CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Fallon
“O
H, FUCK.” THEY WERE THE ONLY WORDS THAT WOULD DO IN this situation. My hands flew to my face, even as the rest of my body throbbed.
What the hell had I just done? I’d mounted Kye like some breeding stallion, taking full advantage. My face flamed with shame and embarrassment. I’d never be able to look him in the eyes again. More than a little guilt niggled.
The sound of the water turning on spurred me into action. I couldn’t be here when Kye got out of the shower and came out wearing nothing but a towel. I threw the covers back and leapt from the bed. The second I did, a different sort of urge hit me.
I pulled all the bedding off, leaving the comforter and pillows on the two chairs by the window but balling up the sheets to take with me.
I threw them in the washer in the fancy upstairs laundry room and turned the water as hot as possible.
Then I ran back for an outfit to change into.
I grabbed wide-legged tan pants, a blouse, and a V-neck sweater.
As soon as I had those items, I bolted for one of the guest rooms. Thankfully, Ellie had stocked them with plenty of toiletries. I showered and got ready as much as I could without my makeup. When I was done, I checked the time.
Seven in the morning. Time to make sure the girls were up. As I stepped into the hallway, it was to find Hayden slipping out of Clem’s room.
I tried to pull myself together and smile. “I was just coming to check if everyone was up.”
Hayden’s eyes flashed. “I’ve been making sure they were up and ready for years.”
I tried not to let her words sting. I knew it wasn’t about me. It was about change. It was about being unsure of what her place was now.
I paused, letting all the worry and freak-outs of the morning fall away so I could focus on what was important.
I took my time making sure Hayden could see my eyes, my truth.
“Gracie and Clem are beyond lucky to have you as their big sister. Not everyone could’ve done what you did over the years.
It shows how strong you are. How smart and brave. ”
Hayden’s throat worked as she struggled to swallow.
“I’m just going to ask you for one thing.”
Those amber eyes flashed again, this time with mistrust.
“If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.”
Hayden shifted uneasily but managed a small nod. “Sure.”
I beamed at her. “Thank you. Now, I have one more question. And this one is of the utmost importance.”
That wariness was back. “What?”
“How do you feel about pancakes?”
One corner of Hayden’s mouth kicked up. “Pretty sure you have to be a monster to not like pancakes.”
“Phew.” I slid a hand over my brow. “Marked safe from secret monsters in our midst.”
“I dunno about that. You haven’t experienced a morning with Gracie yet. She’s pretty monstrous before nine a.m.”
I chuckled. “Thank you for the warning. I will don my armor before breakfast.”
Hayden smiled and then ducked back into her room. Somehow, that small smile made it feel like I’d won the biggest teddy bear at one of those impossible carnival games.
“Okay,” I said, flipping a pancake. “I’ve got the following topping options. Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and bananas. And if you pick one or more of those fruitastic toppings, you also get the option of whipped cream. What’ll it be?”
Hayden, Clem, and Gracie sat at stools at the counter, watching me work while Kye puttered around with coffee, a task I’d noticed was taking him ten times as long as it usually did.
His avoidance game was strong. But it was better that way.
Because every time our gazes collided, my face flamed as memories of this morning flared.
“I’ll take all of them,” Clem said as she looked up from her Hunger Games book.
“A girl after my own heart,” I praised. “What about you, Hayden?”
“Could I have raspberries and strawberries, please?”
“Coming right up.” I slid a pancake onto a plate. “What about you, Miss Gracie?”
She lifted her head from her arms, where she’d been taking a pseudo nap at the island. Instead of answering, she grunted.
“Told you,” Hayden said.
“You did warn me she might turn into a mini wild thing before nine.”
“She likes blueberries and strawberries,” Clem added helpfully as I shifted another pancake to a plate.
Kye set a mug next to the stove. “Here you go. I’ll doctor up the toppings.”
When he didn’t meet my eyes, the guilt I’d felt earlier turned. This was on both of us, not just me. But we couldn’t let this awkwardness win. “I’m not sure you can be trusted with the right fruit-to-whipped-cream ratio, Kye.” I arched a brow, waiting for him to lift his gaze.
When it finally made contact, I swore I saw relief in his eyes. And then his lips twitched. “You mean I might not have them drowning in whipped cream like the queen of sugar prefers?”
I choked on a laugh. “You say that like you aren’t a sweet fiend right along with me.”
Kye shook his head as he loaded up the girls’ plates. “I’m pretty sure your bloodstream is ninety-nine-point-nine percent sucrose at this point.”
“What’s sucrose?” Gracie said sleepily as Kye handed her a plate.
“The chemical compound found in sugar,” Clem said as she took her plate.
