Mini Outtake
THE TENLEYS
In a guest cabin somewhere in northern Washington,
River, Reese, and Shay get a moment to themselves to open the book Lane brought.
Shay Tenley
“I’m a little nervous,” I admitted, sitting up in bed.
Christ, I was a world away from everything I knew. Up in the mountains, surrounded by forest. But with Lane and Ty’s arrival, I felt a pinch of homesickness for the first time in two weeks.
Daddy kissed my shoulder before leaning against it. He was sprawled out comfortably across more than half the bed. Owner was pressed to my other side, and he eyed the cover of the book.
“I love that photo of you,” he murmured.
I smiled slightly. Lane had taken it the morning after we’d played together for the first time.
That morning, I’d been so thrown by my own connection with Lane. How strong it felt, yet entirely different from what I felt for River and Reese.
“All right, open it,” Daddy said. “Ty said somethin’ about emotional torture, so I wanna get that over with. Then possibly shut him up with my cock.”
“I’ll help you pin him down,” River muttered. “His strength always catches me off guard.”
Seriously. Ty was hella strong. Not quite as strong as Daddy, but he could definitely take River in a fight. As we’d learned.
I did as told and opened the book.
Reese had a point—and it was probably why he’d asked for privacy for a moment. Emotional torture wasn’t fun.
Taking a big breath, I flipped the first page.
“Add those names to a list,” Daddy said, pointing to those who’d been involved in the design and editing and stuff. “We might have to punish all of them. We’ll have Greer waterboard Corey, and Colt can probably deny Luke orgasms for a month.”
Yeah, right! I snorted.
The next page revealed a writing from Lane. A foreword.
Shay,
I can’t save you, so I have to practice patience and have faith in River and Reese to do what they know best. I can’t be there for you, so I have to believe I can be by your side once you come home instead.
I can’t ease your pain, so I have to settle for at least showing you how much you mean to so many people.
I hope you’ll find strength in our love for our community’s fiercest fighter.
You might feel like the darkness is about to swallow you whole. You might feel like your recovery is taking forever. You might feel lost at times. But we are here. No matter where in the world your journey takes you, we are here, waiting for you to find your way back home.
Mr. West asked me what I wanted the cover of this little book to look like, and I knew immediately the photo I wanted to use. Do you remember when I took it?
The color was easy too. It had to be the color of your eyes. That unforgettable shade that made your mom say you have fairy-tale eyes.
She was right.
I miss every part of you, brother. Every piece.
Lane
PS: If you’re reading this, it means you’re safe again. It means I owe a world of gratitude to River, Reese, and Greer. It also means we get to shower River and Reese with emotional torture at the end of the book.
I swallowed hard and blinked past the burn in my eyes.
“The end of the book?” Daddy asked thickly. “I feel like it already started. Fuck.”
River cleared his throat and flipped to the next page.
This was going to kill me, wasn’t it?
But more than that…
After a couple weeks of talking to my brothers on FaceTime and on the phone—and Aunt Mel, of course… And texting a little with friends…
Maybe I was ready to go home.
Finally.