Page 247 of Chaos Kills

I never get frightened.

I think.

I’m not sure.

Because now all I can deliberate about is how I don’t trust Torin and his grief. I’m not sure if Cairo forced him to tell me, or if Torin is suicidal. I don’t know the first thing about being a husband. I don’t remember my parents, only my mother’s soft touch and smile, but that’s it. I was eight when they were murdered in a bad break-in.

And I don’t think about them much because what’s the point?

But my own cousin hasn’t displayed what he always said he was going to do.

He was going to keep her safe.

Now, he’s thrown his responsibility away and loathes her.

Which leads me to step up and try to handle things.

And obviously, I suck at it.

“Here.” I loathe that I didn’t hear her come back into her room. Too deep in my thoughts to focus on the here and now and what I have to do. “Let me see if you have any cuts.”

Bay tosses the purple cloth at me, but I don’t remove any clothing or tell her I don’t have any.

Just Torin.

“What did you do?” I rock my head back and forth at her question because I don’t want her to get upset with me. “Ozzy…”

“No.”

It seems to be the only thing I have to say to get her to leave me alone.

I appreciate that she doesn’t push me as much as she does my brothers, and I’m not sure if it’s because she’s scared of me, doesn’t know how to handle me, or she shuts down with too much already on her plate.

But she stops.

Bay pivots back toward the bed, and when she turns her back on me, a shard of guilt courses through my veins.

She’s trying to help, and it’s not something I’m used to receiving.

I watch as she tucks herself underneath her covers and keeps her spine toward me. She’s done, not wishing to push any more of the subject, or she’s just given up on me.

I don’t like that answer either.

I’m not sure entirely what I need from Bay, but now that she’s seen me, I want to continue to be seen by her.

I study her breathing, the way her body slowly heaves and descends in a steady movement that alludes she’s not waiting for me to budge but she’s trying to fall asleep. The movement soothes me, like watching her always has done for me.

It’s not until I see her bedroom door begin to sway open that I’m immediately on edge. Right back on my guard to make sure she’s protected.

My Glock is easily in my hands within seconds, and I notice that Bay doesn’t budge nor move from her place.

She’s sleeping.

She trusts me to keep her safe in her room with her family.

The figure of an outline comes around the edge of the door as my thumb presses into the hammer but not enough to lock it in place.

And he’s lucky because I recognize Cairo, and he’s all too aware of me because he casually glances over his shoulder.

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