Page 69 of Cash

That might’ve been the best course of action, but it wasn’t what was going to happen.

“They’re both coming to my house.”

Zane’s eyebrow winged up. This wasn’t surprising. He knew I never allowed women into my home, and it was rare for my teammates to come over. Hell, in the last six months my sister had only been in my house once—Penny might be female, but she didn’t count as a woman and besides, she’d only been there for ten minutes before we’d left for dinner.

“How are you going to explain Lore’s injuries?”

Fuck.

I hadn’t thought of that.

“Car accident?”

Zane looked at me like I had a screw loose.

No, he looked at me like a father—one who knew my excuse would likely lead to more questions which would turn into more lies.

Lying to kids is bad…isn’t it?

“What if I tell Cara Stella is sick?” As soon as the question left my mouth, Zane frowned. “Like with the flu,” I clarified.

“It’s not going to matter what you tell her, she’s going to have questions. Uncomfortable questions like why Lore left her in that room and why she has…bruises around her neck.”

A hoodie could cover the bruising and the damage to her back.

“For what it’s worth, I think you taking both of them back to the house is the right call. Especially with Cara. She’s finishing up the pizza Leo and Olivia brought in, but she’s asking about you.”

I didn’t have time to savor the burn that Cara asking about me created and why it felt so good.

“I’ll take Stella with me. Do you mind bringing Cara to my place?”

“You know I don’t.”

That seared through me, creating a different kind of burn. I’d waited my whole life for a family. I’d found it when I found my brothers, but there had still been something missing until I met Zane. Not a father figure, but a mentor, a leader, someone to guide and advise when I needed direction.

But there was still a hole, a hollowness I ignored. I glanced back down at Stella and wondered if she was the key—her and Cara.

“Is Lolo really okay?” Cara asked.

I looked over at her little body tucked into the corner of my couch with a bag of microwave popcorn balanced between her bent knees and chest and not for the first time I wondered what the hell I was doing.

Maybe I should’ve let Nebraska take her home. I was sure it was past her bedtime and I had no idea if popcorn was okay as a late-night snack. Then there was me allowing her to check on a sleeping Stella in my bed. Of course I’d lifted the sheet up to cover her neck, and Cara didn’t know her Lolo was actually passed out from the morphine she’d been given, but still…

“Would you like to check on her again?” I asked.

“No. When I have an icky tummy, I don’t want to be bothered.”

Right.

The flu.

That was the excuse I’d given as to why Cara couldn’t climb into bed with Stella and snuggle. I’d gotten lucky and she hadn’t asked where Stella had gone and why. I knew those questions would come, I just hoped Stella was awake when they did.

Cara’s gaze went back to the TV. “I wish I had a dragon.”

I glanced back at the screen just in time to see a cartoon baby dragon puke up a half-eaten fish on a boy’s lap.

Great, I was probably going to give Cara nightmares when the dragon ate the boy.