Page 145 of Unspoken Lies

“Let me know if you run into trouble,” he says. “I have this feeling that something is going to happen.”

Brow raised, I bite my lip. “Do we need to move back to my house?” I ask. I’ve only been able to sleep somewhere other than the safe room because I’ve been working or focused on Rachelle. “Nothing is worth her getting hurt.”

“I don’t like thatel Tigreis still out there,” he says. “We’ll smoke him out soon. If things get to a point where I feel we need to move, you’ll be the first to know.”

Nodding, I get into the car and hit the button to turn over the engine. A moment later, we’re on our way after waving goodbye to Nacio.

“Everything okay?” Rachelle asks, glancing at me.

“Yes,” I reply. “Nacio was checking in about what happened earlier today.”

“Okay…”

“Nacio thinks that he can’t be involved with the guys because of their past behavior,” I sigh. “I don’t believe he’s right. We need to be on the same side of things. He misses the guys, but he doesn’t trust his judgment.”

“He’s not alone in that,” she admits. “The sex is really good, I just don’t know if that’s enough.”

“There’s more than just that, but I think the sex will help with the hesitation everyone feels,” I say. “It’ll be less awkward if you fuck them.”

Rachelle gazes at me for a solid minute and I worry that I broke her. That’s not exactly what I meant, but I have to wait until she says something to explain.

A giggle bubbles out her lips before she’s sagging against her seat and laughs even harder.

“I can’t,” she gasps,“believe you said that!”

“I only slightly meant it,” I say with a grin as I drive. “They care about you, and worry about what they can or shouldn’t say to you. They’re too busy walking on eggshells to be able to connect with you.”

“Elijah especially,” Rachelle agrees, her lips still smiling with mirth. “He’s so empathetic, you’d never know he was capable of all of the terrible things he’s done.”

“They’re going to suffer for a long time,” I say. “They’ll remember everything and kick their own asses. When in doubt, I am obviously not above threatening them.”

“I fucking love you,” she says, her fingers touching mine. “I guess we needed this push. It doesn’t fix everything, but maybe they won’t treat me as if I’m going to break.”

“One can only hope,” I mutter, finding a parking spot.

I haven’t seen what they have. The corpse-like hue of her skin, blue lips, the way she stopped breathing. Elijah has seen her like that twice, and the memory leaves its own scars.

Coming around the vehicle to help open the door, my eyes take in our surroundings as I walk. Nacio’s words lay heavy on my mind. I may feel comfortable sleeping in a safety room, but small spaces may not be in Rachelle’s best interest.

I’ll tough it out as long as I need to until I’m certain her safety will be impacted by her need for comfort.

“Ready?” I ask, my hand outstretched for her to take. Her purse is slung across her body, her pretty dress replaced with a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt. California weather has struck again, bringing in the chilly breeze.

It’s just as bad as Portland, I swear.

“As I’ll ever be,” she murmurs, taking her hand and getting out of the vehicle.

The new patient paperwork at the clinic is pretty straightforward, and we’re in with the doctor ten minutes later. Rachelle’s hand is firmly in mine the entire time.

Dr. Cross looks at the two of us for a moment before taking a breath. I’m sure we may be confusing him.

“Rachel, you’re here for birth control, is that correct?” he asks.

“Yes,” she says with a nod.

He nods, continuing to stare at us. It’s starting to grate at my nerves, and that never is good for anyone’s continued health.

“I’m sorry, is there another question in there somewhere?” I ask him.