“Blake,” he says in a low, apprehensive tone. “What did you do?”
I swallow the lump in my throat and glance at Hastin. He’s staring at the floor, his hands folded together in front of him. “We, Hastin and I, found her family. Well . . . some of her family.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Dresden stands abruptly, his face going slightly red.
“I know what you’re gonna say, Dres. But she needs this.”
“No, she needs you to listen to her. She told you no. She’s been telling you both no for a long time.”
“Dresden,” Hastin says in a calming voice. “I know you don’t agree with this, but we’re trying to help her.”
He scoffs. “Help her, my ass. The problem with you all is that you constantly think you know what’s best for her, and you don’t. I don’t give a fuck that you love her. I love her, too. But I’m not about to completely disrespect her wishes. Not where her birth family is concerned. You guys are assholes. Vlad . . .”
Slowly, I turn toward Vlad, expecting the same reaction and trying to hide the jealousy in my chest at hearing Dresden say he loves my Lily. It’s not like I don’t know it. And she loves him. I know it isn’t the same way she loves me or him my sister, but ever since they slept together, there’s an irrational part of me that is still angry with Dresden.
It’s selfish, I know, but for the longest time, I was the only person Lily willingly gave herself to. Now it’s me and him, and I hate it.
“I agree she needs closure,” Vlad says as Dresden instantly gears up for an argument. Vlad holds his hand up to silence him. “I don’t know if I agree with doing it against her consent. Then again . . . I don’t know that Lily would ever consent, so this may be the only way.”
“She’s going to kill him,” Dresden says with a look of disbelief on his face.
“Yeah,” Vlad says. “And we’ll have to stop her, and she’ll be pissed at all of us for a really long time. But once she gets over it, and gets the closure, maybe we can have all of Lily and not just the slim bit of herself she lets us in on.”
Vlad meets my gaze and I can’t help but smile a little. He smirks, which isn’t a full endorsement, but it’s encouraging.
“Yeah,” Dresden says shaking his head. “Or she’ll beat our asses and never speak to us again.”
Hastin walks forward and places his hand on Dresden’s shoulder. “You and I both know she’d never do that. Let’s just hope for the best.”
27
~Lily~
7 days left.
Where did the time go? My mind wanders as Blake’s soft snores beside me help quiet my racing heart. Despite my determination to see this mission through, it’s killing me . . . knowing I’ll be leaving him again, with no guarantee of coming home.
I plan to come home— just like I’d planned to do every other time. But it rarely works out the way I’ve planned anymore. When I saved Shannon, it was supposed to be in and out. I was gone for months. Then Dresden and I were gone for a year. How long will it really be this time?
“Baby,” Blake says in a low voice startling me. “Why’s the light on? What’s wrong?”
My breath catches in my throat as he turns on his side and wraps his arm across my stomach, snuggling his head against my shoulder. It feels like it’s been forever since he’s touched me or shown me any affection without there being underlying anger to it. He seems half asleep still, and his guard is down, so there’s no tension, just him.
I lay my free arm over his. “Nothing’s wrong. I just couldn’t sleep.” His eyes are staring up at me when I glance down.
“Lily, why do you even bother trying to lie to me anymore? I know you too well.” He rolls over me and holds his weight on his arms, his body hovering inches above mine.
My insides turn to molten lava and I can’t stop myself from running my fingers through his growing beard. It’s almost strange seeing him with it, but I like it. He looks more husband and less business mogul.
“You like the beard, huh?” he says in a low voice, a smirk pulling up the side of his lips.
I lean forward and kiss the corner of his mouth, never taking my hands off the sides of his face. “I do actually. Very much so.”
“Yeah? Let’s see how much you like it then.”
Before I can protest, he slides my shirt up to expose my breasts and leans his head down to take one of my nipples in his mouth. His beard scrapes my skin, sending extra tingles down my spine. I moan and arch my back as his tongue teases my nipple to harden further.
As he moves his mouth to the other nipple, he snakes his arm around me, pressing into my back, forcing my breasts harder against him. Blake’s grip is strong and demanding, and within moments I’m soaking wet and ready to beg him to fuck me. It’s been way too long.