Aleki nodded and drew down the covers. She sighed in satisfaction.
Caleb looked from Aleki to Wolfe. “The idea of her hurt or afraid or in need makes me feel ill. I’m sorry that you guys don’t think I should care about her. But I can’t just stop.”
Aleki got it. He wished he didn’t. But he did. All these years and he hadn’t been able to forget her.
Seemed Caleb was in the same boat.
Vivi thrashed back and forth, mumbling to herself. Damn it. What was going on? She had a badly twisted ankle. Was obviously underweight. The wound on her arm was infected, which explained her temperature. But it didn’t explain how she’d gotten it.
The doctor wouldn’t tell them anything more until she woke up.
Her legs kicked back and forth, as though she was fighting off some demon before she relaxed back on the bed.
Who was she scared of?
“Should we call her father?” Wolfe asked. “Haven’t we done our part? We found her. We got her medical help. I’m sure he’s worried about her.”
Caleb shook his head. “We can’t contact anyone. Not until we know what’s going on. She’s scared of someone.”
“And you think that person is her father? The Governor of California?” Wolfe asked skeptically.
Aleki studied her. What the fuck was going on?
Caleb ran his hand over his face. “Aleki? What do you think?”
“I don’t want to contact anyone until we talk to her. Something has gone really wrong and we need to figure out what that is.”
Wolfe sighed and straightened. “Fine. But don’t forget that we actually have a job to get back to.”
“We’re owed time off,” Caleb countered.
“Time off? You call this a holiday?” Wolfe waved a hand around the room.
“You hate holidays,” Aleki countered. “You don’t understand the point of them.”
“Waste of time. Still, the two of you seem to enjoy them. Wouldn’t you rather be sipping some disgusting cocktails and being hit on by scantily-clad women than taking care of someone who betrayed us?”
“Jesus, Wolfe. She didn’t betray us,” Caleb said with exasperation.
“She left us. If you’re not with us, then you’re against us.”
Aleki got why Wolfe thought like that. Even if it was flawed. She wasn’t against them. She’d just gone off to live her life. Without him. Them.
And somehow ended up like this.
He hadn’t realized how much his brothers had needed her. Wolfe had shut down and he hadn’t really opened up again. While Caleb had become more of a workaholic. And he hadn’t been in a relationship since.
Neither have you.
He’d barely looked at another woman. Never told anyone he loved them. Had the occasional quick, one-night stand that had made him feel ill afterward.
Like he was betraying her.
“We don’t drink cocktails,” Caleb muttered.
“And those women come on to us, not the other way around,” Aleki added.
Women didn’t come on to Wolfe. They steered clear of him. Wolfe stepped forward and pulled the blanket up to her waist then turned towards the door.