Page 42 of Gage

“We’re looking for our sister. We thought this was her room,” one of them said.

I studied them carefully. “Who’s your sister?”

He gave me her name, and I glanced between the two, assessing their body language. “Are either of you carrying a gun?”

The older one frowned. “No, we’re not armed. Why would you ask that?”

“Because Aya said her younger brother threatened to kill her if she came to your mother’s funeral,” I said bluntly.

The older man turned to his companion, his face tightening. “Amon, what did you do?”

Amon shifted uncomfortably. “She knows I didn’t mean it. I was angry.”

Behind me, Aya had heard their voices. She gasped and ran past me, throwing her arms around her brothers. In an instant, the tension dissolved, replaced by raw emotion. We stayed back, watching closely.

“Aya, I want you to take whatever you want of our mother’s,” the older brother said. “It all belongs to you.”

Amon’s voice was quieter. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that to you. I wasn’t serious—I was just upset because our mother gave them to you. Our father had already given them to Amil and me.”

Aya exhaled shakily. “Amil, our father’s medals belong to you and Amon. I don’t know why our mother gave them to me. But after the funeral, I’ll go through her and Grandmother’s things. I’ll only take what I want.”

Then she turned to me. “Will you stay here with us for a few more days?”

I nodded. “Yes, but I’ll need to call the office and talk to Sean to confirm it. Are we staying here?”

“No,” she said. “We’ll leave for our mother’s home.”

The brothers greeted Aya’s husband and child before we grabbed our bags and headed out.

My first glimpse of the house had me doing a double take. It wasn’t just a house—it was a damn castle. Workers rushed forward to take our luggage as we exited the vehicles. The guys and I exchanged looks, shaking our heads. We never let anyone else handle our bags.

“Aya,” I said, lowering my voice, “we’re still your bodyguards. We’ll be watching over you and your family until you’re safely home.”

She nodded. “Okay. I’ll have Amil tell his guards you’re here for me.” She hesitated, then added, “Thank you for staying. I need time to decide what to take. Amil’s daughters will also want something of their grandmother’s.”

We ended up staying an extra week. Aya hated the thought of leaving her brothers, and they begged her to move back home.

I glanced at her husband. He shook his head. His job was in the United States—that’s where they would stay.

I also took note of the growing stacks of boxes. The amount of jewelry alone was staggering. There was no way it could all be shipped back without raising red flags. We’d take it back on the plane with us, and the brothers could send the rest of the things she wanted to keep.

As for me, I was ready to go home. I missed Lori. I wished we lived in the same town—hell, I wanted her to live with me. I wasn’t sure she’d go for it, but I had a plan. I was going to ask her to marry me.

But first, there was another job.

As soon as I landed back home, I had to leave for Arizona. A ninety-two-year-old woman needed to get to her ninety-six-year-old brother, but she refused to fly—so I was driving her. That meant six more days before I’d see Lori.

By the time I finally made it home, it was after midnight. My body ached for rest, but my heart ached for her more.

I decided to wait until morning.

Tomorrow, I’d see Lori.

And tomorrow, I’d ask her the biggest question of my life.

26

Lori

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