Rising Hope by Edie James

15

Enzo shovedhis hands into the pockets of his jeans and headed back to the table, astounded at Sarah’s bravery. She’d faced down Ulrich, and his small army, without breaking a sweat. And those Diablo characters that chased her inside would have torn her apart without a thought.

She tangled with killers. Of her own free will.

The courage that took, on a minute-to-minute basis, humbled him. His resistance to her playacting made him feel small.

Approaching her had been a dumb move. But he couldn’t resist. What kind of man would he be, leaving her to deal with those thugs alone?

Still, his behavior would stir up all kinds of interest from his sibs. There’d be questions he couldn’t answer. Lies to be told. He’d never believed the ends justified the means, but now he hoped he was wrong about that.

He groaned silently. He preferred black and white. Gray had never been his favorite color. It made him disoriented, like surfing on a foggy day, when the steel gray of the ocean blended into the steel gray sky. On those days, up could be down, or sideways, or backwards.

Sarah deserved his help. This assignment stank, but she was a good woman. Why she chose to bury the fact puzzled him, but then again most everything about undercover work did.

Beneath the makeup and the artifice, he sensed a loving soul. Not that she’d admit it.

And not that he should care.

A couple more sorties and he was out. On with his perfect, happy life.

Which he’d always considered a good thing. Before he met her, he never questioned what life should be: having a strong faith, being a good son and brother and friend, and helping others. Why wasn’t it that simple for Sarah? Her job was tough. Tremendously so. But she was performing a huge service, getting drugs—and dealers—off the streets.

He got it that her job could be a drag at times. Mixing with the kinds of bottom-feeders she met—having to play along with their twisted schemes—had to drain every ounce of energy she had. Still, he felt there was more to her sadness. Something deeper.

As if she’d lived in some parallel universe he’d never experienced. He wanted to change that. Bring her into his life of sunshine and faith and hope.

But why?

He’d never been a crusader. A helper? Sure. Willing to put himself in danger to save others? Absolutely. But not a people-changer. Not someone who delved into thoughts and emotions.

The closer he got to his group, the bigger their eyes got. He’d be facing down his own kind of firing squad. He straightened his shoulders and braced himself for the onslaught.

Daniel handed him a dart, his expression a mixture of awe and concern. “Dude. I can’t believe you know her.”

“Not well.” He toed the line and took aim. Anything to derail this convo. Making up stories was not in his skillset.

Daniel stared at the door. “Where’d you two meet?”

“I dunno.” Enzo squinted at the board, pretending like he was considering his game strategy. He tried to stay loose. Nothing to see here. “Can’t remember.”

Daniel didn’t look convinced. He eyed the others. “I’d remember meeting a woman like that.”

Dante and Noah both nodded. The women merely watched. Especially Viv. The things she uncovered from a simple shake of the head astounded him.

He lowered the dart. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Daniel, Dante and Noah shared a look, their eyes crinkling with unexpressed laughter. Were they dissing Sarah, or him?

“What are you trying to say?” He wanted to kick himself as the words left his mouth. Leave it be. Let them think what they wanted, as long as it wasn’t the truth.

Daniel clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Dude. It’s like this. The lady’s totally out of your league.”

“How so?”

Dante shot him a disbelieving look. “You’re nice. She’s probably not.”

“You can’t know that.” Enzo protested, but Dante was already shaking his head.

“Yeah, I can.” He jutted a stubbled chin at the doorway. “I’ve heard things around town. She swims with sharks, bro.”

“Not that people can’t change,” Viv added. “You never know what challenges people have.”

“You’re right,” Noah added quickly. “The Lord’s love transforms everything.”

They all bowed their heads. “Amen,” Dante said.

Eyes bright, Emmie caught Enzo’s attention. “You should help her.”

“Seriously, he should,” she added to the group. “The Lord obviously put her in his path for a reason.”

Fair point. Only it wasn’t the reason Emmie and the others imagined.

Daniel made a face. “It’s like this. From what I’ve heard. She’s Camembert. Strong-tasting, and volatile. When it’s good, it’s amazing. When it’s bad…” He made choking sounds. “But you, my man, you’re a slice of good old American cheese. Solid. Dependable. Always tasty. Always there when people need you.”

“You mean I’m boring.” Enzo wished he could argue, but the shoe fit.

Daniel shook his head. “Not boring. Dependable.”

He rolled his eyes. “Another word for boring.”

If boring meant trustworthy and sincere and reliable, he was good with that. It just didn’t mean he wanted a boring relationship. Not that he was looking for a relationship.

On the other hand, not that he wasn’t. He and Emmie had just dipped into their thirties. He figured he’d meet the right woman any time now. When the signs were right, he was open to whatever the Lord had in store for him.

Dante yawned. “Let’s finish this game, guys. I’m on duty tomorrow. Six am comes early.”

“I hear you,” Noah added. “The sooner we win, the sooner these dorks get to pay the bill.”

“Not if Enzo gets his game back,” Daniel retorted. He turned to Enzo. “You’re gonna get it back, right?”

He gritted his teeth. “Doing my best.”

He stepped up to the line, his last two darts in hand. But both throws were just as bad as his first.

Daniel sighed. “Too bad Teo couldn’t make it.”

The mere mention of Brother Number Three indicated just how badly he was playing tonight. Teo was a great guy, fun company, but darts were not his forte.

“Yeah, too bad,” Dante added before stepping up to take his next turn.

Enzo blinked at the board. A solid hit on the triple twenty. That had to be the best throw of his brother’s life.

Dante clapped him on the back. “Looks like it’s all over but the crying, baby bro.”

Daniel groaned. “Nice toss. Enjoy it while you can.”

Dante took a pull from his soda, saluting his partner, Noah. “I’m planning on it. All night long.”

Daniel’s respectable showing staved off disaster for a while, but in the end, Enzo’s usual skill never did make an appearance.

Except for a few sidelong glances, the group resisted bringing up Sarah again, a fact he was profoundly grateful for.

Before that first flight, he just wanted out of the mission. But now, he had the strangest urge to get Sarah out, too. The dark, dirty world she inhabited had dimmed a bright soul.

Sure, the work she did saved lives. No argument. But at what risk to her soul?

And why did he care?

He scrubbed a hand over his face, wishing he could rewind his life to before he accepted the assignment. No MacKenzie turned their back on someone in need. He wouldn’t be the first.

She certainly had been fleeing from those biker dudes, but something else added to the fear he saw in her eyes.

If he was going to help, he needed to know what.