Page 28 of Tarnished Hands

“I do, but she told Lucas my number, and now he spams me. He just sent me a GIF of a goat making some stupid noise. He’s a dickhead.” Sailor laughs as I turn my phone off and set it back down. If Keir needs me, he’ll call his wife.

“Lucas is…” Sailor pauses. “Lucas.” She shrugs.

“Yeah, you like him. I, on the other hand, could kill him.”

“Well, considering how many times you have shot at him and tried to stab him, we get that.” She laughs. “Also…” She looks away. “I’m pregnant.”

“Again?” I whisper.

“Yep. And I haven’t told Keir yet.”

Oh. “Do you plan to?”

“Yes, tonight.” She bites the inside of her lip. “He wants more kids, and I wasn’t sure I did. But…” She shrugs, then smiles. “I think I’m excited.”

“You should be. It’s a blessing. You have the best kids. And you and Keir are the best parents.”

Ezra is at my door when I get home. It’s late. Way past the time he told me to meet him.

When his gaze lands on me, I feel guilty.

For just a second.

But then I brush it away.

It was his idea, and I told him no, so he can deal with the consequences.

“I called,” he says.

“I didn’t answer, obviously.”

“Why?”

“I turned my phone off.”

Ezra runs a hand through his hair, pushing it back, and it causes his biceps to flex. His phone starts ringing, and when he pulls it from his pocket, he stares at it momentarily before putting it to his ear. His expression drops as he listens to whoever is on the other end of the line, and then his gaze fixes on me. I don’t know how to read him well enough to understand why he’s looking at me like that, but it makes me want to reach out to him.

“I’ll be there.” He hangs up. Then his eyes trace me up and down before he shakes his head. “I don’t have time for your games,” is all he says before he turns and heads down the hall.

Okay, that was confusing as hell.

“Ezra,” I call out. He stops and turns back to me.

“Are you…” I can’t even say it. So the words die on my lips.

“Fuck off, Piper.” He storms off.

Holy shit. A part of me wants to chase Ezra, while the other part wants to shoot him for talking to me like that. Stepping up to my door, I find a single rose lying on the floor where he was sitting. I pick it up and take it inside with me. And then I throw it in the trash.

Chapter Sixteen

EZRA

The plane ride was bad. The car ride was even worse. I didn’t bring anything with me. There was no time to stop at home. I left straight from Piper’s for the airport.

Walking into the hospital, I find the first person I can and ask where I can find him.

My brother was in a serious crash, and they mentioned his legs.

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