Page 139 of Stay for Me

“So, um, about your half-brother. Did—did Grayson find him?”

“Yup.”

“Are—are you—”

“I was, but then Grayson told me who he was, and now, I’m not so sure I need to,” he admitted, uncertainty hanging off every word.

Who he was?

“Who is he?”

“Someone who doesn’t need me. I wanted to find him to make sure he turned out alright, that he didn’t need any help. Our father was a piece of shit, yes, but I’m not a piece of shit. My half-brother is innocent. I just wanted to make sure life hadn’t completely fucked him in the ass.”

I shifted, stretching my legs and tucking them under the covers. “So he’s okay?” I guessed, settling in.

A scoff came from him then. “Yeah, baby, he’s okay.”

“Well, at least you found him. You don’t have do anything about it now, but it’s comforting to know that when and if you’re ready to reach out, you have the option.”

Mags was silent.

“You still there?”

“Fuck, but I love you,” he rasped. “I love you so much, Diana.”

I smiled into my pillow. I would never get tired of hearing him tell me that. Every time was a gift, a wonderful, beautiful gift, one I never thought I’d receive. “Ditto, babe.”

His next question rocked me. “You don’t want to know who it is?”

Of course I did.

But this was still new, and I didn’t want to cross a line. So, I answered, “Only if you want to tell me. I’m not going to pressure you.”

He muttered something underneath his breath about his head being in his ass for so long.

“Mags?”

“Yeah, baby?”

I looked at the clock. “I need to get to sleep,” I whispered.

“‘Course, Firefly.”

“Call you tomorrow when I’m on the road.”

“And when you get there,” he ordered.

I giggled. “And when I get there.”

“Goodnight, baby.”

I was drifting off to sleep before he hung up the phone, and when I woke up only a few hours later, I was in hell.

Outside Denver, CO. Three AM.

LucasstareddownDiana,fury burning in his chest.

She was passed out in the back seat of the rental car, the sleeping medication he’d snuck into her bedtime tea only hours before clearly working. Her wrist and ankles were bound, and Lucas heavily contemplated putting duct tape over her mouth, but he also knew she was allergic to it. It wouldn’t kill her, but her face would be red and puffy for a few days. He was already trying to figure out a way to get that weight off her soon.

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