Page 114 of Reckless Thief

“I’ve done all the talk therapy I ever intend to do,” I told him. When I took a step, he let me go and I paced away from them in the warehouse. The colder air helped settle my nerves. The movement helped too. I needed to walk, to try and shake off the dregs of that dream. “Not much to be done for it except to try and shake it off.”

I didn’t expect there to be any comments, and they didn’t surprise me by making any, either. But it wasn’t hard to read the doubt in their expressions. Liam folded his arms, his eyes narrowing as he studied me. I read the assessment in his manner.

Could he take me down? Probably. But only if I didn’t see him coming. Of all of them, he was the most dangerous when it came to hand-to-hand. Jasper was still too volatile; he led with his temper. Kel, on the other hand?

He’d just shoot me. I appreciated that. Milo and Vaughn were the more unpredictable ones…

“If you want to keep seeing Starling, then be uncomfortable and talk.” Speaking of unpredictable.

I cut a look at Rome, yet he didn’t flinch.

“She’s worth it.”

“You don’t have to tell me that,” I said, fighting to keep my temper and voice level in check. I got where he was coming from.

Rome shrugged. “Yes, I do. You don’t trust us with your pain.”

That stopped me dead in my tracks, and I pivoted to face them. They each met my gaze evenly. Kel stood there in pajama pants and a t-shirt, hands in his pockets like he was wearing one of his suits. Milo was dressed similarly, only his arms were folded. We were all dressed for bed in some fashion. It was two—fuck, it was three in the morning.

The time when the wolves were at the door. Fuck knew they were always at my door. I wanted to deny the charge. To tell them it wasn’t about trust. That would be a lie. I didn’t even talk to my team about this. I trusted them with my life, and they trusted me with theirs.

Except we didn’ttalk.

“Do you trust Hellspawn?” Liam’s question set me back on my heels.

“I trust her.” Those words came effortlessly. “But telling her this…” Even if Ihadtold her about the injuries, the hospital, and the time in recovery. I had told her, and it didn’t change a damn thing in her eyes. When she looked at me, it wasn’t with pity but a rough sympathy. The kind one survivor had for another.

“Telling her this?” Jasper prompted, with the kind of patience I didn’t expect. “Pretty sure she already knows, Doc.”

Sighing, I shook my head. As soon as I’d recognized my hand around her throat, I bolted. Distance between Little Bit and me was vital to keeping her safe in the immediate aftermath.

“Fuck.” I needed to go back in there and apologize.

“Give her till morning,” Kellan said. “She knows you didn’t mean it.”

I spared him a look. How could she possibly…

“Because she knows, Doc,” Vaughn said, arms folded. His posture was a lot more relaxed than mine. “She wanted to come after you, and we told her to give you time. Freddie has her, and she’s safe with him. We’re all right here.”

“Did I hurt her?” Asking that question cost me everything.

“Bruised, lightly,” Kellan answered in an even tone I didn’t deserve. Goddammit, Little Bit didn’t need to deal with my damage.

“We’re all broken, Doc,” Rome said. “Starling knows.”

“Broken isn’t bad,” I muttered, the echo of Little Bit repeating that not too long ago resonated with me.

“Yep,” Liam said. “We’re all fucked up in our own ways.”

“Some of us are a lot fucked up,” Milo admitted.

“Some of us aren’t,” Jasper countered, and I wasn’t the only one who flipped him off. Rough laughter dislodged the boulder on my chest.

“Jas,” Liam said in the driest of tones. “They haven’t come up with the word for you yet.”

“Makes me unique then, doesn’t it?” The snark he volleyed back put a real smile on my face. Jasper and Liam used to be tight. Not like he was with Milo, but close enough. The fissure between them had gone too deep for far too long.

“Unique is not another word for cool or awesome.” Liam rolled his eyes, even if his smile hinted at sardonic humor.

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