Finally, I headed outside. The moment I stepped into thesunshine, I ripped off my mask. The pine air rushed through me in a welcome, cleansing breath.
But the relief was short-lived as Shep stepped into my line of vision. He frowned at me. “What’s with you today?”
My jaw worked back and forth.Hell.
“You’re edgy or something. Everything okay?”
I was edgy because I wanted another hit of Rho. I’d gotten a taste and was dying for more, only I had to hide that because I worked with herbrother.
“The princess probably didn’t sleep well since he crashed on Rho’scouch,” Owen bit out.
The look I sent him should’ve made Owen shit himself, but he apparently hadn’t grown out of his stupid phase.
Shep’s gaze jerked back to me. “She was still freaked?”
I shifted uncomfortably. I didn’t know how to explain that it was impossible for me to leave her alone in that guest cottage. That wondering if she was okay would’ve been torture and something I couldn’t deal with. “She’s not quite one hundred percent steady.”
It wasn’t a lie. Rho’s easy acquiescence meant she wasn’t ready to stay alone. But I was still throwing her under the bus.
Shep muttered a curse. “Thanks for staying with her. I don’t know why, but it’s easier for her to ask you than one of us. Probably because we’ve been hovering.”
“She doesn’t want you guys worrying about her,” I told him. I knew that was the truth. Rho didn’t want to put her fears on anyone else’s shoulders.
Shep lowered his voice. “Is she okay?”
I nodded. “The fire stirred up a lot for her, but she’s dealing.” I wasn’t going to tell him about the dream. It was too personal. If Rho wanted to share that, she could.
Shep slapped me on the shoulder. “Appreciate you looking out for her.”
Guilt niggled again. I was a crap friend.
“You’ve gotta be shitting me,” Owen groused. “You read us allthe riot act about leaving your sisters alone, and then you’re just cool with him sleeping there?”
Shep turned to Owen, his expression taking on a hardness I knew meant he was at the end of his rope. “I told you to treat my sisters with respect. Which Anson is doing.”
I winced. I wasn’t sure if this morning could be classified asrespect, but then again, worshiping Rho’s body had some reverence to it for sure.
“This is a bunch of bullshit,” Owen clipped. “You treat that prick like he’s the Second Coming. Then he’s a grade A dick, bossing us around. Wasting time when we could be making real progress.”
Shep’s jaw worked like he’d taken a chaw of tobacco. “That’s enough.”
“What, we can’t speak our minds now?” Owen snapped.
“You could if you were being respectful. But you never are, Owen. You act like a three-year-old throwing a tantrum when you don’t get your way. And I’m done with it.”
Owen stiffened. “You firin’ me?”
Shep stared him down. “I’m giving you one last shot. You get your shit together, don’t cause problems or drama, and do the tasks you’ve been assigned…well. That, or you ship out.”
Owen glared at Shep before finally throwing up his hands. “Fuck this. I can get a job with a crew who knows what the hell they’re doing.”
“Good luck with that,” Silas muttered.
Owen made a dive for him, but Shep caught him by the shirt. “Keep moving to your truck,” Shep said, giving him a shove.
“Get off me,” Owen barked. “I’m going.”
He stalked toward his beat-up pickup, climbing inside and slamming the door behind him. The fact that it took three tries to get the vehicle going diminished a little of the effect. But he gunned the engine to make up for it.
