No White Knight

Narrowing my eyes, I lean back against the sofa, folding my arms.

“I’m waiting.”

“If my talent’s making messes, yours is being judgmental,” she says bitterly.

I start to snap back—but Holt’s hand on my arm stops me.

It’s gentle, but it’s enough to ease me back without a word.

He’s not wrong.

Sierra may be pissing me off, but she’s trying to do something here. I can try not to turn it into a battlefield before I know what’s up.

And maybe she ain’t wrong about me.

I am pretty bad about snap judgments.

“Just tell me why,” I grind out through my teeth.

“You know how it is with me,” she whispers. “Always a guy. Always the wrong guy. And I always think I’m in love.”

“So you stole her stuff to give to some jackass?”

“To pawn,” she admits shyly. “He was hot, but then I found out he was a drug addict…and he’d get real violent sometimes. Said he’d hurt me if I didn’t get him money. I didn’t want to get hurt, so…” She shrugs. “I was seventeen. Didn’t have my own money. I did the only thing I could.”

My heart twists into a hot, hurting knot. “Sierra, why didn’t you tell me?”

“How could I? You and Dad were always in your little bubble, off counting stars, or running this place and I just…I was always on the outside looking in.”

It hurts.

I never realized, but I should have.

Sierra was a mama’s girl. I was a Daddy’s girl.

So when Mama died, maybe Dad and I had each other, but I guess Sierra felt like she didn’t have anyone left, even if Dad tried his best with her.

Sierra’s been a mess her whole life, but I think maybe I made mistakes, too.

Like not knowing when my sister truly needed me.

I don’t know what I’m thinking with these thorny feelings erupting and only Holt at my side keeping me from exploding.

I lean forward, watching her intently. “Is Declan threatening to hurt you now, sis? Is that what’s going on here?”

“I don’t want to talk about him.” She shakes her head quickly—too quickly.

Holy hell.

She might as well have said yes.

“I just wanted to lay things to rest, okay? I won’t keep pushing about the ranch. I won’t try to get you to sell. I can’t help with the taxes, but we’ll leave you alone. Me and Declan both. He’s already left town, and…I’m leaving, too.” She smiles her tired, bitter smile again, the one that makes me worry. “See? Didn’t even have to go to court.”

“I never wanted a legal scrum with you,” I say, watching her worriedly. “And I don’t want you to run away with that viper.”

“Oh, I’m not running.” She shrugs, standing up, smoothing her hands fretfully over her jeans. “It’s just time to move on. You know I don’t stay in one place long.”

But I don’t think she wants to go.

I don’t think she’s safe.

All my intuition screams don’t let her leave.

This is too sudden, and she seems too scared. Plus, that part about leaving me alone sounded too rehearsed.

“Sierra.” I stand, reaching for her. “You don’t have to go. Stay here with us. If Declan’s hurting you—”

“Jesus, I tried to keep it real. Can you stop bringing up Declan?” she snarls, her voice cracking, and she whips out of my reach. “This ain’t about him, okay? I’m just sick of fighting, and this piece of crap house isn’t worth fighting over. You’re gonna lose it to the bank anyway, so there’s no goddamn point.”

I stop in my tracks as hurt cuts through me.

But she’s staring at me with something like desperation.

Like she’s trying to drive me back, pleading with me not to push her. And before I can say anything else, or fight words out around the knot in my throat, she’s gone.

Bolting out the front door and stomping across the porch.

With a wordless cry, I stumble after her, but by the time I hit the door, she’s already in her car.

Wheels spinning, she backs out in twin clouds of dust, that Taurus racing down the road like she’s fleeing something.

Maybe from me?

Or maybe from the things I’ve started to figure out about her and Declan.

I don’t move until Holt comes up behind me and wraps his big arms around my shoulders, anchoring me with his warmth.

“You okay?” he asks softly.

“No.” My mouth feels numb, my tongue thick. “I don’t know what the hell just happened. If that was real, or something else. Why didn’t you stop her? I thought you said we needed her to get to him.”

“We do. Still, you don’t push a hurt cougar up in a corner to make it do anything useful,” Holt says. “No doubt here, she was real upset. Whatever’s going on, I feel for her, and I’m willing to wait for her to come back on her terms.”

“If it’s not too late.” I sigh, slumping against him. “No matter what crap’s between us, she’s still my sister, Holt.”