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“No,” Blake said, probably louder than he’d meant to, but Skyla just shook her head and turned away from him, hiding the emotion and memories this place was bringing out. “Don’t ever think or say that. Not to me,” he put a hand on her shoulder.
“But it’s true,” Skyla whispered. “The world was a better place with her in it. With me, I’m just -”
He stood then and kneeled in front of her. “You’re not just anything. You’re you, and you’re incredible. The world needs you. I need you.” He added that last part and something inside her shifted. “In just a few short weeks, you’ve changed my life in ways I never thought possible. I know we’re not dating, but that doesn’t mean we don’t talk, or spend time together. I mean, if nothing else, you’ve significantly made me improve my omelet making skills.”
Skyla giggled. It was one of the things she loved most about Blake. He always knew when to lighten things up and just how to make her laugh when she was on the verge of tears or a meltdown. Even over something stupid, like orders at Madigan’s getting mixed up, or the landlord of the building announcing he was going to double their rent when the lease was up next year, or when she spilled coffee on herself right before needing to leave for work, and had to run back to change, making her late and almost miss an important delivery for Madigan’s.
How Blake figured her out so well when no one else ever had, Skyla didn’t know. Unless maybe no one else had ever really tried. He took his place next to her on the bench they’d been sitting on inside the butterfly garden, where they stayed the rest of the day, watching the butterflies, letting them land on their hands, knees, shoulders, heads, and even on their noses. Laughter and words flowed between them like nectar from the flowers. Of all the moments and days, they’d shared so far, this was Skyla’s favorite by far. Maybe even her best day ever. “Thank you for bringing me here. You have no idea what this meant to me,” she said when they started their drive back to Blake’s place.
“We can come back all month long. Every Tuesday if you want.” He glanced over at her while stopped at a red light, and she knew he meant it. He really would bring her back here as many times as she wanted to come, and in that moment, Skyla realized something.
She loved him. She was in love with Blake O’Connell, and this had been their first date. “It’s a date,” she said, carefully eyeing his reaction.
He glanced at her, the corners of his mouth just barely pulling upward, his eyes gleaming with a quiet joy. Blake didn’t have to say anything.
He agreed.
Chapter 20
Blake was happier than he’d ever been, and it was all because of Skyla. The last several weeks were some of the best he could remember. Every morning that he woke up with Skyla next to him was another day he had to get to know her. But even though everything seemed to be going perfectly, he couldn’t help the feeling of impending doom that kept filling his gut every night.
Skyla healed a goon for Arlo J at least twice a week, and he hated it with a passion. She claimed she could handle it, but he got to see firsthand just how wrung out she was after every healing session. It made him want to end Arlo J with his bare hands. But Caden insisted they had to wait. Make sure they had all their ducks in a row before going after him and his guys. Except everything in Blake screamed that they were running out of time. He just didn’t have the evidence to back it up.
And Vivian, he’d sent her on a wild goose chase to keep her away from his friends, but he almost preferred having her at his back, then out doing her own thing. At least then he knew exactly what she was up to. Now, he had no idea, and it didn’t sit right with him.
One early morning, he woke up to the sound of his phone ringing nonstop. He slammed his hand against the edge of the bedside table trying to silence it before it woke Skyla and he cursed under his breath at the lightning of pain that shot through his wrist. He fiddled with things until his fingers landed on the buzzing cell phone and placed it to his ear. “O’Connell,” he whisper-barked.
“Blake, thank goodness you picked up. I know it’s early, but Brennan is in trouble and I didn’t know who else to call. I tried to get off work but they’re short staffed, and I wouldn’t know what to do even if I could get to her.” His mom's panicked voice made his whole body go tense with concern for his little sister.
“Slow down, Mom. Tell me what happened. Where is she?” Blake asked, sitting up and searching the dark room for his clothes. Skyla rolled over next to him, rubbing her eyes, waking at the sound of his voice.
“She’s in jail, Blake,” his mom’s voice cracked and it took everything in him not to race over there and gather her into his arms to reassure her that everything would be okay.
“Where?” He stood and started pulling on the pants he wore yesterday that had been left in a heap on the floor.
“Pensacola, Florida,” his mom said. “Can you help her, Blake? Please say you’ll go to her. I can’t imagine how terrified she must be. Please -”
“I’m on my way, and I’m not leaving Florida without her, Mom. She’ll be okay. Trust me.”
“Oh honey, I do. Thank you, Sweetheart. Please call or text me as soon as you know something. Promise me you’ll let me know. She was so upset when she called me, I could hardly make out what she said through her sobs. My poor sweet girl. Oh Blake,” his mother’s sobs were breaking his heart, but he needed to keep a level head. Whatever Brennan had gotten herself into, she needed the FBI Agent, not the overprotective brother right now.
“I’ll take care of it, Mom. I’ll call you soon. I love you.” Blake ended the call and looked over at Skyla for the first time since his mother had told him that Brennan was in jail. To his surprise Skyla was up and dressed, with her hair pulled up in a messy bun. Even her shoes were on.
“I’m going with you,” she said matter-of-factly.
Blake didn’t have time to argue with her, and even if he did, he liked that she was so determined to go with him. To be there for him. “What about Madigan’s?”
“I’ll call my manager. She can handle things for a few days.” Skyla lifted her purse, tossed her cellphone inside and came to stand beside him. “I’ll call her from the car. Come on, your sister needs us.”
Us. Blake didn’t think Skyla could actually do anything that would help Brennan in a legal sense, but the simple fact that she wanted to help her, wanted to be there for him and Brennan, warmed his heart almost to the point of cracking. He wrapped his arms around Skyla and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Thank you.”
Skyla made her calls regarding Madigan’s as soon as they were on the road, and sent a message to Arlo J informing him that she was leaving town for a couple of days. He wasn’t happy, but she assured him that she was coming back in a day or two. Blake couldn’t see what else the asshole said, but from the look on Skyla’s face it was likely a threat that Blake hoped he wouldn’t act on while they were in Florida helping Brennan.
Blake also made several calls. One to Caden, who promised to do whatever he could on his end, and another to the Pensacola Police Department who informed him that Brennan had been arrested on charges of possession with intent to distribute.
In other words, she was well and truly fucked, unless Blake could figure out how to make it a federal case and convince her to turn state’s evidence. That was her only shot of getting out of there. Knowing he was pulling every string he had available, he called Caden back with his plan and to his relief, found that he had Caden’s full support. Caden had met Brennan several times and must’ve known as well as Blake did that jail was no place for someone like her. But first, Blake had to figure out why his sister was involved with drugs. She might be a free spirit, but she had never broken the law.
It was a ten-hour drive from Dallas to Pensacola, and they only stopped for gas, food, and to use the restrooms at gas stations on the way. They’d left Blake’s apartment just before four in the morning and needed to get there before five o’clock, if he had any hope of getting his sister out before the courts closed, and she was forced to spend the night in jail.
