Page 47 of Blind Trust
Lyla hugged everyone again and quickly slipped out the back door with Nicolás. They were a few miles down the road before she finally took a full breath. She checked the sideview mirror, no longer able to see the Whitlock estate.Lord, please keep them safe.
“We should’ve looked into Terrel’s story last night. Located Genevieve.” Her head began to throb. “If I’d done that instead of coming to the hunt, maybe whoever Jerry sent after me wouldn’t have come to my grandparents’ house.” She blew out a shaky breath. “I need a Bible verse.”
Nicolás looked at her, confused. “What?”
“Something to make me feel better.” She bit her thumbnail. “You have one of those?”
Running his hand over the steering wheel, Nicolás let two breaths pass before swallowing. “Even though I walk through thevalley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” He looked over at her. “For you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
The familiar words were soothing. Or maybe it was hearing Nicolás speak them with the same confidence he had when giving details about a bomb or weapon—like he knew what he was talking about on a level that went deeper than just recitation.
“How many Bible verses do you have memorized?”
“A few.” He reached down and opened a coin tray and picked up a coin and handed it to her.
She immediately recognized it.Non timebo mala. The words inscribed on the coin Director Walsh handed to them right before their first assignment as a team.I will fear no evil. She ran her thumb over their agency shield. Psalm 23.
I will fear no evil.
“I’m sorry I took off toward the shooter, Nicolás. I-I wasn’t thinking about the danger for myself. Just my family and the other riders, and I just...reacted.”
She waited for him to say more, to spill what had likely been building in him, but for the rest of the drive he stayed quiet, and that was worse than if he had yelled at her. At least she could argue her side—there was no arguing with silence.
When Nicolás pulled up to her house, Lyla couldn’t take it anymore. “Are we doing the silent treatment again? Because I know you’re probably chalking this up to me being reckless, but all I could think about was my family.” Her voice wavered as she remembered the fear she’d seen in their eyes when she left. “They’re scared now, and it’s my fault.”
“Lyla, can you not see it?”
“What?”
“Your grandparents, your parents...” He blew out a breath as if the frustration level was making it impossible to talk to her. She could feel her defenses rising. “Lyla, they’re scared foryou.”
Her guard dropped. “What?”
“I saw the same fear you did, only it wasn’t for themselves.” He looked over, and there was pain she couldn’t understand radiating from the depths of his hazel eyes. “It was for you. I’ve only known you a few years, but I cannot imagine loving you your whole life and knowing it’s not enough.”
“Nicolás, we’re all in a dangerous profession. You, me, Kekoa, Jack. Brynn. Our families’ love for us can’t keep us from doing the hard things. It should be what drives us to make the world better.” She started to reach for his hand and then stopped short, afraid of his rejection. “I’m not trying to hurt them. Or anyone. Please believe me.”
Nicolás took a slow breath and pressed his lips together before finally saying, “You’re not making it easy.”
It wasn’t the reassurance she was hoping for, but she was desperate to ease the tension between them. “I’m going to run in and change.”
“If you don’t mind, I’ll walk you in and wait downstairs.”
“Oh, yeah. Sure, that’s fine.” Lyla led him up to the house. Her eyes darted to the landscaped hedges that lined her parents’ home. Was someone waiting there, ready to try again? “I’ll be quick.”
Lyla unlocked the door and stepped inside. Nicolás followed, but his steps slowed as his gaze moved around the space, taking in her family home. It made her feel a little self-conscious. She knew he didn’t come from wealth, and while her family home was grand, it wasn’t the most extravagant show of wealth she or Nicolás had witnessed in their line of work.
“I’ll be right back.” She started to turn, then stopped. Something wasn’t right. She took two steps back and looked around.
“What’s wrong?”
Lyla bit the inside of her cheek. “I don’t know.”
Nicolás was at her side, his posture as tense as the look in his eyes. “Go outside.”
“What? I’m not—”
“Lyla.” There was a softness to his exasperation. “Go outside and come back in, slowly. Take your time and see what it is that doesn’t feel right.”
