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“Do you think it was a deer or a cougar or something?” she asked, rather than tell him, once again, that she was fine. He didn’t believe it, and she knew it wasn’t true.
Another lie.
She was so tired of lies.
And tired of hiding.
And tired of not living her life.
Of not being allowed to love, not really letting anyone into her life.
“Maybe,” he replied slowly, leaning his shoulder on the doorframe and studying her. She could tell he didn’t think an animal was the problem. Not a four-legged kind.
“Bigfoot?” she offered, trying to grin. Her lips wobbled, and she settled for a grimace.
“Yeah, that’s it. Gotta be Bigfoot. Never would have imagined that encounter back in Boston.”
“Well, you know. Things are wild in the wild west.”
“Dev…?”
Oh crap. He could see right through her, couldn’t he?
“Yeah?”
“You know you can tell me the truth, baby girl. About anything. Even if you’re scared. It’s been…” He shook his head. “Never mind.”
“What?” The question came out as a demand. God, she was lying about everything. How could she demand he tell her anything about what he thought? Still… “What were you going to say?”
His eyes closed for a moment, indecision making his head shake slightly, before he reopened those dark eyes that always saw through her. He pinned her with his hungry stare. “I was going to say… It’s been over a year and a half. I think we’ve earned truth between us—all three of us. Honesty between all of us.”
“You’re right.” She nodded slowly. Some of those truths didn’t need to be spoken. She knew both Cannon and Hawk wanted her. It had never been a question to her that, if there was ever a relationship, if she ever allowed it, the three of them would be together, as was often the way in Daly. “The truth…”
Her head tipped, and she considered what to tell him. Her real name? Her real age? Her real feelings?
“The truth,” he echoed.
“No, I’m not okay. I’m never okay. Occasionally, I can forget my reality, but mostly, I’m always looking over my shoulder. Unless you and Cannon are nearby, because then I know you’re looking out for me. But on days like today, when alarms go off and I have to hide from the phantom that’s constantly stalking me, it scares the shit out of me.”
“Baby girl…”
A shoulder lifted. “It’s the truth.”
Stalking toward her, he pulled her into his arms. “We’ll always be here, always have your back.”
“I know.”
Unless they couldn’t be there for some reason. The most harrowing of reasons sent a shiver down her spine. The men her stepfather was associated with were bad people. Besides the sex trafficking, she didn’t doubt they had murder on their resumes. She’d die if anything happened to Hawk or Cannon. Not just metaphorically, either. They strengthened her. They gave her the will to keep going. They gave her hope that someday she could be free.
But when was “someday”? How long would she have to run or hide? Lie to everyone?
She heard a clatter of someone slamming into the house downstairs, and her entire body stiffened until she heard familiar boot falls pounding up the steps.
Cannon skidded into her bedroom doorway, taking in the scene—her in Hawk’s arms. He didn’t hesitate. Not a trace of jealousy crossed his face. He just crowded into them and wrapped his arms around them both.
Her eyes closed while she absorbed the feeling. Safe. This was where she belonged. This was where she was safe.
For the moment, at least. Because she’d learned young, when she’d lost her beloved father, when she’d later lost her mother, and then her grandparents… Nothing lasted forever.
