I looked to Tommy. “Let’s get those towels tied tight and then get him up. I’ll find something to use as ties and call Gill to bring a car around.”

Tommy nodded.

I moved to my father’s desk.

“Man, you give even a minuscule shit about her, and I know you do, you get her out and far away from him.” I heard Green advise Tommy as I moved.

It didn’t come as a surprise that Tommy didn’t answer.

I found nothing at Dad’s desk that we could use for Green’s wound and was headed to the bathroom as Tommy called, “Bring another coupla towels, Liv. I’ll rip one, use the strips. But need another clean one. This one’s soaked.”

I nodded to him, got the towels and brought them to Tommy.

He took them and started ripping strips immediately, doing this with his bare hands.

I didn’t watch Tommy’s strong hands tear the towels to shreds. Strong hands I knew could be gentle and sweet.

Tommy was off-limits to me. We’d both learned that the hard way.

I looked to Green.

“Done, Liv. You won’t see me again,” he said when I caught his eyes.

That hurt. I liked Green.

No.

Loved him.

I loved all my boys.

I never told them this. That wouldn’t do. I was a Shade, but that wasn’t all there was to it.

I’d learned. I didn’t allow myself to show emotion.

Ever.

I still knew my boys knew it. I went to bat for them. I protected them. I did the best I could for them. And I didn’t hide it.

So they knew and the look in Green’s eyes, his concern, wasn’t the first time he didn’t hide he felt that back.

“But I gotta eat, babe,” he repeated as explanation.

“I understand, Eli,” I replied.

Green stared at me a moment before he shook his head.

“That…that right there states plain this is not the business you’re meant to be in,” he declared.

I drew in a breath to speak but Green kept talking.

“Your sister’s not as dumb as your old man. She knows, you lead their soldiers, we’d all march over a cliff for you. She’s got a pussy tastes like sugar and acid in her veins. Men’d do a lot for sugar but they eventually learn to steer clear of acid since that shit burns and leaves scars that never go away.”

Again, on Green’s comment, I avoided Tommy’s eyes.

This time, Green did too.

He also kept speaking.

“So she gave you to us. You give a shit. You let that show. You treat us like family. Keeps us motivated. Keeps us devoted. But not a single general in an outfit like this should let a soldier go with an, ‘I understand, Eli.’”

I knew that too.