Page 18 of Redemption

I mean, being flashed by someone who you know and live with is kind of an obvious thing, at least it is to me.

Jensen nods. “Yeah. I think there’s a lot more to the whole situation than they’ve told us. I don’t think it’s as simple as they like her, she likes them, done and dusted. I don’t even think it’s the jealousy thing that is holding them back, or how unconventional that kind of relationship is, because they don’t care what anyone thinks, and they’re as close-knit as we are. I mean, there aren’t many teams that actually live together.”

“You’ve put a lot of thought into this,” Trick points out.

Jensen shrugs. “Not really. It’s just a feeling that I have.”

“It would make sense,” Rage replies thoughtfully. “They don’t seem like the kind of people who would usually be this hesitant when everyone is aware that feelings are mutual.”

“Unless they really are all that oblivious that they don’t realize that the feeling is mutual?” I suggest.

“How could they all live in the same house and not realize?” Trick asks, genuinely confused.

“Maybe they thought at first that there were feelings there, but when nothing came of it, or no one acted on it, they just brushed it under the rug, so to speak,” I explain. “I mean, I could be wrong.”

The guys all shrug.

“Maybe, who knows,” Jensen replies.

“I’m really excited to see their place,” Rage says after the car has fallen silent. “I’m nosy like that.”

“I’m weirdly nervous,” I add. They all look at me weirdly, and I shrug. “I didn’t say it made sense.”

“Well, so long as you’re aware that it doesn’t make sense,” Jensen teases, and I stick my tongue out at him.

“Have you heard anything from Rylie?” Trick asks me, glancing back at me through the rearview mirror.

I shake my head. “No, and I don’t expect to. She’s gone radio silent, and she’s in an incredibly dangerous situation. She’ll contact me when she can.”

“That’s true,” Trick says. “Didn’t she mention something about you going to help her take one of them down with her?”

“Yeah, she did, but then something happened, and she didn’t mention it again. It’s Rylie though, she doesn’t like working with other people. I love her dearly, but she really should have a ‘doesn’t play well with others’ sign on her somewhere,” I smile. I’ll check in with her soon if I don’t hear anything, just to make sure that everything really is okay.

“She did alright when she was with us,” Rage points out.

“That’s true, but it was only for a few hours. I think if it had lasted any longer than that, she would have started to get snarly at the very least,” I grin, making the guys chuckle.

Every now and then, when I really stop to think about it, the fact that Rylie is back in my life and actually involved in the same sort of shit that I am still shocks the shit out of me.

I never really understood the saying – it’s a small world – but that’s the perfect example of it.

I am very grateful to whoever gets to decide who stays in our lives.

Rylie is one of mine, that’s the best way to describe it, and I think she will always be.

No matter how long it is between us seeing each other, how far apart we are, or what's going on in each of our lives, I will drop everything to be there for her if she needs me, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that she would do the same for me.

The rest of the car journey is spent talking about the case. Which is a little sad, but we all want this case done with now, and none of us are particularly good at waiting for information.

Well, I’m not.

It’s driving me crazy waiting to hear from Alaric to see when Liam has managed to get a meeting and whether it’s when we want it and when the big shipment arrives in around two weeks' time. If it’s sooner, then we also need to be prepared to go as soon as Alaric calls.

“I think it’s down here,” Trick says, as we pull down a bumpy single-track lane, and the other car pulls in behind us.

For a while now, I haven’t seen a single other house. Hell, I haven’t even seen a turnoff from this road or anything that could signal a human presence.

It’s just an empty road with thickly packed trees on either side of us for miles.