Page 7 of Beautiful Exile

“I think calling that abandis a stretch.”

“Toh-may-toh, toh-mah-toh,” she said, then winced, heading for a stack of towels. “Sorry about your neck.”

I moved to follow her as if she’d cast some sort of spell on me, but the gray beast stepped into my path, baring his teeth. “Is your dog going to rip out my throat?”

The siren chuckled, and the sound had a husky tone that wrapped around me, causing all my nerve endings to stand at attention. “Not if you stay where you are,” she said as she grabbed a couple of paper towels and crossed back to me.

She glanced down at her dog, grinning at him. “Freund, Brutus.”

The moment she spoke the words, the tension in the dog’smuscles eased, but his gaze stayed fixed on me as if he didn’t trust me yet.

“Brutus knows German.”

The woman shrugged as she handed me a towel. “That’s how he was trained.”

“Guard dog?” I asked, curiosity piquing as I pressed the paper towel to my neck.

A hint of wariness slid into her expression. “Personal protection. Lots of people have protective dogs around here. Ranches and all.”

But that hit like a lie. A person didn’t bring their ranch dog into town if they weren’t worried about something. I had the bizarre urge to push for more. To learn all this woman’s secrets.

That wasn’t me. I’d built an empire through patience and tenacity. I didn’t rush. Didn’t let a single soul know I was eager for something. Because they could take advantage. And I’d learned the hard way never to let someone know what I really wanted. Or how much I cared.

The woman headed for a duffel by the shelves stocked with gloves, jump ropes, and other equipment. Swinging it over her shoulder, she straightened. “Enjoy your workout. Try not to steal anything. Even if it would serve my brother right for being a lazy ass.”

I stilled, my hold on my keys tightening. “Your brother?”

“Kye. He owns the place. He’s also notorious for sleeping through alarms.”

Kye. As in Cope’s brother. And if Kye was Cope’s brother, then…Hell.My siren was my best friend’s sister.

3

ARDEN

I hatedhow my hands trembled as I climbed into my truck. That tiny flickering motion gave me away as I twisted my key in the ignition. I’d moved fast, my training and instinct kicking in, and that was a good thing. I could’ve ended the too-handsome-for-his-own-good man in a single heartbeat.

His face flashed in my mind. Dark brown hair, just a little wild and unkempt. Stubble coating a strong, angular jaw. Hypnotic, gold-green eyes. He hadn’t looked like a killer. And it turned out he wasn’t one. Just a new gym patron. One who probably thought I was more than a little unhinged.

My fingers tightened around the wheel, making the leather creak and groan as embarrassment flooded my system.

More than thirteen years.

Yet it sometimes felt like I was still that broken little girl who’d arrived on the Colsons’ ranch scared of her own shadow. But I wasn’t. I knew how to protect myself now. Keep myself safe. If that meant people thought I was a freak, so be it.

I reminded myself of that all the wayhome as the sun rose, casting glittering pink and gold across the landscape. There were already a couple of vehicles at Cope’s place, and I knew it was because he was headed back to Seattle with his girlfriend, Sutton, and her son, Luca.

A pang lit in my sternum. It wasn’t that I didn’t like solitude. I did. It was simply that, after all they’d been through in the past month, I liked the reassurance of knowing they were safe. Especially Cope. When you almost lost someone, it took a while to trust that they weren’t going to fade away in front of your eyes. And when you saw someone you loved disappear into the gone, it took even longer.

I flexed my fingers around the wheel, forcing them to relax slightly as I turned toward the guesthouse. I knew sleep wouldn’t find me now. I had too much brewing after the encounter at Haven. Instead, I opted for a shower and coffee.

Once I’d cleaned up, caffeinated, and dressed in my barn clothes, I headed outside, Brutus on my heels. The August sun beat down on me as I headed for the small, two-horse barn. The deeper into summer we got, the earlier in the day the blistering heat arrived. I was just thankful that being nestled in the mountains of Central Oregon meant the evenings were cool.

The peaks also made for a beautiful backdrop that made me feel like I could breathe. I stopped for a moment, pausing to turn and really take in the landscape surrounding me. The snowcapped Monarch Mountains to the east and the golden faces of Castle Rock to the west. It was a breathtaking place to call home. Even if it wasn’t trulymine.

Cope would hate it if he knew I thought that way. My brother had done everything he could to make me feel like this place was mine, from building a barn for Whiskey and Stardust to constructing a massive art studio beside the guesthouse to hold my pieces.

A heavy weight leaned against my thigh, and I glanced down to take in my shadow. Brutus was one hundred pounds of pure love but would gladly take out someone’s jugular at my command. My hand lowered to scratch his head. “Your breakfast is next. Don’t worry.”

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