Page 109 of The Slayer
He shook his head. “No.”
“Come on,” she urged. “They’re more durable than they look. I got to hold Charlie this morning after they moved Jules up to maternity to be with the twins. He just slept the whole dang time.”
“Alaine, no,” he said firmly, because the last thing he wanted to do was touch Jules’s new sons the same week he’d agreed to commit not one, but two murders to protect Jules’s brother. It felt like a dark taint that was sticking to him, and there was no blow to erase it. “I’ll go, but don’t put me in the position of having to hold them.”
“Are you okay?” she asked as she tilted her head and studied him. “You’re not eating.”
“I’m just not that hungry,” he admitted and pushed at his food again.
“You didn’t eat last night either,” Alaine mused and then sat up and reached across the table, putting her hand on his forehead. “You think you’re coming down with something?”
“I don’t get sick.” He pulled her hand off his forehead, refraining from snapping at her not to touch him, because he didn’t want the darkness to stick to her either. “But go wash your hands just in case.”
Alaine arched an eyebrow at him. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” He pointed to the kitchen sink. “Go. You can’t afford to miss school.”
* * * *
Jules had a lot of visitors since she was moved out of ICU, so Chuito wasn’t surprised to find Wyatt leaning against the wall outside her room in the maternity ward. His arms were wrapped around Tabitha, his head resting on the top of her head as the two of them just stood there in silence, a blanket of tension and sadness throbbing off them so potently Chuito could almost taste it in the air.
“Hey.” Wyatt grabbed Chuito’s arm but didn’t release Tabitha. He looked from Chuito to Alaine seriously. “We’re not telling Jules ’bout the shooting.”
“No, we wouldn’t,” Alaine said in a hushed whisper, because they had all been in the hospital when the Department of Justice had shown up to question Wyatt. Alaine didn’t know what Chuito did, that Wyatt had likely gone after the asshole he shot out of revenge, but she was aware he shot him. She just assumed, like everyone else did, that this prick, Vaughn Davis, had tried to shoot the sheriff, and Wyatt had defended himself.
“Thanks, darlin’.” Wyatt hugged Tabitha once more. “We appreciate that.”
Alaine held up her hands, making it clear she planned to keep it to herself until Wyatt could tell his sister. What version he was going to tell Jules, they might never know.
“Okay,” Alaine whispered and then pointed to the room. “You coming, Chu?”
Chuito nodded as he stared at Tabitha, who was so small in Wyatt’s arms, short and slight, with bright red hair bobbed at her chin that glowed under the fluorescent hospital lights.
They’d all been surprised when Tabitha crashed back into Wyatt’s life earlier in the year. She was his first love. Perhaps his only love and had left him a week after they got married thirteen years ago.
Chuito knew that because Jules had been bitching about it for the past four months. She was bitter toward Tabitha for hurting her brother, but like so many stories, Jules didn’t know everything.
Most people didn’t.
Everyone had secrets.
And demons.
For the first time, Chuito realized this tiny redhead was Wyatt’s Alaine. The woman he would do anything for, even try to kill a man, but he was still Wyatt. He hadn’t succeeded, because life had taught him to follow the rules instead.
Look at where that bullshit had got him.
Facing prison, just for trying to protect his woman.
That was probably the most unjust thing Chuito could think of, because Wyatt didn’t deserve that. He was one of those guys who tried to make the world better.
And someone had hurt his wife.
His Alaine.
Tiny and sweet, with a smile that told the world she trusted it even though she shouldn’t.
“Chu—” Alaine pressed.
