Page 10 of Shielding Lexi (Temptation)

Kane smiles and leans in, totally eating her shit. “That’s awesome Lexi. Do you remember what city you worked in or what the name of the place was?”

Oh my fucking god, I want to smack them both. She’s going to have us believing she’s Mother Teresa by the end of the night. A savior, a messiah, the one we must cherish and adore.

A voice scratches back in on the radio. “Tropical Storm Valli is currently passing through that region. We recommend staying put. I repeat, do not attempt ocean travel.”

Do not attempt it my ass. I’d rather a forty-foot wave right now than another day of this nonsense.

“What’s the estimated ETA of cone clearance for Miami?” I ask, holding my breath a little at the end.

“Right now we’re guessing four days, but I’d plan on five just in case. You have supplies? Out.”

I look up at Lexi still telling her tale of veterinary heroism to the guys. Their eyes are glued to her as though every word she’s saying is gospel.

Heat flushes through my body as I murmur my reply.

“We have fucking supplies. It’s not supplies I’m worried about. It’s this god damn woman that’s about to eat us alive.”

5

Lexi

Flashes of lightning brighten the night sky as the storm increases in intensity. Thunderclaps get louder and closer and the cabin shakes and shudders under pressure. The windows rattle in the wind and a tree branch scrapes along the outside of the house, making a high-pitched screeching sound that sets my teeth on edge. Every so often the lights flicker, threatening to switch and plunge us into darkness.

I have no idea if the cabin’s strong enough to hold up against the wind. I’m spooked by the noise, and I can see the guys are on edge, too.

Dinner is a somber affair, and the men drink too much beer and avoid talking. Early in the meal, I tried a little small talk but got shut down by Reaper. Hawk gave my knee a reassuring squeeze under the table, which made me feel better. We’re all on edge. I guess it’s normal for tensions to be running high under the circumstances.

When Reaper finishes his meal, he drops the cutlery on his dinner plate with a noisy clatter. The sound coincides with a thunderclap which startles me, and I gasp.

“It’s only thunder. It’ll be okay, Lexi,” Kane says. “The cabin’s solid. Reap’s family has owned this place for ages. It hasn’t blown away yet.”

“Lexi, it’s my turn to clean up dinner. Do you want to help dry the dishes?” Hawk asks, standing from the table. His eyes catch mine and for a second, I feel at ease. He’s really got a way of doing that, and I couldn’t be more appreciative. Sitting in awkward silence is better than listening to Reaper growl and accuse, but it’s also exhausting, as it only gives my head time to ruminate on why I can’t remember anything except Brick and the terribly unfortunate things I remember about him.

As I stand to join Hawk in the kitchen, Reaper kicks away from the table. A high-pitched scream from his chair as he moves, and it’s like nails down a chalkboard. I take a deep breath to still my nerves. Everything’s making me jumpy right now.

“I’m going to do a perimeter check, put up the shutters just in case this thing gets any worse.” He looks toward Kane, “You want to give me a hand? Make sure nothing’s loose that can do any real damage?”

Kane agrees, as Reaper makes his way to the front door to pull on his boots. The wind has picked up. It whistles noisily, and nearby trees creak and groan from the strain. The wind is strong enough to rip branches off trees and I’m worried one of them could get hurt by flying debris, or a stray coconut. But it’s not my place to comment. I trust they know what they’re doing and figure its best if I keep my mouth shut.

Armed with a plate load of dirty dishes, I get to work next to Hawk, running hot water as I watch the bubbles build in the sink.

“How you faring?” he asks, bumping my shoulder with his playfully.

“Can I say thank god for you, or is that weird?” I smile, hoping he gets my drift.

“That bad, huh?”

I don’t hold back, “Yeah. I mean, is Reaper always this intense?”

Hawk sucks in a deep breath as he wipes down a rinsed dish. “He’s not usually this bad, but he’s had some pretty extenuating circumstances lately.”

I want to pry, but Hawk is the only one going out of his way to comfort me. I don’t want to put him in an awkward position with Reaper.

“He won’t hurt you. He’s just angry,” Hawk says, setting the clean dish in the cupboard and reaching for another. There’s something oddly enjoyable about this plainly domestic task. It settles my nerves and makes me feel normal.

“Why can’t we call for help then? I don’t get it, if the Daggers are out to screw with you guys, wouldn’t it help everyone to turn them in?”

“It would, except they have friends in every branch of the law and so many people owe them favors. I wish it were that cut and dry, but it’s not. We’re doing the right thing keeping you safe here.”

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