Page 71 of Give Me Peace

“I know.” She nods, but I can see she’s as reluctant as me to put a few states between us.

“Keep your men in line while I’m gone.” I kiss the tip of her nose and stand, pulling Saylor with me.

“My men?” she squeaks, her eyes widening at my choice of words.

“They listen to you better than they do me. I’ll see you soon, love.” I wink and pull the door open, knowing damn well I could find a million reasons to keep prolonging our departure. Kade is standing just outside, waiting like a good boy for his turn to steal a few minutes of her time. He eyes my hair and grunts.

“Fucker.” He shoulders past me and slams the door. This whole idea of exploring individual relationships with Saylor might’ve been his idea, but even he’s going to struggle with the learning curve. I smirk and leave them to say their goodbyes. We need to be on the road within the next ten minutes, so I stop by Krew’s office to get hard copies of anything I might need while we’re away. His desk is littered with empty drink cans, the mess making my eye twitch. It’s his chaos, though, and if it works for him, so be it.

“Here’s his file. Missing persons flyer, point of contact—it’s all there. For anything else, shoot me an email.” Krew passes me the accordion folder. He might not appreciate organization, but he knows I do and never fails to have everything put together just the way I like it.

“You need to sleep and eat something substantial. Take some time off. If I need you, I’ll let you know.” I give him a pointed look, knowing the man will work himself stupid if he isn’t made to rest.

“Stop projecting. I’m fine—as always—but what about you?” Krew cocks his head, leaning back in his chair like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means, Boss Man, that you’re stressed about leaving Saylor so you’ve gone into daddy mode. We’ll be fine, including Tink, so go do what you need to and wrap this shit up. Don’t let your focus be back here when it’s needed elsewhere.” Krew has never been one to mince words, which is probably why him and Kade butted heads so much in the beginning. They’re a lot more alike than they think.

“I hear ya, loud and clear.” I push off the wall to leave but stop short. “Whatever way you’re leaning, make sure you’re all in, Krew. Don’t hurt her. You’ve been hot and cold since day one, and I know it doesn’t have anything to do with Saylor exactly, but she deserves all of you. If you can’t give her that, then don’t offer anything at all.” We stare at one another, my words hanging between us like a threat. I suppose in a way it is. If he toys with her, brother or not, I’ll beat him fucking bloody.

“I won’t hurt Kash, but if he’s on the same page, then I have no reservations. I want Tink more than I’ve wanted just about anything, but that doesn’t mean I deserve her. None of us do. But ultimately, that’s her decision.” I lift my chin in understanding and head to the main room. Kade saunters in as I’m filling a to-go mug full of coffee, grinning like a damn loon.

“And you bitch about my sugar intake. The amount of caffeine you consume is going to make your heart explode,” Kash scoffs, fake gagging at the bitter liquid.

“We all have our vices, baby brother.” I ruffle his hair and shoulder my bag, laughing off his snarl of annoyance. “I’m sure after I’ve spent days alone with Kade I’ll be ready to exchange my drink of choice for hard liquor.”

“’Tis true,” Kash agrees with a smile. Kade just rolls his eyes and pockets the keys to the Tahoe. “Be good boys and catch all the bad guys.” Kash smacks a sticky kiss to both of our cheeks, cackling like a crazy person as he bolts down the hallway before either of us can put him on his ass. I bet the little shit is going straight to Saylor’s room, too. Lucky bastard. I shake my head and jog down the stairs, ready to get this over and done with. I can’t remember there ever being a time when I’ve dreaded a job, but here I am, wishing we’d never agreed to take the case to begin with.

And that makes me feel like the scum of the earth. There’s a boy missing—who’s hurt at best, dead at worst—and his family is desperate for answers. This is why we started SOTERIA, which is the only justification I have for driving away. We aren’t leaving Saylor to go play bodyguard to some high-maintenance princess. This person genuinely needs our help. It pacifies my frustration, but not entirely. Every mile we put between us and her feels wrong.

“I know, brother.” Kade sighs, feeling just as conflicted as I do.

“We’ll make it quick,” I promise, praying I’m not jinxing us before we’ve even gotten started.

I close my eyes, letting the sway of the vehicle lull me half to sleep. I could’ve used those extra hours this morning, but the odds of resting after seeing what I did were slim. Even if we have to work twenty hours a day, I’m set on being back in Florida by Wednesday. That gives us five full days to gather what we can and track down every lead we’ve got. If nothing comes of it by then, I’m going home. My phone vibrates against my thigh, the notification making me smile. Saylor barely uses her phone, so to see a text from her is a pleasant surprise.

Saylor: I lied. I actually missed you before you even left. Stay safe and come back to me.

Sweet Lord above.

It takes herculean effort not to have Kade turn us around. I take a few deep breaths and type out a response, grateful I’ve got this connection to her and don’t have to go through the guys just to speak with her.

I promise, love. Nothing’s going to keep me away from you longer than I have to be. Tsunami, catastrophic earthquake, zombie apocalypse. They wouldn’t stand a chance, sweetheart.

I grin and lick my lips, hoping to find a faint taste of her still. Shit, I can’t remember the last time I felt this happy. Not sure I ever have.

Saylor: You’re ridiculous, but I appreciate the dedication.

Ridiculously crazy about you, love.

I’m coming on strong, but fuck if I’m going to lose out on precious time with her while those other three assholes get to weasel their way in. I want Saylor to know where I stand, and if texts and phone calls are all I’ve got for the time being, then I’ll use them to my advantage. I have no intention of fighting fair where she’s concerned. Feeling a smidge better, I blank my thoughts of what’s waiting for me back home and give my attention to the file in front of me. Krew’s done most of the leg work on this, so I’m not as versed as I should be on all the details.

Time to get familiar with Jasper Dixon. Kid sounds famous already. Let’s hope we find him and give that dream of his a chance to come true.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Saylor