Gypsy King (Tin Gypsy, #1)(101)

“Is that—”

“Genevieve?” I finished.

She parked by the office, directly in front of the staircase that led to Isaiah’s apartment. Had Draven invited her here? He was nowhere in sight.

“What’s she doing here?” Dash muttered.

“Maybe she wanted to meet you?”

He frowned. “Well, I don’t much care to meet her.”

I elbowed him in the side. “Be nice.”

Genevieve got out of the car, her eyes glancing up the staircase before she moved in our direction. “Hey, again.”

“Hi.” I smiled. “Um, Genevieve, this is Dash. My boyfriend and your—”

“Half brother. Right.”

Dash stood there, not saying a word. The silence grew thicker and thicker, until finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and I elbowed him in the ribs. Again.

He frowned, shuffling paper bags to free a hand and extend it. “Hi.”

As quickly as they touched, the shake was over. Dash jerked his chin to the garage and marched away, taking my french fries with him. “Got work to do.”

At least I had the bags with all the burgers.

“Sorry,” I told Genevieve.

“Two weeks ago, I was alone, trying to cope with losing Mom. Then I get kidnapped, find out I have a father in Montana who didn’t know I existed and a half brother who hates me. I’m numb to it all at this point.”

I opened my mouth to tell her she actually had brothers, plural, but decided it could wait for another day. “Dash doesn’t hate you. He just hasn’t had much time to wrap his head around it.”

“It doesn’t matter.” She hung her head. “Nothing matters.”

Before I could say anything, a pair of footsteps came down the stairs.

My eyes widened. “Isaiah? Where have you been? We thought you left.”

“I did. Now I’m back.”

He’d been gone a week, ever since the day of the mountain rescue. No note. No call. He’d just . . . disappeared. Did Dash know he was back?

Isaiah reached the bottom stair and looked at Genevieve. “Hey.”

“Hi.” She lifted her hand like she was going to shake his but then changed her mind and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

“Um, how was the trip?” Isaiah asked.

“Long.”

The Colorado plates. I hadn’t put it together at the cemetery, assuming she’d just rented a car, but this must be hers. Why would she drive to Montana? That had to be at least eight hours. Maybe more.

“I’ll help haul up your stuff.” Isaiah walked toward her car.

Stuff? Genevieve followed, her chin down, as Isaiah opened the back seat. It was filled with boxes and suitcases. Inside the trunk was more of the same.

“Are you staying?” I asked her.

Genevieve and Isaiah shared a look, one full of secrets. She nodded and Isaiah hefted out a suitcase and backpack, taking them up his stairs. She followed with a box.

Neither of them answered my question.

“What’s goin’ on?” Dash asked, coming to my side. “Was that Isaiah?”

“Yes. And I have no idea.” Genevieve and Isaiah disappeared up the stairs. “But if I had to guess, I’d say Genevieve is moving into Isaiah’s apartment.”

He looked down at me, as confused as I was. “What the fuck happened on that mountain?”





Chapter Twenty-Eight





Bryce





“Morning.” I shuffled into the kitchen in bare feet, wearing Dash’s sweatshirt. It enveloped me, hanging thick on my shoulders. The sleeves draped past my fingertips and the hood bunched at the nape of my neck. Wearing it was like having my own personal Dash cocoon.

I’d be taking it with me whenever I went home.

Not that we’d talked about me leaving. In the three days since Genevieve had moved into Isaiah’s apartment, I’d all but moved into Dash’s home.

“Hey, baby.” He crossed the kitchen from where he’d been standing next to the coffee pot. “How are you feeling?”

“Better.” I yawned as he tugged me into his chest. “Thanks for letting me sleep in. I needed it.”

“You were out.”

“I know. I didn’t even hear you snore last night.”

He chuckled. “Didn’t snore because I had my pillow.”

“You have a special non-snoring pillow?” I leaned away to look at his face.

“Not a non-snoring pillow, just a decent pillow.”

My eyes bulged. “You think my pillows are indecent?”

He grinned. “Admit it, my bed is better than yours.”

“I don’t want to.” I smiled and fell back into his chest.

It was Friday, Dash’s normal day off, but he planned to go to the garage later. Even though he had a ton of work to do, I’d begged him for a lazy morning. Some time to sleep in late and linger in the shower. I wanted to enjoy a few quiet moments, like this one, when the unanswered questions from the past six weeks got pushed aside.

“This is nice,” I whispered.

He kissed my hair. “Agreed.”

We stood like that, leaning into one another, until my stomach growled and forced us apart.