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“What does that have to do with me?” He didn’t love the fact that helping with the search efforts had somehow made him a part of this town.

“You’re going to help me make him jealous,” she replied with a cackle. “Come on, pretty boy.”

She tugged him to her table and that was how Theo ended up drinking too much with Dolores and spilling all his secrets to her. Well, most of his secrets.

“I just thought I could trust her, you know?”

“Trust is important,” Dolores said, glancing over her shoulder to keep an eye on what Sal was up to.

“That’s what I’ve been saying but no one listens.”

Dolores returned her attention to Theo without a drop of sympathy on her face.

“But so is forgiveness.”

Theo scoffed.

“You love that girl?”

“I … we … it’s complicated.”

Dolores rolled her eyes. “Stop being a stubborn idiot and talk to her.” She patted his hand. “Now I have to go reclaim my man. Good luck.” She scooted out of the booth and left Theo alone and lonely and a little bit drunk.

Ruby was wrong.

He didn’t feel better at all.

He went outside to get some air and wait for Rafe and Ruby to be done and to his surprise, he found Knox leaning against the side of the brick building.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“Came to pick up Lena.”

“Wow.”

“Do you have something to say to me about it, little brother?” Knox asked, straightening from his lean.

“Nah. Nothing at all.”

Theo raised his fist, but Knox caught it before it could make contact with his face. The bastard had always been too damn fast.

“What the hell, Theo?”

“You hid from me for a fucking week.” His voice was raw and ragged between painful breaths as he yanked his hand back, but he didn’t bother to try and hit him again. “You conspired with my … my … Phoebe to make me look like an asshole.”

“You are an asshole,” Knox ground out. “And I didn’t conspire with your little girlfriend. I just asked a few nymphs to cover my tracks. Relax.”

“Relax? Relax!” Theo scoffed. “That’s pretty fucking funny coming from the man who hasn’t relaxed a day in his whole life.”

Knox smirked. “Why are you really mad, Theo?”

He didn’t know. He had no idea why he was yelling at Knox about relaxing. They lapsed into silence, letting the noise from the bar filter in between them. They were both leaning against the side of the building now, facing the empty street.

Theo shook out his hand.

His brother had a hard grip.

“I… Everyone keeps talking about your grand plan.”