Page 120 of Silver Linings

“Do we need to be worried? Are we going to be stuck looking over our shoulders for these Santoro fuckers for the rest of our lives?” Stone asked. Gage wanted to know, too.

“Everything in our chatter says they’re still trying to set up a route in Texas, but we’ve put out the word in every official and unofficial channel we have that we’re done using you guys. Don’t let your guard down, but the big brass seem to think you’ll be in the clear.”

“Thanks for everything, Max. Believe me when I say we want to see you guys take them down, but it just can’t come at the expense of our families.”

“It was a good run while we had it, guys. I appreciate everything you did. I’ll see you around.”

Grumbles of “goodbye” filled the room as Gage disconnected the video call.

“He’s a good guy,” Nash said.

“Yeah, he is. I wonder what he’s going off grid for?” Hawk added.

“That’s not our lives anymore, guys,” Gunner smiled as Lily walked towards the conference room. “Fuck, I cannot wait to get her pregnant again.”

“Dude. We’re all happy as shit for you and Lily, but you gotta not rub it in our faces like that,” Hawk moaned.

“Not sorry.”

“What aren’t you sorry about?” Lily asked, walking straight over to Gunner before sitting on his lap.

“How much I fucking love you.”

“More like how much you love to fu?—”

“Hawk!” Gunner’s growl had Gage and Nash laughing.

“Looks like you’re healing up nicely.” Sloane watched as Gage walked towards her with a cup of water. All the guys had taken turns checking in on her since she and Lily were taken, but Gage had been the most persistent. It was Gage who asked her to come in for a final debrief of the whole situation, and even though she forced herself to walk into their office and put on a brave face, she was dreading it.

“Yeah, I’m good. I don’t even feel sore anymore. Hardly even remember anything happened,” she replied, clearly trying to ignore the memory of waking up from a nightmare that morning so vivid she’d screamed herself awake. It wasn’t a memory from the time she spent in the cabin with Lily, though.

“You know, I would have gone with you to the hospital.”

“Like I told you when the paramedics were checking me out, I didn’t need anyone to be there with me. It was all routine for what happened.”

Gage held the door open to their conference room, and she walked in, choosing the chair closest to the door.

“Sloane was incredible,” Lily said, smiling at her as she sat down in the conference room. God, she wished she had thought to schedule a patient or at least pretended she had one scheduled.

“I don’t think incredible is how I would describe it, Lily. I just did what I needed to in order to give us the best chance of surviving.”

“I literally would have never known how to get out of those zip ties, let alone known to fashion a weapon from the underwire in your bra.”

Gage’s eyebrows shot up. Shit. Knowing something like that was suspicious.

“It’s just from a self-defense class I took during college. I was hoping I would never have to remember it, but I’m glad I did.”

“Well, you really gave them hell. Lily told me about scratching James to get his DNA.” Gunner was looking at her, waiting for an explanation.

“What Paul tried to do though…” Lily’s voice was quiet, her eyes filled with pain.

“I just…” She was going to fight him. All her years of training after what happened in college were meant to save her in those situations. She shouldn’t have just laid there. She shouldn’t have been pulled back into her memories. But when Paul lowered his body on top of hers, she was back in the cave. It wasn’t Paul’s face mere inches away from hers. It was the shadow that haunts her dreams.

She swallowed roughly, and forced herself to smile, praying it didn’t falter as a warm hand settled over hers. “You okay?” Gage asked, his soft voice filled with nothing but concern, and it did something funny to her already churning stomach. She needed to get a grip. This wasn’t her. She was strong and capable. She did not fall apart.

“No…I um, I just remembered I can’t be here right now.” Sloane pulled her hand out from Gage’s, looking at her watch for good measure before looking at Gunner. “I think everything that you need to know for this debrief is in my police statement. It completely slipped my mind that I have a client coming in this afternoon. I’m going to go back to my office and get ready for them.” She stood, running her hands down her shirt to fix the wrinkles in it. Control your breathing. Count back from ten. Take a deep breath in and hold it.

“Sloane?” Lily looked concerned, but she just waved her off. “Should I come to the office with you?”

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