“Good. Now go do something with your woman while I go spend some time with my nephew. That kid is wicked smart and he’s teaching me how to build these cool 3D puzzles that look like real buildings.”
I wave him off and run into the house with a smile. It’s Saturday, and if Jared’s willing to stop stalking Paulette Hayes long enough to keep Josh occupied, I know just how I want to spend the afternoon with my girl.
“Clari!”
“Yeah?” she asks, popping her head around the living room door with a frown. “What? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Jared wants to steal Josh for the afternoon, so…”
She starts smiling and throws herself at me, giggling when I start smooching her and almost dump us both down the stairs in my zeal.
“You want to play hooky with me all afternoon?” I purr, biting gently into the din of her neck while kicking the bedroom door closed behind us.
She sighs and licks over my lips, moaning low in her throat.
“Always.”
We fall onto our bed in a tangle of arms, legs and tongues, and I’m inside her minutes later, groaning at the pleasure to be found only here with her, inside her warm and welcoming body.
“Love you.”
I love her, too. So much. I just have to figure a way to make things right so she can live without looking over her shoulder.
***
Clara
The next few weeks are claimed by work, getting Josh adjusted to his new environment, and trying to keep track of Miah. His caseload seems to have doubled, and we’re lucky to see each other at all lately.
Roman’s also missing in action, and Jared only ever smiles when he’s with Josh. The Lane family seems to be falling apart right before my eyes, and it’s starting to give me an ulcer as I wonder what’s happening.
I’m drifting and ashamed of myself for feeling angry about Miah having to work, while also trying to bond with Josh at the same time. Part of my unhappiness stems from the fact that he doesn’t seem all that taken with me.
He adores Jared and doesn’t stop chattering from the time the guy walks in the room to the time I manage to get him to bed. He loves Jude, too, and while he’s not as animated with her as he is with Jared, he spends a lot of time with her in the garden and sorting through color swatches or her next big project.
Wyatt and Ellie aren’t even present most days, because she’s about ready to drop and spend a lot of time in bed as per doctor’s orders. That leaves me at loose ends most of the time, and it’s starting to wear on me not knowing what’s happening with Miah.
The bed dips beneath me and I snuggle back when his lips meet my neck and he starts kissing his way to my lips.
“Hey, babe.”
“Hi. You look tired.”
He sighs wearily and kisses me before falling to the bed beside me with a groan.
“I am. Dobson’s got me pulling doubles ever since I told him and Cates to go bugger themselves last week. I hope Roman catches that old asshole with his hands so deep in that militia cookie jar, they slam it shut at the wrist.”
His words sound reasonable, and while I don’t believe he’s lying, exactly, I think he’s using it as an excuse to cover up his real goals, which Ellie confessed seems to be trying to get some resolution on this whole family versus militia thing.
“You’re still going after the militia, aren’t you?”
That gives him pause and I feel him tense beside me.
“Clari—”
“Miah, don’t lie to me. I’m not mad, and if you’ll recall, I was against you leaving the SEALs and giving up on this mission. You’re the one who insisted you quit and drop it all. If you’re back to that, then just say so so that you’re not sneaking around trying to get it all done. You’re killing yourself keeping it all separate. Plus, I hate that you never tell me anything anymore.”
His yawn is loud enough to wake the dead, and I smile despite my annoyance at his tactics.
“Go to sleep, Lane. It’s already three thirty. We’ll talk later in the morning.”
He complies with nothing more than a sigh and an arm wrapped around me that pulls me closer. I’m the one left sleepless while he snores softly beside me, and by the time I drift off just as dawn is coming, I have a plan that I think may work.
If the Lane boys are willing to listen, that is.
Chapter Thirteen
Miah
I feel like shit and not just because I’m exhausted by all the double-dealing and running around, but because I hate lying to Clari as I try to supervise intelligence gathering and spying on the Lanes while Jared helps Roman infiltrate the freaking militia.
After being called out last night, and the way she’d understood my exhaustion and let me sleep, I feel better than I have in a long time.