Page 6 of Faith
Nina smiled, then turned.
Zeke left the bathroom and closed the door. He closed the bedroom door, too. He wanted to sit in the room and wait for her, but she needed space.
And so did he.
Zeke went to his kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. He downed it, wishing it was something stronger. But until he talked to Montgomery, he had to make sure his mind was clear.
Zeke alternated between staring at the ceiling and wondering if she was okay and staring at his phone and trying to figure out what the fuck to say to Montgomery.
Hey, Mont, your sister’s here. In my house. No big deal. She just called me instead of you after twelve years.
Not an option.
But Zeke was going to have to figure something out.
The shower turned off, and his heart thudded hard. She would be back downstairs soon. And he would have to take her to Montgomery.
Zeke couldn’t sit still. He paced the house, listening for Nina.
But he didn’t hear Nina. He heard Montgomery.
The garage next door opened, but it didn’t close right away.
A door opened upstairs.
Someone knocked on the front door, then a key slid into the lock.
Zeke stood still, watching as brother and sister both moved into the room.
“Hey, Zeke. What was that call you got…?” Montgomery froze.
Nina stopped halfway down the stairs.
“Nina?”
“Hi, big brother,” Nina said.
Montgomery’s jaw dropped. His gaze scanned his sister. Then swung to Zeke. “What the fuck did you do to her?”
Zeke didn’t have time to defend himself before Montgomery charged him. Fists first.
2
“Monty!”Nina shrieked. She rushed down the stairs and tried to get between the two men she loved more than anything or anyone else. Ever. “Stop!”
Montgomery took a step back, his gaze flipping from her to Zeke. “Why are you here? How are you here? Why the fuck is she here?”
Zeke looked at her, but Nina didn’t speak. She wasn’t sure how to explain anything to either of them.
Zeke wiped his lip, blood appearing on his hand. Nina hadn’t noticed the split lip, but once she saw the blood, her head spun.
She was gathered up in the next moment, her feet swept out from under her. She floated to the couch, the fresh and masculine scent of Zeke waking her up and nearly making her weep. She smelled like him, choosing the same shampoo in his shower that she’d inhaled in his SUV.
She landed on the couch softly. Zeke was right there, his face a mask of concern, before a growl permeated the air.
Zeke looked up and nodded, stepping away.
Montgomery replaced Zeke in front of her. “Did he do this?” Monty tucked her hair behind her ear, his fingers drifting over the bruises around her neck.
