Lia hummed as she set dinner on the table in the mess hall. The men were filing in. She was finally contributing to their little community—and it was gratifying.
The screen door cracked open, and Lia looked up. A smile stretched across her face instinctively at the sight of Travis, but faded when she couldn’t read whatever was reflected on his face.
“What’s wrong? Are Ro and the baby okay?” she asked.
“They’re fine. Little girl’s name is Mira. She’s healthy and beautiful.”
“Then what—?” Her words broke off when she saw the man standing behind him. Her legs turned to Jell-O, and she sank to her knees. “Oh my God,” she breathed.
“Lia, honey. Holy shit, you’re alive.”
“Jack. Omigod. Omigod.”
She pushed off the floor and stumbled to her feet.
They met in the center of the room, and he lifted her up and swung her around.
“Cannot believe you’re here. I’ve been looking for you, girl.”
“I thought you were dead. I thought…” Tears burst free and streamed down her cheeks.
For long moments, Cam stood beside Travis and watched as Lia bawled in her brother’s arms. He was happy as fuck the man wasn’t dead, but he wanted to dry her tears and make sure she never cried again. Screw the happy tears bullshit—no tears from Lia were good tears, in his opinion.
When Lia’s brother finally lowered her to the ground, she immediately threw herself at Travis. Cam didn’t even think, he stepped up and closed the circle around her, and they both held her while she laughed and cried some more.
The hard “What the fuck, man?” from Jackson had him lifting his head.
Lia turned in their arms and faced her brother. She tensed, and Cam knew it was because of the disapproval clearly branded on her brother’s features. Cam dropped his eyes to Lia’s face, and all of the joy that had been there was fading away.
Cam manned up. “She’s ours, man. I know it’s a little different arrangement from what you’re probably used to … but—”
Jack’s expression darkened. “What the fuck are you talking about? Lia, get over here.”
“I know she’s your sister, but even you don’t get to talk to her like that,” Travis bit out.
“Lia,” Jack growled again.
“Enough,” Lia said. “All of you.” She turned to Cam. “I think I need to have a word with my brother. In private.”
As much as he didn’t want to let her go, he knew he didn’t have a choice.
“We’ll be right here waiting when you’re done, sweetheart.” He didn’t bother to look at Jack as he pressed a kiss to her temple. A disapproving brother wasn’t going to change a damn thing between them. He wouldn’t let it.
He’s alive. The words chanted in Lia’s head on repeat as she led Jack toward the cabin she used to share with Erica. She wasn’t sure why she went there, but she did. Maybe because she didn’t want her brother in the space she shared with Cam and Travis.
She pushed open the door and was thankful to find it empty. She took a seat on her old twin bed and nodded to Erica’s. “Feel free to have a seat.”
There was a table and two chairs in one corner of the cabin, but they were covered in Erica’s clothes and other stuff.
They sat knee to knee, and Jack grabbed her hand and held it between his. “I didn’t come here to fight with you. Fuck, I’m not going to fight with you. I’ve spent the last nine months going crazy not knowing where you were and how you were doing. Or fuck, if you were even…” he trailed off, but Lia finished for him.
“If I was alive? I know the feeling. The last glimpse I got of you was you in a pool of blood. I thought you were dead. I didn’t think anyone could live through that … not without regularly functioning hospitals and surgeons.”
Jack squeezed her hand. “I almost died. More than once. Hell. Infections, dehydration—you name it, it almost killed me. But I’m a stubborn son of a bitch, and I wasn’t going to let anything take me out. And I never lost hope of finding you. Saving you.”
She squeezed his hand back. “I don’t need saving anymore. I’ve got real heroes right here. Without them … I would’ve died. Either the men who kidnapped me would’ve done it, or I would’ve finished the job for them.”
Jack’s eyes slammed closed, and his features creased.