“He has been backpacking through Asia for the last few years.” So he hadn’t been one of them to call me.
“Does he know I’m here?” I knew Shilah didn’t like surprises either. He had a temper like Dad. I wasn’t close to him. He was seven years older than me and that didn’t help with the relationship either.
Kota leaned back in his chair and looked between Maze and Kia. He had rolled up his sleeves some point after we arrived and showed off the tattoos on both arms. He looked every bit like a hardass.
Kia nodded his head. “Yes and that’s why he is coming home after these last few years. He hasn’t met the girls yet either.” He popped the top on his beer and took a long chug. Maze stayed silent and ate her food. Her eyes didn’t leave her plate. Dread swirled in my gut. My phone vibrated against my leg.
I was thankful for the distraction.Perfect timing, Derek.
Derek-How is it? Did you get arrested yet? ;)
I had to bite my lip to keep myself from grinning.
Me-Brother is the cop. What a plot twist.
Derek-Kind of predictable actually
I wanted to take the conversation back to Kota’s house and lock myself in the guest room. Then Maze piped up and my curiosity made me put my phone away.
“Where’s Islah?” Maze placed her fork beside the plate and watched Kota. Kota’s eyes darted to me then darted to his untouched steak.
“She’s at the bakery.” His voice was soft.
“You didn’t want her to come to dinner to meet your sister?” That was Maze’s angle. She was trying to stir the pot. I looked at all of them and leaned back in the chair. Kota hadn’t mentioned Islah and somehow Maze knew that. Or maybe she was guessing. Maze reached over and placed her hand on mine. It was meant to be comforting like Elise had done that night, but when Maze did it, it was different. It was fake. “Don’t worry, Aiya, you’ll meet her tonight when she gets home.”
She lived with Kota. I pulled my hand out from under Maze’s. I pulled the Barbies from my purse. I put them on the table, pushed my chair back, and stood up. “My family are the only ones that are allowed to call me Aiya.” Kia took another chug of his beer. “And quite frankly, none of you are my family. I don’t know why I came here. But this isn’t what I hoped for.”
Kia went to stand. I held my hand up. “I hope your daughters enjoy their gifts, wherever they are.”
I marched right to the Tahoe and stood outside of the passenger door until Kota finally emerged from the house. He unlocked the hulking vehicle and I slammed the door after I climbed in.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Kota muttered as he started the car.
I was floored. “Excuse me?”
“Maze means well.”
I rolled my eyes. “No, she doesn’t she was trying to kick a hornet's nest and then she called me by my nickname.”
“Did you mean what you said in there?” His voice was so small and I knew I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have said what I did but I had been so angry. These people weren’t my family. The family I knew and loved was back in Virginia waiting for me to come home.
“I don’t know any of you.” I squeezed my eyes closed. “But I know you. You are the same, but Kia isn’t.”
Kota’s hand found mine and it was like we were little again, holding onto each other for dear life. “No, he isn’t the same. He watched horrific things happen to his mother and then his sister disappeared. He’s a cop because of those things, but being a cop showed him more of the shit that goes on here. He wasn’t prepared for it and had to protect himself emotionally. He will never be the same. But he isn’t bad.” I opened my eyes and Kota wrapped me up in one of his famous bear hugs. “Give them another chance.”
“Only if you tell me the truth about Islah.”
“Deal.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Derek
I never expectedmyself to feel protective over someone outside of my SEAL team. But here I was waiting for her next text to go through.
“Just call her,” Ian said across the table. We were at Halona’s again. I didn’t mind but Aiyanna wasn’t here and it was boring without her. I stopped pretending to drink and her plant didn’t look so bad anymore. The brown on the leaves was starting to go away, which was a plus.
I grunted. I wasn’tthatobvious staring at my phone. Elise took my hand in hers and I pressed my lips into a thin line. “She’s going to be fine! No reason to be nervous. Maybe she will love it and it’ll help her heal.”
