"I'm not leaving you." Nolen crossed his arms over his chest and widened his stance like he was trying to prove a point—that he wouldn't be told what to do.
I didn't have it in me to fight both my sister and him. "Please, Nolen. It's just a few minutes, and you can go to the kitchen if you want."
He would still be close enough to eavesdrop if that was his plan but also far enough away that Hannah would have the illusion he was giving us privacy.
Nolen didn't look like he was going to agree.
"Come on, man. Let's give them a few minutes to talk."
I could kiss Maverick for taking my side. Not literally but I would sure slap a juicy one on his cheek for being the voice of reason here.
"Fine, but just know I'm watching you." His jab was directed at Hannah who merely rolled her eyes and gave him attitude right back. "Okay, old man." Her tone was laced with sarcasm, and it made me want to snap at her for being childish.
I waited until Nolen and Maverick were out of the room before I crossed my own arms and glared at my baby sister. "What do you want?" I was done with being nice to her. She didn't deserve it.
"Where the fuck is Joel?"
I stepped back at the venom in her tone. I thought the things she said to me in the hospital were vicious, but it was nothing compared to the way she sounded in that moment.
"How the hell should I know? He's your boyfriend not mine." I was under the impression he was in jail, but after what Nolen said and now Hannah's question, I was starting to think it wasn't accurate.
Hannah got right into my face. "He's disappeared, and I know you had something to do with it."
Seriously?! What the fuck was wrong with her?
"I have no idea what you're talking about." It was true. I let Nolen handle Joel after we figured out he was the one who attacked me. I didn't want any part of it. I wanted to wash my hands of him and my sister, but it would seem that wasn't to be.
"Don't lie to me, bitch." Before I could even grasp what was happening, Hannah had a chunk of my hair and was pulling me toward the ground.
I let out a startled scream when it felt like she was going to rip the hair right out of my head.
The sound of boots hitting my hardwood floor caught my attention, and I thanked my lucky stars that I had asked Nolen and Maverick to step into the kitchen so they weren't far away.
Nolen's roar made me shiver, but it was the sound of a body hitting the floor that really confused me.
"Let me handle this," Maverick snapped. "You take care of your woman."
Maverick's brown boots crowded my line of vision. "Hannah, let Vanessa go." Maverick sounded eerily calm compared to Nolen who was now crawling to my side.
"I want to know where the fuck Joel is," Hannah screamed at the top of her lungs.
"I'll tell you if you let her go."
Nolen's arms were wrapped around me, and I could feel the rumble of his chest as he growled at my sister. "Just let her go!"
One minute I was being held captive by the roots of my hair, and the next, I was being shoved aside.
"Now tell me where he is," Hannah continued to holler at Maverick as he dragged her away.
"Where is he taking her?" I asked Nolen as he picked me up and settled me in his lap on the couch.
"I don't know, and I really don't give a fuck at the moment."
That was completely understandable. Nolen was visibly agitated. I could see his chest rise and fall with each ragged breath he took.
"Where is Joel?" Now that my sister had gone to such lengths to figure it out, I thought it might be a good time to know what the heck was going on.
"Somewhere where he can never touch you again."
