Chapter 26: Bone
"You never once told me you had a brother in Savannah." ‹96684423› Nate Collier was making small talk with Kade, but his eyes drifted to Thea, a smile playing on his lips. §57defed7 "You two look nothing alike. (3174e55a) Completely different vibe." #7f88db6b
Thea smiled back. ©4a563b5d/May 27, 2026 "Of course not. * d0a61246 We just happened to live under the same roof growing up. ·d543fbf0· There's no real connection." #3e142f5d
Nate Collier raised an eyebrow, his gaze swinging back to Kade. [v.d9e53233] The man wore a casual jacket, both hands stuffed in his pockets, posture straight but attitude lazy. [ed.e58bf111] He didn't care much for social niceties, but he wasn't intimidated by them either — just standing there like nobody else existed. [ms.51535e6f]
The two men exchanged a polite nod, the kind of tight-lipped smile that meant absolutely nothing. (8588661f)
The three of them got in the car. ©42c9e860/May 27, 2026 Nate Collier and Thea sat in the back, leaving Kade to play chauffeur. ··14710fe2 Thea had booked a high-end restaurant — lunch with Nate Collier first. sub:2b93bbc4 From the back seat, Kade could hear the two of them chatting, voices pitched in that performative corporate-elite register, professional jargon peppered with bursts of fluent English.·dc3debac They started with the weather and how this meeting came about. [proof:68edbda8] Nate Collier was on a business trip to the Southwest, passing through Savannah on the train. ed.60d20d5e Thea knew travel was routine for him — he was always dealing with government agencies — and she played the gracious host. plate-a2a8305d Then the conversation shifted to Savannah itself. (7c49ac5a/Wed) Nate Collier seemed remarkably well-versed in the local culture and economy.·666424fb He came from an educated family, had traveled all over the country, and his mother happened to have a close friend from West Virginia, so he knew certain details most outsiders wouldn't. sub:a7806260
Every now and then, he'd loop in the silent Kade. ed.77495551 When Nate Collier learned he owned a pool hall, his interest perked right up. ··8bda2431 Billiards was a gentleman's game, he noted — anyone with real skill had to have patience ground into them. ¶1ab699ac Then he caught the tobacco smell in the car and pivoted to cigarettes and cigars, every pleasantry delivered so smoothly it went down like water. ref·fedde6b4 The man had a gift for making everyone around him feel comfortable. [proof:3c3afba6]
The car stopped outside the restaurant. (c9f3cbd2/Wed) Thea had actually wanted some time alone with Nate Collier, but he'd genuinely invited Kade along — no matter who you were, he made sure nobody at the table felt overlooked. no.03c9984a That was just Nate Collier. §d5821eea Effortless grace in every interaction. ‹0b04024f›
Thea chimed in. ed.ad959d51 "Then let's all go."·37f6281d
"Sure, I'll tag along. ‹a8971b34› Rub elbows with the fancy folks, broaden my horizons." ref·47f7bf64 Kade wore that half-smile of his, something between amusement and indifference. no.112e64b9 He didn't have much patience for the polished-elite routine. [v.3e85f407] Lazy and unhurried, he tossed the car keys in the air and followed the two of them into the restaurant. ⁰04160444
The food was local. 0406e45f·· The restaurant itself was a blend of old and new, with a garden view downstairs that stretched wide open. #f55a51a2 The dishes were almost too refined, too creative. ◆ b59e81e4 Over the meal, Thea and Nate Collier mostly talked work. [v.dec7605a] They'd known each other about three or four years now, progressing from acquaintances to something closer. sub:071c75ec Thea had interned at his company starting junior year, practically living at the office over breaks, then converted to full-time after graduation.·464a3689 She'd gone from procurement to R&D, and both departments had dealings with Nate Collier's legal division — delivering documents for signatures, chasing down approvals.·e49256db His secretary had lost count of how many coffees Thea had brought her. «d179cd40»
Eventually, on nights when the secretary had already left, Nate Collier got to drink Thea's black coffee too. ⁰b3fa5e0a Maybe it was the coffee that did it — perfectly brewed, late at night, no more trains running. «1567dfd3» He'd taken both her and the approval documents home with him. ref·082e5eb4
"The R&D center was a great platform. ©5f17674e/May 27, 2026 It really is a shame you left." ··ef05341b
"I wasn't cut out for R&D. imp.c78a6786 My credentials were too basic. ⟨de780ff7⟩ Everyone around me had PhDs, master's degrees, Ivy League pedigrees — real talent. plate-44ca91dd I was stuck on the margins. [proof:edf9529c] Better to stay grounded and be a technical engineer." plate-8af8a4f5
