Page 97 of Moonlit Colorado

“I came for my sister, not for you, Knightly. Don’t expect me to thank you for the ride on your fancy-ass jet.” He brushed past me on his way into my apartment.

Okay, then. Pretty much what I’d expected. But if Callum wanted to take out his anger on me, I could handle it.

Inside, I showed them to the guest rooms to drop off their bags.

“Can I see Grace?” Piper asked.

“Of course. She’s in my room asleep, but I’m sure she’d love to see you when she wakes up.” I showed Piper to my room, opening the door silently so she could slip inside.

When I returned to the living room, Ashford was sitting on the couch looking like he hadn’t slept in a week. And Callum was glowering at me. “Grace is sleeping in your bedroom?” Callum asked, doing nothing to hide his disdain.

Ashford sighed. “Cal, I already told you to expect?—”

“Yeah, but I don’t get how you’re okay with this. He’s supposed to be your best buddy, and yet you’re fine with him messing around with our sister? Letting her get beat up while he was—” Callum advanced, his arm barring across my chest. He slammed me against the nearest wall. “What the fuck were you doing while some thug was giving my sister a concussion?”

I had told myself I wouldn’t react if Ashford or Callum were pissed off at me. I’d planned to accept it and let them get anything they needed off their chests.

But Callum could really be a little punk sometimes.

I grabbed his T-shirt in two fists and spun him, shoving him up against the wall. Switching our places. I kept my voice even, but I brought my nose an inch from his. “I don’t blame you for being angry. But don’t think forone secondyou’re more furious at me than I am at myself. You have no clue how much I care about Grace.”

“From where I stand, my sister deserves a hell of a lot morecarethan you’ve shown her.”

I pushed back from him, turned away, and stalked into the kitchen. There, I grabbed a glass, nearly breaking it against the stone counter when I slammed it down and took the most expensive whiskey from my cabinet.

I’d taken one shot and was pouring another when Ashford walked in. “Callum’s just upset. We all are.”

“You think I blame you? I promised you I’d keep her safe.” I nearly choked on the bitterness of those words.As long as I’m around, I swear I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe and sound. I had failed. “Surprised you’re not the one who shoved me up against the wall.”

I took another glass from the cabinet and pushed it toward Ashford. He poured himself a finger of whiskey. “Same reason I accepted you dating her. You’re a good guy. One of the best, in fact. Not perfect, but last I checked, I had plenty of flaws myself. Including leaving Emma vulnerable in spite of my best efforts. It’s what you do next that counts.”

My first priority was to make Grace smile again. Make her feel safe again. Make her feelloved, because I was falling for her so fast it made my head spin. Seeing her injured, imagining losing her, had only convinced me of that.

But the flip side of that coin was much darker.

“Next? I plan to hunt down the piece of trash who hurt Grace and make him regret he was born.”

“That’s what I was hoping to hear.”

TWENTY-EIGHT

Grace

I wokeup from my nap in Dane’s bed, and I saw a face I hadnotbeen expecting to see.

“Piper?”

“It’s me.”

I sat up carefully. “What are you doing here?”

“Your man flew me and your brothers out to see you. Emma’s taking care of Maisie and Ollie while we’re gone. How are you, sweetheart?” She was doing her best to stay cheerful, which Piper was skilled at even when things were awful. But I knew my friend, and she was shocked by the bruises and bandages on my face.

“I look worse than I feel.” Though I didn’t feel amazing, that was for sure. My nose and my ribs and head ached. “Seeing you makes everything better. Come here. I’m not going to shatter if you hug me.”

“I know that, babe. Just hate seeing you like this.” She sat beside me and held me close. Comfort spread through my body, making everything ache just a little less.

I couldn’t believe Dane had flown my best friend here on zero notice to see me. Then again…of course he had. It was exactly the kind of thing he’d do, and I was so grateful for it.

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