was shocking how scared she felt.
He stopped her by circling her waist and pulling her back against him. “You don’t have to help them.”
He whispered it in her ear, but she knew she did. She would look like a coward otherwise, and she couldn’t afford for Alena and Lana, who had known her before, who knew her past, to look down on her any more than they already did.
“I’m good,” she lied. She straightened her shoulders and gave him a small, false smile before stepping toward the aisle where Alena and Anya were working and a large mound of potatoes was waiting to be peeled.
Steele pulled out a chair from the smaller table by the window, toed it around and straddled it. “How’s school going, Darby?”
Breezy knew he’d stayed because he’d read her reluctance. He’d been like that. Always watching her. Always looking out for her. The way he focused on her had been what had made her fall so hard for him. He didn’t make a big deal, he just seemed to do it so naturally that no one questioned his continuing presence in the kitchen.
“Good. Airiana has a way of making physics easy, and that was the one subject I was having trouble with. Zoe’s even getting some of the easier stuff just by listening. I’m pretty proud of her.”
Breezy could hear the pride in her voice. She picked up a knife and began to peel potatoes. They were already cooked partially so it was easy enough, and the work allowed her to keep her head down and concentrate on the task rather than look at those in the room.
“Uncle Steele!” Zoe came in and flung her arms around Steele’s neck. “You snuck in when I wasn’t looking.”
“I did,” he said. “Brought my woman to meet you.”
So much for not looking up. Breezy glanced over at Steele, her heart lurching in her chest at the way his arm, so muscular, surrounded the little girl.
The child looked at her with solemn eyes. “I’m sorry about your little boy,” she said immediately. “Uncle Steele will get him for you. Czar came for us when bad men took us, right, Darby?” She looked to her sister.
The room had gone electric. Alena leaned toward Breezy. “She never talks about what happened,” she whispered in her ear.
“Thank you,” Breezy said immediately to Zoe. “I know he’ll bring him back to me. It’s just that Zane is so little and I’m very scared right now for him. I keep thinking he’s all alone and probably wondering where I am.” She couldn’t help the little catch in her voice.
Steele half rose from his chair but stopped when Zoe came across the room and put her thin arm around Breezy.
The little girl looked up at her face. “I was scared, but I had Darby. When Czar came to get me, I was really afraid, because he looked so scary, but they took us out of there, didn’t they, Darby?” She looked to her sister for confirmation and then turned back to Breezy. “They’ll get your little boy and bring him home. You’ll see, and he’ll be happy here.” She spoke with absolute conviction. With confidence.
Darby held herself very stiffly. Beside her, Alena went still. Breezy looked to Blythe for an explanation of why everyone had gotten so emotional and clearly was trying to hold it in. For a moment there was a faint trembling to Blythe’s lips and then she nodded at Darby.
“They did, Zoe,” Darby verified. “Czar, Reaper, Savage, the others, they came for us, and all of them will help Steele get little Zane back for us.”
“I can babysit him when you need me to,” Zoe declared. “I know all about nightmares and if he has them, I can make them go away.” She believed so completely in Torpedo Ink, it clearly hadn’t occurred to her that the club might not find Zane.
Breezy didn’t realize she was crying until a tear splashed down on the pile of peeled potatoes, drawing her attention.
Zoe immediately tightened her arm. “Don’t cry. They brought us Kenny. They’re looking for another brother who is in trouble. They’ll find him.” She looked up at Steele. “Won’t you, Uncle Steele?”
Steele was there, putting his arms around Breezy from behind and pulling her body in tight to his. “Absolutely, Zoe,” he assured. “He’s my little boy and his mama is right, he’s very scared right now and feels alone. That’s why she’s upset. She knows we’ll get him back, she just doesn’t