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“Or be embarrassed.”
A light coat of dandruff rises on Millie’s thick chocolate brown coat. The tips of Knox’s fingers touch mine, and I swear my heart palpitates.
“Sagey–”
“No one calls me that.” It’s a childhood nickname. Sam and my parents used it. Well, my parents called me Sagey Bean. And Jimmy uses it, but no one else. “I shouldn’t’ve said anything. But I’ve wanted to apologize for a long time, as I’m sure it threw you.” I push up off the sofa. “Here, I’ll sleep on the sofa. Where do you–”
“You’re not going to sleep on the sofa. You’ll take the bed and I’ll sleep out here.”
I can hear the determination in his voice. And I’m too shaken by his touch and this conversation to argue. Besides, Knox, like Sam, sticks to certain southern ways, and this is a losing argument. He was raised to be a Southern gentleman, and that means he’ll take the sofa. Another reason I need to find a hotel.
He pulls back the light blue comforter on his bed and grabs a pillow and a blanket for himself. He stands in the doorway, hand on the light switch.
“Thanks, Knox. I’ll be out of your hair soon.”
“For the last time, I’m glad you came to me.” He flicks the light off but remains in the doorway. “Sage, just so you know, if you weren’t my best friend’s little sister, if I wasn’t leaving the next day, if you had been eighteen, if any of those things had been different, I promise you, I wouldn’t have pushed you away. Now, get your sleep, and in the morning, we’ll work on finding Sloane.”
The door closes, along with any chance for sleep.
CHAPTER 9
Knox
Ryan Wolfgang, one of the Arrow founders, pushes back from his desk. He doesn’t smile, but he has a reputation as stern and standoffish until you get to know him. The guy has freakish ice-blue eyes that contributed to his nickname, Wolf. His positive attributes, mainly being a good leader, fair, intelligent, and disciplined, make up for his chilly vibe. Besides, one could argue that Trevor, his counterpart at Arrow, compensates for the no-bullshit chilliness. That guy always has an upbeat smile. He’s the quintessential you-got-this coach.
“Ryan, this is my friend, Sage Watson. She’s the one?—”
“Sage, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” With two strides, he stands before us, hand held out for Sage to shake. He does a double-take at Millie and her wagging tail. She’s wagged nonstop since this morning when we left my house, walked to the coffee shop for breakfast, then to the office.
The conference room door opens, and Stella, our Human Resources director and Trevor’s wife, steps out. Polite introductions ensue. She brushes her hand over Sage’s arm in a friendly, welcoming way that’s all Stella. Despite her blue-tinged hair, her smile possesses a motherly vibe, and her outfit, a pencil skirt and silk blouse, colors her professional.
To Ryan, she says, “After your meeting, let me know what resources you need.” She gives a brief nod to me and speeds down the hall.
“Let’s step into the conference room. Erik’s expecting our call.”
Ryan heads into the long room and we follow. Sage tugs on my pinky finger, distraught. “You’re sure about the cost? Shouldn’t I ask?”
“No. We’ve got this,” I tell her, placing a hand firmly on her lower back to guide her into the conference room.
“No.” Sage’s fierce tone halts my motion. “When Sam told me to come to you, he didn’t mean for you to spend a small fortune helping me.”
Wrong. Sam would want his sister safe and healthy at any cost.
“These men are family. Not by blood, but we’re all former military, and we now work together. We defend each other. And as I explained, we also have the luxury of being well-funded, so finances aren’t a concern. And you’re my family. So that makes them your family. Got it?”
Her lips purse and her brow wrinkles. She doesn’t get it, but she will.
In the conference room, the large monitor at the end of the room flicks to life. Kairi appears on the screen with a BabyBjörn strapped to her chest.
“Hi, guys,” Kairi says. “Erik got pulled on another case, so I’m filling in.”
“What’d you learn?” Ryan asks, leading the charge from the end of the conference table. He gestures at the empty chairs for us to take a seat.
Someone, presumably Stella, laid out coffee, water, and small snacks on a side table.
“Hey, guys, sorry I’m late.” Max rushes through the door, followed by my friend and colleague, Felix. “Trevor said we were getting too fucking tight, so he added on a mobility session.”
With Sage at my house, I skipped the group session this morning and went on a quick five-mile run. “Yoga?” I shoot him a grin just to razz him up.
