Page 91 of A Rebel's Shot
“Don’t plan on it.” He thumped Magnus’ back.
Magnus squeezed hard before stepping back, sniffing and brushing the back of his hand across his cheek. “You okay?”
Being the youngest two Rebels, Tiikâan and Magnus had always been close. But the display of emotion from his salty brother was unexpected.
“Yeah.” Tiikâan sniffed and cleared his throat. “We’re good.”
He turned to Merritt and held out his hand for her. “Magnus, this is Merritt Harland.”
Before she could take his hand, Magnus had her in a hug, her feet lifting off the ground. Her shocked eyes took up most of her face as she looked to Tiikâan for help. He clapped his brother on the shoulder, then pulled Merritt back to his side.
“Way to make an impression, dude.” Tiikâan shookhis head, then looked down at Merritt. “I promise, we aren’t normally this?—”
He didn’t know how to describe Magnus’ behavior, so he just circled his hand toward his grinning brother.
“Don’t let him fool you, Merr.” Magnus pulled Tiikâan into a side hug. “Us Rebels are always a handful.”
“Don’t pull us all into your realm of normal.” Bjørn hollered as he ran up to them.
“You mean my realm of awesomeness?” Magnus puffed out his chest, wagging his eyebrows for good measure.
Bjørn just shook his head, stopping in front of Tiikâan, his expression so full of concern the back of Tiikâan’s throat tightened.
Bjørn placed a hand on his shoulder. “You good?”
“Yeah.” Tiikâan’s voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “Thanks for looking for us.”
“We never doubted you’d make it out.” Bjørn pulled him into a hug, clapping hard on his back. “Though Mom’s been worried sick.”
Their confidence in him cracked something in his chest, and he had to swallow several times before he got the threat of tears under control. Maybe he wasn’t the screw up he’d always thought they saw him as.
“Yeah, you and Sunny definitely gave her more gray hairs.” Magnus thumped Tiikâan on the back. “Thanks for taking her attention off me, man. I appreciate it.”
“No problem.” Tiikâan laughed, then introduced Bjørn to Merritt.
He also pulled her into a hug, though his wasn’t near as obnoxious as Magnus’. Guess if she wanted to stay together, she’d have to get used to the Rebel family’s form of love.
Over-the-top and loud.
After thanking Toad, they climbed into the helicopter.
Tiikâan checked Merritt’s buckle. Not that she needed him to, but he couldn’t help wanting to be sure she was safe. She wrapped his arm over her shoulders, leaned her head against him, and fell asleep before Toad’s cabin was out of sight.
Exhaustion pulled at him, but he couldn’t close his eyes.
“The family’s waiting for us in Barrow,” Magnus said over the headset. “Astryde has her trooper friends with her.”
Tiikâan nodded and held Merritt closer. Her uncle’s confidence that he wouldn’t get caught nagged at Tiikâan. It was their word against his, and from what Merritt said, her uncle’s connections went all the way to D.C.
?
Merritt trembled as they waited in the hotel’s back office for the go-ahead from the troopers.
Tiikâan grabbed Merritt, pulled her to his side, and whispered in her ear. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
She nodded, not able to form a response around the lump of dread in her throat.
Could she confront Nolan after what he’d done?
