Home > Courage (Blackstone, #4)(5)

Courage (Blackstone, #4)(5)
Author: J.L. Drake

“Ready for some madness?” He broke into my thoughts.

“Bring it on.” I forced a smile and followed him up a staircase and into a delicious-smelling entryway. Was that nutmeg? My mouth started to water.

“May I take your jacket?”

I shrugged out of the heavy wool pea coat and handed it to him, and a chubby white cat flopped on his back and spread his legs, awaiting attention.

“Take my advice and don’t touch it.” He wrinkled his nose at the cat. “He’s a shameless flirt who only has eyes for Savannah.”

“Good to know.” I avoided eye contact as I stepped over the meowing fur ball.

“Follow me.” He led me through the entryway and into a massive living room. An older lady dressed in a pair of slacks and a green sweater greeted us with a warm smile.

“Welcome back, Frank.”

“Abigail.” He gave a polite nod before he turned to me. “I want to introduce you to Sloane Harlow. She’ll be staying with you for a little bit.”

I held out my hand, but she wrapped her arms around me instead. At first, I was taken aback, but her warmth was so infectious I hugged her back just as tightly.

“Lovely to meet you, Abigail.”

“Any friend of Frank’s is a friend of ours.” Her love for people poured from her, and I instantly missed my mother.

Frank whirled around when a nice-looking man came in. “Logan, where’s Black?”

“Peak,” he said through a bite of an apple and tapped on a tank that held a lively fish with weird eyes.

“Shit, seriously?” Frank muttered.

“Pardon me?” Abby turned to Cole, and to my surprise, spoke to him bluntly. “You let him go to the peak? He just got home, and he was shot, for goodness sake.”

“He must need it.”

“Still, Cole.” She rubbed her cheek, obviously worried.

Cole shrugged, unfazed by her comment. I hadn’t had much time to brush up on the Blackstone men. I had just finished up my last case and was told to stop everything and meet Frank at the airport in only two days and to bring enough clothes to last me awhile. Once I was in the air, I was told where I was going and why, and even though I was beyond upset with the decision being made for me, I knew I didn’t have a choice. I knew he was right, but I still didn’t like being told to pack up and move without a say in the matter.

Normally, I’d make sure I knew all the ins and outs of everyone, but there hadn’t been any time. Frank did, however, gave me a file on Cole and Savannah, so I wasn’t completely out of touch on the family dynamic, but the rest of them I’d have to learn about. He mentioned that some boxes would be waiting for me when I got settled. At least I wouldn’t be wasting time and would be useful. I was good at my job, and I was determined to help in any way possible. I would do anything for Frank.

“He’s a grown-ass man, Abs.” Cole took another bite. “What am I going to do?”

“You could have stopped him.”

That made Cole chuckle in amusement.

“Telling John not to go to the peak is like telling Mark there’s no dinner. It doesn’t happen.”

A chair hit the floor in the other room, and someone shouted. “There’s no dinner?”

Cole’s eyebrow lifted. “Case in point.”

“Cole,” Abby put her hands on her hips with a sigh, “he’s injured, and he should be resting, not to mention he found—”

“No, really,” a boyish-looking man was in the entryway of kitchen, “what’s going on? Savi promised to cook.”

“Don’t worry, Marcus, I’m about to start dinner.” Abby shook her head at me, but I could tell she loved every moment of it by the way she looked at the guys. Love and patience were written all over her face.

“That’s not funny.” He pointed at Cole before he grabbed two cookies off the counter and spotted me. “Company? Why didn’t anyone tell me?” He shoved a cookie in his mouth before he held out his free hand. “Mark Lopez.” Crumbs fell from his lips, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Sloane Harlow.”

He tilted his head to study me. “I see a little Latina in you and…” He waited for me to finish.

“Hungarian, Latina, but born in America.”

“Oh, that explains your intense blue eyes.”

I smiled at his mannerisms. He was like a sweet boy trapped in a man’s body.

“Köszönöm,” I replied, thanks in Hungarian.

His hand landed on his chest. “That was so sexy.”

“Right.” Frank rolled his eyes. “How much longer until Black returns? I’d like to have a meeting sooner rather than later.”

Cole grabbed the binoculars off the counter and headed for the living room. Frank motioned for me to follow. He adjusted the center knob and raised them to look somewhere up on one of the mountains.

“Can’t see him, so he must be on his way back.”

“Or dead on a ledge somewhere.” Abby scowled.

“He’s been climbing since he could walk, Abby. Today is no different.”

Mark strolled in with more cookies and sprawled out on the couch, perfectly at ease with someone new in the house. It was oddly comforting. I’d spent a lot of time around awkward, uncomfortable people, so this was new and welcome.

The back patio door opened, and the sound of someone hitting their boots together had Abby sighing with relief.

Cole responded with a “told ya” smile.

“Don’t start, young man,” she warned as she turned and placed her hands on her hips.

“Johnathan Davin Black, march your butt in here.”

A light chuckle could be heard as he moved about. My cell rang, and I quickly fished it from my purse. Checking the ID, I groaned.

Cole’s face questioned, and Frank shook his head. “The line is secure.”

“Excuse me,” I lowered the phone, “I have to take this.”

“Please, take my office,” Cole said softly as I answered the phone and told Henry to hold on.

“Ah…” Frank took a step toward me, but I shook my head for him to stop.

“Just act normal, right?” I reminded him I knew my part.

“Just be careful.”

“That’s why I’m here, right?”

He backed off, and I followed Cole down a hallway.

Henry was just like the rest of them. Well, I could tell myself that, even though deep down I knew he was different, but most of the time clients just needed to let the anger settle before they could move on. I hoped that eventually Henry would too.

Cole’s office was gorgeous, just like the rest of the house. The fireplace was on, so I moved to stand in front of it.

“Take your time.” He nodded before he left me.

With a heavy sigh, I felt the weight pull at my chest as I lifted the phone to my ear.

“Henry, you know you’re not supposed to use this number.”

“When I call the other one, you don’t answer.”

I closed my eyes to calm my nerves. “That’s because I’m working on a new case now. I don’t have time to chat about ones that are over.”

“Says the lawyer who didn’t win the case.”

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