Page 72 of Noah

“Ah, it’s okay, Brother. We all understand how prickly and withdrawn you feel.” Briar grimaced. “It’s both relief and apprehension when you’re given freedom.”

Adrienne frowned; her mouth pursed as she tried to work that out.

Noah, however, shook his head and ran his fingers through his long hair. “Yes.”

“We understand. It’s hard to know what to do when everything is possible. You could be a beast to us, and we would forgive you.”

“Thank you,” Noah replied.

They were approaching the wall and the outer gate. Adrienne felt tension fill Noah and she had a feeling it was because he was anxious for her and not himself.

Chapter 11

The journey there was quick with Briar driving them and Noah sitting so close she could barely breathe.

Noah was tense. Owen still had a watchful look on his face. She frowned. Briar caught the look and his eyes flicked to Owen. Briar grimaced and gave her a shake of his head.

Okay, so whatever was up Owen’s butt was personal.

Adrienne didn’t want to add to the tension, so she let it go. It was nothing to do with her and unless Owen volunteered why he was feeling on edge, she wasn’t going to ask.

If it had nothing to do with their security and she was sure Briar would have said if it did, she didn’t think Noah needed added stress or pressure.

He was so quick to protect her that sometimes Noah pushed aside his feelings and she could tell he didn’t feel comfortable.

“I’m nervous,” she admitted quietly.

Noah startled and glanced down at her. His eyes flashed and his mouth twitched. Adrienne had the feeling he wanted to bundle her away and keep her safe. “Why are you nervous?” he asked.

“Mhane,” she replied.

“You’re worried it isn’t her?”

“No. I’m worried about meeting her again. I keep bouncing between being ready and being so scared that I don’t know what I’m going to say to her.”

“She’s your family.”

“Yes.” She hesitated then added, “Yes, of course she is. And even if I didn’t see her for the rest of my life, she would still be my sister.” She rubbed her hand down her arms. “I just don’t know what I’ll say to her. Will it be awkward? Will she blame us? My Mum took us away and built a new life without them and I have no idea what Mhane or her Mum were told.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know if my Mum told them why my dad left.” She grimaced, hoping they might think they just moved away and lost contact. “I don’t know if my dad told them why he left.”

“Why would that matter?”

She laughed. “Well. If he told them how he told us, then she might have been angry or maybe she’s apathetic.” She craned her neck to look at the rows of colourful storage units and the big sign up ahead.

“Which do you think she was?” he asked. He ran his fingers along her thigh, offering her comfort and skin contact.

“From what I remember of her, she was strong-willed.” She remembered Mhane as a take-charge toddler, always dragging Adrienne along on a new adventure. Her memories had become fuzzy and distorted with age. “If her Mum stuck with her, I’m sure she was fine. My dad was never around much anyway. We never understood at the time how different it was that we were close in age with different mothers.”

“Your dad was an odd male. Why would he leave you anything when he abandoned you both as small children?”

“I have no idea and it was one of the reasons I was so determined not to visit this place.” She nodded at the gated entrance they were approaching and crossed her arms. “Whatever he left us, it was because of guilt, or some form of late parental concern and I don’t want it at all.”

“You don’t want anything he left you?”

Adrienne snorted and shook her head vigorously. “Absolutely not. If I had known he was leaving it to both of us I would have let Mhane have it, sell it, or whatever she wanted.”

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