Kye’s and my eyes met, both of ours flaring in surprise.
“Pretty damn—I mean dang—smart,” Kye said.
Clem laughed. “We’ve heard that word before. And I like science.”
“Well, it clearly likes you back.” I plated two pancakes for myself and three for Kye.
Kye doctored his pancakes with tons of fruit and whipped cream. “I’m going to drop you off today, and Fal and I will pick you up together. Sound good?”
Hayden worked on cutting her pancake. “You don’t have to pick me up. I have work after school.”
Kye stiffened and spoke before I could warn him not to say anything. “You don’t have to do that anymore.”
Hayden’s head jerked up. “I want to. I like earning my way. And I like working at the ice rink.”
A muscle fluttered in Kye’s cheek. “Okay. Then I’ll drop you off, and Fal or I will pick you up at the end of your shift.”
“I can take the bus,” Hayden argued. “I’ve been doing it every day for the past year.”
Kye’s knuckles bleached white as he gripped the counter. “There are a lot of things you’ve done in the past that you don’t have to do anymore if you don’t want to. And while I’ll let you take the lead on most of it, when it comes to your safety, you’ll have to let me take the reins.”
Hayden glared at Kye. “Whatever.”
I let out a breath as I took the seat next to Gracie. I knew the battle could’ve been so much worse. We ate in silence for a while, but Clem kept casting glances at Kye. Her mouth would open like she wanted to say something, but then she’d close it again.
Kye didn’t rush her. He just kept eating, waiting for her to figure out what she wanted to say and how.
Finally, she summoned the courage. “Can I go to your gym one day?”
Kye’s brows rose. “You want to go to Haven?”
Clem nodded, biting her bottom lip. “It might be kind of cool to learn how to fight.”
Kye beamed full-out at her. “I’d love to take you.”
“Me, too?” Gracie asked hopefully, a little more awake now that she’d eaten.
“Of course,” Kye told her. “We can go today after school if you want.”
“Yes!” Gracie cheered. “I love your pictures on the wall outside.”
“It’s called a mural,” Clem corrected.
Gracie’s face screwed up. “I know.”
“No, you didn’t, or you would’ve said that,” Clem shot back.
“Clementine,” Hayden said in a warning tone.
Clem instantly snapped her mouth shut.
“I loved painting those pictures,” Kye said, choosing Gracie’s word so she didn’t feel bad about using it.
“Painting’s the best. Do you ever do it with Miss Arden? She’s the bestest,” Gracie said reverently.
“You know, I painted with her sometimes when we were younger. It really helped us deal with anything hard we were going through.”
My heart jerked in my chest because I remembered those dark times—when Kye had let the demons grab hold, and the only way he could let them out was by fighting or painting.
Gracie studied him for a long moment. “You can draw the things in your head.”
“That’s right,” Kye agreed. “Maybe you and I can paint together one of these days.”
Gracie’s grin was so wide I could see almost all her teeth. “I’d like that.”
My phone dinged, and I swiped it off the counter. Noah wanted to see if I could make an extra home visit to two kids we’d placed in temporary custody with their grandmother. He wanted to make sure we had all our ducks in a row before they went before a judge for adoption.
“Everything okay?” Kye asked.
I slid off my stool. “All good. Just some extra work today.”
Kye frowned. “I thought they knew you were part time for a couple of weeks.”
“They do, but Noah just needs an assist with something.”
At the man’s name, Kye’s frown deepened to a scowl. “Tell Noah that he can do his own work.”
I rolled my eyes. “Relax. This is something I need to do. And it’s fine.” I rifled through my purse and slid my cell into one of the pockets. “I need to grab my car charger. Be right back.”
“We’ve got the dishes,” Kye called after me.
I sent him a wave and headed toward the front door. Unlocking it, I stepped outside, only to be hit with a wall of cold. I cursed as I ran to my car and grabbed the charger. I didn’t want to admit it, but having the seat heaters in the fancy new SUV Kye had bought me would be unbelievably nice.
As I jogged back to the house, a flash of color on the front step caught my attention. I frowned. I hadn’t seen it when I walked out because it was mostly tucked under the mat. It was a Polaroid. And it hadn’t been there yesterday.
Maybe it fell out of Ellie’s or Sutton’s purse. But it was an odd thing to drop.
I bent and tugged it free. As I straightened, the whole image came into view, but it took me a second to compute what I was seeing: a man lying on the ground, illuminated by a bad flash. Eyes wide and unblinking. Blood soaking a white shirt beneath a leather vest.
Dead.
He was dead.
And scrawled across the bottom of the Polaroid in boxy lettering, it said …
TWO DOWN. WHO’S NEXT?