by Claire Raye
Both Caleb and Reid sit looking at me, their eyes taking me in and all I can hope is that they’re processing what I’m saying and how much we all need Reid’s father apprehended.
“I’m in too,” Caleb says and now it’s me shaking my head.
“Absolutely not. You haven’t even recovered from what he did to you,” I insist, sounding far too motherly for my own good. Since we were kids Caleb and I were always an all or nothing pair, but this feels like it’s pushing it too far.
“It’s all or nothing, Sie,” Caleb says and I look over at Reid in the hopes that he sides with me, but he just shrugs his shoulders. A smile on his face that says we’re in this together, and as much as I want to argue with them, it’s who we’ve always been and always will be—together.
The rest of the day passes quietly and before we know it it’s after midnight. Caleb is still struggling to sleep, so when he falls asleep on the couch, I grab a blanket and cover him. Knowing that waking him is a terrible idea because he’ll never get back to sleep.
Reid watches me from the doorway of the bedroom, shirtless and looking so unbelievably sexy, but it’s the way he looks at me that truly gets me. He looks at me like everything I do is amazing and every word out of my mouth is important. He watches me with a fierceness, a protectiveness that would never try to stifle my independence, but rather add to it. He looks at me in a way that he’s never looked at another girl, like I will always be the only girl he’ll ever need.
I walk over to where he’s standing, pushing up on my toes to meet his lips, I kiss him softly and with my lips against his I murmur, “I love you, Reid Bowen.”
“I love you,” he whispers back, my fingers trailing over his inked and muscular arms and it doesn’t matter how many times we’re together or how I know now that we’ll never be apart, I can’t get enough of him.
“Take me to bed,” I whisper back and he picks me up carrying me to the bed.
Despite the exhaustion of the day taking over, we fuck slowly and quietly; Reid taking me from behind with his mouth against my neck as he whispers everything I’ve longed to hear him say.
“You’re mine, Sienna. Always mine.”
Chapter Nineteen
Reid
I wake suddenly to the sound of someone yelling. Just a single loud noise, that’s quickly cut off as though whoever it was didn’t mean to let it slip out.
Beside me, Sienna sleeps soundly, her arm draped across my stomach, her soft breaths brushing against my neck. It’s still dark outside and when I reach for my phone to check the time, I see it’s only four a.m.
I hear the sound of movement out in the living room now and while I don’t think it’s anything sinister like someone getting in the house, I realize it must have been Caleb who yelled out before, waking himself up in the process. We both know he hasn’t been sleeping, but this is the first time I’ve actually heard him cry out in the middle of the night.
I carefully slide out of bed so I don’t wake Sie before grabbing some sweats and pulling them on. When I open the door to the living room, I see Caleb sitting on the sofa, his body cast in the soft glow of light coming from the TV that’s now on, the volume low.
“Hey,” I whisper, closing the bedroom door behind me as I walk over and join him.
Caleb scrubs a hand down his face as he lets out a long slow exhale. “Hey, sorry, did I wake you?”
I shrug. “It’s cool,” I say, putting my feet up on the coffee table. “You okay?”
From the corner of my eye I watch as he continues to stare mindlessly at the TV, his face awash with exhaustion. “Yeah, I’m okay,” he eventually says, even though we both know he’s lying.
“You wanna talk about it?” I glance at him. Caleb shakes his head, not saying anything as he continues to stare at the TV. “Okay.” I get up and wander into the kitchen. I grab two bottles of water from the fridge before returning to the sofa and handing one to Caleb.
He finally turns to me, a confused look on his face as he says, “You don’t need to stay up, dude.”
Shrugging, I reply, “I know.”
We sit in silence, both of us pretending to watch whatever crime drama is on the TV and neither of us talking about the obvious elephant in the room of why Caleb can’t sleep. Or what we’re going to do about my dad. Or how the fuck we get past any of this.
