Page 30 of Fracture

He was so damn screwed.

Vinnie rushed through the rest of his shower, soaping himself up and rinsing off and growing hard again. He debated taking care of the problem again, but it would take too long. He would be fine. It would be fine. He could control himself.

He hoped.

By the time Vinnie made it back to the living room, Cade was up and Karli was in the shower. When Cade and Karli swapped placed, Karli took Lorelei to her bedroom to change and pack so they could leave.

They grabbed breakfast and got back on the road, Vinnie behind the wheel and Lorelei right behind him once more.

Two hours in, they stopped so Lorelei could stretch and get some fresh air. Another hour after that, they stopped again. Cade said they were only ninety minutes from Niagara Falls, and Lorelei said she’d try to make it in one trip.

Twenty minutes from Cade and Karli’s house, Lorelei started shifting in her seat. Vinnie watched her in the rearview mirror, wondering if she was okay.

Karli talked, oblivious to Lorelei’s discomfort. Cade continued the conversation with Karli. Neither of them seemed to notice Lorelei was in need of another stop.

Vinnie saw a sign for a rest stop and hit his blinker.

“You okay?” Cade asked.

Vinnie nodded. “Can’t make it. Sorry. Need to stop at the bathroom real quick.”

“Oh, okay,” Cade said.

Vinnie looked at Lorelei in the mirror. She smiled at him. He made the right call.

The stop was only a few minutes, but it made Lorelei feel so much better. She hated making them all stop so many times, but she was uncomfortable. Sometimes it was pain, others just stiff. But she hated it. When they made it to Cade and Karli’s house, Lorelei nearly cried in relief.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay with us? We have plenty of space,” Karli said.

Lorelei got out of Vinnie’s SUV to stretch, again, and shook her head. “I’ll be fine with Vinnie. I know you don’t understand, and I can’t explain it, but I feel like that’s the place I need to be.”

Lorelei glanced at Vinnie. He was unloading Karli and Cade’s things from the back of his SUV. He and Cade were talking too quietly for her to hear what they were saying, but if Lorelei had to guess, it was about her.

“Vinnie knows how to get in touch with me. Adam said the FBI is going to issue you a new phone. Once you have that, we’ll make sure you have a way to contact all of us. And when you’re up for it, we’ll all get together so you know all the people I’ve been telling you about for a week.”

Lorelei breathed a laugh. “That sounds good. Thank you for everything. It was above and beyond.”

Karli shook her head and stepped closer to hug Lorelei. “Not even close. I love you, cuz. I am so happy you’re back and you’re going to be okay. Call me if you need anything.”

Lorelei nodded. “I will.”

Karli hugged Lorelei tight, then stepped back and smiled. Karli’s eyes were a little misty, but she ducked her head and moved toward Cade. He put his arm around her shoulder, then shook Vinnie’s hand and waved to Lorelei.

Lorelei stood next to the SUV while Karli and Cade went inside. She knew she should feel something, but she wasn’t sure what she felt. Affection? Appreciation? Yes to both. But she didn’t feel the loss of her cousin the same way she did when Vinnie left the room. Lorelei trusted Karli and believed she was honest, but when Karli walked away, it wasn’t the same visceral reaction Lorelei had to Vinnie walking away.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay with them?” Vinnie asked after a minute.

Lorelei looked up at him. She didn’t know how long she’d been staring at Karli’s house thinking about Vinnie, but with the man right there, she knew without a doubt she was making the right choice. “No. If you’re okay with me staying with you, that’s what I’d like to do.”

He nodded. “Can I help you get in?”

Lorelei nodded. Getting into the SUV wasn’t easy. She had to sit on the seat, then scoot herself all the way to the other side since she couldn’t lift her leg, or fit it on the floor of the backseat.

“Would the front be better? I’m about ten minutes from here.”

Lorelei shook her head slowly. “I’m not sure. We can try it.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”