Page 127 of GAF Factor

“What is it?”

“They’re all gone,” he cried. “I lost them all.”

I winced, grasping his shoulder. “Did you get a chance to say goodbye?”

He nodded. “They didn’t deserve a death like that.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him. Or tell him that I’d get him some new ones. Somehow, I didn’t think he’d appreciate me replacing the ones he lost. “Yeah. That sucks.”

What else was I supposed to say to a guy after he lost his Funyuns?

31

IKE

Lock was waitingas we pulled through the gates of OPS. For the first time in my life, I was running toward something, and I didn’t know how to feel about that. Relying on other men to have my back wasn’t something I was used to.

And then there was Kavanaugh. The last fucking thing I needed was to deal with any drama he might bring to the table.

Isla stretched beside me as we came to a stop. “I’m so glad to be home.”

“Not quite home. We’ll have to stay here for a while.”

“Yeah, I know, but at least we’re not on the road.” She turned to me curiously. “Are we staying in that creepy mansion Riley was talking about?”

“I have no idea.”

The door was yanked open and Riley tugged Isla out before I could finish talking to her. It looked like that was the end of our conversation. I got out and grabbed our bags out of the trunk while Riley interrogated Isla. The whole thing was quite humorous.

“A simple phone call. That’s all I’m saying,” Riley snapped. “Hey, I’m on my way home.Do you think that would have been too much?”

“No, Mom,” Isla retorted. “I’ll remember that the next time I stay out too late.”

“Ladies, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get inside. I have work to do. You can bicker somewhere else.”

Isla turned to me, quirking an eyebrow as she crossed her arms over her chest. “We don’t bicker. That’s not what this is.”

“Yeah, bickering is for old ladies,” Riley piped up.

“Then what would you call it?”

“A friendly debate between siblings.”

I rolled my eyes with a heavy sigh. “I need a fucking cigarette.”

Isla eyed me curiously. “You know, come to think of it, I haven’t seen you smoke the entire trip.”

“That’s because I haven’t been.”

“Why?”

“Because you don’t like it.”

“So…you just don’t smoke around me?”

“I haven’t been smoking at all. Though, I’m regretting that more and more every day I have to deal with your demon sister.”

“I am not a demon,” Riley snapped.

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