Page 132 of All In

I get it.

The place they picked to meet is in the middle of nowhere. It’s unlikely they would come into town and attack a widely populated hotel.

I snuggle close to his chest. “I’m just grateful you’re here with me.”

Every minute seems to pass exceptionally slowly.

Locke purrs, sliding his huge hand up and down my back.

“You might want to hop up,” Annika says, surprising me.

“Why?” I push up on my knees, rubbing at my eyes.

“Because Grady and Kane are getting closer.” Annika laughs. “I had a feeling those assholes weren’t going to call.”

Yeah, I got that feeling a while ago, when Locke mentioned how much safer the hotel was.

The door lock clicks, and a second later, the door pops open. I scramble off Locke’s lap as Annika and her alphas pop up like they’re double checking that it really is our guys.

My eyes land on my sister, and my knees go weak with relief.

Ranger’s shaggy curls pop into view above her head, and Tanner’s wide shoulders come into view behind him.

I take my steps slowly because Lyra looks a little skittish, but at some point, she meets me in the middle for a hug that makes my entire body shake as I try to hold back the tears.

When our mom died, our dads basically fell apart. They still went to work and stayed together as a pack, but they barely functioned. They certainly didn’t have the emotional capacity for two teenage daughters.

“I missed you. I’m so glad you’re okay.” I squeeze the hell out of her.

“Me too. You and I need to talk,” she whispers.

“Hey, Lyra.” Annika pats my sister on the shoulder. “You look like shit, but I’m glad to see you’re in one piece.” She smiles at me. “Me and my guys are going to bounce. We’ll be in our room if you need anything.”

They funnel out, and the door closes loudly.

“I need the bathroom. Does anyone have clothes I can wear?” my sister asks.

“Yeah, I’ll grab you some of mine,” I say as she heads toward the bathroom without a backward glance. The door closes, and I run to hug Tanner and Ranger. “I think I’m going to need a minute alone with her once she’s done.”

“Are we heading back home or staying here for the night?” Locke asks as Tanner kisses my forehead.

“We’ll stay for the night,” Ranger says. The water in the shower turns on, and my stoic alpha bends to give me a quick kiss. “I had a conversation with Lyra that I’m sure you’ll hear about. Mercer is sending a team of two of the new hires to accompany her to the airport and all the way to the welcome desk at the rehab I mentioned. Merrick has her on a seven a.m. flight to California. She didn’t seem interested, but we’ll give the two of you a bit of space to talk it out.”

“Thank you.” I stretch to steal another kiss. “I love you.”

“Mmm, you always taste so sweet.” He nuzzles his nose to mine. “I love you too.” His words make my insides light up and give me extra strength for the battle I have a feeling is coming with my sister.

Tanner grabs my hips, yanking my back to his chest. He pulls my hair aside and licks down my neck, sending a pulse through the bond. He nips at my ear and says, “I’m happy to stay with you.”

I shake my head. “Nah, I think I need to have this conversation one-on-one.”

Locke comes up to frame my front and bends, giving me a licking, sucking kiss that makes my knees weak. “We’ll be next door in the room we rented solely for the equipment.”

“Equipment?” Ranger scoffs. “I learned my lesson last time. Having a room adjacent to Sparrow’s is not a pleasant experience.”

Lyra sits on the bed a few feet away from me, but I honestly don’t think we’ve ever felt further apart. She picks at her nail, and I’m so frustrated that I start fidgeting as my toes stretch and curl over and over again.

I know I’m physically stimming, but my anxiety is high, and it’s like there’s too much energy coursing through my body while I’m completely mentally exhausted.

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