Page 28 of Cold Heir

Ended here, where Levi and I now stood waiting as the vehicle he heard from a distance was fast approaching.

Anxious, I wrung my hands together, doing everything I could to keep from bolting off that porch and straight toward Julian. Mostly because I wasn’t sure how he’d receive me, which sucked because … I really missed him.

I’d reached a stalemate within myself—one half longing to run toward him, feet pounding the ground; the other half frozen in place for fear of rejection. They were so close now, he and Silas. I found myself wishing I could see through the tinted glass of the windshield.

The engine continued to run as the driver-side door flung open. And then … there he was. Like a breath of fresh air after drowning in the longing I felt for so long.

It had slipped my memory that he was so handsome. Those faded pictures in my thoughts didn’t do any justice to seeing him before my eyes, in living color. The wide grin he wore made my heart skip a beat with the realization that maybe, just maybe, he didn’t hate me after all. Perhaps I wasn’t the only one who’d been dreaming about this reunion.

A nudge from Levi’s elbow called my attention to him for a moment. When I peered up to meet his gaze, my vision was met with that cheeky grin that said so much.

“Well, aren’t you going to go to him?” he asked, catching me off guard. They’d spoken of there being no jealousy between them where this bond was concerned, but this was one of the first instances where I had seen that selflessness in action.

Levi lifted his gaze toward Julian again, and I did the same. My heart thundered inside my chest as the distance between us disappeared. It had only been a matter of weeks since I left, but, honestly? It felt like much longer than that.

Somehow, the connection between us, if I wasn’t mistaken, had grown even while we were apart. It was as if the thread that bound us had been reinforced over time. The longing I felt for him had been like a gaping hole inside my chest, leaving me to regret the way I left. Although, given the chance to do it all over again, for my team, my family, I wouldn’t have hesitated.

This had been a precarious situation, more so now that I felt a near-equal pull to stay and leave.

Julian took several more steps toward me, so close now I could read his expression, the lack of anger within it. Suddenly, I was on the move too, and a few tears sort of came out of nowhere, touching my cheek briefly before I swiped them away. They cooled in the breeze as I picked up speed, racing full-steam ahead until I reached him. That’s when I finally breathed, when he swept me into his arms, holding me against his broad chest. Pressing kisses into my hair, he squeezed me tightly as my eyes fell closed.

This.

This was what I was missing.

“Silas and I looked all over,” he breathed. “We tried everything we could think of to get you both back, but there was just one dead end after the next.” The emotion in his voice was stifling, raw.

I’d never felt like this before. Not foroneman, let alone for two at the same time, but it was such a pure feeling, and I craved it like a drug. Deep down, I knew exactly what to call it, but I wouldn’t dare.

“I should have done things differently.” Breathing those words against his neck, I was drawn closer. “You won’t understand why I did what I did, but—”

“You don’t have to explain,” he insisted. “We didn’t understand at first, but … we get it. Things will be different.” Those words left me feeling undone, like I’d stepped into some sort of alternate universe where such a reckless move—one I was sure inconvenienced him greatly—would be so easily understood.

So easily forgiven.

Footsteps approached from the right when Levi came close, prompting Silas to step forward as well. I peered up athimnow. The bond I shared with the others didn’t exist between he and I yet, which made things between us so interesting. Levi and Julian had reason to rally for my safety, but not Silas. He’d come to my rescue, or taken up for me, on more than one occasion. And now, according to Julian, he’d been at this search with him every step of the way.

That meant everything to me.

Two silver stares were locked on me when I released Julian, stepping closer to Silas now. He seemed confused as I approached, but when my arms looped around his neck, I guessed that cleared things up a bit.

“Thank you,” I muttered, meaning the words with everything in me. From the beginning, he’d been one-hundred-percent genuine, and everything he’d done for me, everything he’d done for his Dynasty Brothers, had been out of the goodness of his heart.

“You’re more than welcome,” he replied with a lighthearted quality to his voice that made me smile. “We’re just glad you’re back with us, and safe.”

He was such a peculiar guy, and I liked that he sort of came with all his cards already out on the table.

“You have no idea how good it is to lay eyes on you two pricks.” Levi greeted the others with a laugh as I moved aside. He stepped forward and brought both the guys into a rough hug.

“It’s been dull without you around, Brother,” Julian teased. “Suddenly, I’ve got an overstock of scotch and my staff are bored not having you around to run them ragged with your outrageous demands.” It was impossible not to feel the love between them.

A moment of solemnity crept in when Julian looked Levi in the eyes.

“Thank you,” he breathed. “For keeping her safe while you two were away, for going after her when you did.”

Hearing him, I wondered if my concern had beencompletelyunwarranted. From the way he spoke, he hadneverbeen angry. Only worried.

“Honestly, I had less to do with keeping her safe than you might think.” Levi met my gaze for a moment. “Not sure you’ve noticed yet, but our girl definitely holds her own.”

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