Page 340 of Power Play

“It helps a little.”

The front door opened again before I could answer.

Aura entered with two overnight bags hanging from one shoulder. Easton followed, carrying enough luggage to suggest nobody in his vehicle understood the meaning of a long weekend. Gayle and Skylar came behind him, arguing about who forgot a charger, while Vivi paused in the doorway and studied the interior of the lodge.

Easton dropped the bags and walked straight toward me.

His eyes landed on my black eye. “Briggs?”

“Yeah.”

He nodded before gripping my hand and pulling me against his chest. There were no questions and no speech. His palm struck my back once before he released me.

“We’ve got you,” he said.

“I know.”

Aura watched the exchange. Exhaustion shadowed her eyes, and sadness softened her mouth when she looked at me. She started toward me, stopped, and seemed to choose each word before speaking.

“Ryan, I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

“I love you.”

The sentence caught me off guard.

Aura folded her arms across herself. “I love her too. Those things are going to make me say shit you don’t want to hear eventually.”

“Eventually can wait.”

“It can.”

“But you’re going to ask me to hear her out.”

“Yes.”

“I’m telling you now that I won’t.”

Her jaw tightened.

“That isn’t me being angry,” I continued. “It isn’t punishment, and it isn’t an invitation for everyone to start negotiating once I’ve calmed down. I’m done.”

Aura’s eyes filled, but she nodded anyway. “All right.”

Bliss returned from the lower level with Briggs behind her. She heard enough to understand where the conversation had landed.

“Can we ask you one thing?” she said.

“No.”

Her eyebrows lifted.

“I know what you want to ask. You want me to remember how deeply her parents conditioned her. You want me to understand she froze because she was scared, and you want me to give her a chance to explain once everyone stops crying.”

Bliss pressed her lips together.

“She told us more last night,” Aura said carefully.