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“Welcome home,” Lang says, killing the engine.He swivels in his seat to regard me with a cocky grin.“You know those three guys who died by a single bullet wound during your rescue?”
With caution, I nod.“Yeah?”
He points at San.“Your guy here pulled that off.Give him some credit.I think he’s more than capable of defending himself.If not, he has good backup.Back then, we had no idea you two were missing, and we were off the grid.The moment we came back, we found you and ...Well, you know what happened.”
A frisson of fear shivers through me.People change.This man sitting before me, could he be a threat?
Sanford’s piercing blue eyes catch mine, offering a silent promise.You’re safe with me.Always.
It’s so easy for him to say that, but has he faced any dangers the way I had?No.I can’t understand why Lang says San took them down.I recall someone mentioning it was a highly trained sniper.Sanford is just a bassist.
“If I had known where you were,” Sanford murmurs, his voice filled with heartfelt confession, “I would’ve come for you sooner.”
The car door swings open abruptly, breaking our connection.“You have four hours before the team gets here and we start working,” Lang interjects, flexing his fingers in a “gimme” gesture.“I need that list, Aerin.”
“I can’t risk my life again,” I whisper, feeling the weight of my past threatening to pull me under.
“You won’t, I swear.”San kisses my forehead.“You’re officially under the protection of our team.Not even The Organization will take you away from me.”
Lang nods.“He’s right.We have a plan in place in case the boss wants to play this by his book.”
I don’t understand what that means.This is all so confusing, and my thoughts go back to my sensitive guy who seemed like he was breaking down when he dropped by my apartment.Lang mentioned earlier he’d checked in ...Where?“What about Grey?Shouldn’t you be with him?”
He shakes his head, a determined set to his jaw.“He’s in a safe place.Our focus is on neutralizing the threat.”
With a resigned sigh, I open my bag, pulling out the old diary along with it the key to the storage unit.“There are boxes filled with more information,” I say as I give it to him.“Enya saved so many things that I thought were pointless, but I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away.When I retrieved the diary, I realized they might hold value, but—”
“No worries, we’ll figure that out.Would you be able to provide the address of the storage unit?”Lang inquires, passing me his phone.“Just type it here, along with any necessary instructions.”
I’m trusting him with the only leverage that Enya had to survive.I don’t know how to use it to save my life, but it may help save other people’s lives.
When I look at Sanford, I wonder if I’m making a mistake, but then I remember the first time he appeared in my life.He saved me then, and I believe he can protect me now.
ChapterFive
Aerin
We don’t saya word as we walk through the house.I walk instinctively toward his old room.I remember the first time I came to this house.It was in high school during one of the summer camps.
Sanford and his friends had just moved in here and were about to start college.I spent almost every evening playing video games with everyone or hanging out with Grace.Back then, I had a big crush on San and Grey, but I wasn’t allowed to date.We were just friends, and I was happy with that.
“I can’t believe you guys still own this house,” I mumble, kicking off my shoes as I step into what used to be one of my favorite places in the world.In the past few years, I’d walked past this place, curiosity pricking at me about its current inhabitants and if I should dare to knock.
Each time, I’d walk away, convincing myself it belonged to someone else and they wouldn’t care to have me back into their lives.
Sanford’s brows knit together in confusion.“Did you mention it in the book?”
I cast him a sidelong glance.“I thought you said you read it.”
“I skipped a few chapters.We were powering through it,” he admits with a sheepish tilt of his lips.
I grab the frame he has on his nightstand.It’s a picture of the three of us during our last Christmas at the Deckers’ place.
My heart aches, a painful throb in my chest as I remember the scene that unfolded earlier outside my apartment.“What’s going on with Grey?”
“Aerin, I need you to focus on this and respond to my questions.Then we can talk about him.”His unyielding voice is familiar.One crisis at a time.
“Everything that happened here in New York was set in San Francisco.Grey studied at Berkeley.I never mentioned London.I tried to switch things around, hoping it wouldn’t lead anyone to you guys.I mean, you’re both famous and together.If you ever came out, it would be a dead giveaway.”
