I shouldn’t hug him. I knew he had to let me go.
Get yourself together, Lottie. He’s going to hate you even more for making him look weak.
It took every ounce of strength to stop me from holding him.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“I brought food,” Ive said.
“I’ve got to talk with Rage in my office,” Ive said.
I kept my gaze averted. Tonight, I couldn’t see his disappointment or his look of disgust. There was no way I’d be able to handle that.
I started to walk away from Ive, but he grabbed my hand, and I turned to see his hand in mine. He lifted my fingers to his lips and kissed my knuckles. “I got the report from the doctor. He said you might be in a bit of shock.”
“I’m fine.”
My heart had started to beat faster as he kissed my knuckles. I chanced a quick look at his face. I didn’t know what I expected to see. Ive was difficult to read, but I knew he wasn’t angry with me. He wasn’t disappointed or upset. This was good. Anything else, I could handle.
“Go and eat,” he said.
I nodded.
The food was placed in the kitchen and Cassiecame with me.
It was good old traditional drive-thru food. Burgers, fries, even corn dogs, and I was suddenly hungry. I didn’t get a chance to eat earlier. Food hadn’t seemed important while waiting for him to return home, but now I was starving. My mouth watered for a taste.
“Are you okay?” Cassie asked.
In all honesty, I had no idea how I felt. Happy, sad, terrified. They were all working their magic on my body, and I couldn’t think, nor focus. “I’m fine.”
“Come on, Charlotte. I know you. I knowyou’re not fine.”
“No.”
Shaking my head, I force a smileto my lips. “Forget it. I don’t know what I’m talking about.”
“Maybe, and this is just me watching you and Ive, but have you thought that you’re worried for your husband’s safety?””Ive’s fine.”
“I know he’s fine and can handle himself and all that, but maybe you have feelings for your husband.”
We grabbed some food and moved toward the dining room table.
I snort. “That’s not possible.”
“Why not?”
Cassiewaved her hand in the air as if that wasn’t important. “Don’t think of it in those terms, because they’re not great things to think about.”
This made me frown.
“You asked me about sex. Are you wanting to have sex with Ive?”
I felt my cheeks heating. “Can we just eat good?”
“Charlotte, I’m being serious. You and I both know that being shot at is scary, it’s real fucking scary, but we’ve lived through it.”
“Yeah, we’ve been shot at but wehaven’t been the main targets. I was a main target tonight.” I was trying to distract my sister.
“I know you were one of the main targets, but-and this is the big but-you weren’t the only target. Tonight, you weren’t afraid for yourself. You kept staring at the door. The moment Ive walked in, you threw yourself over to him. That means you have feelings for him.”
I shake my head. “It doesn’t.”
Cassie sighed. “You don’t have to be afraid. It’s good to have feelings, but I think you’re trying to pretend they don’t exist because you’re worried someone is going to take it from you. Dad always did that to you. It’s why you stopped trying to care about anything. Dad is gone.”
“I know.”
“He’s not going to take anything from you. Never again.”
I looked down at the table. “I know he’s gone.”
“What is it?” Cassie asked.
“He has a lot of enemies, Cassie. He’s Volkov. It was a name that even made Dad scared.”