I saw surprise flash in his eyes before they narrowed in anger. “He stabbed you.” It wasn’t a question.
I paused for a breath, dropping my gaze to the floor before pulling my shirt over my head. “Twice.” I sat in one of the chairs to put my shoes on. “With a chef’s knife. I lost so much blood, I almost didn’t make it to the hospital.” My tone was factual, detached, because on the inside I was fighting not to let my mind wander to that night.
“That’s what you were dreaming about?” Keelan asked.
I looked down at my hands. If I stared long enough, I could picture them covered in blood. I flipped them palm-side up. Tiny scrapes and cuts dotted them. Jacob grabbing my ankle as I tried to get away played in my head and I had the phantom feeling of the gravel piercing my palms as I landed on them.
“Shiloh?” I faintly heard before a hand slid into mine. I looked up in time to see Colt sit in the chair next to mine. He held a worried expression. “You checked out.”
I squeezed his hand. “I want to go home.”
Without saying a word, Knox moved toward the door, but as he went to open it, there was a knock. My first thought was that it was Logan. My second thought was that he wouldn’t have knocked. He would have stormed in like he owned the place. Knox opened the door. His tall, bulky body blocked my view of who it was.
“You must be Knox,” a familiar voice said.
Knox stepped aside, revealing a tall man wearing a navy, iron-crisp suit. My eyes snagged on his long red tie before jumping up to his chestnut hair and ice-blue eyes framed by black-rimmed glasses that had always reminded me of Clark Kent’s.
“Ian?” I blurted out, surprised.
He stood confidently in the hall with his hands in his pockets. A tiny smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Hey, kid.”
The guys looked from me to Ian and back again.
“Where’s Logan?” I asked.
Taking that as an invitation, Ian strode in. He took in the guys and the layout of the room with one quick glance. I knew he had committed all the exits, possible threats, and things that could be used as weapons to memory by the time his eyes returned to me. I knew that because Logan did the same thing when entering a room. It was due to their training. Once a SEAL, always a SEAL. “He couldn’t get away,” he said, his eyes dropping to my hand in Colt’s for a blink. When they flicked back to mine again, his brows slightly rose in question.
Knox came to stand next to him. “And you are?”
Ian gave him a charming smile and held out his hand. “Ian. Family friend.”
Knox’s eyes narrowed in a scrutinizing way as he shook his hand.
Ian’s charming facade didn’t waver. “Logan told me to thank you for your call. I was happy when I heard Shiloh had made…connections here. Well, ones close enough to know who to call if she was ever in trouble.”
His words put me on edge. “They were just getting ready to leave.” I gave Colt’s hand one more squeeze before letting go and standing.
Ian’s attention returned to me. “I guess I had perfect timing. I can take over.”
I looked to Keelan, catching him already staring at me. He was the best at picking up social cues and he didn’t disappoint. He gave me a slight nod. “We need to get going.” He put a hand on Creed’s shoulder and ushered him toward the door. Colt stood and touched my lower back. Ian didn’t miss that.
“Call us when you get home,” Colt said.
I nodded. I could see that Colt was reluctant to leave, but he moved away from me with a clenched jaw.
“Let’s go, Knox,” Keelan said from the hall.
Knox didn’t budge. Instead, he looked from Ian to me.
I held his intense gaze. “I’ll be fine,” I assured him.
“You’ve never mentioned him, Shiloh," Knox said.
“Oh? And what has she told you?” Ian fished.
Cheese and rice! “That’s because he’s my uncle’s lover,” I blurted. “My uncle isn’t out of the closet yet. So out of respect for him and to avoid too many questions, I don’t talk about Ian much.”
Ian didn’t react. He just blinked at me.
I looked back at Knox. “I’ll let you know when I’m home.”
Knox glanced at Ian with a look that wasn’t friendly. It almost seemed threatening.
That didn’t faze Ian in the slightest. “I’ll make sure she gets home safe.”
Knox relented and finally left with his brothers.
“Fascinating,” Ian said as he shut the door.