Page 131 of Split You Open

He wraps his large arms around me and holds me against him.

I’m stunned.

Is he comforting me right now?

Shit, he didn’t even do this when Dad put me through my paces as a kid. The closest he’d get to comforting me was bringing me my favorite snack or talking with me well after Dad went to sleep.

It’s almost as perfect as his kiss.

After a moment of hesitation due to shock, I lean against Ledger, wrapping my arms around his neck. His arms hold me tighter and it settles something in me. Soon, the trembling stops. When it does, I force myself to let him go and lean back.

Ledger doesn’t let go.

“I’ll be more careful with you in the future—or at the very least, try to be.”

The future… He’s talking about our future.

I sag against Ledger’s chest, savoring his embrace for as long as he’ll let me. When he finally pulls back, it’s only so that he can bend down to kiss me again.

His beard tickles me once more.

I laugh, the sound tired and soft as I pull away. Reaching up, I cup his cheek in my hand.

“Where do we go from here?” I ask.

“You need to soak in some hot water. I’d say we can turn on the hot tub but if trouble comes back, I don’t want you outside. I’ll wait until you're done in the shower or bath then I’ll go grab those drones I shot down.” He says, though his arms remain around me holding me in place.

I nod.

“I’ll hunt down and kill Dixie, Blair,” Ledger adds. “No one touches my goddaughter.”

I smile.

While things won’t be perfect between us right now until I know Dad is safe, I have full confidence in Ledger’s ability to keep me out of reach from danger.

Because, despite what’s transpired, Ledger’s always swooped in and been my hero.

Twenty-Eight

Santiago

“Son of a bitch…” I pull the screw driver away to check the screwhead.

Good, I didn’t strip it.

“Need a hand?” Ledger asks as he crouches down beside me.

“No, I got this handled.”

I need to do something or I’m going to go crazy. This is making me feel useful.

After coming back empty-handed this afternoon—there’s been this current of unease and dread running through the four of us. It’s like a weighted blanket has draped itself over Gnarly Pines and it’s starting to suffocate me.

If I could just kill someone, I think I’d feel better. No, you know what? I’d definitely feel better. Killing assholes has never not improved my mood.

Like fucking robots, we’d come back and gone about our day as if Blair’s enemies hadn’t just come snooping around here looking for her. It felt surreal. I understand why we had to, though. Nothing can look amiss around here or it’ll raise questions. The heads of Gnarly Pines running out of their respective zones to disappear for a few hours was already weird enough for our employees. We didn’t need to make it any stranger for them by not returning to our shifts.

The only person who seems completely unfazed by the whole situation is Blair. I glance in her direction, watching as she grills up dinner. She’s humming softly as she flips a steak over. I don’t know the tune, but maybe because she’s humming way off key? In any case, it’s strangely upbeat. I know she is affected—how can you not be? But it’s like she’s determined to keep from being crushed by this helplessness that’s descended upon the rest of us.