hallway. “In her room.”
“Something wrong?”
Kell clicked off the TV and sat up. “She’s pissed at me.”
The fierce urge to protect Avery made him go rigid. “What did you do?” Kell didn’t normally offend, but neither did he pull his punches.
“It isn’t what I did that has her upset. It’s what I didn’t do.”
“Translation?”
Kell rubbed a hand over his chest. “She’s mad at me because I didn’t stop you last night.”
Quinn raked a hand through his hair. “She doesn’t understand.”
“No shit. What are you going to do? She’s avoiding what happened.”
“I’m not a psychologist, Kell. What the hell am I supposed to do? Force her to face what happened in Azbakastan?”
“Damned if I know. We can’t let her continue to blame herself for Ryan. She’s gonna break.”
He gazed down the hallway to Avery’s closed door. “I know.”
Kell rose from the couch. “Everything go okay at Mom and Dad’s?”
“No. Bailey got the truth out of me.” He couldn’t resist a scowl. “Everyone overheard it. Including Dani.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah.”
“Leave it up to Bailey to keep prying. It was bound to come out, Quinn. Secrets never stay buried.”
“Some things are better left unsaid.” Quinn let the double entendre hang. Kell’s skeletons were his to hold.
“Think I’ll go for a run.” Kell strode toward the door. “Avery’s a ticking time bomb. She’s gonna need support.” Kell disappeared through the door to outrun his ghosts.
Quinn could relate. His outlet was a good workout and a swim in the lake afterwards. Kell ran. Evan sparred. Chris took a woman to bed or picked a fight, sometimes both. Nate worked on his boats or swam.
Even in this heat Kell would run until he dropped. No easy feat for a man who ran everywhere instead of drove. The brand new Hummer H2 sitting in Kell’s drive collected dust when he wasn’t taking it camping, hiking, mountain climbing, or spelunking.
Weary, he dropped down in one of the recliners. He still hadn’t talked to his family about the funeral arrangements.
An ache started in his chest and spread to his gut as he replayed his mom’s words in his head. Even though she didn’t mean it, they still hurt like hell. He rested his head against the back of the chair and let his eyes close. God, he was tired. Maybe he’d go for that swim now. Avery was in no immediate danger and he would be right outside her window if she needed him.
He rose and headed for the lake.
****
Avery paced the small bedroom, still angry. She heard Quinn come home but wasn’t in the mood for more testosterone right now. He wasn’t at his parents’ house long, which could only mean it hadn’t gone well. Not a good sign. Maybe he was a glutton for punishment. One night wasn’t enough time for his family to come to terms.
Water splashed outside and drew her to the window. She looked out in time to see Quinn dive off the end of the dock. His hard, tanned body disappeared into the black water. A full minute passed before his dark head reappeared. With long, powerful strokes he swam toward the small wooded island that sat in the middle of the lake.
Avery swallowed past a dry throat as she watched him cut through the water with sleek grace. He didn’t go clear out to the island, but halfway, before he turned and began to swim back. A shudder worked its way down her spine. After being waterboarded for trying to escape, she didn’t think she would ever be able to swim again. The thought of covering her head with water terrified her. As much as she wanted a shower, she couldn’t bring herself to step beneath the spray.
Thunder rolled across the sky, bringing her back to the present. Quinn was back to the dock now, but he didn’t use it to climb out. Instead, he rose up out of the water and began to stride toward the shore. With each step water dropped lower and lower to reveal more and more tanned flesh.
Mesmerized, she watched him rake a hand through
“Something wrong?”
Kell clicked off the TV and sat up. “She’s pissed at me.”
The fierce urge to protect Avery made him go rigid. “What did you do?” Kell didn’t normally offend, but neither did he pull his punches.
“It isn’t what I did that has her upset. It’s what I didn’t do.”
“Translation?”
Kell rubbed a hand over his chest. “She’s mad at me because I didn’t stop you last night.”
Quinn raked a hand through his hair. “She doesn’t understand.”
“No shit. What are you going to do? She’s avoiding what happened.”
“I’m not a psychologist, Kell. What the hell am I supposed to do? Force her to face what happened in Azbakastan?”
“Damned if I know. We can’t let her continue to blame herself for Ryan. She’s gonna break.”
He gazed down the hallway to Avery’s closed door. “I know.”
Kell rose from the couch. “Everything go okay at Mom and Dad’s?”
“No. Bailey got the truth out of me.” He couldn’t resist a scowl. “Everyone overheard it. Including Dani.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah.”
“Leave it up to Bailey to keep prying. It was bound to come out, Quinn. Secrets never stay buried.”
“Some things are better left unsaid.” Quinn let the double entendre hang. Kell’s skeletons were his to hold.
“Think I’ll go for a run.” Kell strode toward the door. “Avery’s a ticking time bomb. She’s gonna need support.” Kell disappeared through the door to outrun his ghosts.
Quinn could relate. His outlet was a good workout and a swim in the lake afterwards. Kell ran. Evan sparred. Chris took a woman to bed or picked a fight, sometimes both. Nate worked on his boats or swam.
Even in this heat Kell would run until he dropped. No easy feat for a man who ran everywhere instead of drove. The brand new Hummer H2 sitting in Kell’s drive collected dust when he wasn’t taking it camping, hiking, mountain climbing, or spelunking.
Weary, he dropped down in one of the recliners. He still hadn’t talked to his family about the funeral arrangements.
An ache started in his chest and spread to his gut as he replayed his mom’s words in his head. Even though she didn’t mean it, they still hurt like hell. He rested his head against the back of the chair and let his eyes close. God, he was tired. Maybe he’d go for that swim now. Avery was in no immediate danger and he would be right outside her window if she needed him.
He rose and headed for the lake.
****
Avery paced the small bedroom, still angry. She heard Quinn come home but wasn’t in the mood for more testosterone right now. He wasn’t at his parents’ house long, which could only mean it hadn’t gone well. Not a good sign. Maybe he was a glutton for punishment. One night wasn’t enough time for his family to come to terms.
Water splashed outside and drew her to the window. She looked out in time to see Quinn dive off the end of the dock. His hard, tanned body disappeared into the black water. A full minute passed before his dark head reappeared. With long, powerful strokes he swam toward the small wooded island that sat in the middle of the lake.
Avery swallowed past a dry throat as she watched him cut through the water with sleek grace. He didn’t go clear out to the island, but halfway, before he turned and began to swim back. A shudder worked its way down her spine. After being waterboarded for trying to escape, she didn’t think she would ever be able to swim again. The thought of covering her head with water terrified her. As much as she wanted a shower, she couldn’t bring herself to step beneath the spray.
Thunder rolled across the sky, bringing her back to the present. Quinn was back to the dock now, but he didn’t use it to climb out. Instead, he rose up out of the water and began to stride toward the shore. With each step water dropped lower and lower to reveal more and more tanned flesh.
Mesmerized, she watched him rake a hand through
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