Page 75 of Sweet Refuge

She set the bag on the counter next to Lena.

She arched a brow. “What’s this?”

“From Slade.”

She reared off the stool, ready to run to him. Then the truth hit her, and she let her body drop again.

“He told you to bring me food.”

Gia nodded, a sympathetic expression in her eyes.

With a sigh, Lena pulled the bag closer and took a peek in the box at a perfect golden-brown crepe covered in strawberries, glaze and whipped cream.

She let out a moan and threw the lid open. Laughing, Gia brought her a fork and then returned to the tea kettle to pour her own mug. While Lena ate, Gia leaned on the counter and watched.

“Why do I feel like Slade told you to watch me too?” she asked.

Gia coughed another laugh. “Sounds like you know him.”

Her heart gave a pang. She nodded. “I do.”

“He seems awesome and devoted. So what’s the problem?”

Lena set down her fork with the last bite of crepe still speared on the tines. “I’m not sure it’s real. It seems baby-induced. What if the same old problems are still between us?”

“What if they’re not?” Gia sipped.

Lena shook her head. “He doesn’t see me as an equal. He wants to protect me too much.”

“It’s not that he doesn’t trust you can handle things. He wants to support and protect you. It’s his thing. Everyone in Blackout is the same. They’re fierce. Trained to fight and protect. Of course, that’s going to spill onto the women they love.”

The fresh perspective meshed with Lena’s realization from when she saw that video of Slade chained in the garage.

“I see I’ve given you some things to think about. Now it’s time to deliver another message.”

Lena raised her brows, waiting for Gia to go on.

“Sparrow’s giving you the choice of going with Apollo to pick up some equipment we need or to stay and continue going through the things removed from Trey’s apartment.”

“Why would Apollo need me?”

Gia gave her a small, guilty smile.

“You asked Sparrow to give me a break.”

“I might have mentioned that you had been shouldering a lot more lately, conducting meetings and planning out strategy.”

She couldn’t be angry with her friend for caring.

But that made her think about how she’d blamed Slade for doing the very same things.

“Thank you, Gia. You’ve been such a good friend to me. But I’m going to stay and see this through.”

“Want me to tell Sparrow?”

She hopped off her stool and carried the empty food container to the trash. “I’ll do it myself. Thanks again for bringing me food—and for opening my eyes more when it comes to Slade.”

Gia threw her arms around Lena, and they embraced like the sisters they were in their hearts.

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