Page 80 of May 11

"They told you about me." Ruger's chest rose and fell.

"Yes." She stepped forward and motioned for him to come inside. "You're going to get drenched. Come inside and wait out the storm, and I'll answer all your questions. Or if you want to sit and get dry, that's okay, too."

She reached behind her for Wire's hand. Clasping his fingers, she pulled him forward to show her brother that Wire wouldn't hurt him.

Ruger looked at Wire, dipped his chin, and stepped inside. She led her brother to the couch. Once he sat down, she followed, keeping her distance in case she scared him away. He'd finally come to her. She wanted to keep him here.

Soaking him in, she recognized the eyes looking at her tonight. They were a lot like her father's narrower eyes, while she and her mother had wider ones.

"I'm sorry if you didn't want to be found." She blew out her breath. "I honestly don't think I would've found you without Wire." She glanced at him standing by the window, giving them space. "I-I found you in an old photo inside the clubhouse while waiting for Wire to return from a ride one night."

"You were looking for me?"

"For the last year." She slid her clasped hands between her thighs to hide how badly she shook. "I've traveled through every beach town in California, up into Oregon. I planned to make it through Washington before I went more inland but didn't get that far."

Ruger frowned. She hadn't meant to upset him.

"Why?"

The lump in her chest grew bigger. When the police came to her house and told her about the accident that had taken her parents away from her, her world shattered. She hated the idea of hurting Ruger in the same way.

"Um..." She looked down at her lap. "Dad—"

"He's dead." Ruger's cheek twitched, and a bit of vulnerability showed for the first time when her brother grabbed his beard and stroked his jaw. "Hell, he had to be ancient by now."

"There's more." She wrapped her arms around her waist and leaned forward. "Mom and Dad were driving to the ship to go on a cruise when they were hit head-on. Th-they died instantly. Together." She reached out and grabbed his forearm when he looked away from her. "I-I was told it happened fast."

Ruger stilled. He narrowed his eyes until she couldn't see the brown orbs. She held her breath, knowing he wasn't expecting to hear about their mother.

Throughout her life, she always believed her brother had left and never looked back. The fact that he never contacted their parents after leaving home showed that he wouldn't care if they lived or died.

But she could see that he was affected by the news. Whether it was shock, sadness, or disbelief, she couldn't tell.

"I'm sorry to tell you the news," she whispered.

He shook his head and glanced at Wire before meeting her eyes. "Did they know about him?"

"I met Wire at the beginning of summer. A year after they died, so no, they never met him." She swallowed.

She wondered if the question concerned the lifestyle he and Wire live. If her parents had approved of Wire, maybe they would've welcomed their son back—but that wasn't something anyone could answer. Her parents were gone.

"How old are you again?" asked her brother.

"I just turned twenty-one."

Wire exhaled loudly. "You took care of everything yourself?"

She nodded. "Mr. McGuire, Dad's attorney, had everything transferred into my name."

"What do you need from me?"

"You deserve half of everything," she said.

He scoffed. "I can guarantee that's not what they wanted."

"That doesn't matter." She removed her hand from his arm and sat straighter. "You are their son. Anything I have from our parents will be split in half for you. If you want the house—"

"Hell, no." He stood. "I've earned everything I want in life on my own. I don't want anything from them."

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