Page 19 of Nest Of Lies

She bites her lower lip and looks away.

I tense. “Is something wrong?”

“My cousin is okay.”

“Locke?” I know all about the fiasco with Locke Raines and the bitch that died.

When Lia had disappeared, we’d been on the verge of declaring war on everything. Instead, after a few hours, Mills found her.

Because we have trackers put in her phones. But she doesn’t know that. And I don’t like to admit it.

After a little bit, Mills came out and told us four of the five cousins, including the AWOL Kelly Raines had reappeared, got on a plane, and everyone got their asses down to a tiny town named Two Rivers.

They stayed for two miserable, excruciating weeks. And when Lia returned, she was subdued, quiet, pale. I’d snuck into her room and sat beside her on her bed and held her hand while she cried in her sleep.

“That’s good.”

“Yes. He’s got a pack now. He’s happy.”

I’m not certain where this conversation is going. But red flags are waving.

She tenses and inflates her lungs as if she’s preparing to deliver a mortal blow.

“I’m going to go on dates, and I would appreciate it if you guys could not scare them away.”

DATES? FUCK NO.

I struggle to come up with something to say to her that isn’t a growl. But she stands up and starts pacing.

“You don’t need to do anything, just don’t be all naked and stuff when I have them come over.”

I can’t help but grin. “We aren’t naked.”

“You don’t have tops on, and all the,” her eyes drop to my chest, “muscles are distracting and might intimidate them.”

“Are you planning on dating a slug?”

She snorts a laugh. “Not everyone is blessed.”

I lean forward. “Lia, what’s really wrong?” If I can convince her not to date, and instead, talk to me, that would be better, right?

She looks up and nervously looks around before heading towards the door.

“Nothing, nothing’s wrong.”

“Lia!”

“Bye, Zaden! Love you!”

I freeze. Those words ring in my head. I know she didn’t mean them, but damn, my mind seizes on them and runs with it.

It takes me too long to shake her voice out of my head, and then I have to push it aside and get ready for the meeting.

I push Lia from my head, but I can’t forget those words.

Chapter seven

Lia

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