Page 17 of Shielding Lexi (Temptation)

“I jumped off the boat when I found out he was hurting people. I remember that much,” I say, hoping it’ll stop Reaper from leaving. I feel awful that his friends are sticking up for me when they’re supposed to be here for him.

“Cool,” Reaper says, still making his way out the door. I’ve seen many versions of his anger in the last two days, but this is something new and somehow more unsettling. Indifference isn’t his thing.

“I’ll go check on him,” Hawk says, kissing the top of my head. “It’ll be okay.”

I stay sat at the table as Hawk runs out behind Reaper, the tears that I’d been holding back now free to fall.

Kane sits back down beside me, bumping my arm with his. “Hawk is right ya know. Everything is going to be okay. Reaper is a blow hard. He’ll get over it.”

My eyes narrow. “Should it be though? I mean what the hell did this guy do to his sister?”

He turns his head away then back again, strumming his thumb across his bottom lip before speaking. “It’s up to him to talk about it. I’m not—”

“It’s really starting to piss me off that I’m getting shit for playing a part in something, and I don’t even know what the hell happened,” I say, misplacing my anger to the guy who was trying to help.

Kane doesn’t say anything, and I stand from the table to move toward the window. I want to look out, but everything is shuttered up.

The near constant rainfall has left everything soggy, both indoors and out. Items of furniture, rugs on the floor, the fabric couch, even the bedding are affected. Everything in the cabin feels damp and heavy. The doors and windows are constantly closed to protect us from rain, which only increases the wet and sticky feeling.

The sound of cards shuffling catches my ear and I turn to see Kane is thumbing a deck. “You want to play?” he asks. “Might help take your mind off things for a while.”

I look back toward the dark wall of the cabin, the rain and wind still lashing the shore. I could stare at the wall for another hour and wonder what the hell Reaper and Hawk are talking about. I could ruminate over why I still can’t remember so much of my life. I could go cry myself to sleep. Or I could play a few hands of cards and try to forget this stuff for a second.

“Come on,” Kane says. “I promise I’ll take it easy on ya.”

I relent and go back to the table, my heart a bit thankful for the reprieve.

Kane doles out twelve matchsticks to both of us, then deals the cards.

I pick them up one by one, admiring each one as though I know what they mean. I don’t know whether I’ve played cards before or not. Either way, I don’t remember what any of them mean. I assume though that a seven and six of hearts has to be good and hold them close to my chest.

“You want to bet?” Kane asks.

I nod and throw out two matchsticks.

He smiles. “Okay, okay… that’s a good start, but I’ll raise you one.”

I look back at my hand, then toss another matchstick into the pile.

“How many cards do you want, ma’am?” he asks.

I assume now I get to discard a few, so I drop everything that’s not the six and seven of hearts and get three more cards. This time the ten of hearts, nine of hearts, and the eight of hearts. I assume this has to be good, they’re all hearts.

Kane takes a few new cards himself, then pushes his matches into the pile. “I don’t know, Lexi. I’ve got quite the hand. You might want to back down. I’d hate to take you out on your first game.”

I glance down at my cards, then back at him with a smile before pushing all my sticks into the center of the table. “I’m not going to let you trick me.”

Kane shrugs, then lays his cards down in a fan on the table. “Four of a kind,” he says. “What do ya got?”

“Oh,” I say, laying my own cards down. “I think you got me. I just have a bunch of hearts.”

Kane pulls his head back, narrows his eyes then smiles. “You’re kidding, Lexi. They’re in a row… you have a straight flush. You win, on your first hand. Fuck, I should’ve seen that coming. Maybe Reaper’s right.”

“Right about what?” I ask, sliding my cards toward him to gather.

He looks down at the deck and shuffles them into each other, his eyes focused on the movement until finally the silence gets him.

“Nothing, he just thought I’d be able to catch your bluff.”

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