Page 126 of Beautiful Exile

I walked him and Anson to the door, but before Trace could leave, I gave him a quick hug. “Thank you. For everything.”

He stared down at me. “Just please be careful. Nothing reckless because you’re feeling hemmed in, okay?”

He knew me too well.

“I promise.”

“Thank you.”

“Drive safe.”

“Will do.”

I watched as he disappeared into the night, staring after him until there was nothing to see. Finally, I forced myself to shut the door. Letting out a long breath, I moved back to the living room.

Linc was already on his feet and holding out a hand to me. “You’ve had a long couple of days. You need a good night’s sleep.”

I did. But I doubted I’d find it tonight. Still, I followed Linc into my bedroom and got ready for bed. I’d lay there all night, staring at the ceiling, if I knew it meant Linc got the rest he needed to heal.

But when we turned out the light and Brutus settled into his dog bed, his soft snores filling the space, sleep tugged at me, and it wasn’t long before it pulled me under. But my nightmares greeted me. My mom yanking me down the hall, shoving me into the hidden closet. The cold, cramped dark froze me to the spot, but when the gun went off this time, it wasn’t my mom falling to the floor, blood seeping into the carpet.

It was Linc.

46

LINCOLN

“You gotshotand you didn’t tell me?”

At the sheer volume of Ellie’s shriek, I pulled the phone away from my ear. “It was really more of a graze.”

“Lincoln Montgomery Pierce, did a bullet enter your body or not?”

I winced and this time it wasn’t due to any physical pain. The truth was, at five days post-injury, I was only feeling a twinge when I moved too fast. I reached out a hand to stroke Stardust’s cheek. “It entered and exited without harming anything important. I’m fine. I didn’t want to worry you.”

A sniff sounded across the line. “You promise you’re okay?”

At the sound of tears in Ellie’s voice, I gave myself a mental kick. “I’m totally and completely fine. Arden is like a drill sergeant with my care, and I’m back on my feet. I’m out with Stardust right now, actually.”

There was another sniff and the sound of something rustling in the background. “How’s my pretty girl doing?”

“She’s great. I found out she has a fondness forwatermelon,” I said, glancing at the workers who were just finishing up installing a generator on the side of Arden’s house.

“Really?” Ellie asked, a hint of amusement making its way into her tone.

“Stole a cube right out of my hand.”

“You’ve been spoiling her with it ever since, haven’t you?”

I chuckled. “Maybe.”

Ellie sighed. “How’s Arden holding up?”

I glanced toward the studio where Vicious had been locked away for hours on end the past few days. “She’s dealing how she deals. Putting it all into her art.”

Ellie was quiet for a moment. “Do you think you two should leave? Get some distance from Sparrow Falls and whoever this maniac is?”

It wasn’t a bad idea, but I couldn’t force Arden into that. “She’s already lost so much, El. I can’t make her leave her life again. Plus, if we go anywhere else, we wouldn’t have this many people watching our backs.”

---