88. Mandy
MANDY
Back at Blackthorn Ranch, the kitchen is warm and bright, a violent contrast to the mill, the airstrip, the blood dried along the collar of my shirt, and everything else tonight.
Mason leans against the counter behind Lily.
Jake went to take a shower. Emma went to wash his back.
Luke and Harper disappeared after going out for ice, coffee, and an entire box of donuts. Apparently, emergencies have catering requirements.
Hendricks hasn’t been more than three feet away from me since the airstrip, but he’s currently standing four feet away. Progress.
Lily tilts my chin toward the light. “Nothing broken.”
“Told you.”
“You have a split lip, bruised cheekbone, swollen eye, and probably bruised ribs.” Her hands stop. For the first time since we got here, she really looks at me. Not as a medic—as my sister.
Her eyes shine. “Mandy.”
Oh, fuck.
No. I can handle torture. I cannot handle Lily crying. “I’m okay,” I say quickly.
“I know.” Her voice breaks anyway.
I reach for her hand, my fingers grazing the barcode Turner’s goons tattooed on her.
She takes mine, her lips curving when she sees the black widow I had added to mine. She meets my eyes and grins, like she loves the inside joke.
And just like that, we understand each other. No explanation. No pity. We took what they put on us and made it ours.
I squeeze her fingers. “And you’re better than okay.”
She closes her eyes. Then she leans forward and presses her forehead to mine.
“Ow.”
She jerks back.
I grin. “Sorry. Ruined the moment.”
She laughs through the tears. “There is something deeply wrong with you.”
I nod. “Genetics.”
She snorts.
Mason approaches her, putting a steadying hand on her shoulder.
Lily takes a breath, wipes beneath her eyes, then points at me. “No fighting for forty-eight hours.”
“That seems excessive.”
“No getting kidnapped.”
“That one wasn’t voluntary.”
“No chasing homicidal billionaires.”
I consider it. “Can we negotiate?”
“No.”
“Fine.” I sigh. As far as I’m concerned, I’m happy to take a sabbatical.
Luke drops the donut box in front of me. “I brought medicine.”
I reach for one.
Hendricks takes it away. “Lily cleans you up first.”
“Masochist.” I’d stick my tongue out at him if it didn’t hurt to do it.
The guys drift away while Lily opens her medical kit and gets to work on my face.
“You’re an idiot,” my sister says for the tenth time.
I roll my eyes. “I love you too.”
“Hold still.” She dabs disinfectant on the cut over my eye.
I hiss, frowning at her. “I am holding still.”
“You’re talking.”
“I didn’t realize my mouth was medically connected to my eyebrow.”
“It is tonight.” She presses something cold against my cheek.
I wince.
“Baby,” she mocks me, but she puts a gentle kiss on my temple.
My breath catches. I used to kiss her hurts better—back when she was little and I still thought I could keep anything bad from happening to her.
Lily meets my eyes. “You never failed me. Really, I owe you my life.”
I swallow down the feels. “I didn’t say anything.”
“Your face did.”
I wrinkle my nose. “My face has had a rough night.”
Her mouth twitches.
And just like that, she’s my little sister again.
Across the kitchen, Hendricks comes back toward me, holding out the donut.
“Because I’ve been a good girl?” I take it from him.
“I’d be disappointed if you were.”
“Maybe you need to spank me,” I say, taking a bite.
“Jesus.” Lily covers her eyes. “I don’t need to hear this.”
Hendricks takes my hand. “Home.”
One word, and something inside me goes quiet.
Home.
Not his house. Not Blackthorn. Not somewhere I’m staying until the danger passes.
Home.
I look at him. “You asking?”
His gray eyes hold mine. “Yes.”
There it is—my choice. Always my choice.
I stand. Every part of me hurts.
Hendricks immediately reaches for me, then stops himself before he touches me.
Smiling, I take his hand. “Let’s go home.”