Page 135 of Defiant Beta

“Where?” Xavier straightens.

“We need information.”

“On?”

“I’ll explain on the way.” Vincent turns around. “Get dressed. I’ll wait for you in the car.”

I open my mouth.

“Not you, Della. You’ve got bags under your eyes. Go to sleep.”

“But I?—”

“That wasn’t a suggestion.”

My back stiffens. “You have a real thing about giving orders.”

His tone doesn’t change, but he must be inwardly laughing when he says, “I know. It’s why I did so well when I went into politics.”

The front door slams shut, and I scowl at Xavier.

“Don’t look at me like that. We’re related, but we’re nothing alike.”

True. “What do you think this is about?”

Xavier shrugs. “Sounds like we might be a step closer to finding Aly’s killer.”

“And then?”

He shrugs again. “Who knows? I never thought about what we’d do next. Until now.”

I arch an eyebrow. “Until now?”

“You. Until you.” He drops a kiss on my cheek. “Stay inside, beautiful.”

“I’ll stay with her.” Levi nearly gives me a heart attack, emerging from the darkened entryway.

I place a hand on my pounding heart. “What’s the deal with you all roaming in the dark? Is this why you have so little furniture? To avoid tripping over it?"

Xavier grins and heads upstairs to get dressed while I go to the living room instead of back to my room. I want to be awake when Xavier and Vincent return from their errand.

Levi takes the seat on the couch next to me and passes me a blanket, which he must have disappeared to get for me. “Here.”

“Thanks.”

He is not wearing a shirt either.

“It’s like shirts and light switches were never invented tonight,” I mutter as footsteps sound on the staircase and Xavier calls out a goodbye before the front door slams shut.

“What did you say?” Levi asks.

“Nothing.”

I offer him half the blanket. “Want to share my blanket?”

“You don’t hate me?” he asks, making no move to take it.

I pass him half the blanket anyway. His pecs are distracting me from an important conversation we should have had hours ago. “I never hated you. I heard something that hurt. That’s what I do. When someone hurts me, I lash out.”

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