Page 146 of Split You Open

“I taught you better than this, Blair Bear.”

“You taught me to be fearless,” she counters with a one shoulder shrug. “And hiding in the shadows sure sounds a whole lot like being afraid. I prefer to face any threat in the light. I’m not going to hide my face anymore—well, after all this Dixie stuff is taken care of, of course.”

I smirk at Anchor. “She’s right, you know.”

“I tend to be right a lot these days,” Blair mutters. “It’s exhausting.”

Wes and Santi laugh and Rhett even manages to let out a soft chuckle.

Anchor gives them all a deadpan look. Rather than waste his breath he turns back to Blair and quirks a brow. “You’ve grown awfully chatty, Blair. I hope you’re not picking up bad habits. This isn’t a time to grow careless.”

Blair presses her lips together and looks down at her empty plate.

My chest tightens and beneath the table my hand curls into a fist.

“Careless?” Wes repeats slowly, as if tasting the word. “Blair is the least careless individual I know.”

Blair shoots him a grateful smile.

Anchor barely spares him a glance. “She would be even less so if she didn’t talk so much. Continue on this path and she’ll be used to conversation and be unable to help herself during future interactions. She must be content with silence.”

“That’s fucking bullshit,” Rhett growls. To Blair he says, “Talk all you want.”

“Maybe don’t take advice from Tyler Cane—a wanted felon,” Anchor counters coolly.

Rhett balks in surprise, as does Santi and Wes.

I’m not as shocked. If Anchor knew Rhett Wells didn’t exist, he would’ve done more research to see who he really was.

“C’mon, Anchor,” I shake my head at his ridiculousness. “Your daughter is happy you're alive. After the shit that’s been going down, she’s allowed to be a bit exuberant.”

Across the table, Rhett growls. He reaches for his glass of water and throws it back when Santi nudges his shoulder.

My best friend glances at me. “I don’t want you encouraging bad behavior. Her chattiness might be the reason she ends up dead.”

It takes everything in me not to bristle. This is what it’s always like. Me being a buffer between Blair and her dad. This is normal. Yet, for some reason, his quips at his daughter are pissing me off more than normal.

“That seems highly unlikely and we’ll not be shutting your daughter down each time she opens her mouth,” Wes tells Anchor. The look he gives my old friend would make anyone else wither. “I care what Blair has to say.”

“Speaking of ending up dead,” Santi says hastily, changing the subject. “Do you know who this Dixie person is or where to find him?”

Anchor holds my gaze. “It’s none of your concern. None of this is, anymore.”

“Did you take care of him, already?” I ask, surprised.

Well, shit, maybe this visit from Anchor isn’t so ominous after all?

“No.”

Oh… Well, fuck.

Frowning, I ask, “Then why shouldn’t we be worried?”

“Because I’m taking Blair with me to remove the threat. We’ll be out of your hair shortly. Your lives can go back to normal.”

My fist slams down on the table at the same time Wes, Rhett, and Santi leap to their feet.

“What?!”