Page 46 of Cruel Love

The door swings open and Lilah barges into the room. “They’re here,” she says. “Fitzpatrick grew a pair after all.”

“We’ll be out in a minute,” I tell her, slightly annoyed by the lack of knocking.

She leans against the door frame and smirks. “You guys doing something dirty in here?”

I exhale hard.

She winks over the top of her sunglasses. “Hint detected, big brother.”

She slides back and pulls the door closed behind her.

Lucy’s brow rises. “She’s laughing,” she says, hopeful.

“She’s compartmentalizing.”

“That’s a big word for the muscle to say.”

My lips twitch. “Don’t fall for it. That’s all I’m saying.”

Her eyes darken slowly. “You’re laughing, too.”

I look up at her as a heavy weight pushes on my chest. “Yeah,” I say.

Lucy steps closer to me and I let her fingers roam from my cheeks to my neck. A soft, warm touch to bring me back to the moment before I spiral back in time to that elevator.

My little brother, bleeding and dying, thinking of us over himself.

Get her out.

Lucy kisses my forehead, sending a line of goosebumps down my back. I cling to her small body the same way she clung to mine in the days after her father was murdered in front of her.

I hold it all in.

I’ll mourn my brother when this is over.

I stand up, guiding Lucy a step back. “You ready to go?” I ask her.

“Uh…” She scans the room. “Yeah. Just gotta brush my hair and change my shirt and pack up my—”

“So, not ready, then?” I grin.

“Gonna need five.”

“I’ll meet you outside.”

She pops up onto her toes and I kiss her cheek before heading to the door.

I step out and there he is. Fox Fitzpatrick. He stands next to my car, silently observing while Archer and Boxcar have a friendly chat and Lilah glares at them. He carries a small duffel bag in one hand and the weight of the world in the other.

I give him a nod and he does the same as he steps toward me.

“What’s the plan?” he asks.

“We have a private flight ready to take us to Boston,” I say. “After that, we’re on our own.”

“How private?”

“Entire plane seats ten and we bought all of them. So, very.”

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