Page 27 of Wraith
“It needs some work,” Steph admits. “I was researching how to steam off wallpaper this morning. Adam says he hates it, but he never had time to deal with it and when he did, he had no idea how to tackle it. He admitted he’s not that handy with stuff like this and it’s a big project. I want to get new countertops, because those can be installed and I’ll paint the cabinets.” She laughs again, that light sound that I’ve always loved. “Sorry. Anyway. I’m getting carried away.”
It takes me a minute to process that Wing is actually Adam. I want to laugh at myself when it finally sinks in.
“Do you want some tea?”
“There’s tea in the house?”
“There wasn’t, but Adam went out this morning after… well… the meeting and got me a few things that I asked for. He’s really very nice.”
“Even if he’s shorter than you by a good three inches?”
Steph laughs again and waves her hand in the air. “Oh god. That doesn’t matter. Most guys are, when you’re a six foot giraffe.”
“There is nothing giraffe-like about you unless you want to call a giraffe wondrously beautiful, which they are.”
“Tea it is.” Steph is used to being beautiful. She’s also used to compliments and takes them in stride as easily as discussing something mundane, like the weather or what to have for dinner.
She gets busy plugging in an electric kettle and turning it on after she’s filled it with water. When she turns back to me, her eyes have lost their light, and her lips are pulled into a thin line.
“Do you think it’s going to be okay? I mean, with what happened to Ami?”
“I don’t know,” I admit, the words scraping past the mass of worry clogging up my throat.
I lean my hip against the counter. The kitchen is one of those L-shaped things with a long line of cabinets and a shorter row with a lip on the other side for a few bar stools to be set under.
“Do you believe her?” Steph’s eyes grow even wider and her lips thin out into a hard, flat line.
I don’t know what to say, so I decide on the truth. “No. I don’t know. Why would she lie? I guess she might have a few reasons, but Ami is also Ami. We both know that she loves drama. She was the one that our father was constantly complaining about, she’s the reason we’re here in Helena.”
“She took us both down with her,” Steph sighs. “I’m glad she did, though. I was pissed when I found out that dad was marrying us off as a package deal, but I never would have met Adam otherwise, and even though it’s only been a day, he’s nice. I know he’s nice. I’ve never met anyone I can talk with so easily. He makes me feel… safe,” she finally finishes with a star-struck look in her eyes. “I don’t know. Sometimes things just feel like they fit.”
“I- I’m not sure.” I’m still confused about what happened in Wraith’s kitchen earlier, my body buzzing from the electricity of his touch and the force of the climax that he tore from my body. “It hasn’t been enough time.”
“Right. I know. I’m being silly. I guess I just mean that I think Adam and I will be a good fit. I’m sorry that whatever happened with Ami last night that it happened at all. I wish she could have been matched with someone more like I was.”
“But that’s the thing. We both saw Gage in the hallway this morning. He looked really bad. Like he’d been crying. He didn’t look like a guy who’d take his fists to her,” I say.
Steph pulls out the teabags and sets them aside. She passes one mug over to me and I breathe in the delicious scent of mint.
“I know,” she says softly, as she stares down into her tea. “When we were talking to Ami, she wouldn’t look at us. She only ever does that when she’s lying. She’s not afraid to make eye contact otherwise. She likes people to listen to her stories, because you’re right, she does love drama. She loves being the center of attention.”
“She didn’t do this to herself though. So if Gage didn’t, then who did? And why is she covering up for whoever did it? It doesn’t make sense.”
Steph’s cup trembles in her hands. “Gage shouldn’t have got so drunk last night that he couldn’t remember anything. That was his first mistake.”
“He was just nervous. Ami was being mean to him. I watched her all night. She was probably terrible to him, and it made it worse. Imagine how we would have felt if our men treated us that way. Wouldn’t talk to us or snubbed us when we were already stressed to the breaking point.”
“Yeah. I guess you’re right. He probably thought a little bit of whiskey would take the edge off.”
I set my mug down. “Do you think that Ami would really do that? Put this whole thing in jeopardy? Start a war? Make an innocent man pay for something he didn’t even do?”
Steph lets out a shuddery sigh. “I hope not, but I honestly don’t know.”
“I don’t think our father would let this deal go to shit just because Ami says Gage hit her. He’ll see through her lies, like he normally does. And if she isn’t lying, I think he’ll just let Steel and the club punish Gage and find somewhere else for Ami to go. We both know he doesn’t really care about us. Not when it’s either us or everything he wants. He wants power. He wants people to respect him and fear him. He’s wanted this for a long time and he’s not going to throw it away because of Ami.”
“But what if he did do it? What kind of man hits a woman like that?”
I bite down hard on my bottom lip. “I think that the club’s Prez will get it figured out. Wraith talks about him like he respects him. I’ve seen him with his old lady too, when I was there for the shower. She’s nice and she wouldn’t be with him if he was a total asshole. They’ll find Ami somewhere to go and take care of her. I’m sure of it.”
