“I know you’ve always known that. Hell, everyone knew it. But we’re . . . we’re okay now. It’s—” I hissed, yanking my hand back. The damn cat had latched its claws into my fingers when I stopped moving the toy. Rhage glared up at me. “I just want you to know that you don’t have to worry about me . . . and him.”

“Baby, I never worried about you two.”

My brows had lifted as I’d shaken my stinging hand. “Really?”

“Not in the way you think,” she said mysteriously. “Look, your uncles are outside and about to pile out of their cars, looking to be fed. When are you coming home to see us?”

“Thanksgiving,” I told her.

“That’s so far away,” she complained.

A slight smile tugged at my lips. “Mom, that’s only a little over a month from now.”

“Too long,” Mom countered. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.” I’d hung up the phone, feeling strangely lighter, having admitted to something that was so incredibly simple but so heavy.

And now it was Tuesday afternoon, and once again I was walking to Brock’s office, hoping this time the conversation didn’t veer into Crazyville. Rapping my knuckles off his door, I waited.

“Come in.”

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door. He was watching TV. I started to frown, but I quickly realized it was a video of one of the recruits from the second floor. “Do you have a couple of moments?”

“Your hair is down again,” he murmured, glancing over at me. “I approve.”

I made a face at him as I closed the door behind me. “Thanks, but wasn’t looking for your approval.

A brief grin appeared and then he picked up a remote and paused the video. “What’s up?”

Sitting straight, I folded my hands together. “I wanted to talk to you about possible expansion. It’s not something that the Lima Academy would typically get involved in, but I think it’s something worth looking into.”

His gaze centered on me. “Go on.”

I ignored the way his heavy stare made me feel, like there was no space between us. “Right now, the Lima Academy is very male-centric. Of course, with the exception of the gym and the few women we have training in one of our martial arts or self-defense classes. Now, we can always bring more women and young adults into our standard classes, something I am focusing on, but I think we can do more.” My shoulders rose. “You remember Avery, right?”

“Cam’s wife?”

I nodded. “And you’ve met Jase Winstead? His wife is Teresa. They’re about to have a child—a baby boy.”

The look on his face said he wasn’t exactly sure how that worked into expanding Lima Academy.