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Just her.
LAIKEN DECIDES TO TAKEa shower. Apparently, that’s what she went back to the motel room to do before all hell broke loose and it rained glass in there. Mali sits in the bedroom, making sure she’s okay. Meanwhile, Cam and I are having a beer in the kitchen.
“It’s got to be him, right? I mean, it can’t be a coincidence that he’s back in town when all this shit is going on.”
I shake my head. “You saw the look on his face—all smug and shit. It’s him. It has to be.”
Cam grips the bottle tightly as he chugs half his beer. “I can’t believe we were friends with that guy at one point.”
“No,youwere friends with him,” I correct. “I tolerated him in the name of hockey.”
He snorts. “Well, let’s hope that the puck you shot straight into his balls made it so he can’t reproduce.”
“He won’t have a dick to reproducewithby the time I’m done with him.”
I can’t believe none of us realized he was back in town. I thought for sure if he were to come back, one of the guys would have told me. But everything that’s happened has been done under the cloak of darkness. For all we know, he could have been hiding this whole time—not letting anyone know he’s back until he felt like exposing himself.
“Isaac is an asshole, but he’s not stupid,” Cam points out. “We’ll have to figure out a way to get him alone. Somewhereprivate, and where his pigheaded brother isn’t around to record what we do to him.”
I nod. “Cornering him will probably prove to be more difficult if he only shows himself when he feels like it. And if he’s keeping eyes on us, getting him to walk into a trap is probably out, too.”
Cam’s lips purse. “Unless he doesn’t realize it’s a trap.”
“I’m listening.”
But he doesn’t explain right away. Instead, he takes out his phone and makes a call.
“Owen, hey,” he says. “Remember when Morrison had me arrested and you said you wanted to help? …Yeah, I need a favor.”
BY THE TIME MALIstarts yawning, Cam decides to go. He points out that they still have to go get her car, but we know all know she’s just going to sleep at his place. The same way I won’t let Laiken out of my sight right now, he’s feeling just as protective over her.
I’m not entirely filled in on the plan, but he seems confident that his idea might work. It’s just going to take a little time. But as long as it gets me alone with Isaac by the end of it, I’m fine with being kept in the dark for a bit.
Laiken sits on the couch, looking exhausted as she stares off into space. After a deep breath, I walk over to her and put my hand out. Her eyes hold such fear as she tilts her head up to look at me.
“Let’s go to bed,” I tell her.
She sighs, nodding and taking my hand.
We haven’t talked about sleeping arrangements. Just that it would be under my roof. But to be honest, I’m not even willing to let her in a differentroomright now. He’s proven that a locked door doesn’t keep him out, which means she stays near me at all times.
As we get to the top of the stairs, she turns toward the guest room, but I stop her by tightening my grip on her hand just slightly.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
I nod toward the bedroom we shared. The one I haven’t slept in since the night she left. “You know that bed is more comfortable, and I won’t be able to sleep if you’re not next to me.”
It doesn’t take much for her to give in. She honestly looks a little relieved at the idea. But as we walk in, I feel my chest tighten at the thought of sleeping in here with her again.
“You can take the bed,” I tell her, grabbing a pillow and tossing it on the floor.
“What? Why?”
I rub the back of my neck. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
It’s not a total lie. There’s a different intimacy with sleeping than there is with having sex. And the last time we were in this bed together has been playing through my mind since the day she came back.
She chuckles. “Hayes, we literally had sexyesterday.I don’t think sharing the same massive bed is going to make anything uncomfortable.”
