Page 63 of Their Promise

His eyes sparkled as he smiled. “Oh, a stakeout, huh? I approve, as long as you take Kayden with you. Mason is too hotheaded for a non-confrontational stakeout.”

“Why can’t I go alone?” I asked with a scowl.

“I wouldn’t let your mom go alone,” he said quickly. “No way will I let you.”

Mom stuck her tongue out at him. “Overprotective.”

“What are we investigating anyway?” he asked and stepped up behind Mom to look at the report.

Riddick filled him in and Dad’s face darkened.

“I don’t like this at all,” he whispered. “I’m going to call Nana Kara and see if she can think of any reason someone might need so many.”

“The next pickup should be this evening,” Riddick said as he read an email.

“Lily, I want you and Kayden to watch, scope the buyer out, but don’t engage. Just find out who it is,” Dad ordered me.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Kayden. “Okay,” I agreed.

“What’s up?” Kayden asked as he answered.

“I need you for a stakeout this evening. Can you meet me at the mana store at four o’clock? I’ll fill you in then.”

“Understood,” he replied.

Ever the obedient soldier.

“You sure we should send Lily?” Mom whispered to Dad and Riddick.

“We are shorthanded and she’s got a lot of free time,” Dad said.

“And she volunteered,” Riddick added.

“She came home to help the clan. This is one way for her to do that,” Dad reminded Mom. “Plus, she’s one of the best at suppressing her presence, so she’s ideal for surveillance and recon.”

“Even if her animal form is large,” Riddick added, making them all snicker.

I lowered my phone and turned to glare at them. “I can hear you.”

Dad and Riddick smiled, obviously aware.

“Well, since you have some time until your job tonight, how about you work on these other spreadsheets for me?” Mom said and opened three others on her computer. She stood and stretched. “I’m going to go buy lunch.”

“I’ll come with you,” Riddick offered, linked hands with her, and opened the door.

Dad sat on the edge of the desk as I sat in the chair to get to work. “How is courting going? Did the trio provide a suitable explanation to you?”

I looked up at him and said, “Don’t act like Ezio hasn’t already filled you in.”

He smirked. “He has, but he doesn’t know how you feel about it and that’s the most important piece. So, how do you feel, Lily?”

“Honestly, I’m a bit conflicted. Yes, their explanation makes sense and how it was a misunderstanding on my part. However, they could have come to see me. I know they were worried about finding me dating someone, but that feels like an excuse. I mayhave acted childish by trying to ignore them, but it felt like they ignored me for four years. I can’t deny my attraction to them, they were my best friends, and when I’m with them it feels so …”

“Effortless,” Dad offered.

I nodded. “It feels like no time has passed, like we were never apart, and yet, my heart remembers the separation. Just once, if they had visited me just once, things would have been so different.”

My hair glowed brighter the longer I spoke, but I wanted to get all the words out. Needed to.

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