Carter, and myself. Once upon a time, we were a team of another kind. Brothers who relied on the competence and skills of the man standing at his back. We didn’t take individual credit. Everything we did was a team effort.
“Jeff Shepard will be picked up today for questioning,” Nick continued.
“Good news.”
“Yeah, good news,” Nick finished.
“I’ll let you get back to it.”
I started to step out of the room, but Drake stopped me.
“Everything okay with Sunny?”
This was dangerous territory. I didn’t want to spread Shiloh’s personal business but everyone in the room had been at the picnic. Everyone had witnessed Liberty and Shiloh’s exchange. I still didn’t know what exactly was said and I figured Drake actually knew more than I did seeing as he shared a bed with Liberty.
“I’m not sure.” I gave Drake the truth. “Phoenix landed a blow announcing her father’s dying—not in the sense she’s torn up the guy’s gonna die but it opens up bad shit for all of them. And I didn’t get to talk to her last night before she was called out. Did Liberty tell you what they were talking about?”
Shiloh called this morning after I got out of the shower to tell me she was going to breakfast with Gordy then home to crash. There was something in her voice—a hitch, a wobble, sadness, wariness—something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I wasn’t sure if she was just tired or if something had happened. Though she did report no one was hurt and they’d apprehended the suspect and all the hostages—the man’s family—were unharmed.
“All Liberty told me was, Sunny reminded her of herself when she got home after we rescued her. She said she recognized the anger. I hope you know Liberty’s not gonna let this slide. She’s gonna reach out even if Sunny doesn’t.”
Fuck.
“That’s not a good idea. Shiloh’s got issues with people getting close. It would not be good if Liberty tried to get friendly. Shiloh will push back, and it’ll be ugly.”
Drake stared at me a moment. Anguish flashed in his eyes before he masked it and jerked his chin.
“She hasn’t forgotten, brother. Not any of it. But you know what makes it easier for her when her mind goes there? Her knowing that you, Logan, Matt, Trey, and I were there. That when she was vulnerable we took care of her. She will never forget that for those hours the only thing between her and death was us. She also remembers what it’s like to not want anyone close, to lash out, to be mean, to push everyone away. There’s a reason why she recognizes the anger—she’s lived with it. This is two-fold for Liberty. She feels a kinship with Sunny. A sisterhood that not many women belong to and she wants that connection with her. The other part is, Sunny’s yours and Liberty knows it. You know Liberty; you know she can endure whatever Sunny throws her way.”
I was not worried about that. Liberty was tough as hell. Shiloh could turn up her Killer Frost routine and Liberty would laugh at her.
“And what about you? And the others? If Shiloh lashes out and says nasty shit in anger are you gonna be able to look past it? Because Liberty’s right. Shiloh is mine. I don’t want there to be hard feelings. And until I help her through what’s eating her up inside that anger is swimming close to the surface, and when it comes out Shiloh goes for the kill and she slices deep. What’s that gonna do to you?”
“Don’t be dumb,” Drake clipped.
“I’m being real.”
“Liberty lashed out at you. At me. At her mom and dad, uncles, cousins, all of us felt her terror. Are you pissed at Liberty?”
“Hell no.”
“Right. No one’s pissed because we all understood. I’m not asking. If one day Sunny wants it out in the open where it should be, she’ll tell us what’s going on. But I do know whatever it is that’s fucking with her head is bad. And you know I know what it means to have to dig that out. You know I know how heavy it gets when all the hurt and anger is dumped on you. Don’t go at this alone. Use all the tools available to you, including Liberty. Include me and your brothers.”
Drake absolutely understood the weight of carrying his woman’s pain. When Liberty finally unloaded it wasn’t pretty. Then being waterboarded and beaten nearly to death wasn’t pretty. But Liberty survived