But I know better than to try and force it out of him, because as close as we are, what’s happened these past few weeks is like nothing we’ve ever encountered before. And as much as I want him to tell me about it, about what’s going on in his head, I also know that what Caleb really needs is just to know I’m here for him, even if it’s just the two of us sitting in silence watching TV together.
“So, what do you really think of that detective’s plan to use you as bait?” Caleb eventually asks, his eyes still on the TV.
I take a sip of water, stalling a little as I try to determine how to tell him honestly without also offending him. “I get why he wants to do it,” I say. “I mean as fucked up as it is, we can’t just keep living like this.” I pause, chuckling a little. “I mean sure, it’s great having a rent free house with food and booze and my two favorite people, but I reckon after a month or so, cabin fever might start to set in.”
Caleb laughs, his body relaxing the tiniest bit. “I think a month of listening to you two fuck all night and I’ll be ready to rip my own ears off.”
I grin, shaking my head at him. “Adds a whole new dynamic to our friendship, this whole me sleeping with your sister thing, doesn’t it?”
“Mmmm.”
I laugh. “Don’t worry, we’ll get you a girl in Cali,” I tease. “And of course there’s Ruby, don’t forget about her.”
Caleb glances at me, his interest piqued at the mention of Sie’s best friend. “What’s she like?” he asks, trying to play it casual.
I grin at him. “She’s really cool,” I say. “Super sweet and funny and her and Sie are like this,” I add, holding up my crossed fingers. “You’ll like her, trust me.”
Caleb clears his throat. “Have you ever…”
He trails off and I let out a hard laugh. “Dude, no,” I say, shaking my head.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. I might have been an asshole before I got Sie, fucking around and shit, but I wasn’t that much of an asshole that I’d tap her best friend.”
Caleb shakes his head, but he’s grinning. “You’re not an asshole,” he says. “You just didn’t know how to deal with the fact that you thought I was gonna kick your ass for crushing on my sister.”
I burst out laughing, shoving my hand through my hair. “Sure, that’s what it was,” I say with mock sarcasm.
He raises his brows, a smirk on his face. “You can admit it,” he teases. “It was actually kinda hilarious watching you checking her out and trying not to get caught.”
“Wait, what?” I say. “You seriously saw that?”
Caleb laughs. “Dude, you weren’t exactly subtle about it. Fuck, remember the day Sie finally got her acceptance letter and we hit up the pool afterward?” he asks. “Jesus, I thought for sure you were just gonna go for it that day. You couldn’t stop staring at her or flirting with her.”
I laugh, shaking my head as I realize just how unsubtle I was about it all. “Yeah well, what can I say,” I admit shrugging. “She’s fucking gorgeous. It’s hard not to look at her.”
“Clearly. I mean it obviously runs in the family,” he says, chuckling to himself as I roll my eyes. “But yeah,” he adds, his smile gone now. “I agree about having to do something. We can’t just hide out here forever.”
I exhale, taking another sip of water as reality sinks in. “No, and I don’t think any of us will be able to move on until this is all over and we know we’re safe.”
He finally looks over at me and even in the low light, I can see the dark shadows under his eyes. The shadows that tell me he hasn’t been sleeping for a long time. “Yeah,” he murmurs.
I take a deep breath. “I’m not really that keen on Sie coming though,” I add. “Although I know changing her mind is gonna be impossible.”
Caleb chuckles. “Yeah, good luck with that one.”
I push my hand through my hair, sinking down into the sofa a little as I lean back against it. “It’s weird for me,” I tell him, my eyes back on the TV. “I don’t want her anywhere near my dad, but at the same time, having her with me means I know she’s safe, you know?”
“My guess is she feels the same way about you,” Caleb says, his words quiet.
“Yeah,” I mutter.
We sit in silence for a few minutes, both of us processing what it would mean if we go through with the detective’s suggestion; what we’d all be risking by doing it.
“You know you don’t need to do this, right?” I eventually say, rolling my head along the back of the couch.
