thing. Riley is hurt by their actions, but it’s done out of love. They want to protect her.”
“I think she believes they think her weak.”
“Riley?” Court asked as he swiveled his head to Kane. “Weak? Not possible.”
Kane raised a brow as one side of his lips lifted in a sort of smile. “I know. But Vincent, Lincoln, Beau, and Christian might have forgotten her strength while Riley was away at college.”
“I’m glad she came here. Even with the danger, it’s good to make that connection with our cousins again.”
Kane turned so that he faced Court. “There’s another connection that needs to be made. Get your ass in the house and kiss Skye like you’ve been longing to do.”
Court blinked, taken aback. “What?”
“I know you, Court. The fact you’ve kept your distance from Skye tells me how much you like her.”
Was it that obvious? Did the others know, as well? Did he care that they knew? No, he realized, he didn’t.
“I do like her,” he admitted. “I don’t want to screw it up.”
“Then go see her,” Kane said and gave him a little push. “We’ve got things covered out here.”
Once his feet started moving, Court couldn’t stop. He walked to the house, up the steps to the porch, and through the front door. He paused long enough to close the door softly behind him, listening for Skye.
Court walked to the kitchen, glancing inside rooms as he went. He found Minka sitting alone at the kitchen table with a glass of untouched bourbon in her hand.
“She’s in her room,” Minka said with a smile.
Court nodded to the bottle. “Do you not like the brand?”
“I’m just thinking.”
“You didn’t have to come, but I’m glad you did. I’m sorry Solomon is such an ass.”
Minka waved away his words. “I can handle Solomon. I’m more concerned with the plan.”
He was too, but Court wasn’t going to add more worry to her. “How did you know I was looking for Skye?”
At this, Minka chuckled. “You can’t seriously be asking me that question with the way you’ve been looking at her.”
“I guess not,” Court said with a smile.
He walked to the fridge and got out two longneck beers. He waved goodnight to Minka and headed up the stairs. When he was outside his old bedroom door, he stopped and knocked.
A moment later, the door opened. Court held up the beers and smiled. “Care for a refreshment?”
“I’d love one,” Skye said as she stepped aside and opened the door wider for him.
He walked into his bedroom and looked around at how she had made it hers. There were piles of clothes off in the corner. Her things that he had gotten for her four days earlier from her place.
Court cleared his throat and pulled his gaze away from the laundry and the memory of being inside her house and looking through her belongings.
He turned and set the bottles on the desk, twisting off first one cap and then the other. Then he held one out for her. Their fingers brushed as she took the offered beer.
Their eyes held for a moment before she leaned against the wall. Court remained across from her and propped his shoulder against the opposite wall.
“I’m surprised you aren’t on patrol,” she said into the silence.
He shrugged. “I wanted to give Myles time with Addison.”
“I hate that everyone is doing all of this because of me. I’m a nobody, Court. Why should any of you care if I’m taken?”
He couldn’t believe the thought had even entered her head. “Why do you say that?”
“I have no family, no friends, really. There’s no one who would even miss me if I died.”
“I would.”
Her dark gaze locked with his. “You don’t know me.”
“I do. I know you’re funny, brave, stubborn, and relentless. I know you value friendship and responsibility. I know you want to protect the innocent as we do.”
“That’s not all there is to know about me. I was born into an extremely wealthy family and raised in the Bahamas.”
Court didn’t interrupt her. He
“I think she believes they think her weak.”
“Riley?” Court asked as he swiveled his head to Kane. “Weak? Not possible.”
Kane raised a brow as one side of his lips lifted in a sort of smile. “I know. But Vincent, Lincoln, Beau, and Christian might have forgotten her strength while Riley was away at college.”
“I’m glad she came here. Even with the danger, it’s good to make that connection with our cousins again.”
Kane turned so that he faced Court. “There’s another connection that needs to be made. Get your ass in the house and kiss Skye like you’ve been longing to do.”
Court blinked, taken aback. “What?”
“I know you, Court. The fact you’ve kept your distance from Skye tells me how much you like her.”
Was it that obvious? Did the others know, as well? Did he care that they knew? No, he realized, he didn’t.
“I do like her,” he admitted. “I don’t want to screw it up.”
“Then go see her,” Kane said and gave him a little push. “We’ve got things covered out here.”
Once his feet started moving, Court couldn’t stop. He walked to the house, up the steps to the porch, and through the front door. He paused long enough to close the door softly behind him, listening for Skye.
Court walked to the kitchen, glancing inside rooms as he went. He found Minka sitting alone at the kitchen table with a glass of untouched bourbon in her hand.
“She’s in her room,” Minka said with a smile.
Court nodded to the bottle. “Do you not like the brand?”
“I’m just thinking.”
“You didn’t have to come, but I’m glad you did. I’m sorry Solomon is such an ass.”
Minka waved away his words. “I can handle Solomon. I’m more concerned with the plan.”
He was too, but Court wasn’t going to add more worry to her. “How did you know I was looking for Skye?”
At this, Minka chuckled. “You can’t seriously be asking me that question with the way you’ve been looking at her.”
“I guess not,” Court said with a smile.
He walked to the fridge and got out two longneck beers. He waved goodnight to Minka and headed up the stairs. When he was outside his old bedroom door, he stopped and knocked.
A moment later, the door opened. Court held up the beers and smiled. “Care for a refreshment?”
“I’d love one,” Skye said as she stepped aside and opened the door wider for him.
He walked into his bedroom and looked around at how she had made it hers. There were piles of clothes off in the corner. Her things that he had gotten for her four days earlier from her place.
Court cleared his throat and pulled his gaze away from the laundry and the memory of being inside her house and looking through her belongings.
He turned and set the bottles on the desk, twisting off first one cap and then the other. Then he held one out for her. Their fingers brushed as she took the offered beer.
Their eyes held for a moment before she leaned against the wall. Court remained across from her and propped his shoulder against the opposite wall.
“I’m surprised you aren’t on patrol,” she said into the silence.
He shrugged. “I wanted to give Myles time with Addison.”
“I hate that everyone is doing all of this because of me. I’m a nobody, Court. Why should any of you care if I’m taken?”
He couldn’t believe the thought had even entered her head. “Why do you say that?”
“I have no family, no friends, really. There’s no one who would even miss me if I died.”
“I would.”
Her dark gaze locked with his. “You don’t know me.”
“I do. I know you’re funny, brave, stubborn, and relentless. I know you value friendship and responsibility. I know you want to protect the innocent as we do.”
“That’s not all there is to know about me. I was born into an extremely wealthy family and raised in the Bahamas.”
Court didn’t interrupt her. He
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