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“Then go get her.”

A guy couldn't have sex around here without someone pounding on the front door. Elijah mentally ticked that con on the move-in list of his new apartment as he stalked to the front of the apartment. At least in the motel no one tried to bust in. Of course, no sane person would have had sex in those beds either.

A gun in his hand and wearing nothing except an unzipped pair of jeans, he went to the door. One look on the security monitors and he opened the door without checking.

“Bast?”

He kept his head down as he walked in, clearly distracted and lost in thought. “I'm sorry to come here so late.”

Wade stepped out of the bedroom. He'd found briefs and his weapon, and that was about it. “What's going on?”

Bast's head popped up and his mouth dropped open. “Oh, shit. I'm sorry.”

“It's okay.” It was his house, after all, and Eli and Wade had agreed their relationship wasn't a secret. They were going to try to live like normal people now. And as soon as Eli figured out what that meant, he'd do it.

Bast looked from Eli to Wade. “I didn't know you were here. Together, I mean.”

“For the record, I plan to be here a lot from now on.” Wade put his gun down on the kitchen table and rested a hand against Eli's lower back. “Or I will until I can convince Eli to move back into the condo with me.”

This was all so new to Eli. Wade touching him in front of someone else. The comfort of hanging around the house together. The sex, which managed to get hotter each time.

But Eli wanted to walk through this part and get it right, not run. For now, he was going to stay put and live in separate places. Plus, the threat to Natalie, all of them, hadn't gone away yet, so Bast needed him here.

“Congratulations.” Bast smiled through whatever was bugging him.

But Eli knew this wasn't a social call. “What's going on?”

Bast waved them off and backed his way to the front door. “It doesn't matter.”

“Is my sister safe?” Wade asked as his body stiffened.

“She's fine. She's upstairs.” Bast sucked in air through his front teeth. He stopped, then started forward again. “Okay, I actually wanted Eli to help me break into her apartment.”

“What the fuck?” Wade's reaction didn't leave much to the imagination. He had the full protective brother going on, right down to the angry stance and yelling.

Eli tried to play it cool but the comment didn't make any sense. “Are you serious?”

There was no amusement left on Wade's face now. “I'd start explaining.”

“I need to make a grand gesture to let her know how much she means to me. For that, I need something out of her closet.”

Bast's explanation didn't clear up a single thing for Eli.

Wade frowned. “For her, right?”

“Don't be a jackass. Of course.”

“And you thought Elijah would get you in?” Wade said the words with a hint of hesitation between each one. “You know what? I'm not even going to ask for more of an explanation.”

Eli suspected that was the exact plan. “Good idea.”

“I have a key to her place. Take Eli and I'll go upstairs and watch over Kyra.”

Bast shook his head. “You don't have to—”

Since the conversation stayed civil and could jump the tracks at any time, Eli stepped in. Hearing Wade and Bast fight over Kyra was not how Eli wanted to spend his evening and Bast was just out of it enough to say the wrong thing and start a battle. “Your excuse for moving her in was to keep her safe. That means she shouldn't be alone. With Wade up there, she won't be.”

Bast kept moving around, as if he couldn't stand still. “Fine. Can we go?”

Wade rolled his eyes. “Give me a second to find keys and pants.”

He stopped on the way back to the bedroom and circled back. Before Eli knew what was happening, Wade planted a possessive kiss on his mouth. One that staked a claim and made it clear their earlier conversation was not a fluke.

Eli couldn't help but smile. Even managed to ignore Bast's exasperated move-it exhale. “Nice.”

Wade winked then took off as he called over his shoulder. “I'll bring you a shirt.”

“This is new,” Bast said.

When Eli faced Bast again he noticed some of the daze had cleared. “We're going to try again.”

Bast cuffed Eli's shoulder. “I'm happy for you.”

Despite whatever weirdness was spinning around in Bast's head, Eli knew he meant it. “If I can fix my mess, maybe there's hope for you.”

“What makes you think I screwed up?”

The panicked look, the crazed plan, coming to him for help. It was a pretty long list in Eli's view. “I doubt you'd be making a grand gesture otherwise.”

“Let's hope it works.”

Eli recognized the sound of a man worried he'd gone one step too far. He'd seen the look in the mirror for weeks. He wouldn't wish that on anyone. “For your sake, Bast. I do.”

•   •   •

Kyra stared at her empty bag on the middle of Bast's bed and couldn't bring herself to hunt down the few things she brought over and load them in. She decided to sit down when Wade's deep voice cut through the room.

“What are you doing?”

Her insides jumped but she didn't have enough energy to move on the outside. “Packing.”

Wade's footsteps thumped as he walked across the hardwood to stand next to her. “You just moved in.”

Every muscle ached. She thought even her cells cried out for relief. “You were right.”

“About what?”

“We're wrong for each other, me and Bast.” Every word dragged out of her. Each one scraped her throat and broke her heart.

“When did I say that?”

She just realized how weird it was to find Wade in Bast's bedroom. She didn't know if Wade had ever even been in this house. “What are you doing here?”

“I was downstairs and thought I'd come up to make sure you're okay after the thing with your father.”

That man ruined everything. He showed up and her life blew to hell. He stayed away and she waited and worried he'd slink out of the darkness and show up. There was no peace to be found from being his daughter.

But none of that excused her behavior. “I'm sorry I didn't tell you.”

“I know there's more to this story and what's been happening, and we'll sit down and go through it, but my bigger worry right now is you.”

Wade offered an emotional way out to this horrible day and she took it. She needed to explain it all, but later. Now was the time for lying.

Kyra tried to take the conversation to a safer topic. “I'll be fine. I have school starting soon and—”

“Kyra, it's me.”

