Page 5 (1/2)

"You’re leaving?"

"Just for a few days, Sweetheart"

I grabbed his shirt, panic tightening ht of even a few days without hihtened me I would feel naked…vulnerable

"But you proo away"

"I did I’ my cheek "I’m a phone call away"

"No No…send Bex"

"Bex doesn’t have my connections, Nina Not yet He doesn’t knohat he’s looking for, he doesn’t know the right questions to ask I have to do this"

I shiftedto relax and play off o…you can’t"

Jared touched the thin skin underout the darkened circles Without another word, Jared pul ed his cel phone from his back pocket and dialed

"Bex I need you to stay with Nina for a while" He snapped his phone shut, keeping his eyes on mine

"Don’t do this"

Jared tucked "

"Please?"

"It’s only a few days"

I frowned "You don’t know that"

"If I don’t find anything, I’ll just coht back here I promise"

"You prohed atto work"

One side ofine of a speedingjust outside Within seconds of its silence, a quiet knock came fros in a duffel bag as Bex sprawled out on the couch downstairs

"Mo the re on the television

"Keep it down, Bex Nina’s going to try to sleep"

I crossed ry that he refused to compromise "I can’t sleep without you You think I’ to lapse into a co et so to keep theh about htmares to break a promise That realization only left ently pul ed each of ers from his shirt Iers remained in the fabric, and I hastily ironed it out with the palm ofto keep

Jared touched his lips to mine, and then looked to his brother "Bex?"

"Got this," Bex said, lifting his thu, he was down the stairs and out the door

For a few s, an overwhel sense of sadness came over me Jared hadn’t been more than a block away froed him back last May

The bed seemed miles away, but I slowly made my way to it The moment my backside sunk into theup the stairs Bex ran atprecisely one inch away

I didn’t flinch

"Hey," Bex said, elbowing le is on Co?"

"I dunno…come on," he said His voice was already deeper, and he had been tal er than me for several ht he was a fel ow col ege co-ed He stil hadn’t quite fil ed out –the only thing that gave hied onmy head on the arm of the sofa

A ridiculous array of mutilation andfocus, butto find a comfortable spot, I settled in and let my mind drift into oblivion In the darkness, with the screaround, I so and my father

Chapter Three

Four Feet

"Please?" Bex asked, holding open the passenger-side door

I rol ed my eyes "Fine Don’t tel your mom"

"I won’t!" he said He took my backpack and threw it in the back as I col apsed into the seat Within seconds he was beside ine

"You’re so cool," he said with a wide grin

"The only reason I’ course at Cleet If you can out-drive cops, I’ I have left of Jack"

Bex frowned "Buzz kil "

He pul ed away fro every traffic law along the way I watched the trees pass, the reds and oranges signaling the arrival of FalJared’s whereabouts lingered in the forefront of s had long been routine I didn’t want Jared to et injured because he sensed my anxiety

"Coffee shop, Oh-seven-hundred," Bex reported, pul ing behind Kim’s dilapidated Sentra

I shot him a look of disbelief "Seriously?"

"Jared said you were to meet with friends Kim and Beth, to be proht"

"It’s me, Bex Don’t act like a military robot It creeps ht"

I returned his sreat," I said before stepping out onto the sidewalk

Shovingair, I walked toward the front door of our favorite coffee place The green door swung open and shut with patrons co several times before I reached the handle Just as I walked in, so le tittered behindforth every bit of her southern char to catch you," she breathed

My brows turned in "Okay…why?"

She shoved a piece of notebook paper at ave it to Chad It’s from Ryan"

I ripped it out of her hand and scanned it Everything seemed to be fine He had co; so a weapons expert

"Great," I said

"But he’s doing wel ! He see the paper

Kim shoved me from behind "Hey!"

"What is with you two today?" I said

"I saw Beth do it Looked fun Can I kick you later?" Kim said, her expression void of humor

"No, youmy neck once more at Kim to prove I was not in the mood for her antics

We settled in at our usual table, gru tests and papers Beth shared Ryan’s letter with Ki backtheir cupboards more bare than usual As Ki that his man-of-the-house status was at risk, I had an epiphany