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I blink a couple of times.I don’t know who the fuck Nat is, but the other name ...“Nydia?As in Mane’s ex-girlfriend?”
Lang grins.“She’s got a good memory.Yeah, that Nydia.She’s now his wife.Long story.”He dismisses the topic with a nonchalant wave of his hand.“Let me take you there so you can find something.”
ChapterSix
Aerin
This day can’t getany more surreal if I wanted it to.I’m at the Brooklyn brownstone, finding out that all Sanford’s friends are now married—even Lang.A chuckle slips from me as I think about Grace and Beacon getting married.He’s been head over heels for her for as long as I can remember but never had the guts to confess.
I shake my head, a small smirk playing on my lips.Men, they really can be so stupid sometimes.
I take a moment to peruse the photo frames that adorn the room.The sight of Fisher, happily married with a son and another baby on the way fills my heart with joy that someone was able to get past the walls he’d built around his wounded heart and make a home with him.
Hopefully, one day I’ll meet Nat, the woman who captured his heart.But for now, I’ll borrow some of her clothes.I pick out a pair of leggings and a blouse from her closet, then make a quick call to the center to inform them I can’t be there for another hour.
Though, I would love to just fly there, I have to eat something.No matter how intense things get during the next few days, I have to prioritize my health.Thankfully, the voice on the other end informs me that another doctor is already en route, ready to handle the patient’s initial screening.
The knot of concern in my chest loosens, allowing me to release a sigh of relief.I work for three centers, but this one often deals with the wealthiest, most idiosyncratic cases.
Patients who arrive, directed by their clueless therapist, searching for ...something they themselves can’t articulate.These scenarios usually go one of two ways: Some patients get irritated by our lack of professionalism and leave the center without treatment or an initial screening.
Others who arguably shouldn’t have been admitted in the first place, wind up in a mandated seventy-two-hour hold.When they realize they’ve been held unnecessarily, the threats to sue the center and revoke our licenses usually follow.Hopefully, this isn’t the case, and tomorrow I’ll get to meet this new patient.
With my immediate worries settled, I take a moment to brush my hair and weave it into a neat braid before joining Sanford in the backyard.He’s set up the table so we can eat breakfast.As I approach, I notice how much he has changed.His hair is longish, his muscles more defined, and a pattern of ink sprawls across his arms.
Sanford Bancroft isn’t the boy I knew anymore.The boy who once rescued me from the depths of my mother’s neglect.He’s a grown-up with secrets, scars, and probably a broken heart.I wish I could say he doesn’t mean anything to me, but my heart still beats at the same rhythm as his.
The pain reflected in his gaze as he stares at the sky resonates with me deeply.I might not know who he is, or what’s happened to him, but I can feel the brokenness inside him.Looking at him makes me feel powerless.He’s usually the one who fixed everything for me.
Not because I was weak, but because I was young, inexperienced, and alone.But I’m not that person anymore.And thankfully, he’s reappeared at a time when I’ve learned to mend hearts, minds, and souls.
Well, I don’t put them together but teach people how to do it for themselves.
“When did you start working for the FBI or whatever agency is going to help me?”I ask, cradling the paper cup filled with chai tea.
Before he can answer, Lang steps into the backyard.
“What the fuck do you want now?”Sanford’s voice brims with a low, controlled growl as he greets Lang with irritation.
Lang chuckles dismissively.“He’s in a mood.You should’ve fucked Grey during the flight from Washington, but you never listen to me,” he taunts, turning his gaze in my direction, a challenging glint in his eyes “She should take care of you before you leave for your next mission.You’re a pain in the ass when you’re all wound up.”
I narrow my eyes at him, refusing to be baited.Lang’s irritatingly smug demeanor is starting to remind me of Fisher.Don’t get me wrong, I love these guys as if they were my older brothers, but they were just as annoying.Their teasing used to get out of hand and became overwhelming.
“Don’t start on her,” San cautions, his voice carrying a protective undertone.
Lang raises his arms in a gesture of surrender.“Sorry, Ae.”
“What do you want?”Sanford repeats, his patience wearing thin.
“I need her computer,” Lang gestures toward me.“Just to check for any potential tracking devices.It’s standard procedure.”
His words pull me into a baffled stare.Seriously, who are these men, and why are they acting like they’re guarding some secret kingdom?
“That’s not happening.My computer is off-limits.It’s private property,” I assert, not ready to back down.
“If you don’t want to end up in a safe house until we take down those men, you have to cooperate,” San reasons, using the soothing voice that always comforted me when we were together.
Reluctantly, I concede, knowing that resisting further will only lead to more complications.“The computer is in my backpack,” I yield, pointing to the house.“It’s by the entrance.”
