She frowned, Alexei’s name less familiar to her, but I didn’t have time to explain that situation. If we survived the next few hours, he could explain it himself.
“What are you going to say to them?” Juana spoke from across the table. “You don’t even have all the answers.”
“Doesn’t matter. Whatever they ask you, just tell them the truth.”
“All of it?”
Heavy boots approached the chapel door.Cam. I nodded. “All of it.”
* * *
Cam wasn’t alone. The entire council, even Decoy, filed in behind him and took any seat available.
Embry was last. He ignored the vacant chair beside me and Liliana, and leaned against the wall, gaze still spitting fury, but his entire body slumped, defeated. And I knew why. We’d fucked. We’dslepttogether, entwined and peaceful in his bed, his nightmares left at the door. And now here we were, different men to who we’d been an hour ago, the rest of it a burning mess at the side of the road.
Look at me, cielito.
He wouldn’t. I knew like I knew a part of my soul would die every day that he didn’t.
Cam cleared his throat. “Mateo, I’m gonna need you to let Decoy take your kid out.”
Decoy hadn’t taken a seat. Somehow, I’d missed him hovering beside me, conflict raging in his strict gaze. “She’ll be safe with me.”
I believed him, but she wouldn’t go. Not with him for no other reason than I’d never told her she should. “She stays with me.”
“You sure?” Decoy stared me down. “Might be some shit in this room you don’t want her to hear.”
“She won’t go with you.”
“Let her stay,” Juana spoke at the same time. “There’s nothing you can say that can frighten her more than what we left behind.”
“And what is that?” Alexei said casually, spinning a cigarette lighter on the table. “You dropped your bag in the yard, JuanaEsteban. I am hoping you are not who I think you are.”
Of course he knew the worst of it, without me saying a fucking word. Liliana was still on the table. I pulled her into my lap and whispered in her ear. “Decoy’s a good brother. A girl dad like me. Go with him, mi niña. I’ll find you when this is over.”
“I want to go with Embry.”
“No. He needs to be here.”
“Rubi, then.”
“No—”
“I’ll take her.” Rubi took Decoy’s place beside me and held out his big arms. “No one else is around yet. I’ll get her something from the café and take her to Cam’s room.”
It was the safest place with a private bathroom and off limits to the general membership. I stood and handed my daughter to the brother who faced the worst of me on a regular basis. His hazel eyes held the same grim confusion as everyone else, but empathy swam there too, or at least the will to try.
Rubi set Liliana down and held out his hand.
She took it, trusting the Rubi she’d come to know from every story I’d ever told her, and they left.
Decoy followed them out.
I sat back down.
Cam leaned forward, elbows on the table.
On his right, Nash glared at the ancient wood. At his left, Saint stared right through me, his gaze hitting the wall. Bitter pain hit my chest, and without Liliana to guard, I couldn’t hold myself up.