Page 19 of Wyatt
The waitress led them over to a table near his. Perfect.
“What—is she okay?”
Wyatt could imagine his sister, her dark hair pulled back into a messy ponytail, dressed in faded jeans and a flannel shirt, barefoot, maybe sliding onto a high top chair at the kitchen island. She’d been hiding out at the ranch for the better part of six weeks, and she was probably going stir crazy. He didn’t blame her for sitting by the phone.
“Yeah. She’s fine. I think she’s fine.” The way she’d kissed him…for a moment practically inhaling him, yes, she’d beenveryfine.
“She’s not—I mean, I know she’s been recuperating, but…really? She looks healthy?”
“Healthy enough to take off in a sprint after she saw me.” Oh, he hadn’t meant to admit that part, or for his voice to carry.
Jace looked his direction.
Wyatt cut his voice low. “She seemed surprised to see me.”
Silence. “I hope York is…did she say why he didn’t meet you?”
Oh. He hadn’t thought to ask, so stunned by Coco’s appearance. “No. But she did give me the USB drive. She said it has everything on it you need.”
“Copies of the emails that show I was set up for Stanislov’s assassination?”
“I haven’t checked it, but I’m guessing yes. She seemed pretty confident.”
“Why didn’t she come with you? I don’t—Wyatt, did you do something?”
“What? No. I practically begged her to come back with me. She said she couldn’t.”
“She’s probably afraid of getting you hurt.”
He stilled. “Wait—what?”
“Just that there’s an assassin after her—after us. And maybe she thought—”
“I’m hardly helpless, RJ. I can take care of myself.”
Silence.
“Seriously?”
“You’re not a soldier, Wy. You’re a hockey player, and yeah, I get that you’re tough, but…”
“AndCococan handle herself?”
“No, but—well, York is there.”
“He didn’t show up, RJ. And she didn’t mention him, so my guess is that she’s on her own.”
RJ drew in a breath. And maybe he shouldn’t have said that because it did sound…now he was really going to be sick.
The waitress swung by, picked up his half empty bottle, his plate of food, and dropped off the check.
“You can’t leave her there—”
“What do you want me to do? Sheran awayfrom me!”
Oh. Shoot. The wind caught his voice, carried it to the nearby tables. He turned his back to Jace and the guys, cut it low again. “She doesn’t want me in her life. And I’m a stupid man to keep chasing after someone who just keeps leaving me. No. If she wants to stay in Russia, I can’t drag her kicking and screaming back to America—”
“Wyatt—she is in danger.”