So Rare (Boys of South Chapel #3)

19. Kabir

Chapter 19

Kabir

NOW

I turn halfway round in my seat, craning my neck until I lock eyes with Garrett. “Is she asleep?”

With a silent nod, he combs his fingers through her hair. His face is illuminated every few seconds as we pass streetlamps positioned over the downtown district of Lake Chapel, North Carolina.

He mouths a silent “thank you,” my way, sincerity shining in his dark green eyes each time the light catches on the iris.

I offer a tight smile and a nod. I appreciate the sentiment. Truly. Though he may not be thanking me in a few moments.

“There’s something I need to tell you both, and I’d like to do it now, whilst Hunter is asleep, so we can discuss next steps.”

Levi sucks in a sharp inhale, and the tension in the vehicle skyrockets.

I’m not aiming for dramatic effect, so I cut to the chase. Still half turned in my seat, I look from Garrett to Levi once before I try to explain.

“The night before she was taken, Hunter mentioned someone to me. Another man. Someone she met in Italy.”

The air crackles, thick with apprehension. I’m used to high-pressure, stressful situations, but even this is a bit much for me.

Clearing my throat, I carry on. “I thought perhaps he knew her whereabouts. Or that he could be involved, somehow.”

Garrett lays a protective arm over Hunter. Whether he’s conscious of it or not, we’re all still carrying a heavy load of anxiety from the last few days.

“Obviously, we know now that the charade was all Magnolia.”

“Why are you telling us this?” Levi demands, his tone sharp.

Clearly, my attempt to soften the blow isn’t going all that well.

It’s now or never. I just have to admit to what I’ve put in motion.

“Because that other man is on his way here now.”

“What, like to America?” Greedy whispers.

“To Lake Chapel.”

“Fuck it all to fucking hell.” Levi smashes a fist into the steering wheel, blasting the car horn in the process.

He’s practically levitating above his seat, his anger and frustration a living, breathing beast among us.

“You’re serious?” he demands when neither Garrett nor I react to his outburst. “You’re really fucking serious right now?”

Though a heavy weight settles in my chest, I keep my posture straight. “I am.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” he whisper-yells.

“Shh,” Garrett reminds him from the back seat, though Hunter, miraculously, hasn’t stirred.

“I thought he might have information that could help us.”

“And you’re just mentioning him to us now?” Levi counters.

I flop back in my seat and unbutton the top two buttons of my Oxford. “I didn’t intend to keep it from you. Nor did I find the information relevant once we had a solid lead on Hunter’s whereabouts.”

“Why is he coming here, then?” Garrett asks.

Sighing, I confess, “I had to tell him enough to pull the truth out of him. Unfortunately, he was unnerved. This afternoon, I let him know we had her back. But he informed me he was already on his way to the States, waiting on his layover out of Heathrow.”

Silence ensues. I typically prefer silence, but not when I know there’s more to be said.

“So what now?” Garrett asks.

I have to hand it to him. He can be exceptionally reasonable when he wants to be. His composure under pressure is admirable.

“That’s what we have to figure out. Why I’m bringing it up now.”

Levi scoffs. “So now we get a say in the matter?”

His attitude grates on my nerves. If I weren’t so attuned to his emotional anguish, I would consider some sort of punishment to absolve the Brat Mode that’s been activated inside him.

With a sigh, I garner all the patience I have left. “As I already stated, I did not intend for the situation to escalate to this point. It’s clear the man cares about her.”

Levi shoots daggers at me. “This guy’s a stranger.”

“To her he’s not.”

“What’s his name?” Garrett interjects.

“Sione,” I supply. “Sione Tusitala. According to my research, he studies alternative medicine and has been accepted to four chiropractic colleges. His mother is Romanian. His father, Tongan. He has four younger sisters, and he’s originally from Utah, which I wasn’t aware was a real place until I looked it up on a map. He’s spent the last few years working at his grandparents’ villas near Lake Como.” Clearing my throat, I add in the one detail I always suspected but have only recently confirmed. “He and Hunter were together in Italy for even longer than she was with me.”

The truck is engulfed in silence as Levi takes the exit, drives down a gravel road, and eventually comes to park at a lakeside lot with a sign overhead that reads North Marina .

He puts the vehicle in park, unbuckles his safety belt, and turns to face us. “Look. The last thing Hunter needs is someone else showing up and adding to her confusion.”

“Hey,” Garrett says softly, putting a hand over Levi’s where he’s bracing it on the center console.

The blond man pulls away, clearly rejecting the advance.

With a small frown, Garrett sits back. “She just needs time, Leev. A good night’s sleep. A few days’ rest.”

Levi scoffs. “You’re only saying that because she remembers you. What she needs —”

“Enough.”

Both men fall silent at my command.

“I don’t believe any one of us is in a position to dictate what Hunter needs. That’s why I shared this information. For consensus. We’re all doing the best we can, and we all have the same goal in mind. We have to come to terms with the reality of the situation. A man will be arriving in Lake Chapel in the next day or two. Under no circumstances do I intend to keep him from seeing Hunter. I can put him up at a hotel nearby. We can delay their reunion, if that’s what we decide, but I will not allow myself or either of you to interfere.”

“Fuck,” Garrett mumbles. “Have him come here. To the isle. To her.” He glances down at the girl still curled up in his arms, sound asleep. “She deserves all the support and love she can get right now.”

Levi storms out of the car and slams the door shut before I can ask whether he agrees.