Careful,” Wes warns Blair as she places her dish down. “Santi bites if you don’t move your hands away from the food fast enough.”
Blair whips her head around to glare at Santi. “I’m not cooking for you ever again if you bite me.”
Santi’s pained sigh is dramatic and followed up with a wink in her direction. “Fine, biting is off the table. Got it. If you ever change your mind, just let me know, okay?”
I’m torn between amused and fucking annoyed. Santi is the friendliest of the four of us and his teasing is harmless. But my teeth gnash together all the same. My jealousy is ugly but I manage to keep it hidden.
“Shut up, Santi,” Rhett says as he drifts over to where we’re all congregating. “Blair’s not going to be around long enough to entertain the idea of your teeth anywhere near her.”
There’s a hardness to his words, maybe even a bit of bitterness, but that’s just Rhett. I shoot him a warning look, though. I want Blair to be comfortable here in her new home. She’ll have to get used to his attitude but Rhett could cool it a bit, at least for a little while.
Santi laughs as he reaches for a mushroom. His hand is slapped away by Wes.
“Attempt to touch this food again and you’ll end up missing a limb,” Wes orders. “Go wash your damn hands and wait for the rest of dinner to be done.”
Santi practically runs off, grinning ear to ear. I chuckle at his excitement and settle down at one of the benches. Blair moves to pass me but I snag her wrist and yank her down to sit beside me. This earns me a glare.
“You still mad at me?” I ask her.
Blair’s chin juts up in defiance, and her brown eyes flash with indignation. “Yes. You lied to me.”
My thumb strokes the soft skin of the wrist I’m still holding. I nod, holding her gaze while trying not to get too caught up in the feel of Blair. How is it that such an innocent touch can cause my blood to simmer?
Fuck. I let her go instantly.
No fucking touching, asshole, I remind myself.
“I’m sorry, Blair. Your father and I should’ve told you straight from the start what would happen in a situation like this. To be fair, when we made this plan you were much younger and you needed looking after.”
Blair lowers her chin, some of her attitude slipping away as she stares up at me earnestly.
“We can’t let Dad face this threat on his own,” she says, a slight wobble in her voice.
The sound of her distress nearly throws all my carefully crafted control out the window. I fight the urge to drag her into my body and hold her tight. I want Blair to feel safe and happy here, not scared.
“Why don’t I put out some feelers?” I offer.
“See if anyone I know has heard anything about this hit or about movement in the area he was last? I tried looking into this while I was waiting for you to arrive, but I was too distracted to really press the issue. Now that you’re safe, I can do a deeper dive.
I’ll go through my contacts and see if any of them know anything.
Then, once we have something to go off of, we can decide what to do then. ”
Blair’s worried expression morphs into relief. She leans closer to me as she nods. It takes everything in me to hold still, to not close the distance between us. Fuck, having Blair around will test my resolve.
“I’d appreciate it,” she says quickly. “But what if you don’t find anything? I won’t give up on him.”
“No one said anything about giving up,” I tell her. “I don’t want my friend in any more trouble than you do. We’ll figure this out, Blair. Just put a little faith in me, alright? Let me see what I can do.”
My heart stutters as Blair’s face splits into a grin. I suck in a sharp breath, bracing myself as I’m hit with an unfettered look of joy on her face. Joy that I caused.
“Thanks, Ledger.”
The night is dying down.
Dinner was, unsurprisingly, delicious. We’ve moved from the table to the firepit chairs, conversation ebbing and flowing with ease.
Watching Blair in a setting other than one that requires near-silence due to a looming threat, or that requires any type of survival skills, has been…
enlightening. During jobs, Blair is vigilant, tense—even in the quiet moments.
Sure, I’ve seen her playful side over the years, but clearly, they’d been water-downed versions of the real thing.
Hearing her unfettered laugh, so sweet and charming, catches me off guard.
It happens pretty often, thanks to Santi’s typical antics.
And she’s quick to tease and be playful with him in return.
It’s almost like flirting, but with an air of innocence.
There are still moments when she grows tense, mostly when Rhett opens his mouth.
She’s good about letting his jabs roll over her, though.
Then there’s the way she flushes every time Wes refills her plate or glass.
It’s like she’s not used to the consideration.
Maybe she’s not? Anchor loves his daughter more than life itself, but affectionate and doting were not his forte.
“Hey.” I catch Blair as she stands to go inside to fetch a throw blanket. “You and I need to talk for a bit.”
I rise slowly, then come to stand beside her. Lightly, I place my hand on her lower back and lead her toward the cabin.
“Where are we going?” Blair looks up at me curiously as we walk away.
“I promised you something, and I intend to make good on it now.”