Page 19 of Defenseless
Sabina:Is it safe?
Kara:Will it ever be?
And that was the crux of every problem in her life. No, it wouldn’t ever be safe. It wasn’t like Sabina, or Kara, to be so defeated, but they’d lost enough in their lives to know it was never safe.
Sabina:When and where?
Kara:There’s a park in Tulare. Meet tomorrow at noon?
Sabina:Send me the name and I’ll be there
Kara:Will do. Love you and be safe
Sabina:You, too
Sabina closed her eyes and considered texting Chad to cancel. Maybe she could say she came down with the flu? No, that wouldn’t help. Then she’d be alone in her apartment with too much time to come up with dozens of disaster scenarios. No, it would be better to be out. If she were out with Stella, Hunter, and the team, then maybe, just maybe, it would be enough to distract her for at least a little while.
* * *
“Are you okay?” Chad asked Sabina.
She blinked at him then shifted her body so that she faced him. They were standing in the nook to the side of the bar watching Ava and Ethan play a game of pool. A tournament of sorts had started not long after they’d arrived, and now his cousin and Ava were the final bracket.
“Yes, I’m fine,” she answered.
“Are you sure?” he pressed, because he was pretty sure she wasn’t. She might have joined in all the night’s activities—eating, drinking, laughing, and even dancing a time or two. But she’d also jerked her head toward the door every time it opened and startled at every loud noise.
“I’m pretty sure I know whether I’m fine or not,” she shot back.
He tried to stay relaxed, approachable, but his jaw ticked. For four weeks, he’d been pursuing his new strategy to get her to open up. In some ways, it worked. He’d learned a few small details of her life, such as the fact that as a child, she’d opened presents Christmas Eve rather than Christmas morning. But overall, it hadn’t resulted in any significant progress. He still didn’t know what she was hiding or why. And he still didn’t know if she was in danger, although his gut told him she was.
“Who’s got the betting book?” he asked, nodding to the table.
Sabina quirked a smile. “Colton. But since Ava is about to sweep the floor with your cousin, I’m not sure he’ll be taking any more bets.”
“I concede she’s winning this match. But Ethan is a sneaky bastard. If he loses, he’ll suggest best two out of three or three out of five,” he replied with a matching smile.
“Are you saying your cousin is a hustler?”
“I’m saying I’d watch your back with him. There are only two things I’ve seen him lose at—running and skiing.”
She chuckled. “Who beats him at those?”
“I’m a better skier. Cody is a better runner. Do you ski?” Assuming they got good snow, the season would start soon. He was looking forward to having the slopes just minutes away again.
“Not for years,” she said, revealing another small part of herself.
“We’ll have to get you out this winter. The lodge has a good mix of runs,” he replied, keeping his response casual, aware that she likely regarded her response as a slip.
“Hmm, maybe,” she said, then yawned.
“Are you ready to head out?”
“In a little bit, but Leo is going to give me a ride. I meant to tell you earlier,” she answered. His jaw ticked again. It was one step forward and two steps back. Maybe he’d be better off taking the multiple hints and letting it go. Letting her go. She enjoyed his company and that of his family, but she couldn’t be any clearer about not wanting to get any closer than they currently were.
Only that wasn’t entirely true. He’d seen the way she looked at him when he and Mateo were roughhousing earlier that day. Her unguarded expression was filled with a mix of warmth, longing, and an intimate amusement. And it hadn’t been the only time he’d seen such emotions reflected on her face. More than once over the past four weeks, he’d caught her watching him wearing the same look. There had even been a time or two she’d started to reach for him before abruptly pulling back.
He took a controlled breath and nodded in response to her comment. “Sounds good. I’m going to go say goodbye to Stella and Hunter then ghost.” He had to have faith his strategy was working. All he needed was more time.