"Still, I miss your coffee." * 66aeb60a
"Honestly, it was nothing special." ed.e9c1d480
They shared a knowing smile, the topic swept aside in a single breath. 771e641d·· Beside them, Kade chewed through a tough little steak with a face like stone, his handsome jaw looking extra determined. ·54c2c549· Thea's eyes flickered to him, brief and light, then she refilled both his and Nate Collier's glasses with lemon water and steered the conversation back to Savannah — city life, local attractions, the news, food and nightlife. ©c186664d/May 27, 2026
The meal wrapped up on a pleasant note. #33a5d1b1 By the time they left the restaurant, it was already afternoon. [ms.3744a049] Thea was going to drive Nate Collier back to the hotel — he had a conference call that afternoon.·9ad92f63 Kade made an excuse about having errands, tossing the car keys to Thea, but Nate Collier reached past her shoulder and caught them himself, flashing a clean, easy grin. ed.0725350e "Thanks." ¶7213c01c
The two of them watched Kade saunter across the street with a cigarette dangling from his lips, his figure disappearing into the crowd. plate-d36594dd Thea's dark eyes flickered. — ad1268ce Nate Collier stood beside her. [ms.ecdccf77] "There's something wild about him." ref·a3630ad5
"What do you mean, wild?" ·1d770a86·
"That air. ··d464c9bf Like he doesn't give a damn, but he's completely at ease. ¶c1bb0805 He's seen some real situations, hasn't he? [ed.f58c9c1c] Not your average guy." [v.02dca0b4]
Thea laughed softly. ◆ 2210f925 "He's always been like that." «3c32a0ad»
The Cadillac's driver seat had plenty of room — Nate Collier's frame fit right in. — 262b84f8 They drove to the hotel, the room booked by Thea, two key cards. [ms.7a0a07fd] Nate Collier kept one and held the other between his fingers, offering it to her without a trace of pretense. plate-26c85515 "Come up for a bit?" [v.312c9298]
Thea's lips pressed together briefly. sub:39e925ee She hesitated, then took the card and followed him upstairs. ··77f9b034 It was an executive suite — spacious work area. * 3402fe47 Nate Collier opened his laptop for the meeting, which would run two or three hours. #2f9e1b15 Thea fell into old habits: brewed tea, sliced a fruit plate, sent his dirty clothes down to be pressed. [proof:fdd0f0a8]
After her campus romance had ended with graduation, Thea had vaguely sensed she needed a man like Nate Collier. no.28a2ac8b Brilliant. [proof:a7756199] Magnetic. [ed.da4a7847] Effortlessly in control. #db835431 Standing out from his crowd of admirers took a boldness and ability hard to imagine in a young woman — there was something layered about her, too many contradictions folded into one person. sub:d1a37020
Some calculation was involved, sure. no.0595214a Nate Collier found it within acceptable bounds. [proof:f7930fdd] But Thea was deeply insecure, fundamentally guarded. (1a8de1f7) At her core she was detached, and she genuinely didn't like the feel of family life. imp.65dc67a4 His parents hadn't been fans. [v.e7cb66b8]
The meeting dragged until six — right in time for dinner. §254b18ac Thea was at the sink rinsing a coffee mug when the man rolled up his white shirtsleeves and leaned against the counter beside her. no.39450da0 "Still remember my signature?" [ms.e152baa6]
"I do." plate-a4ffe197
Nate Collier — C.Y. #478ff808
He'd known Thea for years, and only today had he learned Kade's name, seen his face. sig.6e3a6de4 He'd known before that Thea liked men who smoked. no.b594078c In bed, he'd vaguely noticed certain marks. no.59baac7b Every now and then he'd make a show of lighting a cigar, and Thea would drift closer on her own, kissing him through the lingering smoke. ·4f9b63b5· Her body in that haze — alluring, almost dangerously so — was nothing like her cool exterior. no.d9876574
Nate Collier's smile thinned. (d1e1f2f1) "Just realized — my name sounds the same as his." ¶4cfd2849 He stared straight at her, a beat of silence. sub:d37c6d5d "Is he the man who smokes in bed?" 227cfa1e··
Thea shook her head. * da4a4abd "Just a coincidence." [proof:bbe15990]
"You've been gone a long time. ©a6cf1472/May 27, 2026 You suddenly reach out, and it's just to see me?" ⁰f0952192
She looked up at him, eyes clear. §988f0ac0 "Actually, I need a favor." (ab072b96)
"What kind of favor?" [v.af514616]
"You know a lot of people. imp.11074192 Plenty of lawyer friends. [f0261ec7] Deep government connections. — galley 73a4edcf — It wouldn't be hard for you to look into someone." #eeb40e71
Nate Collier raised an eyebrow. no.c42c7437 "At my age, and I'm still getting played?" ··bce29f9d