“I know.” Caleb’s eyes are still on the TV. “But I’d feel like shit just staying here and doing nothing,” he adds, running a hand over his face and the top of his head, lifting his arm up so the right side of his ribs is now exposed and reminding me once again of what my dad did to him.
I’m not sure I’m ever going to be able to let go of the guilt I have for what my family has done to theirs. And even though I have no allegiance to my dad and for all intents and purposes, have completely cut ties with him, at the end of the day, I will always be the son of the man who almost destroyed them.
“We don’t need to decide tonight though,” Caleb says, finally looking at me, at though he can sense what I’m thinking. “Let’s talk in the morning.”
I nod, sitting up, my elbows resting on my knees. “You want me to stay and hang out for a while?”
He shakes his head, offering me a small smile. “Nah, I’m good, thanks though, really.”
I tip my chin at him before standing. As I walk past, he holds his hand out to me and I slap mine against it. “Night, dude. Try and get some sleep, yeah.”
Back in the bedroom, I strip off my sweats before climbing back into bed, pulling Sienna close. She buries her face against my chest, her arm slipping around my waist. “Everything okay?” she murmurs, her voice husky with sleep.
I press a kiss to the top of her head. “Yeah,” I whisper, running my hand down her back, knowing that for her brother, nothing is even close to being okay.
The next morning, I wake early, slipping out of bed to find Caleb now asleep in the same spot I left him a few hours ago. Not wanting to wake him, I head outside, the cool morning air sending a shiver through me as I stand at the edge of the patio area and watch the police, who never seem to sleep, patrolling the perimeter of this place.
It’s quiet and peaceful and despite what I said to Caleb earlier this morning, there is a part of me that feels like I could stay here forever.
“You’re up early,” Sienna says, sliding her arms around my waist from behind.
I glance at her over my shoulder, smiling as I pull her into my arms. “So are you,” I murmur, leaning down to kiss her.
She smiles against my mouth, deepening the kiss before she pulls back. “You’re thinking about doing it, aren’t you?”
I raise an eyebrow. “And you’re not?” I tease.
She exhales, leaning her head against my chest. “I just can’t let you do this alone,” she says softly, her gaze now watching the cops in the distance. “If I lost you, Reid…if…”
“You won’t lose me, Sie,” I say, pressing another kiss to the top of her head.
She looks up at me. “You don’t know what he’s capable of,” she says, her voice low. “Look at what he’s already done,” she adds, her eyes flicking to the living room where her brother is still sleeping.
“I know,” I say, nodding. “And that’s exactly why I am thinking of doing this. For him and for us.”
“He doesn’t sleep,” she says, her eyes still on Caleb, asleep on the sofa in the living room. “He has nightmares I think. I hear him call out sometimes.”
I nod, brushing her hair back from her face. “Yeah he does, I’ve heard him too.”
She turns and looks up at me. “What are we gonna do?”
I swallow hard, staring down at her, her blue eyes wide as she looks up at me. Smiling, I brush my thumb across her cheekbone, leaning down to kiss her softly. “We talk to the detective and come up with a plan that we’re all happy with,” I start, brushing another kiss across her lips. “Then we convince Caleb that he should stay here because I really don’t think him seeing my dad is gonna do him any good. He’s…” I trail off, not wanting to admit to Sie just how bad things are with Caleb.
Sienna shakes her head. “I’m coming with you though,” she says, her hand cupping my jaw.
I nod. “Yeah, we do this together,” I tell her. “And I promise I’ll make sure nothing happens to you or Caleb.”
She smiles now, pushing up on her toes to kiss me again. “I know you will, Reid.”
I pull her closer deepening the kiss, both of us ignoring the police that surround us as we stand wrapped in each other’s arms.
When she eventually pulls back, her cheeks are flushed and her lips swollen. “Should we tell them to call the detective?” she asks, tipping her head in the direction of the police.
I grin, shaking my head as I brush my thumb over her bottom lip. “It’s still early,” I whisper. “Why don’t we go back to bed for a while?” My hand slips down to her ass as I pull her against me.
