Page 123 of Holiday Hostage
I took a step away from the dresser. “Already told you I’m not a dog. You want to act like that, you can get your own damned pants.” I shoved my foot through the leg, followed with the other, and drew them up around my waist while Reed muttered a curse and stomped over.
“You’re an asshole.” Reed gave me a shove that barely touched me.
I laughed and toweled off my hair. “Yeah, well. You must have rubbed off on me.”
We would have kept that up for a while, using sarcasm and annoying each other to defuse the sudden tension Payton had left behind.
We were good at that.
But there was something sacred about having her in our apartment that settled us both before we pushed too far.
Payton’s steps created a slow marching rhythm in the other room.
I tracked her through those soft sounds, listening as she made her way to the window and paused.
Seconds later, she turned and headed toward the kitchen.
A twist of uncertainty lodged in my gut.
Reed cleaned the bathroom, even mopping up the water we’d sloshed over the edge of the tub and gathering up all our dirty clothes.
He pushed the entire mess into an empty hamper. “I’ll run the washer later.”
“What do you think she wants to tell us?” Mav wore a worried expression.
He sat on the edge of Reed’s bed and shot a look toward the kitchen.
Payton rustled around in the living room, making a second trip around the living area.
I heard her sigh and mutter under her breath before she moved too far away for her voice to carry.
I motioned for Mav to keep quiet, which caused him to arch a brow. “Yeah, yeah. I know. You’re supposed to be the leader. But I’m allowed to make a suggestion, too.”
“That wasn’t a suggestion.” He pointed it out with a bit of a smile that meant he didn’t hold a grudge.
The anxiety I’d seen on Payton’s face rushed through me.
All thoughts of joking with Mav and Reed dried up. “She might be thinking about ending things. Now that we’re all safe in New York.” I struggled to find the words.
Mav and Reed nodded, the motion slow and understanding.
“Yeah, I thought that too.” Reed ran a hand through his hair. “What do we do?”
“It’s her call.” Mav stood.
Where he’d been loose and easy before, he took up his military stance of rigid shoulders and icy hardness in his eyes. “This might have been temporary for her. We all got swept up in the moment after her rescue. It’s understandable.”
“We don’t know what she’s going to say.” Reed put a hand out to stop Mav. “Don’t go out there looking like you’re heading to the firing squad.”
Mav paused. The muscle in his jaw relaxed, and he dropped his chin. “Right. If she’s undecided, we don’t want to risk scaring her off.”
I gathered up some clothes for Payton. “Let’s make her feel comfortable, then we’ll find out what’s going on.”
I never should have asked them.
Making assumptions always got us into trouble.
We worked with facts, but in a moment of panic, I’d let my emotions take control of my mouth.
