Maya Banks - Colters’ Gift

“I agree,” Seth said. “We can’t not tell them. They need to stick together and make sure they don’t go anywhere alone.”

“Okay then. We’ll take Lauren home and we’ll meet you at your parents’ place tomorrow at eight,” Noah said.

“Let’s go get our girl,” Liam said gruffly.

LAUREN was doing her best to do justice to the wonderful-tasting pasta Lily had plated for her, but every bite felt like a rock in her stomach.

In the other room, the guys were talking. Deciding her fate. As if she had absolutely no control over her own choices.

But then could she blame them when she’d done nothing but make bad decisions? Over and over, at every turn, she’d chosen wrong.

This time she knew what she needed to do. It was clear in her mind and heart. Yes, it scared the holy hell out of her. She wasn’t so stupid that she thought it would be a simple matter of turning over the evidence to the police, and then Joel would spend many years behind bars and cease to be a threat to her.

Doing the right thing wasn’t easy. It wasn’t supposed to be easy. If it were, then everyone would always go that route and the world would be a much better place.

But it wasn’t, because men like Joel Knight continued to grow and prosper at the expense of the women he owned and controlled, threatened and intimidated.

That was no longer going to be her, and if she could help it, it would no longer be the women he peddled to men willing to pay Joel’s price to use their bodies.

“Is everything all right, Lauren?”

Lily’s anxious voice cut through Lauren’s thoughts. Her smile was automatic as she stared back at the other woman. But the longer she stared at Lily, the more she knew she couldn’t lie to her friend’s face.

There’d been too many lies as it was.

“I don’t know yet,” Lauren said in a low voice. “Liam and Noah are talking to Seth about it.”

Lily put her hand over Lauren’s and squeezed. “You know that we’re here for you. All of us.”

This time Lauren’s smile was genuine. “I do know that and thank you. You can’t possibly know what your support means to me.”

“Oh but I do know,” Lily said. “It wasn’t so long ago that I was in a terrible situation. The Colters were wonderful to me. I’ll never forget what that felt like after living with so much pain and regret. You’ll get there, Lauren. You just have to give yourself time to heal.”

They were interrupted when the group of men walked into the kitchen. Lauren immediately pushed her plate away, relieved to have an excuse to be done with it.

Liam came to stand beside her and slipped his hand over her shoulder. “You ready to go? It’s getting late.”

She nodded, examining each of the men’s faces in turn, looking for some sign of . . . condemnation. But all she saw was steady resolve. Determination.

She slid from her chair and rubbed her hands down her pants in a nervous gesture. Noah reached for one of her hands and laced his fingers through hers. His hold was comforting and strong. He tucked her into his side and ushered her toward the door amid good-byes from the Colters.

The cool night air was a much-needed balm for her senses. She breathed it in deeply, savoring the crispness. For a moment she hesitated, staring up to the blue-black sky. Stars cascaded across the expanse, like glitter tossed carelessly from the hand of a child.

The mountain loomed over them, silhouetted against the sky, and the moon was just visible between two peaks. Around her, the pines, furs and aspens swayed with the gentle breeze, bringing to her the spicy scent of pine.

What was most remarkable was the quiet. Silence had settled over the land with the blanket of night. Only the occasional rustle wrought by the wind stirred any sound.

It was a peaceful place. The most beautiful place Lauren had ever experienced. She wanted it to be her home. Her haven.

A lifetime away from the hustle and bustle of her former life in the city. The shopping, lattes, delis, busy streets, honking horns, every other business a different restaurant, cell phones, traffic lights, constantly going, going, going and never pausing to simply breathe.

Here she could walk down the sidewalk in Clyde and never bump into another person. There wasn’t a single traffic light in the town, and only one stop sign, at the intersection of Main and Maplewood.

People smiled when she made eye contact. The citizens here were always willing to lend a helping hand.

On the day she’d moved into her apartment, though she’d had the help of Max and the entire Colter clan, they’d had no less than a half a dozen offers from passersby to get her furniture up the stairs.

And Margery, one of the regulars at the diner, had fried chicken and made potato salad and homemade rolls along with a pitcher of fresh-squeezed lemonade, and she’d brought it all to Lauren’s apartment so everyone could eat.

She felt . . . relevant . . . here. Like she mattered. She wasn’t just another number in a massive population. Here, she was one in a small crowd.

“Lauren?”

Liam’s voice drifted to her and she realized that she was still staring up at the sky, a dreamy expression on her face. And maybe she was dreaming. Or wishing on the scattering of stars glowing brightly in the distance.

“You ready, baby? We need to get you home.”

Reluctantly she tore herself away from the beauty surrounding her and climbed into the SUV.

“What did they say?” she asked softly as they drove back toward town. “And did you look at the disk?”

“We did,” Noah said grimly. “You’re right. There’s definitely enough information to put him—and several others—away for a long time.”

“They’ll cut a deal and roll on him,” Liam said.