Page 31 of Lust
Liza sent Joe a tight-lipped smile and then stood. “Sloan. Can I see you outside for a minute?”
Flint used the opportunity to steer the conversation. “What brings you back to Cardinal City, Joe?”
“An investigation,” he replied, and looked him directly in the eyes.
10
Liza yankedher blabbermouth sister outside the private dining room and dragged her partway down the hallway that led to the restrooms.
“Ow,” Sloan whined. “What gives?”
She shrugged out of Liza’s hold. Simultaneously, both winced as their sin-sensing came back now they’d reached the limit of their mate’s nullification.
Liza rubbed her gut.
“Yeah,” Sloan murmured. “It takes a little getting used to.”
Liza took a few deep breaths. “Is it always like this?”
Sloan nodded. “The second I leave Max’s radius, I feel it. Sloth, everywhere. Why do you think I’m stuck to him like glue?”
They stood together, bonded in shared pain. Liza had been about to chew Sloan’s ear off for almost giving away their secret, but now it seemed rather pointless. Joe would find out eventually, but how long did she wait? She saw the way he looked at Parker. There was deep-seated animosity there, and with Wyatt around, it would only get worse.
Liza had no idea why Joe hated her two eldest brothers so much.
“He doesn’t know,” Liza conceded.
“About… us?” Sloan frowned, and then turned her head back toward the room, as if she could see through the frosted glass. Sloan was an empath. She could not only sense emotions, but make people feel things too. She’d once sent a busload of people to sleep by accident.
Liza had believed Sloan was the deadliest of them all. She looked down at her own glove-covered hands. Maybe not anymore.
“When did you know you could trust Max?” Liza asked.
Sloan shrugged. “He already knew. Parker told him.”
“That’s right.”
“Joe’s your mate, right?”
Liza nodded. “But he’s throwing mixed signals, and he’s resisting my advances. He’s not the same person I used to know. I feel as though he’s keeping something from me.”
“I’ll keep an eye on him.” Sloan’s gaze dipped to Liza’s hands. “You going to tell me what the deal is with your new fashion choice?”
“What has Mama told you?”
“Something about poison.”
“Sounds about right.”
“And?”
“And, what?”
“Why do you have your hands covered?”
“Why do you think, dumbass?”
“It comes out of your hands? So that’s why Parker wants to talk to you. The sooner you get that under control, the better. Trust me.”
