gotten a tiny version of
their story in the short amount of time she had been with Ash, but it was
enough to paint a good picture.
"Con wouldn't make you miss out on my lasagna
anyway," Ash continued.
"Conall and Fergus are good men. Good brothers.
Trustworthy."
Ash stopped what she was doing and studied her for a moment.
"They are. Always have been even when I thought they were complete
assholes. But I know they love me and I love them. I trust them with my life.
They've taken care of me for forever so why wouldn't I?"
Emily nodded and felt a lump form in her throat. She had no
idea if Rayce loved her, but she knew without a doubt she loved him. If she
didn't, she wouldn't be risking her life to help him. And trusting him? Well,
she hoped the fact that they were family was enough reason to trust him.
"Do you have any siblings, Emily?"
"A younger brother."
Ash waited for more, but Emily wasn't quite sure how to give
more. That was the only thing she could say that wouldn't bring down the happy
mood they had been sitting in.
"Do you see him often?" Ash asked and plopped down
on the edge of the bed next to Emily.
She shook her head, then shrugged. "Not really. The
last few years we had lost touch."
"And now?"
Now? The last time she saw him was the night her life
basically ended. How many months had it been? She didn't count. Her mind
drifted to their last conversation.
"Emily, the man was coming to arrest me. If you
don't do this, I'll end up being the primary suspect and with a record, no way
I'll get out of it. Evidence or no evidence."
She raked a hand through her hair and tried to push back
the tears. "Rayce, I can't lie."
He clutched her shoulders and shook her gently,
"It's not lying. I saw him do it. He shot him right in the head without a
second thought. His prints will be all over that gun."
" Then you go to the police," she
objected.
He shook her again, harder this time and his grip
tightened on her shoulders, making her whimper. "You know damn well I
can't do that. I'm the one he was arresting. Trust me, they'll just think I'm
trying to get out of it. Plus, I work for Lucien Ripley's enemy. I'll be killed
within the first week, Em."
"I'm your sister ! You don't think they will
suspect something?" she pleaded with him.
"They'll have no choice."
It took another five minutes of arguing back and forth,
but Emily gave in. Rayce looked frantic and he had come to her . Proof
enough that he was desperate.
She was the only one who could protect him.
She didn't forget that he was involved with dangerous
people, but he was her brother. She had failed him enough. It was time to make
up for all of it.
"And what about his brother? He'll kill me ,
Rayce."
He shook his head and narrowed his eyes, "I won't
let him. As long as I'm on the outside, I can protect you. You'll be fine,
Em."
"Emily?"
She shut her eyes and chased the memory away. She had to
forget that night altogether. Everything except the fact that she saw the
officer's body lying in a pool of his own blood in the same hotel room that
Stanton Ripley had been staying in.
"You okay, Emily?"
She turned back to Ash who was looking at her worriedly.
"Sorry, I um, what was the question?"
Ash hesitated, but gave her head a shake and repeated the
question. "You said you had lost touch with your brother. And now?
Have you spoken to him since this whole thing went down?"
She stood from the bed and started around the room,
pretending to study the pictures on the dresser and Ash's knick knacks.
"No, they haven't let me contact anyone. It's too risky."
"That makes sense, I guess."
Emily shrugged and folded her arms across her chest, not
wanting to delve any deeper because she had already lied enough.
Ash got up and moved beside her, "Hey, I know this
isn't easy, but are you going to be alright?"
She nodded and blinked quickly, not letting the tears that
had formed fall down her face.
"You miss your brother," Ash stated quietly.
Emily wasn't sure
their story in the short amount of time she had been with Ash, but it was
enough to paint a good picture.
"Con wouldn't make you miss out on my lasagna
anyway," Ash continued.
"Conall and Fergus are good men. Good brothers.
Trustworthy."
Ash stopped what she was doing and studied her for a moment.
"They are. Always have been even when I thought they were complete
assholes. But I know they love me and I love them. I trust them with my life.
They've taken care of me for forever so why wouldn't I?"
Emily nodded and felt a lump form in her throat. She had no
idea if Rayce loved her, but she knew without a doubt she loved him. If she
didn't, she wouldn't be risking her life to help him. And trusting him? Well,
she hoped the fact that they were family was enough reason to trust him.
"Do you have any siblings, Emily?"
"A younger brother."
Ash waited for more, but Emily wasn't quite sure how to give
more. That was the only thing she could say that wouldn't bring down the happy
mood they had been sitting in.
"Do you see him often?" Ash asked and plopped down
on the edge of the bed next to Emily.
She shook her head, then shrugged. "Not really. The
last few years we had lost touch."
"And now?"
Now? The last time she saw him was the night her life
basically ended. How many months had it been? She didn't count. Her mind
drifted to their last conversation.
"Emily, the man was coming to arrest me. If you
don't do this, I'll end up being the primary suspect and with a record, no way
I'll get out of it. Evidence or no evidence."
She raked a hand through her hair and tried to push back
the tears. "Rayce, I can't lie."
He clutched her shoulders and shook her gently,
"It's not lying. I saw him do it. He shot him right in the head without a
second thought. His prints will be all over that gun."
" Then you go to the police," she
objected.
He shook her again, harder this time and his grip
tightened on her shoulders, making her whimper. "You know damn well I
can't do that. I'm the one he was arresting. Trust me, they'll just think I'm
trying to get out of it. Plus, I work for Lucien Ripley's enemy. I'll be killed
within the first week, Em."
"I'm your sister ! You don't think they will
suspect something?" she pleaded with him.
"They'll have no choice."
It took another five minutes of arguing back and forth,
but Emily gave in. Rayce looked frantic and he had come to her . Proof
enough that he was desperate.
She was the only one who could protect him.
She didn't forget that he was involved with dangerous
people, but he was her brother. She had failed him enough. It was time to make
up for all of it.
"And what about his brother? He'll kill me ,
Rayce."
He shook his head and narrowed his eyes, "I won't
let him. As long as I'm on the outside, I can protect you. You'll be fine,
Em."
"Emily?"
She shut her eyes and chased the memory away. She had to
forget that night altogether. Everything except the fact that she saw the
officer's body lying in a pool of his own blood in the same hotel room that
Stanton Ripley had been staying in.
"You okay, Emily?"
She turned back to Ash who was looking at her worriedly.
"Sorry, I um, what was the question?"
Ash hesitated, but gave her head a shake and repeated the
question. "You said you had lost touch with your brother. And now?
Have you spoken to him since this whole thing went down?"
She stood from the bed and started around the room,
pretending to study the pictures on the dresser and Ash's knick knacks.
"No, they haven't let me contact anyone. It's too risky."
"That makes sense, I guess."
Emily shrugged and folded her arms across her chest, not
wanting to delve any deeper because she had already lied enough.
Ash got up and moved beside her, "Hey, I know this
isn't easy, but are you going to be alright?"
She nodded and blinked quickly, not letting the tears that
had formed fall down her face.
"You miss your brother," Ash stated quietly.
Emily wasn't sure
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