Page 108 of Deadly Force

"Yeah," I say, my voice low. "Got it."

"Anything else we need to discuss?" he asks.

"No," I say. "Not unless you're offering free vacation housing in Alaska."

Silas chuckles. "Just the place in Mount Lemmon. Make sure Mateo has everything he needs. Mateo?"

"Yeah, boss?"

"There's an extra ten grand in your pay this week. Appreciate your vigilance."

The call ends.

Mateo leans his head against the window. "Ten grand? Maybe I should take up this bodyguard gig more often."

Shaking my head, I start the engine and pull out slow, the hospital shrinking in the rearview mirror.

The heat presses in on all sides, dry and sharp, but I'm not thinking about the weather. I'm thinking about how many other Juliettes are out there, finally free to speak.

How many Elizas won't have to die in silence. How sometimes justice comes through the worst kind of pain.

But mostly, I'm thinking about how long until God's patience runs out.

Brooke

Caleb’s been back for a while now, Mateo is holed up in a cabin, and I’ve been staring at the cursor blinking for ten solid minutes.

A knock at the door pulls me from the screen. I swivel in my chair, half-expecting Sam, but it’s my brother.

Figures.

Apparently, he didn’t take his fiancée’s word that I was okay. Or that I didn’t want to be disturbed.

"Action Man is in the kitchen. He seems to knowwhere everything is. You sure you two aren't…" Mick asks, stepping in with a fresh mug of coffee.

"No!" I snatch the coffee from him, trying not to blush. "He's a perfect gentleman. He's been sleeping in my spare room."

Besides, he’s still recovering. Badly. Even if he keeps pretending he’s not in pain, I know he is.

Mick lifts a brow, unconvinced. "Better be."

"You sent him here," I remind him. "You must have trusted him."

He gives me a long look, and I can practically see the wheels turning in his overprotective brother brain.

"I trust him to protect you… not sure how to feel about him living with you."

My jaw drops. "Oh, so now you're having second thoughts about your brilliant plan? You sent him here tolivewith me.”

Mick grins, that infuriating smile he's been using to deflect my anger since we were kids. "Okay, okay. You don't need to mount a full defense. You like the guy, I get it."

"I love him, dummy. So be nice to him." The words come out fiercer than I intended, but I'm tired of Mick's protective hovering. "And before you say anything else, yes, I know you were just trying to keep me safe. But maybe next time consider that your little sister is capable of making her own decisions about who she wants in her life."

He lifts both hands, backing up dramatically. "Guess I'll have to be. He doesn't strike me as a man who does things by halves."

I narrow my eyes, recognizing that tone. "Meaning?"

"Meaning…" he points at me, that teasing glint back in his eyes, "my wedding won't be the only wedding on the horizon."