Page 276 of Enemies

After the police released us, Raegan and I drove home in near silence. Raegan took a shower in the guest bathroom, and I washed off in the en suite. After, I padded out to the hall to see if she was still in the bathroom—only to see the guest bedroom door closed.

I opened the door to find her lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling. I crawled in next to her, pulling her body to mine.

She hasn’t talked about what happened in that room. The way she kept her cool to gain the upper hand on Mischa in a way I couldn’t have was amazing. It might’ve given me a heart attack, but I respect her even more than before.

But as I lay next to her, I wondered…

How sure was she that someone was coming? Did she think we’d left her?

I’m relieved Mischa is dead. But witnessing her at his mercy, knowing I won’t forget it for a long fucking time, is a parting gift he would’ve appreciated.

The ache in my shoulder is nothing compared to how it felt to see her helpless in that room. That will linger on my soul.

Now, the door nudges wide.

I shift up on an elbow, hoping it’s her, but the top of Barney’s head and furry back appear as he pads to the bed. He noses at my hand and lifts hopeful eyes to my face.

Fuck, it’s impossible to be a dick to a dog.

After stroking his head, I get up and pad out into the hall.

The shower’s on—second one in twelve hours.

I want to talk to her, but accosting her while she scrubs extra blood from under her nails isn’t the right time.

I head down the hall to my room for clean clothes. Barney follows, and after, we head downstairs together.

My brother is already drinking coffee and reading a newspaper.

“How was your evening?” I ask.

Ash frowns. “Uneventful. Boring even.”

My brows lift.

“Relatively,” he adds.

I take the paper from him.

He’s not as pale as he was last week. Instead of being lethargic, his voice is light. His reactions are quick and irritated.

“I was a dick about you using,” I say.

He shifts an arm over the back of the next chair. “Is this some kind of ‘near death experience’ remorse?”

I grimace. “It should’ve been me helping you. Not Leni or Raegan.”

Sebastian studies me a long moment, then holds out a hand. “Don’t worry about it. I want to get my shit together. I will,” he vows.

I clasp his forearm.

“Brunch is at two down at the marina,” he says. “Tyler and Annie are bringing the baby.”

“Is Beck coming?” I ask.

An exasperated sigh. “How the fuck should I know?”

Natalia appears with a coffee, and I thank her as I drop into a chair. “Raegan’s upset. What happened in that room… I don’t blame her.”

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