Sienna pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, a sexy smile tugging at her lips. “To sleep?”
I chuckle, pushing my hardness against her hips as I lean down to kiss her again, pulling that bottom lip out. “I think we can probably find something better to do than sleep, don’t you?”
She laughs, slipping her hands under my t-shirt, her fingers brushing over my back before sliding lower, slipping beneath the waistband of my sweats in a way that has me groaning. “Yeah,” she whispers, as one hand slips around to the front. “I think we can.”
Chapter Twenty
Sienna
We put off calling the detective to let him know we’re in, letting the hours pass while we bask in the last few peaceful moments together. None of us can predict how this will play out and I’m trying not to let the negative creep in. Only Caleb really knows what we’re dealing with here, and I can see the worry and anguish written all over his face.
He’s chewing at the loose skin around his fingernails and every time I look over at him, his eyes are focused on the officers who are still stationed outside. I don’t want him to know I’m concerned because there’s no way he’s going to open up about what happened to him. It’s all a well-guarded secret that is slowly eating away at him.
We don’t know how to cope with things like this and that couldn’t be clearer by the fact that our mother took her own life. I know he needs help, but help like that costs money, money we don’t have, and even if we did, he’s far too stubborn to admit to me he’s falling apart.
“I really don’t feel comfortable with you going, Sienna,” Caleb finally confesses, but there isn’t a chance I’m changing my mind. I will not leave Reid to do this alone because the only way I’ll know he’s safe is if I see it with my own eyes.
“I know you don’t, but nothing you say is going to change my mind,” I bite back, but realize all too quickly that my words lack the sensitivity Caleb needs right now. “I’m sorry,” I quickly add, but I can see the damage is already done.
“I’m pretty sure I could say a lot to change your mind,” he growls, his teeth clenched and his jaw tense as he pushes up from the couch. “You have no idea…”
“You’re right! I have no idea because you won’t fucking tell me. Stop trying to protect me and just tell me!” I yell, not wanting it to get to this point, not wanting to push Caleb this far, but the stress of it all is hitting us hard.
Reid rests a hand on my arm, whispering my name, but the heat that radiates from me burns hot and fi
ery, too hot to be calmed by his hushed words.
“You can’t fucking handle it because I can’t handle it and I lived through it!” Caleb screams back at me. “But go. Do whatever the fuck you want, Sienna and don’t act like I didn’t warn you.”
“Whoa, guys, okay,” Reid says, stepping between us.
We’re both angry and scared, and now we’re firing off words we don’t mean. If we act like we don’t care what the other person does it’ll make it a hell of a lot easier to cope with it.
But not really.
It doesn’t matter how much we try to dodge our feelings or how much we try to act like we don’t care, we’re both dying inside. We know the risks, but we also know we don’t have another way out.
“Get fucked, Reid,” Caleb says, his hands balled up into fists. “We’re in this fucking situation because of you.”
It’s a low blow and I feel it in every part of my body, my stomach tightening in response, my heart stopping suddenly.
“Hey, man. I know you don’t mean that, so we’re gonna act like you didn’t just say it,” Reid responds, his words controlled with precision as he speaks, but I know it hit him just as hard.
I can feel the tears build, my nose stinging with what’s to come. I don’t want to cry anymore, but we’re all falling apart, our quiet privacy and peace coming to an abrupt and scary end. If things don’t go as planned all of us are screwed and there’s nothing scarier than that thought.
But arguing over it isn’t going help and so I do what I know Caleb needs, what he won’t ask for because it shows weakness.
I walk over to him, wrapping my arms around his neck, I hug him as I cry into his shoulder. All of us have to stick together. We can’t let something like this drive a wedge between us.
“This is what he wants,” I tell Caleb through my tears. “He wants us arguing and turning on each other.”
Reid walks over, placing a hand on my back, he leans in and kisses my head.
“She’s right,” Reid says, his voice quiet and calming now. “He can pick us off one by one if we’re apart, but together he can’t. We’re stronger together and we know that. We’ve always known it.”