“Yeah, yeah, Leland can’t quit singing her praises. He told me that he would ruin my credit rating for life if I didn’t figure out a way to bring her out safely.” Max paused. “On a serious note, we should know about Señora Azua in about three hours. I’ve checked with the bank manager, Hector. He told me any kind of override rests with her. It’s going to be a while before the secret police can dig their way to the vault to set charges, so unless you have a problem, don’t bother checking in until midnight.”
“I appreciate it.”
Asher hung up and set his watch. That was one of the first things he learned, never pass up sleep, food, or water when it was available, because you never knew when you’d get a chance at it again. He picked up another velvet tablecloth. And a pillow, you never passed up a pillow if you had a chance for that, either.
How could Xavier look so calm? It never made any sense. None of it made any sense. Asher watched Xavier finish up scraping off the last dish in the sink, then put it into the dishwasher and start the dishes.
What the hell was that all about?
“Please, Xave, don’t do this,” Asher begged. He knew what was coming and it broke his heart.
Xavier ignored him. It was like he wasn’t even in the room with his brother. Asher could see Xavier clear as day, but no matter how loud he yelled, Xavier ignored him.
“Please no, I beg you,” Ash cried, his hands reaching out in supplication.
He tried to grab him, but his fingers went right through his brother’s body. Ash looked down at his hands and realized that they were made of mist. But he had to try. He had to.
Xavier went to the refrigerator and pulled off a picture that had been taped to the front of it. The photo was of him and the men in the unit he’d served with when he was in Afghanistan. Xavier took it with him into the garage.
Asher followed, still yelling at his brother to stop.
“Don’t go in there. Don’t go!”
It hit Asher hard when he saw that Xavier’s Mustang coupe and Triumph motorcycle weren’t in the garage. Instead, a plastic tarp covered the cement. He knew this from photos he had pulled from the coroner’s office. He fucking knew this was how it looked.
“Xavier,” he pleaded. Begged. Cried.
His brother propped up the picture of his unit on his workbench. He picked up the Glock and knelt in the middle of the tarp. His gun was steady as he held it against his temple.
“I love you, Xave, no!”
“Asher, wake up.”
“Don’t do it!”
“Please, Baby, wake up now.”
Soft, warm hands stroked his hair. A soft body nestled up against him. He kept his eyes closed, wanting to assess the situation before letting anyone know that he was awake. But he knew it was Eden in a heartbeat. Her touch and smell could never be mistaken for anyone else.
“Asher, it’s a bad dream, please wake up.” Her body was pressed against his, her arms wrapped around his neck. She whispered into his ear, coaxing him back from an old nightmare. One of his own making.
He reached up to pull her arms away, but she wasn’t having it.
“No. I’m not letting you go.”
“I’m fine, Eden.” His voice was hoarse. He hated that.
“Bullshit.”
He let out a dry laugh. “Warm and soothing didn’t last long.”
She sighed and settled closer. “If I thought warm and soothing would get my way, then I’d be all over it. It wasn’t working. So just lie there and accept comfort.”
Asher tried to sort out his feelings. He still felt sick at heart after watching Xavier’s last moments on Earth. How many times had he relived that in his dreams? Then to wake up to an angel in his arms offering him the type of solace he’d never gotten before. He was having a tough time reconciling things.
“Ash?”
“I’m here now,” he assured her.
He couldn’t see Eden because he’d stuck the glow stick under his vest, so they’d sleep better. Stupid. Shit, he wasn’t any better than a toddler who needed a nightlight, so he didn’t have nightmares.
Her arms tightened around his neck again. She slid her cheek against his jaw. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but it’s not good. So, stop.”
He closed his eyes, trying to shut out the dark, like that made any sense.
“Talk to me, Ash.”
“I can’t.”
“You just did,” she teased gently. “Now say more words. Tell me about Xavier.”
He blew out a shuddering breath. Eden was potent. She could comfort and stick a knife into you at the same time. Then he felt her fingers stroking his jaw.
“I can’t,” he said again.
“Whatever it is, it’s killing you. We don’t know what the next hours are going to bring. We’re in this moment out of time, hidden from the world. Now will be the only minute you will ever be able to say your truth.”
Every single word pummeled his heart.
She brushed the softest kiss against the side of his mouth. “I’m not even here, you’re just speaking to your God.”
Who made that sound? The one that sounded like a sob? Was that him? He took in a deep breath.
“Eden?”
“Hmmm?”
“The only reason I would talk, is because it is you.”
She didn’t respond with words. Just another butterfly-soft kiss that started at his lips and trailed down his jaw to his neck. Then she rested her head against his shoulder. “I’m here.”
“Xavier is…was…the greatest man I’ve ever known. He’s my older brother. He was the rock that kept Lawson
