AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hold on one minute,” I told my brother.
I poked my head out the back door where Nate now sat alone. He was still shirtless, but his wings were gone.
“Nate, I need your help.”
“What can I do for you?”
I dropped into the deck chair beside him. “My brother called. There’s a family thing going on tonight, and he asked if there was any way I could come back for it.”
“You know Sam’ll murder me if I let you go back to Boston.”
“I know I’m asking a lot—and you can say no—but Sam only said to stay with you. What if you and your family came to Boston with me? My oldest brother, Nacio, works for Sam. He knows the truth. I was thinking you could talk to him…” I let the unspoken request hang in the air between us.
Nate held out his hand. “Give me the phone.”
I took Nacio off hold and placed my cell in Nate’s palm.
“Hey, how much do you know about the demons who went after Piper?”
Nate talked to Nacio for what felt like an hour. Sierra returned to the deck with Nova in her arms, and I filled her in while watching Nate pace the yard.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have asked,” I said to Sierra. “I don’t want to put your family at risk.”
Sierra rolled her eyes. “I gave up hiding in my house with Mr. Hottie Guardian Angel last year.”
“Mr. Hottie Guardian Angel?” I asked.
“Kylie’s nickname for Nate,” Sierra answered with a grin. “But I’m being serious. Life is full of risks. I refuse to spend mine in fear.”
Nate came back to the deck and handed over my phone. “I’m all right with taking a vacation to Boston. It’s your call, baby girl,” he said, looking at Sierra.
She gave him an amused smile. “You’re offering to take me to the city?”
I was pretty sure Nate cringed inside at her words. “I’m offering to take you to Piper’s family home. We’re not touring anywhere until this demon situation is under control.”
“How about after that?”
He sighed. “I’ll give you two days, and then I’m dragging us back here by force if necessary.”
Sierra jumped up to hug him. “I love you.”
Several hours later, we were pulling into my driveway. Sierra gawked at the house through the passenger window. “This place is beautiful.”
“My parents will be happy to hear you approve,” I said before sliding out of the minivan and running toward the front door where Nacio was emerging from inside.
He hugged me tight enough to lift me off the ground. “Don’t ever run off like that without telling me again. Please. You have no idea how worried I was.”
Nacio put me down, and we headed back toward the car where Nate and Sierra were unloading Nova and their suitcases. Nacio and Nate shook hands, and then we all made our way inside.
The story was that I’d been staying with Nate and Sierra to support them through a family emergency that was sensitive and Mamma and Papa shouldnotask about it. Now they needed a place to stay for an undetermined amount of time. My parents hadn’t asked a single question before agreeing, and I’m not sure I’d ever been quite as proud of being their daughter than I was in that moment.
While Nacio and Papa carried suitcases upstairs, Mamma cooed over Nova and led us into the living room where Quinn had her nose buried in a book and Remy had homework spread over the floor.
“Make yourselves at home,” Mamma said. “Piper, we’re grilling Quinn on Orlando’s surprise.”
Quinn rolled her eyes. “Even if I knew something, do you really think I’m going to ruin Orlando’s night?” She didn’t even look up from her book.
“Of course not,” Nacio said, appearing beside me and dropping his arm over my shoulders. “We all know where your loyalties lie.”
