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“Are you getting angry with me?” I grin, liking the combative strength. “Here you go.” With care, I set her on the bed and back away, moving to close the blinds.
“You don’t need to baby me. I’m okay now.”
“I’m looking out for you. There’s a difference. Now, rest.” She glances up, and I’m hit with those dark brown irises lit with amber flecks. I don’t think I ever realized how similar her eyes are to her brother’s. It’s been a while since those eyes came to me in a dream. Chances are good that recurring dream is returning tonight.
I flip the light off and close the door. Give my head a shake to clear the irises and resist the familiar funk that’s descending. I’ve got a lot to do.
CHAPTER 4
Sage
Light peeks through the slats of the closed white blinds. Drool dampens the pillowcase. The black screen on my watch serves as a reminder the charge is dead and has been for days.
I’m in Knox’s bedroom. I made it. Drove cross-country by myself. I followed Sam’s instructions. And Knox remembered me. Unfortunately, he likely remembers everything.
The king size bed is crammed against the corner. There’s no headboard. Nothing hangs on the generic white walls. There’s a tall dresser between the bedroom door and another door, which is opened to reveal a white tile floor and a frosted plastic shower curtain.
I wipe sleep from my eyes, remembering how sweet Knox had been. Comforting me. Carrying me, for crying out loud.
Does he remember me throwing myself at him all those years ago? He must, but he’s apparently let it go. It was a long time ago. And I’d been inexperienced. Feeling invincible. Like I had a new lease on life. I didn’t know better. Not really. With luck, he’ll never mention it. It shall be the event we never speak of.
The rumble of deep voices filters into the bedroom.
“And you say this is Saint’s sister?” There’s a two-inch crack below the closed bedroom door. The voices are near.
“Yeah.”
That’s Knox. He must’ve told whoever is here about me.
I push off the bed. My black duffel is on the floor beside the dresser. I dig out my toothbrush, careful to avoid jostling the boxes of ammunition, and head to the bathroom. With a splash of cool water on my skin, my eyes open and my breathing deepens. My fingers comb through tangles, but there are too many. I give up and pull it back.
“You know anything about her?”
“Other than what we dug up online?”
“Not Sloane. Sleeping beauty.”
Sleeping beauty? How long have I slept?
Sharp red creases mar one cheek. Pillow lines. I splash more water over my face, dry it with a disheveled hand towel, and exit the bathroom.
“My dad took a job in Rocky Mount after he retired from the Army. My junior and senior year of high school, I lived a few houses down from the…”
Knox sees me and smiles. The other man blinks.
Knox’s guest has broad shoulders, broader than Knox’s, and he’s noticeably taller, too. Judging by his closely cropped hair, tank top, and cargo pants, he’s a military guy. Given he knows my brother’s nickname, maybe he served with him.
I laughed when Sam told me his nickname. Saint. As if.
“You feeling okay? Can I get you something?” Knox asks.
The view through the den window is of another building with terracotta roof tiles and robin’s egg blue trim around the windows. The fading sun casts a rose-colored hue over the stucco walls.
“What time is it? How long did I sleep?”
“It’s around eight. Thought you were going to sleep through the night. You must be hungry.”
I should eat. I’m not hungry at all, but I need to eat to take my meds.
