Shay Warner ran away from her adopted family as soon as she found out what they truly were: criminals. They lied, they killed, they betrayed her in a way that scarred her forever. It isn't until the police catch up to her that she's forced to go bac...
Val linked her arm with Shay's and led her past the foyer and into the great room, where the whole house was waiting. There were three grey couches in the large space, each with it's back to a wall and big enough for three people. The only side without any furniture was directly in front of her, housing a sliding door that led to the covered porch out back. It was the same setup as when she lived there, and most of the people in that room she recognized.
"Shay, I'd like you to meet Jon. He joined us a year ago."
A young Asian man, short but ripped, walked over to stand in front of her. He grabbed Shay's hand and lifted it up, touching his lips to her knuckles before releasing it. "Pleased to meet you, madam."
"I'm sure you remember everyone else. Summer, Eli, and Noah." Val continued.
Shay's eyes scanned the room, stopping to look at every single one of them with a smile. When she reached Summer, she noticed a warmth in her expression that seemed foreign. Since when had Summer wanted anything more than Shay's body in a ditch?
"I'm going to finish up dinner but we have champagne and crackers if you'd like some, Shay." Val said, gesturing to the plate sitting on a table in the center of the room. Tall glass flutes sat on a tray while a bottle of champagne cooled off in an ice bucket beside it. Two trays of appetizers were laid out neatly on decorative plates and Shay couldn't help but be suspicious of it all. The only time they had fancy meals like this were during Christmas or some other special holiday that everyone was around for.
After glancing around and seeing a drink in everyone else's hands, she grabbed a glass of her own and sipped it quickly. With the awkward silence now in the room, she hoped there would be an abundance of alcohol to help get her through it.
"So Shay, what have you been up to?" Eli asked. All eyes focused on her, waiting for an answer.
"Just working and moving around, really."
"Anywhere fun?"
"Actually, California was nice. It's a totally different lifestyle out there."
"It's the ganja, man. Makes everyone super chill." Jon interjected with a smile.
Really, he wasn't wrong. Before Shay could make a joke about it, Eli opened his mouth again.
"What kind of jobs did you do?" Apparently, Eli and his seriousness was still a constant around here.
"Mostly serving jobs. Stuff that paid under the table." Shay explained.
"Sounds boring." Noah said. Shay looked over at him and saw a twinkle in his eye, something that looked like a challenge.
"That wasn't the only way I made money." Shay said, her eyes still on Noah. He raised an eyebrow in question as Jon said, "oh?"
"I stole from rich guys. I think some states even called me the blue-eyed bandit." Shay didn't know why she felt the urge to brag. Here she was surrounded by assassins and badasses and she was proud of stealing some poor sap's wallet.
"That's kind of cool, I guess." Noah said, though he looked more amused than dazzled.
"Time for dinner!" Val called from the kitchen. Shay shot Noah one last look of attitude before following the rest of the crew to the dining room. Six white plates with light blue trim had been set around the table, each with a aquamarine napkin and silverware resting on the right side. Eli and Val were at each end, as usual, leaving Jon sitting next to Summer on one side and Noah and Shay on the other.
She was in same spot as usual, with a view of the backyard full of trees while Noah's knee was just a foot from hers. Memories of bumping elbows playfully with him entered her mind, as did the occasional game of footsie.
"Dig in guys." Val's words initiated a game of pass the plate. It was like Thanksgiving, where they were so many options of food that you would grab a spoonful before passing it to the next person. Mashed potatoes, corn, dinner rolls, green bean casserole, you name it. Shay loaded her plate with potatoes and left just enough room for a taste of the rest. She definitely hadn't had a meal like this in a long time, probably since before she left.
Even though the cocktail hour was awkward, it seemed that the uncomfortableness had long gone, leaving in its place a plethora of jokes and stories. Jon was in the center of the conversation, telling everyone about an attempted mugging that he witnessed. Shay realized that he was also the best fighter in the group based on how everyone reacted to him beating the guy up, saying that he just looked for trouble.
Shay sat back, silently observing all of them as they talked. Her gaze started to wander, starting from the freshly painted light blue walls and ending at Noah's tattoos. Finally, she was close enough to get a good look at the intense detail of the ink embedded in his skin, painting the picture of a wolf on his forearm as it peered through tree branches, the lines as realistic as a high definition picture. She moved her gaze up higher to the second part of his sleeve, half of it covered by his t-shirt. It appeared to be two skulls, the boney hand from the man caressing the woman's cheek as he kissed her. She had a flowery drawing underneath her eyes, which were closed, and lips that were pressed against his teeth.
She then realized that only the guy was a skull, and the woman was actually alive.
"What do you think about that, Shay?"
When she heard Val's voice, Shay looked up at Noah, who had caught her staring at him. Cheeks turning red, she moved her attention to the head of the table to look at her step-mother, who was watching her expectantly.
"I'm sorry, what?" Shay asked.
"We were talking about upcoming missions and I was asking if maybe you'd want to help out." Val repeated, her tone not quite as strong as usual. In fact, she looked uncomfortable as her eyes flitted away for a second before coming back to Shay.
"Are you serious?"
One look around the table made Shay realize she wasn't the only one wondering that.
"Yes. You're beyond qualified and honestly, I think I speak for everyone when I say you belong here. With us."
Shay blinked a couple of times in surprise. She did not expect it to be this easy. She thought she would have to beg and plead and lie her way back in, not be welcomed in with open arms. She was in complete shock, and though it had been her goal to come back, she thought she'd have more time to mentally prepare herself for it.
Just what exactly was she getting herself into?
Nervously, Shay rubbed the injected tracer on her arm and didn't respond.
"You don't have to answer tonight. I just want you to know that the offer is out there." Val continued.
"We really would love to have you back." Eli added.
Shay looked around the table and saw nothing but shy support of the idea. Eventually, she looked at Noah and got lost in his eyes for a second, trying to read deep into his soul. He seemed especially fond of the idea, if she could still read him right. The half-cocked grin of his proved it.
"Ok. I'll think about it." She replied.
"Good." Val smiled, and conversation continued as if nothing happened.
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Thanks soooo much to those of you who are still with me. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it!
