Page 137 of Sin

Mare twirled the dandelion slowly in her hands. “Is that something you want to do?”

“It’s not just my opinion that matters here,” he said with a teasing lilt. “But if it were up to me, then yes, I’d like to.”

“I think I would too,” Blade said, gathering the urn in her arms. She traced the name engraved over the metal. “I think he would have wanted us to.”

Jinx locked her in a chokehold and gave her a noogie while she squawked in indignation. “I think you’re right about that.” He released her, and she punched him hard in the arm. “But I don’t know if I’m ready to do this again. It was… I’m not okay.”

And we understood that. Because none of us were.

London nodded. “You don’t have to decide right now. If in the future you change your mind, we’d love to have you back.” His eyes shifted to mine. “And what about you?”

I stole the bottle from his hands, though I had no intention of drinking, studying his expression. “Wait, am I even allowed to be a part of the team still?” I asked in a soft, deep rasp. It hurt to speak, so I’d been avoiding doing it as much as possible to heal.

He smirked. “Yep. Apparently, President Osborne thinks you’d fit in well with us former criminals. Said it would do you good to be on the good side of the law.”

I rolled my eyes and passed the bottle without taking a sip. “She obviously hasn’t seen your lair.”

“Lair?” the others echoed in disbelief and excitement.

He pointed a stern finger at the three of them. “No. Nu-uh. You’re not allowed in there. Besides, it’s not a lair.”

“It’s totally a lair,” I whispered conspiratorially.

London smacked me upside the head, making the team laugh.

When it grew quiet again, Mare blew out a soft breath and gazed down at her dandelion. “I wish Lewis could be with us.”

My foot knocked against hers, and I smiled sadly. “Don’t you remember what your dad said? The funny thing about lost things is they’re never truly gone.” Reaching behind me, I grabbed several dandelions and passed them out, one by one, to the group. “So maybe let’s wish to never forget. Because if we never forget, he’ll never be truly lost.”

With tears clouding her eyes, she nodded.

In the following silence, each of us, one by one, breathed in and closed our eyes.

And then we let go, letting our wishes be carried away on dancing dandelion fuzz.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Change of plans

Back home, London didn’t bother flipping on the light before he stripped out of his suit. He was more silent than usual, the day getting to him, and I slowly moved to stand behind him.

He tensed when I ran my fingers over his shoulders but didn’t pull away.

“What can I do?” I asked, slowly turning him around to face me. “How can I help you?”

His eyes searched mine in the dark, and then gently, he pulled me to him. “I just need you here. With me.”

I hugged him back tightly. “Yeah, I can do that.”

Tears soaked into my clothes as I held on to him, and I let him cry for as long as he needed. When he was ready, I helped him out of the rest of his clothes and into the shower. I’d cleaned his body while he watched, taking his soap and lathering it all over his skin. It wasn’t sexual. No, this was about comfort. Because right now, he needed someone to be there for him, to make his life a little easier and help him see it was going to be all right.

He’d stayed in there for almost an hour after I left the shower, and I’d waited patiently for him in his lair, wearing a pair of boxers and dark blue tee for sleep. While I sat on the chaise lounge, I let my eyes shut, taking comfort by being surrounded by all of London’s most treasured things.

When he’d come out of the bathroom and found me in the lair, he’d taken a seat beside me without a word. He’d dressed for bed in only a pair of low-slung sleep pants with little depictions of Chewy, R2-D2, and C-3PO.

Dios, lo amaba.

London pulled me into his arms then, kissing me slowly as he dragged me on top of him. His fingers snaked into my damp waves, and his hips shifted beneath me, making me moan.

---