Outlaw (Wolves of Royal Paynes #4) - Kiki Burrelli Page 0,48
my intention.
It had taken me a shameful amount of time to notice, not only how believing he'd lost me had changed Diesel, but the hurt and worry he carried from those years.
I cupped his face, fighting back my own tears at how much misery he must've been in. "I promise not to leave the hotel, I won't even go outside. I'll be okay down the hallway, Diesel."
"I know you will, baby boy. I'll be with you." His words allowed for no argument and I wouldn't push him anymore on this. Not when his eyes were bright with an edge of panic at the thought of me leaving the room without him.
My butt sank into the mattress we'd shared every night since Diesel had moved me in. I reached to my nightstand and grabbed my whetstone and my whip. "Finish your workout. We'll find Jazz when you're done."
He shook his stubborn head, which only made pulling his hair back all that much more difficult. "Wasn't Jazz going to teach you something?"
My nephilim brother had talked about doing illusion training. He believed if I felt better able to spot an illusion when it was used on me, I'd feel more in control of my surroundings. I wasn't sure how well that would work. Thinking of my life with Pierce, of the nightmares and solitude, felt like thinking about something that had happened to someone else. That life belonged to some other unfortunate soul. I only wanted to think about the time I had now. My second chance. But forgetting the past meant you were doomed to repeat it, so I'd agreed to train.
My wraiths slunk in through the door, having spent another night and most of the day in my old room. They swore they weren't mad at me, but more and more, they elected to not be around me.
"Oh look, it's my once best friends who have since abandoned me."
Diesel snorted in that happy way he always got when I directed my ire at someone who wasn't him.
Quiiiiinlan, they cooed, swirling up my body.
"At least you're happy to see me," I grumped. There was no reason to put on an act. The wraiths could literally read my mind and knew how glad I was for them, but I did it anyway. They curled over my shoulders, massaging me as they pulsed. I turned my head like I refused to accept their hugs. "Do I have to get kidnapped by a psycho for you two to care?"
That got a growl out of Diesel that clearly said, too soon.
Jaaaaaazz waitssss.
"He does? Where?" When they didn't immediately answer, I closed my eyes and focused on my brothers. "Gym. Come on, sweet cheeks."
Diesel accepted my hand, but dug his feet in the ground. "That's a no from me on sweet cheeks."
For as much as he complained about the attempted new nickname, his eyes crinkled with happy smiles.
The moment my foot touched the hallway carpet, I heard a sharp gasp, too tense and frightened to be a noise of pleasure or ecstasy. I trusted Diesel to let me know if the sound really was an overheard intimate moment but kept pace with me, holding tightly to my hand as we went the opposite direction of the gym.
Our feet stopped just outside Hallie's door, shut but for a sliver where we heard more sniffling and quiet crying
"Hallie? Are you okay?" Hallie and Diesel clearly had a special relationship. He was gentler with her than he would be to his other alphas, and he was more open with her than he was with the rest of the pack.
When I'd discovered how she'd helped Diesel pull through long enough for him to find me, I knew I didn't just like her—I owed her my life.
"I'm…yeah, I'm f-fine."
That certainly sounded believable and not at all an act—if we were celebrating opposite day. "Hallie, are you very sure you're fine?"
"Yes," she replied weakly. "I'm f—" A coming sob choked out the lie on her tongue. She might not want to talk to us about what was going on, and we would respect that, but Hallie clearly wasn't fine.
"Can we come in?" I asked, my voice urgent. Something was wrong, and if she was willing, she needed her pack around her.
My mind spun with possibilities. Her boyfriend, Alejandro was a gentle soul, but her ex-husband was trouble. If he'd hurt her, the man would pay.