Overture - Skye Warren Page 0,56
the front of the house. It’s dark and unnervingly quiet inside. I wonder if Liam is working, and if he’d mind if I played the Strad again.
“Surprise!”
A squeak escapes me as people jump out from behind the furniture and around the corner. My heart thumps in uneven rhythm. I grin at Laney with accusation. “Did you know about this?”
“It was my job to distract you.”
“So sneaky,” I say, looking around at the hot pink balloons and neon green streamers. A cake on the dining table forms the shape of a violin, the frosting in bright colors.
“I basically told you,” she protests, laughing. “The snow globe. The Kremlin. Honestly who buys souvenirs from the Kremlin?”
“Those are the worst hints in the history of the world.” I throw my arms around her for a big hug. “And thank you for being an amazing friend.”
It seems like all the people who work for North Security are in attendance, including Hassan and his young bride, back from their honeymoon and googly-eyed in love. There’s Laney’s mom, looking no worse for the wear. Liam, looking grave surrounded by so much revelry.
Elijah is back, and though he doesn’t have a snow globe, he does have a black eye. I’m careful not to make a fuss over him in front of everyone—I know he’d hate that.
After “Happy Birthday” has been sung and the cake has been cut, I corner Elijah with a hug. He gives me a quick squeeze before letting me go. Strangely enough, Elijah is known as the asshole out of the three brothers, but my relationship with him has always been easiest. Maybe because we’re closest in age or because you always know where you stand with him.
Though I think it’s more likely because we both know about loss.
“I was worried about you,” I tell him.
“You know I’m too stubborn to die. I’ll probably live to be two hundred.” He doesn’t sound very cheerful about the prospect. But then again, he doesn’t sound cheerful about much of anything.
I give a pointed look to his black eye. “You’re not infallible.”
“You should see the other guy.”
“Nice try, but I already know Josh hit you. And he looks fine.”
He grins, which with the black eye makes him look like a pirate. “And I’m guessing Liam will give me a matching one on the other side when he has a spare minute.”
“Liam wouldn’t hit you,” I say, indignant. “You’re injured.”
“My pride is the only thing injured if you think I can’t take a punch. Besides, I deserved it. I deserved worse than that, but Liam’s gone soft.”
“Because he cares about you.”
Elijah studies me, his hard features set into shadows and edges. His face gives the impression of a cliff, something that’s been hewn over centuries of water and wind but still manages to have hard angles. “No, squirt,” he says gently. “It’s because he cares about you. Everything changed the day he got custody of you.”
I look away. Is that why he’s so eager to get rid of me? I imagine a twelve-year-old girl would cramp anyone’s style, especially a man in his prime who loves adventure. And women. My stomach clenches. “I suppose he’ll join one of the teams once I’m gone.”
“He doesn’t want to do that shit anymore.”
“Or maybe he just didn’t go because he felt obligated to stay with me.”
“He used to take any job. Every job. If it was likely to end up with him in a wooden box, he would do it. He wanted it to end that way. It was only his bad luck that kept him alive.”
The way Elijah speaks, I know he’s talking from experience. “Is that what you do?”
A humorless smile. “That’s the North brothers’ curse. To survive.”
SAMANTHA
The party goes late into the night. It’s ten o’clock when Laney comes to me quietly. “Cody’s here. He’s outside. He doesn’t want to come in.”
The hair on the back of my neck rises at her tone. “What’s going on?”
She glances to the large windows that overlook the hills. Any gathering here involves beer and an overabundance of testosterone, which led to the men competing in impromptu boxing matches. Liam was called outside to arbitrate a particularly dirty one.
Only his decisions are trusted as being completely impartial.
“He’s got bruises,” she whispers.
Birthday cake turns to lead in my stomach. Cody has always hidden his bruises from Liam—and usually from us. He must be in a bad way if he’s come here. “Should I tell Liam?”
Her eyes widen. “You can’t.”
“He helped with Coach Price.”
“That