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T hey walked outside to where she’d parked her car. It was starting to grow dark.

She loved her car. Jenner had bought it for her for Christmas. It was far too extravagant, and she’d tried to give it back to him. But he’d gotten this hurt look on his face and she’d ended up accepting it.

It was an Audi. Sampson had grumbled about her being allowed to drive around on her own while Isaiah had researched the safety features. However, Immy was a good driver.

Mostly.

She’d only had a couple of speeding tickets. And several parking fines. But who didn’t?

“I didn’t realize I was in there so long,” she muttered.

“I’ll drive you home,” he told her.

“But didn’t you drive here?” She glanced around and spotted his motorbike. “You can’t leave your bike here.”

His bike was his baby. No way would he leave it here overnight. Especially not in this neighborhood.

“It will be fine. I’ll get Sampson to drop me back here.”

“Don’t be silly. I can drive.”

“You sure?”

“Of course. Stop worrying so much. We’re twenty minutes from home.”

“You don’t have the best night vision.”

“I’ll be fine. And there are plenty of streetlights.”

Isaiah eyed her for a long moment.

“I’m fine. Go!”

Immy turned to open her door and he reached over. For a moment, she thought he was going to press the door closed, but instead he opened it and helped her in.

“Drive carefully, I’ll be right behind you. Use the garage.”

Immy nodded. She got into her car and set off.

There was actually plenty of light; the city didn’t really get that dark. So she didn’t know why Isaiah was fussing.

Parking in the garage, she reached for her belt to unbuckle it. Suddenly, her door flew open and she let out a scream loud enough to scare the neighbors.

“Fuck! Immy, what is it? What’s wrong? What’s happened?” Jenner asked frantically.

Reaching in, he grabbed her and drew her out into his arms. Then he was rushing inside with her.

“What is it? What’s happened?” Sampson snapped.

“Immy? What’s going on? Why are you carrying her?” Abe asked.

Dear Lord.

“I don’t know. I opened her car door and she started screaming,” Jenner said. “I think something has happened.”

“The only thing that happened is that you scared me half to death,” she cried. “Put me down.”

“What? No.”

“Jenner, put me down,” she said in a firm voice.

Most of the time, Immy was pretty easygoing. But she’d learned that these guys would railroad her if she let them.

Oh, they had the best of intentions. Everything they did was for her and they did it because they cared.

But there were times when she took a stand. Normally, when they were going too far. Like when they wanted to hire her a chauffeur so she never had to drive anywhere. Oh, and when they toyed with getting her a bodyguard.

Why the heck would she need a bodyguard?

“You screamed,” Jenner said.

“Because you scared me!” she cried.

“Jenner, put her down,” Isaiah ordered as he walked into the kitchen.

Jenner’s arms tensed, but then he finally set her down on the counter.

“There was no need to pick me up and run through the house,” she told him. “Also, you owe the swear jar a dollar.”

“I’ll pay it later.”

She eyed him. “You better.”

“Where were you? We came home and you weren’t here,” Jenner said, stepping closer to her so her legs cradled his hips.

Dear Lord.

She’d had this dream before. Where he pinned her to the counter. That he’d suddenly lean in and kiss her. Then his hand would wrap around the back of her head and . . .

“Immy? Immy! Are you listening to us?” Sampson demanded.

And this was not part of her dream.

“Of course I’m listening. Um, what were you saying?”

“Immy,” Abe scolded quietly. Although she saw his lips twitch.

“If you were listening, then you’d know what we were saying,” Sampson growled.

“Where were you, Twinkles?” Jenner asked. “I was worried.”

This is why she loved them all and put up with their caveman ways.

Because at the end of the day everything they did or said was because they cared.

“I was out with Isaiah,” she said.

They all looked at Isaiah who was making himself a sandwich.

“Hey, what are you doing?” she demanded, trying to slide off the counter. Unfortunately, Jenner wouldn’t get out of her way. And she didn’t want to press fully up against him.

