“She’s at Micah’s,” I tell him when he answers, and the fuckerjust hangs up. If they’re up on the highway, I’ll get there faster, especially with the bike.
With that thought, I shove my phone into my pocket and cram my helmet on my head. I back out and hit the gas.
It takesten minutes to get to Micah’s house, but it feels like fucking years. It doesn’t help that I’m racing the clock trying to beat Gage here.
I run up and bust in because I never knock coming here, anyway. A hand wraps around my throat and slams me back against the front door.
“What did you do?” Micah grits out, getting in my face and squeezing my throat hard.
I don’t even fight back because I deserve it if he kicks my ass. “I’m coming to fix it,” I force out.
He squeezes harder before slamming my head back against the door. He lets go and steps back. “I don’t know what the hell is going on in that house, but if I ever see her like this again, I’ll burn that motherfucker to the ground with all of you in it.” He jerks his thumb over his shoulder. “Go.”
I step around him and head toward her favorite room in this house, the music room. She doesn’t play, but Micah does. He used to play the guitar for us, but I haven’t seen him pick it up in years.
I twist the knob only to find it locked.I knock lightly. “Les?” She doesn’t answer, but I can hear her crying softly through the door. “Please open the door, Les,” I beg. It’s killing me knowing I did this to her because of my jealousy over Leo. “Please.”
I slide down to the floor with my back against the door. “I’m so fucking sorry, Les. I was an asshole. You didn’t deserve what I said.” I scrub a hand down my face and make a decision. “I’ll do whatever it takes to have you in my life. Please let me prove it to you.”
She jerks the door open, and I roll to my feet so I don’t fall backinto the room. Tears are still leaking down her face, and I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen Les cry like this. “Les,” I say softly. She goes to open her mouth and then looks past me. That’s when I see Gage barreling down the hallway with Leo behind him.
Gage elbows me back and jerks her into his arms. “Pretty girl,” he breathes while she clings to him. Leo steps around me and up behind her, squashing her between them.
I swallow everything I’m feeling, all the hurt and jealousy threatening to bubble over. I used to be her person to come to, but now she has to go to other people because of me. Gage gives me a hard look over his shoulder before ushering her back in the room, shutting the door in my face, and sliding the lock home again.
Fuck fuck fuck!
I raise my hand to pound on the door, then drop it. I’ll give Les the time she needs with him; it would be the first test of my self-control. I head down the hallway toward the front door when Micah steps in front of me from the living room, making me eye him warily.
“Get in here and tell me what’s going on.”
I sigh and follow him like a chastised toddler. I flop down on the couch and wait for him to sit in his favorite chair across from me. I watch him for a second and decide just to spill it. “I told Les how I feel; she feels the same and wants to be with Leo, Dex, Gage, and Holden.”
Micah raises a brow. “I know.”
“What do you mean, you know?”
“We do talk, dickhead. Why did she show up here like that?” He points to the room she’s currently in.
“I told her I couldn’t be in her life if she didn’t choose me.” Well, that’s the condensed version, anyway.
His eyes narrow. “Then why are you here?”
“Because I changed my fucking mind.”
He reaches under the table beside his chair and pulls out a Glock. He lays it on his thigh and casually aims it at me, laying it on his thigh. “You sure?”
“Yes,” I answer, then look at the gun. “You going to shoot me, Micah?”
He slides the safety off. “You aren’t going to make her feel like shit for wanting what she wants ever again?”
“No.”
He chambers a round, the click echoing through the room. “You better hope so, Ryder, because I don’t give a fuck who you are when it comes to my niece. I will fucking end you.” He unchambers the round, and the bullet hits the ground, clanking ominously.
I nod because I have no idea what to say to that. Micah puts the gun back and stands up, striding out of the room.
Holy shit.
