Page 98 of Wild Bliss

Wyatt nodded, obviously conceding. “Yes, I promise we’regoing to talk about it. When we get home tonight, I’ll tell you everything youwant to know. Or rather I’ll fill in all the blanks since you two seem toalready know most of it.”

She stood in front of him, her hand coming up to stroke hischeek. “I know you. I could walk into a room and see you standing over a body,and I would ask you what happened.”

Wyatt’s gaze went steely. “Good, then you’ll trust me now.Stay away from those deputies from Creede.”

She sighed. They’d been over this. “I’m going to make itplain I’ve made my choice and they’ll back off.”

“I’m not sure they will,” Wyatt began. “I think they’relooking for something to use to discredit me. The way he looked at me thisafternoon makes me think he’s got plans. He’ll come to you at some point with astory about me.”

“She already knows everything.” Sawyer stood and stretched.“Look, we’ll have a talk with them, you and I. I get it. She’s gorgeous, andthey thought they’d found their girl. Unfortunately, they found our girl, andwe’re not giving her up. They can back off or we can flip that switch you haveand problem solved.”

He was not joking. What had happened with Wyatt the othernight had shaken her. “We are going to talk about how to make sure he neverloses his temper again. Not like he did in the bar. What does Alexei say aboutit?” He was quiet. “You have talked to Alexei about the fact that you blow agasket from time to time.”

“It hasn’t come up,” Wyatt tried.

“How can therapy possibly work if you don’t talk to yourtherapist? Do you not trust him?” If he needed another person to talk to, theywould find someone else. Alexei seemed like an amazing guy, but she knew thetherapist thing was so personal. A patient didn’t necessarily match right away.

“Alexei is great. I’m cool with him. He’s taken me a longway. I’ve been so good I thought I was past it. I hadn’t had an episode likethe one in the bar in years. I thought I was in control,” Wyatt said.

“He touched her and you reacted the way you used to, theonly way you knew how,” Sawyer explained. “You went into survival mode, but Ineed you to understand you can’t do it again. You have to stay in control andtrust yourself and us. No matter what happens, we can handle it. I was going toexplain that I would have gotten Sabrina out of there and you could havefinished what you started without ever having to meet with your brother, butnow we both know Sabrina would have stunned someone and there would still havebeen a fight. I just need it to be a fight where I’m not worried you won’t knowwho you’re killing.”

Wyatt took a long breath, as though the words Sawyer hadsaid needed time to settle in. “I’ll talk to Alexei about how I can starthandling it. I think it’s going to be easier knowing I’m not alone, but youcan’t think I won’t defend her. Or you.”

This seemed to be a talk between the two of them. They bothknew she would defend them all. They were well aware she could use a stun gun.They didn’t know about the pepper spray or the small pistol she sometimescarried. It was good for a girl to have a couple of secrets.

Sawyer put a hand on his shoulders. “And I’ll do the same.Please try to stay with us. You’re enough, man. You don’t need some Mr. Hydeshit to fight. You’re good enough.”

She kind of wished they would kiss. They were awfully prettytogether. Her sister told her Van and Hale avoided most touching, but thatdidn’t mean all threesomes were so…hetero.

“She’s looking at us weird,” Wyatt said, staring back.

Sawyer’s eyes narrowed on her as though he could see rightthrough her.

Sabrina gave them her most innocent smile. They wereabsolutely not ready for this discussion, but who knew what could come later?“Just happy we’re together.”

“I am, too. But I’m serious about Knox and Marshall.” Wyattheld a hand out and brought her into their circle. “I want you to stay awayfrom them for a while. I think you’ll find they’ve pissed off your sister, soit shouldn’t be too hard. Once we’ve got you moved in here, I think things willcalm down. I’m going to fix this problem with my brother one way or another.”

“Not alone,” she insisted.

He leaned toward her, brushing his lips over hers. “Ipromise. Not alone. We’ll sit down and talk this out and then bring the sheriffin. We’ll do this right and as carefully as possible.”

“And if it gets too dangerous and we’re truly worried abouther safety, we take care of her together,” Sawyer vowed. “We make a plan, butwe don’t ever let them split us up.”

“Sawyer, you can’t leave here. Everything you own is here.”Sabrina was shocked he would even think about leaving. When everyone had lefthim behind, he’d had this place and the business his family had built. “This isyour home.”

Sawyer stared down at her, his eyes softer than she’d everseen before. “Don’t make me say it, Teach.”

They were his home now. His home had become something farlarger than a brick-and-mortar building, more than the land they stood on.Hadn’t she learned this? A house never made a home. Not truly. A home wasalways a place found inside a person’s soul. “I won’t. But back at you,Sawyer.”

“I am not sure what we’re not saying,” Wyatt admitted. “ButI know he won’t ever sit here while we’re somewhere else. So let’s eatsomething. I’m starving, and we still have a meeting to get through, and thenwe have to plan how to survive if my brother finds out I didn’t murder thewitness he ordered me to and the dude’s still out there with all the necessaryinformation to force the cops to potentially start a war.”

As scenarios went, it wasn’t her favorite, but she’d learnedto work with what she had. “All right. Food, meeting, and then we talk.”

“Naked,” Sawyer offered.

She would argue but her clothes did tend to drop off whenthey were around.

There was a knock at the door and Sawyer frowned. “Who thehell would come up here at this time of night?”

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