She glanced up, ready to ignore the pain pinging around inside her and lighten the mood. Wade's expression had her hesitating. His brow wrinkled in concern and before she could find her last store of control the words came tumbling out of her.

“I messed up and fell in love with him. Guess I am just a naïve schoolgirl.” She sat on the edge of the bed and waited for the
I told you
so
or something similar. When it didn't come, she looked up again. “Aren't you going to say anything?”

“Come here.” When she didn't move, he opened his arms.

But she was already going. She hit his chest and his big arms wrapped around her. The hold, so secure and comfortable, made her think of all the times he'd soothed and calmed her over the years. Their relationship had morphed into something more adult but she still needed him.

Back then she would get upset, be on the verge of crying, and he would make it better. When her father told her he'd been grooming her to be part of his team, she found Wade and begged him to get her out. He didn't hesitate or ask questions. No matter what he once did for a living, he was one of the best men she knew, and through him she met Bast.

“I'm fine.” She whispered the words more to convince herself than Wade.

“You said that already.”

“I loved him for so long . . . I don't know how to stop.”

Wade pulled back and stared down at her. No judgment, just worry in his eyes. “I had no idea before a few days ago.”

“Neither did he.” For a long time, neither did she. She downplayed it and thought it would go away. As she got older, it grew and when she came up with her plan to work at the club to get to him, her feelings fell into place.

Wade gave her a strangling bear hug then let go. “Tell him. The one thing I learned losing Eli and the shitty weeks since is that being stubborn and maybe even being right don't matter much when you're alone.”

Speaking of which. “So, how long are you going to wallow and punish you both?”

“I said I was downstairs, didn't I?” Wade wiggled his eyebrows. “We made up.”

She grabbed his hand. “That's great news.”

Happiness flowed through her. She loved the idea of Wade finding love and being strong enough to grab the chance.

He eyed her with his “I'm serious here” scowl. “Now it's your turn.”

If only Bast were ready and not fighting it with every ounce of strength he possessed. “It's not that easy.”

“Yeah, sis. It is. The Kyra I know would make him understand.”

She'd tried and she'd failed and . . . he moved her in. He flailed and stumbled but when she tried to separate from him, he held on. He could have sex with any number of women. He already had and likely stored their numbers somewhere. But when he wanted someone beside him at night, he turned to her.

Wade laughed. “Did you work it out?”

Bast had one more chance to get this right. “He's not going to know what hit him.”

•   •   •

Bast stood in his bedroom doorway and watched her. She sat on the edge of his bed, staring at her hands and nothing else.

He had to swallow twice to make any sound come out. “Kyra.”

She didn't lift her head. Didn't even twitch, making it clear she'd known he waited there. “My plan was to come back here, get my stuff and then call Becca to ask if I could go stay there.”

He had to force his muscles not to move. It was either that or jump and risk scaring her. “No.”

Kyra glanced up then. “You think you decide?”

“I think I communicate for a living but for some reason I'm having trouble talking with the person who matters most.” He hung the clothing bag on the top of the doorframe to his closet.

She watched but didn't ask what he was doing or what he was holding. “Who?”

If she truly didn't know, he deserved the pain he had in his gut all day. “You, Kyra.”

“You suck at showing it.”

“I know.” He walked into the room, approaching slowly and giving her time to get up and scoot away. When she didn't, he sat down next to her, letting the mattress sink and his body roll close to hers. “I never thought you tried to set me up with your father. Not even for a second.”

“Seemed like it.”

“I was angry because he came to you with this stupid idea and you didn't confide in me.” Bast solved problems for a living, found solutions. Yet, when the person he was most desperate to keep safe ignored his skills and went it alone, it fucked him up. His anger made him question everything.

“We're just having sex. Remember?” The sadness wrapped around her voice until that's all he heard.

If anything, that sharp whack in his gut increased. He slipped his hand over hers, thinking touching her might ease the pain. “You know that's not true.”

“Do I?” She angled her body so they almost faced each other. “You act like—”

“A douche. An ass. You've called me both and were accurate.” He'd used harsher names on the car ride back from her apartment.

“Is this some sort of legal maneuver?”

His massaged her hand and slipped his hand over each finger. “What we have has nothing to do with work.”

“You know I told myself sex would be enough. That we'd have some fun . . . but that's never what I wanted.” She slipped her hand out from under his. “See, deep down I hoped you'd fall for me because I have been in love with you forever.”

He almost slid right off the bed. His foot hit the floor harder than he intended and he kept blinking as his brain tried to catch up. “What?”

Her chest fell on a hard exhale as she stood up and walked over to the closet. She fingered the edge of the clothing bag he'd just hung up. “Yeah, I only recently admitted it to myself, but there you go. I love the way you look, and how you treat people. Most people, not me over the last two days, but usually.”

Hope punched through his pain and his heart took off on a speed run. “Kyra—”

“But before that, in those quiet times when we were alone and you'd touch my hair or whisper my name. When you thought I was sleeping but you'd tell me all those things you liked about me. I loved those moments.”

Every word she said surprised him. “You heard all that?”

“I hear everything, especially the things you hold back and don't say. The panic, your fear about loving a woman again. Your fear of failing.” She squinted up at him. “Not going to deny it?”

No, he was done running. Done fighting. She loved him and he didn't understand it or even fully believe it was possible, but he refused to pretend none of this touched him. “I can't.”

“Lena thinks—”

That sucked some of the growing relief right back out of him. “You talked with my ex-wife?”

“She still loves you.”

“That's not true.” God, he couldn't fight that battle again. His relationship with Lena was long over and he would not invite her presence into the middle of what he shared with Kyra.

“She knows you need someone other than her and she wishes she could be what you need, but she knows she can't.” Kyra shrugged. “I felt sorry for her. Then I felt sorry for me.”