“Like I said. Gourmet.”
Evander laughed, the sound of it warming me even more than the fire and the soup. “You’re no better a liar tonight than you were the night I caught you crashing my party, little thief.”
The reminder of our first meeting sent a shiver skittering down my spine and snaking into my belly. Suddenly his gaze felt too hot, his attention too smothering, his presence too… too everything.
I finished the rest of the soup quickly, then got up to stretch my legs and check the situation outside.
It wasn’t long before the chill chased me back to the fire, my whole body shivering as I pulled the bedroll closer to its crackling warmth.
“See anything?” Evander asked.
I shook my head.
“You need to sleep tonight, Haley. I’ll keep watch for you.”
I nodded, but I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to sleep. Not until I knew my men were safe.
A long moment passed, nothing but the hiss and pop of the fire keeping us company.
Then, out of nowhere, Evander said, “You truly love them, don’t you?”
The note of wonder in his voice surprised me, and when I glanced up at him across the fire, I saw that same wonder reflected in his eyes, as if he couldn’t possibly imagine what it would feel like to love someone enough to worry about them.
Tobeloved by someone like that.
“I do,” I said. “It’s funny—I haven’t even known Jax and Hudson all that long, but sometimes you just… I don’t know. Click with people.”
“And… Elian?” he asked, his voice thick, as if he still had trouble saying his brother’s name.
“I’ve… I’ve loved Elian for a long, long time. It’s… I don’t know. I’m not sure you’d understand.”
“No? I wouldn’t understand love? Or I wouldn’t understand that what you feel for him is strong enough to override the fact that he’s an addict and a criminal?”
I bristled at the turn in the conversation. At the sudden hint of irritation in his voice.
“Elian is inpain. Can’t you see that? Isn’t that enough of a reason for you to have a modicum of compassion?”
“I supposed itwouldbe, if he actually allowed himself to feel that pain. He avoids it by escaping into drugs, no matter what the collateral damage is to those around him, and you shrug and continue to stand by his side as if the man can do no wrong.”
I rubbed a thumb along the scar on my wrist, the old ache blooming in my gut. “Show me a person whohasn’tlonged for escape, no matter who they might hurt in the process. No, he’s not perfect, and I’ve got a lot of bitter history with him to back that up—a lot of reasons to be angry with him even now. But his addiction—no matter how much it affects me—isn’t one of them.”
“Many people would turn their backs for lesser faults.”
“I know. Many people have turned their backs onmefor lesser faults. But Elian never did. Not even when I was at my worst. Not until he…” I blew out a shaky breath, the rest of those words evaporating.
Not until he left me to come to Midnight in search ofyou. His brother. His twin.
It wasn’t Evander’s fault that he’d been taken, and it wasn’t his fault that Elian had tried to find him.
Glancing down at my wrist again, I focused instead on the tattoo etched above the scar.
This too shall pass.
“I’ve got Elian’s back,” I said simply. “And that’s that. Whether you understand it or approve of it is irrelevant.”
Again, that strange sense of wonder appeared in his eyes. “He’s lucky to have such a loyal friend.”
“That’s an oxymoron. A friendisloyal. Not perfect, not without cracks and flaws, but yeah. When life tries to steamroll you, a friend—a realfriend—either has your back, or they don’t deserve the honor of the title.”
