Page 57 of Things I Read About

I ignore him. I have six inches and a lifetime of training on this cocky SOB. Lifting weights doesn’t make you a fighter.

I put my back to Sally and face the group. “Listen, I get that you’re all very protective of wonder-girl here, the baby of the family, but she’s my charge now. And I need to lay down some ground rules in order to keep her alive.” I turn back to Sally. “No more lies. Promise me.”

She nods, weakly.

“Are you sick?”

Sally frowns. “What?”

Shep, I remember now is his name, husband to famous Canton Number 2, starts to say something behind me but Dean pulls him back. There’s a lot of whispering.

I tune it out. “Are you?”

“No, I’m fine.”

I squint down at her. “You don’t look fine.”

She shrinks—physically shrinks—in front of me, as if I just told her she’s unattractive. “Gee, thanks.”

Shit.

I didn’t mean it that way, but I don’t correct her.

“It’s my job to keep you safe, and I need to know what I’m working with. Which means Iask the questions now, and you have to answer. And if I give you an order, you follow it.”

“Order?” Shep shifts just behind me. “Dean, I’m about to punch this asshole in the back of the head.”

“Shep, everyone, let the man do his job.” Dean tries to calm us. “Nate, man, ease up.”

I keep staring down at my ward. She seems to understand the gravity of the situation, and who is now in charge of it. Of her.

“We’re good, now,” I say, moving to stand beside Sally. “What’s next, Fergus?”

“Tonight, everyone is staying at the Riggs estate, including Dean and two more of ours. Everyone departs at zero-eight-hundred, so why don’t you report at zero-seven-hundred.”

I nod.

“Can we go back out there now? I mean, we just bailed on our guests,” the superstarwriter asks.

“Yes, now that we’ve cleared the building and put a couple guys on the roof,” Fergus explains. “Dean, Nate, and I will patrol inside until you all leave.”

The famous one, Sadie, I think, takes charge. She and the other sisters have longer hair, taller frames, but I see it now, the resemblance. “Just another hour and a few more photos guys. Susan, wewillbe discussing the bomb you just dropped on us.”

I frown, wondering what I missed, as do all the men in the room.

“And you.” She walks up to Sally and points a finger in her face.

My whole being grows protective, taller and tighter under my skin. Which is ridiculous. This is her sister.

Sadie scolds Sally. “You will be defusing whatever bombthisis.” She gestures at the space between Sally and me. “But all of that has to wait until after. Smiles on, guys, shoulders back. Come on.”

Everyone is still frozen.

“You heard my wife, let’s go,” Shep barks.

The family starts to move out, every single one of them giving me a side-eye. Which I don’t mind. I’m not here to make friends. Sally and I bring up the end of the group, leaving her and I in the room alone.

“Nate—”