Page 155 of Beautiful Exile

LINCOLN

“Thanks, Nina.”I scrubbed a hand over my face, the stubble tipping into beard territory now. “I really appreciate you handling more than your fair share these past couple of weeks.”

Nina had single-handedly sniffed out the traitor in our midst, a VP in acquisitions who had been more than happy to take my father’s bribes. He’d been fired and reported to the police. My company and the Sparks were safe, but that didn’t bring with it the relief it should have.

“Linc,” Nina said across the line. “It’s what family does. And we’ve been family since our two misfit selves found each other in undergrad.”

A burning sensation lit along my sternum as I struggled to keep breathing. “Love you, Neens.”

“Love you, too. Now, go take care of that girl who stole your heart.”

That hurt worse. Knowing what Arden was to me. What she wouldalwaysbe. But also knowing there was no way she could be mine. Not anymore.

“Will do.” I hit end on the call before she could say anything else because I couldn’t take it. Not when I was this close to breaking.

I shoved my phone into my pocket and stared out at the landscape I’d fallen in love with. Stardust and Whiskey grazed in their pasture, completely at peace. We’d gotten closer the last couple of days as I’d taken over feeding and mucking their stalls. It was as if they could sense everything weighing on me and did whatever they could to bring comfort.

A throat cleared, and I whirled, my nervous system still not back to normal.

“Sorry,” Trace muttered. “I thought you heard me.”

I ran a hand through my hair, tugging on the strands. “In another world, I guess.”

He nodded. “Talked to the prosecutor. He’s been working with the other jurisdictions to figure out who’s going to try your father first.”

“Don’t call him that.” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

Trace winced, a hint of empathy flooding his eyes. “I get that. Trust me. I get it more than you’ll ever know.”

Hell.I guessed we all carried scars, and some were more similar than we could’ve imagined.

“Mercer County is going to try Philip first. The case is the freshest and strongest. Attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Not to mention, breaking and entering, illegal wiretapping, and a host of other things.”

“Good.” And it was. Philip would go to prison. I just hoped like hell he rotted there.

“He’s not going to breathe free air again,” Trace promised.

“I hope you’re right.”

Trace stared at me for a moment.

His silence set me on edge, evident in the quiet tightening of all my muscles. “Something else?”

“Ellie.”

Surprise had my brows lifting. My sister had raced to SparrowFalls after that night. She’d gotten meals, handled calls to our lawyer, and done anything she could to help. “What about her?”

A muscle in Trace’s jaw began to flutter as his green gaze went stormy. “She’s got a black eye. Thinks we can’t see it under the cover-up, but it’s there.”

The tension eased from my shoulders. “She was frazzled after Rhodes called her to tell her what had happened. Hit herself with her suitcase getting it out of her closet.”

The strain didn’t leave Trace’s expression. “You sure about that?”

“Ellie doesn’t lie. Not to me,” I clipped.

He held up both hands. “Okay. I was just checking.”

I nodded. I knew he was trying to help. He was a protector through and through. I just didn’t have the energy to explain Ellie’s sometimes klutzy ways.

---