Page 89 of Hunted By Valentine

I take a tentative sip, the heat rising in a fragrant plume. “Thanks for picking me up.”

“Of course,” he says, then pauses. “Ruby… who lives there?”

I look into my coffee, swirling it in slow circles. “It’s a long story.”

He leans on the counter, studying me. “We have time,” he says. The way he says it makes me think he already knows but wants to hear me say it.

I meet his eyes and see the questions he’s been holding back. I want to tell him everything, to unload the weight that’s crushing me. That’s not an option, though. “I’ll tell you, I promise. But first, I need a day with my brothers. Can we do that?”

He studies me, his green eyes searching for something. He’s always been the most perceptive of us, able to read people like a cheap novel. It’s a useful trait in our line of work, but infuriating in a brother. I brace myself for the confrontation, the accusations.

“Sure,” he says, breaking the tension. “Family time.”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Let’s call Nick. I want to visit Mom’s grave.”

Jack straightens, finishing his coffee in a long, last gulp. He moves to the sink, sitting down his now empty cup.

“Ruby,” he starts, then stops. “We just—”

“I know,” I interrupt. “I know it’s hard. But it’s important.”

He turns to me, and for a moment I think he’s going to say no, that he’s going to lay down some ultimatum. Instead, he nods. “Okay. I’ll call him.”

“Do you have anything to eat?” I call after him as he leaves the kitchen.

“There are eggs and bacon in the fridge,” he replies.

I watch him leave the kitchen, and as soon as he’s gone, I jump into action. I find eggs, milk, bacon, bread, and herbs. I hum to myself as I crack the eggs into a bowl, mixing them with a fork since I can’t find a whisk.

A part of me wants to follow Jack and listen to his conversation with our brother. I mean, it has to be something worth hearing since he felt the need to leave the kitchen. I’m not that much of a hypocrite, though. So I stay put and toast the bread after pouring the eggs into a pan and lining the streaky bacon up perfectly in the skillet.

Visiting Mom’s grave will be something. It’s been years since all three of us have been there at the same time. Jack and I usually go together, but it’s rare that Nick joins us.

The idea came to me just milliseconds before I suggested it, and the more thought I give it, the more right it seems that the three of us go visit her together. And it has to be today, since it’s the last one I have left.

Jack returns just as I start plating the food. He’s completely dressed now, and drops of water cling to his hair. “That smells delicious,” he observes.

He refills our cups and I carry the plates and cutlery over to the table, sitting down opposite him. “So, is he up for it?” I ask around a bite of bacon.

“Yeah, he’ll meet us there in an hour,” he confirms, and I nod to show I’ve heard him. “He also asked why you’re not answering your phone.”

“It’s dead,” I say as I remember it ran out of battery.

Jack rolls his eyes. “Yeah, I figured as much when you called me from Valentine’s phone.” I stiffen as he says that.

Okay, I guess we’re done pretending he doesn’t know where I’ve been.

“So after you passed out, I found it. It’s charging over there.” He points toward his coffee table where, yeah, my phone is lying.

“Thank you.” I’m moving before I finish speaking the two words.

Picking up the phone, I immediately see the text from Valentine. A voice in the back of my head nags me, telling me that I should read it, and let him know Michael won’t be an issue for much longer. I suck my bottom lip between my teeth, gently biting the soft flesh as I contemplate what to do.

“You should finish eating before we have to leave,” Jack says, his wordspulling me from my thoughts. “Oh, Nick also mentioned Carolina isn’t coming.”

Locking my phone, I shove it into the jeans back pocket before striding back to him. “Okay.” I keep my face and tone impassive. I wasn’t going to ask for this, but I also won’t deny that I like knowing it’ll just be me and my brothers.

I sit back down, facing Jack. He looks tired, exhausted, even. I know that if I tell him everything, he’ll do whatever he can to protect me, even if it means locking me up. Which is exactly why I can’t tell him or ask for his help.

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