Page 132 of Save Her from Me

“Where are ye going?” I asked.

“Ben and Daisy are moving into the cottage, so there’s a room open in Castle Braithar, Ben’s old space. I can officially join the bodyguard team now, and Gordain and Ella prefer to have someone live on site. I’m going to try it for a couple of days.” He gestured with his head to indicate upstairs. “Ariel deserves her own space, and to fill it with the people of her choice, not a brother hanging around.”

I guessed he needed space, too, but I got the sense that Raphael wasn’t happy, despite his words upstairs.

“We’re celebrating your joining the team,” I said. “Beers tomorrow night?”

“Sure, man.” He took a heavy breath. “Don’t think this face is anything to do with ye. I like that you’re dating my sister. There’s no one I’d trust more. I’ve just got some shite going on.”

“Talk to me.”

“Aye, I will, but not now.” He hefted his bag on his back. “Oh, before I forget. Ben handed me this before he left.”

He held out my phone, knocked from my hand in the scuffle with Larson outside my car.

“And I have a gift for ye.”

I accepted a small parcel from him, the packaging plain, no clue as to what was inside. The gesture had my heart pounding.

“What do pilots take to be better in the bedroom?” I asked, my throat tight.

Raphael paused at the door, a single dark eyebrow arching and his ever-patient expression in place.

“Flyagra.”

His mouth opened. He raised his gaze to the ceiling.

Then he was gone.

The door slammed downstairs, and I pulled the tape to open my gift.

It was a little metal dragon, a majestic wee fellow, unpainted, and without a note.

It didn’t need one. My best friend had seen the missing parts in me and done all he could to fill them. A home, someone to talk to, and even a hobby.

Fucking hell.

Whatever was bothering Raphael would answer to me.

I carried the dragon into Ariel’s bedroom and set it beside her fox, then returned upstairs, tapping out a ‘thank you’ to my best friend.

Maybe one day I’d be lucky enough to call him brother, but I was getting ahead of myself, and there were problems at hand I needed to tackle first.

As had become common for me, my phone had countless messages and missed calls, several from my mother.

I dropped onto the sofa beside Ariel and collected her to my lap without ceremony. Then I hit ‘play’ on the voicemail Ma had left.

“Jackson. After all you’ve done, and you won’t even pick up the phone to hear the outcome. TJ lost the hearing. He lost! They consider him to be a danger to the community, and it’s all your fault because of your selfish nature.”

I smiled and brought Ariel’s lips to mine for a kiss.

“Terence has kicked me out,” Ma continued. “Call me back. Please. I’m begging.”

I killed the call, dropping my head back.

Ariel curled into me. “I’m sorry she said those things.”

I wasn’t. She hadn’t changed, and I’d finally stopped hoping she would.

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