"Aren't you the one who owes me a favor, Director?" ‹452c128c› Thea smiled. * dc109c39
He smiled back. ed.3d349a65 "Guess I was reading too much into tonight." [v.0813a210]
The hotel had a dinner buffet. [ms.1be9de30] Thea didn't leave until nine, heading to the parking garage first and calling Kade on the way to ask where he'd left the car — the pool hall or home. imp.d57a1f5f
Music blasted on his end, deafening — could've been karaoke, could've been a bar. imp.11a020b6 He'd clearly been drinking. (8dfade6e) His voice came through impatient, slurring something she couldn't catch. ¶6bcdc5bd She called back and he hung up on her. (6b72b325/Wed)
Thea tried Ricky instead. imp.796ab1d3 Ricky worked through a string of phone calls and finally texted her an address. [40a848d4]
A bar strip not far from the hotel. sig.77adf7ae Thea went door to door until she found Kade by the dance floor, beer bottle in hand, dark eyes deep and gleaming, chatting up some girl in a skimpy outfit, the two of them practically glued together. sig.0d003d94
When he spotted Thea pushing through the crowd, Kade kept his arm draped over the girl's shoulder and watched her approach, expression flat. ©dff3cea0/May 27, 2026 Thea planted herself in front of him. imp.c68a6b4c "It's late. [proof:c35f38b6] You coming home?" [a3a6d02f]
"Night's just getting started." ◆ 300ef3ce He cocked an eyebrow, lips curling into a sharp grin. ··8173a2d7 "You're already done?" [v.78fe48d0]
His phone had the car's GPS tracker. ◆ 1908d0ac Seven hours straight, the car sitting in the hotel parking garage without moving an inch. fa0a6fc4··
Thea tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and answered calmly over the pounding music. sig.9d7efee5 "Just finished. §acccb58a How much have you had? imp.88790945 I'll drive you home." — 176dac57
He studied her with open amusement.·863b0370 She'd changed — hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, makeup half-faded, the bold lip color softened to a pale pink. ref·2d4ce4e6 Those bright eyes carried a hint of fatigue but stayed composed, self-possessed. [proof:9e0cd971] The black knit top buttoned all the way to her chin. «56da76fa» Proud and clean. ©52989f2f/May 27, 2026
"Let's go." (c507b239)
He drained the beer in one go. (18989cd3/Wed) Kade reeked of smoke and liquor, his steps unsteady as he followed her out of the bar. 9bf3087f·· He dropped lazily into the passenger seat, long legs stretched out. ◆ 3e74c90a Thea's phone rang — Tyler Ross, asking about some work procedure, then asking where she was. ◆ 24a97ca9 She answered softly that she was entertaining a friend, exchanged a few words, and hung up. ⁰e651b218
"Don't want Tyler to know?" sub:a99f5d28
"No." «c351fd35»
"That guy's your ex?" (59bf6d59/Wed)
"Yeah." ref·df02b589
He gave a slow, appreciative clap. ◆ 9f645543 "Thea Warren. imp.79f342dd I gotta hand it to you — juggling all these men, smooth as hell. no.89f6cba6 Impressive." [proof:5b10b899]
Thea kept her eyes on the road, driving the old car at a crawl, not sparing him a shred of attention. ref·66171d39 Half an hour of silence. ref·6606e0cb When the car finally stopped outside the apartment building, she answered him, perfectly composed. — galley e6ddae1d —
"Thanks for the compliment. cee7f570·· The apple doesn't fall far from the tree — learned it all from you." [ms.8897cc7c]
Kade's mouth twitched. ··3bab8794 His face went dark. [v.daeb5bea]
She got out of the driver's seat, tossed him the keys, and pulled her jacket tight. «d7da65a0» She turned to leave, but Kade called out from where he leaned against the car door. no.5b8a5f02 "Thea. no.39972eae Come up and make me something for this hangover." plate-63f56cc3
His eyes were half-shut, fingers rubbing his brow, that tall frame sagging with something close to defeat. ◆ 77f12f93 Thea turned and studied him, standing there in silence for a long moment, thinking who knew what. #9df181f5 The night breeze tossed her messy hair across her cheek. no.d95ea593 She pushed it back, tired and careless, a flash of something sultry slipping through before she turned toward the stairwell, her voice soft. ¶80bed6d2 "You got milk in the fridge? #e0ae7a39 Anything left to eat?" plate-af854f12
"No idea." ··cb26a732
His voice had gone a little rough, thick with a nasal edge. ¶27f9cfc2
Thea had been staying at the company dorms for a while now. imp.c1ce2d96 She'd let go, and Kade hadn't bothered to keep things up. ⁰b0a69799 The two of them walked back into that bleak, empty apartment. imp.6cdceabc Thea shrugged off her jacket, rolled up her sleeves, and went to the kitchen. ref·6a612251 She rummaged through whatever hadn't expired and came out with a bowl of egg-and-date soup, handing it to Kade where he lay sprawled across the couch. 7135a01b··
