Cam sat stiffly in his chair in the mess hall, waiting for Lia to come back. A glance at Travis revealed his similar posture. They’d both pushed around the venison chili and cornbread that Lia had made.
Fuck, Jack Richardson’s little sister. He hardly knew the guy, but he’d respected what little he’d known. A good Marine. Solid leader. Liked and respected by his own men. And now he was probably trying to talk Lia into leaving with him.
Won’t fucking happen. He wasn’t letting her go.
But what if she wants to go? A voice in his head taunted. You can’t make her stay.
But she wouldn’t want to leave, would she? And fuck, even beyond the fact that losing her would shred his heart, the safest place for her was inside the walls of this compound. That just meant one thing: they had to talk Jack into staying. There was no other choice.
Being an only child of parents who’d died within months of each other when he was in his early twenties, Cam could only imagine what it’d be like to think he’d lost a sibling and then gotten him back. He wouldn’t want to let him out of his sight.
That meant they’d also have to get Jack on board with the relationship they had. His approval mattered, because it would be important to Lia.
“What the fuck are we going to do if he tries to get her to leave with him?” Travis asked.
“Ain’t happening.” Cam laid out his plan, and Travis nodded.
“Agreed. Him staying is a good idea. I mean, another mouth to feed, but he’s built like us, would protect this place to the death with Lia inside, and if the new military comes knocking on our door, not only does he know how they operate, but he’s not going to hesitate to choose sides. You want to talk to Graham, or want me to?”
Since Graham was the leader of the crew and had been the catalyst behind the ranch and compound, his approval was necessary.
“I’ll talk to G. No problem.”
“And how do we handle the protective big brother angle?” Travis asked.
“We let Lia take the lead. He’s her family. We back her up however she needs.”
“Sounds good.”
As soon as the words had come out of Travis’s mouth, the door to the mess hall opened, and Lia and Jack stepped inside.
Lia walked directly to them, a smile on her face. She stopped in front of Cam, and he hesitated. He wanted to pull her into his lap, but her brother watched, not looking like he wanted to ram his fist through any vital organs. Cam wasn’t sure he wanted to change that particular attitude by crossing what big brother might consider a line. At least not right now. If Jack stayed, he was going to have to get used to it.
Instead, Cam caught one of Lia’s hands and brought her palm to his mouth and kissed it. “Everything good?”
She nodded. “Everything’s really good. Or … it will be when you tell me that Jack will be able to stay.”
The concern that had been plaguing Cam dissipated. “He wants to stay?”
“Yes. Now that he’s officially a … deserter, it’s not safe for him out there either. And I can’t lose him again.”
She blinked, and Cam’s gut twisted at the thought of her crying again. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. If Jack wants to stay, I’ll make sure G lets him stay. We were thinking the same damn thing. Family’s too important—and scarce—to let it walk away these days.”
“Good,” Lia whispered. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
Travis stood. “Graham’s busy with Ro and Zach and the baby, but I’ll see about finding Jack a place to stay.”
“Beau’s got an empty bedroom in his cabin,” Cam offered. He looked to Jack. “It’s a king bed or the bunkroom and a single.”
Jack smiled broadly. “I’m no fool. I’ll take the king if he’s cool with a roommate.”
“Good deal.” Cam stood and held out his hand. “It’s good to see you again, Richardson.” A thought struck him, and he looked from Lia to Jack. “Why don’t you have the same last name?”
“Half-siblings. My mom didn’t change my name after she remarried. She wanted me to have a piece of my dad, I think. He passed away when I was two.”
“Sorry, man.”
Jack shrugged. “Just makes it more and more clear why family is so important.”
“That’s the truth. I’ll go check with Beau and see about getting you set up. Lia, sweetheart, want to get your brother some of that venison chili? You kicked ass with that.”
Jack’s eyebrows went up. “She cooks now too? Damn, things really have changed.”
Cam smiled and headed for the door, a smile tugging at his lips, because shit was going to work out just fine.
Saying goodnight to her brother and then walking back to the cabin she shared with Cam and Travis was a touch surreal, and Lia didn’t question the happiness that thrummed through her.
“I still can’t believe he’s alive, and that he’s here,” she said. “It’s … amazing.”
Cam’s arm tightened around her shoulders, and Travis’s hand gripped hers tighter.