Well, she did . . . but it was probably better that she didn’t.

“What?” Isaiah asked.

“I’m going to make dinner. You’ll ruin your appetite.”

“Nothing ruins Isaiah’s appetite,” Jenner said dismissively. “What were you guys doing?”

“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” she stated.

“Why not? What’s the big secret?” Sampson asked as Jenner narrowed his gaze.

He didn’t look happy. She hated when Jenner wasn’t happy. So she had to bite her lip against blurting out exactly what had happened.

“There’s no secret. We just went out to have a drink,” Immy told them.

“But you can’t drink,” Jenner said.

“I can have soda.”

“Soda isn’t good for you,” Jenner told her.

“You drink it,” Abe pointed out.

“Yeah, but I’m not Immy. She should be drinking fruit juice, at least it has vitamins in it. Have you taken your vitamins and medication today?”

Immy sighed. “Yes, of course I have.”

She hoped she had.

Sampson stomped over to pick up the pill dispenser, opening it. Then he shot her a look.

Cupcakes!

“I’ve still got time to take them,” she said defensively.

Jenner held out his hand and Sampson handed him the pill box. Jenner had bought it for her to help her remember to take her medication and vitamins.

So helpful.

“Open,” he said.

“I can put them in my own mouth,” she protested as he held the pills to her mouth.

“Open,” he commanded.

Do not blush. Do not blush.

She opened her mouth and he placed the pills on her tongue. Then Sampson handed him a glass of water. The two of them could operate like clockwork sometimes.

Jenner held the glass to her mouth. She could definitely feel herself blushing. As he drew the glass away from her mouth, Sampson sent Jenner a look that she wasn’t able to decipher.

She chewed her vitamin gummies. They were way more fun to take than the medication that helped her stop getting so ill all the time.

“Right. Now that’s sorted, maybe you can tell us where you both went,” Jenner demanded.

“Like Immy said, we were out for a drink,” Isaiah repeated as he swallowed the last of his sandwich down.

Not only did he eat a lot, but he ate quickly.

Sometimes, Immy worried about why that was. At the Camp, none of them had had much. All the money people earned had been given to the Deity, leaving them without much to live on.

Oh, the idea was that they Deity would provide them with whatever they needed and that everyone would be free from monetary worries. That they would all be equal.

What a crock of bull hickey that was.

There had definitely been a hierarchy.

At the top was the Deity, of course. He’d never gone hungry or cold. Then the Sentinels. So Jenner and Sampson had always been well fed and had a nice house.

Abe and Maeve and Cat had lived with their moms. Their living conditions hadn’t been the best. Immy’s had been slightly better, but not much.

However, Isaiah’s dad had been close to becoming a Sentinel. He should have had things pretty good. But he hadn’t. There had never been enough food in the cupboards. She and the others had often snuck him food and a spare blanket.

Yeah, they all had leftover trauma from the cult.

She was still surprised that Isaiah was backing her up. Although he technically wasn’t lying.

They had been out. And she’d had a drink.

So she wasn’t lying because they’d be able to tell if she did that. She was just . . . skirting the truth.

“Why’d you go in separate vehicles?” Sampson asked.

“I met her out,” Isaiah said.

“Where were you?” Jenner asked. “Why go out now? It’s dinnertime and it was getting dark. You hate going out at night.”

She did. “On my own. But I wasn’t on my own. And there’s no need for all the questions. Don’t you guys trust us?”

“Of course we do,” Jenner said soothingly. “I was just worried about you.”

He wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her down. Abe shot her a strange look. He probably knew there was something she wasn’t saying. But she didn’t want to tell him the truth. Or about what Lauren had said.

Lauren was right. Jenner did need someone different from her. Immy would rather sit at home with a fluffy blanket and a cup of cocoa than go out to a club or a charity gala or awards night.

She wasn’t glamorous or famous or beautiful.

She was just Immy and she wasn’t sure she could ever be anyone else.