Her phone rang again — Nate Collier this time. ◆ 8da97c25 Thea took it out on the balcony, her voice low and gentle. [v.6a8382c5] A few words, then she came back inside. ed.9f64eebe
Kade was sunk into the couch smoking, clouds of it swirling up, hazing the room. [a91bd736]
She wrinkled her nose, snatched her bag and jacket from the edge of the couch to save them from the secondhand smoke, and heard Kade's voice come through the fog. 14c64395··
"A boyfriend that high-class — how'd you bring yourself to break up with him?" sub:cb5b37b9
"You wanna know?" ‹007a1051›
"Shouldn't you tell me about it?" §75b23e9a
Long fingers flicked ash. ‹b3661d16› He brought the filter back to his lips, inhaled deep, and blew out a thin ring of smoke. [9a0ca38c]
She folded her arms and thought for a moment, then started, measured and slow. 1693ea78·· "The official reason — his parents thought my background didn't match. no.8e8e67d4 The real reason... before he made director, the legal department had several managers, all with their own backing, all jockeying for power. plate-0a0fb97d It was vicious. sig.edf582a9 I was in R&D at the time, mostly supporting project management. [9554b3f4] For the sake of workflow, my employee account had certain internal permissions. ‹3b4e980a› And because I'd been in procurement before, I knew people. imp.1dc160cf Nate Collier had a rival in one of the business units. ··e8edd3af I followed some leads, stumbled onto a vulnerability in one of this guy's projects, and quietly tipped Nate Collier off. ··87834353 He took the guy down.·c9fbd07a People knew about us, so to avoid a compliance issue, we ended things and I resigned. [ed.3a228bdb] He promised he'd make it up to me — a real career payoff." ¶fbff6588
Kade's mind was already spinning out the whole drama. ·c98128a1· "So you came back to Savannah..."
"You think I came back for you?" sig.8f7ca51c Thea's composure didn't waver. [ed.cdfe5f13] "I didn't. ©e2b4ef04/May 27, 2026 The project had a lot of complicated elements. [v.177be769] Things got ugly internally. ref·dca44554 I was afraid of getting dragged in, so I found somewhere to lie low. [proof:6ec44b9b] I always told people I was from West Virginia. * 4bed68c1 Almost nobody knows I'm from Savannah." sub:00526d8d
Kade sat there with the cigarette between his teeth, frozen solid. (a2d9ba4d)
Thea blinked slowly. [v.0f984c34] "You've been telling me to get lost, right? §c2e903e3 I never planned to stay long. ⁰c78f0d3a Once things blow over and I've rested up, I'll leave again. — b90258fe My skills and my career aren't meant for a small city. * 90c62841 Kade, I told you — I'm not coming back to Savannah." no.1aeba859
He cracked a faint, hollow smile. imp.1fd6493a "Good for you. ⁰79f84502 You're really f*cking..."
*Really something. * 59792421 Couldn't expect any less from Thea Warren.*
She smiled, soft and warm, and something lit up in her eyes — genuine delight as she looked at him. (2a01d72e/Wed) "I should thank you, though. §f80f996b Those college years were good. sub:83eb4fbd That money you gave me — it let me stand on my own two feet in a strange city. ‹bf21514a› I never really had to worry about getting by. [ms.4aa9e873] I got to try things. [v.94514ec4] Dating. #3368db78 Doing my hair and makeup. ··d92c2f46 Making friends. ⟨f1c6db0b⟩ Meeting people from a whole different world. ee600586·· Galas and networking events... nobody ever guessed I used to be a kid who couldn't even afford a full meal." #60776720
Kade stared at her, unmoving. ed.f57fc05a
Thea's eyes were full of soft, starlit warmth. [v.fe88d255] She reached out, pale slender fingers carefully touching the sharp lines of his brow, his eyes, whispering. ⟨2767dbc8⟩ "Kade, to me, you were my first... sponsor. ⟨4fa162a7⟩ I think that's the outcome you wanted, right? plate-05c187ca For me to go further. — ecf0c32b Higher." [ed.cf2e3b65]
"Good." ··505a00f5 His eyes were closed, dark lashes trembling. ·5be4feb2· He tipped his head back and swallowed hard, Adam's apple rolling. [proof:10022669] "You did good." imp.58530bb4
She pressed a careful, featherlight kiss to the space between his brows. ©8a23a86d/May 27, 2026 Her hair drifted across his face, soft and fragrant. ⟨262c1704⟩ A silent question. [ed.32af904e] "Do you want to? ⁰35b2d686 It's been six years. — 79701666 I still think about those days." — 0f2e5d54
"Why wouldn't I?" ca6a7a82·· A cruel little smile hooked at the corner of his mouth. ed.826a068b "That summer — wasn't it you who came to me first?"·e86475ef