Page 122 of Things I Read About

Weird. Shock is weird. I need to read more about it.

“Hard to say since it sayseach of you.We have a forensics team and a tech team who are already on it, though. Like I said, this was a mistake on the stalker’s part. It will speed things up.”

Shep takes off his suit jacket and loosens his tie. “So, is it better for us to all stay here at the hotel tonight like we planned, or should we go back to the house?”

“Fergus has a team headed to your house right now, staying here will be fine,” Dean answers, confident.

“I don’t know, man, maybe we should—”

“Brenner!” Dean scolds Nate, again.

Nate is clearly rattled, still pacing, and flexing his hands like he does.

“Sorry.” Nate stops in his tracks. “Of course, you’re right. We have men throughout the building. We’ve already cleared their rooms.”

“Let’s go to the rooms then. Order dinner in and FaceTime the others, my phone is exploding with worry.” Sadie holds up her phone showing our family text thread that is literally displaying new messages by the second.

“Okay, let’s go,” Shep says, wrapping his arm around Sadie’s waist.

Nate steps toward me but Kat stands up in between the two of us. She is still holding my hands, so she helps me up. Then she looks into my eyes, brows raised.

I nod that I’m all right. I know Nate is watching us, but I don’t look.

This has happened to me too many times. He saves me, and I interpret it as a declaration of love. But he’s just doing his job. In a few hours, he’ll call me a kid and refuse to look at me. This is what we do.

Or did.

I’m not doing it anymore.

Dean, Shep, and Nate form a triangle around us women as we walk to the lobby. They make sure we ride up in the elevator alone. They escort us down the hall and unlock each door, checking the rooms one more time before letting us head in.

Sadie informs us that Samantha and Skye are diverting their flight from—somewhere? Headed to New York? I can’t keep up—to land and come stay the night here. Susan and Dad want to drive down, but it sounds like Sadie has called them off for now.

I’m glad. They don’t need to come all this way just to fuss over me. It does no good. The whole ordeal is exhausting. Kat and I shuffle into our room after we’re given the all clear. I hear muffled arguing as the door closes but before it can shut all the way, it’s stopped.

“Sally, can I come in?” Nate pushes the door open. “Kat, can you give us a minute?”

Kat doesn’t move, instead she moves in between me and the door, her back to Nate. She faces me, eyes wide and mouth scrunched.

“Kat? What the hell?” Nate inches further in. He looks at me, his eyes pleading. “Sally. Baby. I need to talk to you, please.”

Baby.

No.

No.

He’s just filled with adrenaline, his sense of duty, and whatever else.

“Sally?”

“I…” I close my eyes and straighten my spine.All your space. All your space.I raise my chin. “I am not your charge anymore, Nate.”

He rushes in, letting go of the door behind him. “The hell you aren’t!”

“Hey, you heard her.” Kat turns on him, defending me like a mama bear. “You need to go.”

“Sally? Baby, please, I was an idiot, I’m sorry, just let me talk to you.”