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Gavin heard Lauren ask, “Why are you here?”
“Gavin thought,” Nick paused and started again. “Gavin and I thought the three of us should talk.”
“Gavin was wrong.”
Gavin stepped up and onto the enclosed upper deck, and gave Lauren what he hoped was a calming smile. “It’s been known to happen a few times, but I believe a conversation with the three of us is overdue.”
Lauren shook her head. “I’d rather have a few days alone before I have to talk to either of you, but I have no intention of spending time with Nick tonight. I’ll talk to you, but not him.”
“Nick stays.”
Lauren stood and met Gavin’s gaze. “It’s your yacht, so you certainly get to decide that. Just let me get my suitcase, and I’ll relocate to a hotel until I can find an apartment or cabin to rent.”
Gavin stepped so he blocked her.Fuck, but she was stubborn. “Five minutes, and if you still don’t want to talk to him, he’ll leave.”
“It isn’t a negotiation. If he stays, I leave.”
“I’ll go,” Nick said from behind him. “When she’s ready to talk, she will. Her energy feels off, and that’s probably my fault. She won’t appear weak around me when she’s mad at me.”
Her energy was certainly off, but Gavin wasn’t certain it was Nick’s fault. He didn’t voice his thoughts out loud, though.
They’d driven separately and then waited together in Gavin’s car, so they could talk. He watched the Rex leave, and he turned to Lauren. “You aren’t usually cruel.”
“I told him I needed time.”
“He loves you.”
“So he said.”
“I do, too.”
Lauren shook her head. “There’s something else we need to talk about.” She turned to Dusty and Link, who were seated near each other without touching. Gavin had seen them touch, but they didn’t often do so around others.
“Thank you for the wonderful dinner and conversation. I don’t want to be rude again, but I need to drag Gavin to my room for a talk.” She looked at Ambrose. “Thanks so much for your help.”
Ambrose looked at Gavin and then back to Lauren. “I was happy to. If you’ll text me your schedule, I’ll be waiting in the parking lot when you go to your car in the morning, and I’ll shadow you tomorrow. We can tell anyone who asks that Gavin is having me shadow you because you’re going to need to take some time off in a couple of weeks.”
Gavin wasn’t sure what was going on, but he didn’t argue, and when Lauren blew out a breath and nodded without protest, he turned and went to her bedroom. He needed more information, but he had a sinking feeling he knew what was happening.
Space is at a premium on yachts, so the bedroom didn’t have a seating area. Gavin would’ve preferred to be comfortably seated when Lauren stepped into the room, rather than towering over her. The best he could do was lean against the doorframe of her bathroom, because he didn’t want to sit on the end of her bed.
Lauren came into the room, closed the door, and pulled her shirt off over her head. She held a finger up, as if telling him to give her a minute before he did anything, and she closed her eyes.
On her shoulder, or rather, draped over her shoulder, was the head of a bird, beautifully inked, complete with feathers that appeared to have depth.
And an incredibly lifelike eye.
The energy changed in the room. It was ever-so-slight, and he doubted most supernaturals would catch it, but Gavin had made a habit of detecting such things, and it’d kept him alive uncounted times when others were slaughtered.
And then the lifelike eye moved, as if looking around the room.
“As you can see,” Lauren told him. “The eyes on my face are closed.”
Gavin held up three fingers. “But I’m betting you can tell me what I’m doing.”
“Holding up three fingers.”
“When did you figure it out?”
