Page 25 of Beautiful Exile

Her movements were like the rest of her: brash and bold, never coloring between the lines. It was fucking hypnotizing. Which was why I just kept walking. Out the door and behind the wheel of my Range Rover I’d driven down from Seattle.

I rolled the windows down, hoping the fresh air would turn around my completely sour mood. It didn’t. All I could think about were the people about to lose their jobs simply because my father had wanted to make a point. Wanted me to bend to his will.

But that was always his way. Philip Pierce needed to know thathe could break every single person in his orbit. That he could control them like a master puppeteer.

I pulled to a stop in front of Cope’s house, taking in the gorgeous blend of wood, stone, and glass. I didn’t miss how both the wood and stone had the same reddish-gold hue as Castle Rock to the west. Turning off the engine, I slid out and headed inside.

Angry energy still hummed in my muscles. The sparring had helped, but maybe not enough. Just as I thought about going for a swim, my phone rang.

I pulled it out of the pocket of my joggers and grinned when I saw Ellie’s face on the screen. The photo showed her with a ridiculous expression, sticking her tongue out to one side while crossing her eyes.

I tapped the screen and accepted the video call. “Hey, El Bell.”

She made a face. Not quite as extreme as her contact picture, but annoyed little sister through and through. “I know how to play that game, ConCon.”

I chuckled at the old nickname. At thirty-seven, I was eleven years older than Ellie. And when she started speaking, she couldn’t quite wrap her tongue around Lincoln, opting for ConCon instead. Mom thought it was adorable. Dad despised it, expecting his daughter to have a perfect grasp of the English language from birth.

“How are you?” I asked, walking through the foyer and into the open living space.

“Pretty good,” she said, running her hand through her long hair. Everything about Ellie was lighter than me. Her hair was a mix of light brown and blond, her eyes were a pale green that almost looked gray in some light, and her skin was just a few shades fairer. “What about you? How’s life in the middle of nowhere?”

One corner of my mouth kicked up as I pulled one of the sliders open and stepped out onto the back patio. “See for yourself.”

I flipped the camera around so she could see everything I was looking at. Cope had made the outdoor portion of his massive spread a showpiece. The terraced patio had three levels. An outdoor eating area with a firepit and lounge seating up top, a second level with anarray of gardens, and a third with a stunning pool that melded into the natural landscape beyond.

Ellie’s lips parted on a gasp. “Look at those mountains. Toto, you are not in Kansas anymore.”

“No, I’m not,” I said as I moved to sit on the outdoor sofa and flipped the camera back to me.

Ellie stared at me for a moment, studying my face intently. “You like it there.”

“I do. There’s something about the stillness. It’s like I can hear my own mind for the first time in years.”

Ellie got quiet as she pulled her knees up to her chest and sank back in the overstuffed chair in her apartment’s living room. “Make any friends yet? Don’t want my big brother getting lonely.”

Arden’s stunning face flashed in my mind. Those tiny freckles that were only visible in the brightest sunlight. The way her lips were stained the same shade as sun-ripened raspberries.

Ellie jerked upright. “Did you meet a girl?”

I barked out a laugh. “I feel like that level of shock at me possibly meeting someone should be an insult.”

She made apshsound. “Excitement, not shock. You need someone in your life. So?”

“I don’t know if you can call being held at knifepointmeetingsomeone, but it was certainly memorable.”

Ellie’s eyes widened. “You gotmugged?”

The laughter came more easily this time. “No. I surprised her one early morning at the gym. She just reacted. No permanent damage done.”

My sister’s brows raised. “Good for her.”

“Hey,” I clipped. “Your favorite brother could’ve been seriously injured.”

She rolled her eyes as she leaned back in her chair. “You’re myonlybrother.”

“That doesn’t stop me from being the favorite.”

Ellie flashed an easy, familiar smile. “I wish I could meet this mystery girl.”

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