When Jett calls out, “You’re up next, Hide-boy,” it hits me how exposed we are.
My focus snaps back to Skylar, who stands there with her mouth open and her chin trembling.
Gotta get her out of here.
“Let’s go.” One hand over her waist, the other remaining around her neck, and we’re off.
I force her to my home. Away from them.
“Knox, stop. Stop.” She finds her voice now that we’re moving, though she sounds choked. “They’ll come here at night. They’ll take me next. Don’t do this to me.”
She’s wrong. Dead wrong.
They’re proud of me for handling her. Plus, they’ll be focused on someone else.
One glance over my shoulder, and I see Jett and Grandpa over there, careful as they pick Bronwyn up by her feet and shoulders.
To an outsider, they might seem like they’re being careful with her. As if they regret what they’d done.
To a Colbert, the truth behind their gentle touch is brutally obvious.
They can’t go rough on her, or she’ll die too fast.
Dead bodies don’t cry or beg. There’s no fun in torturing a corpse.
That’s how I know they’ll stay there to handle her and Easton.
Even so, I’ll be vigilant. Watch over Skylar. Won’t let her out of my sight.
“Knox.” Skylar plants her heels in the ground, temporarily stopping us. Her hands go to my arm, and dammit, these feelings she wakes within me. I listen. “Just—just hear me out. Knox. Please.”
Desire burns through me. My chest is tight.
Every cell in my body is drawn to her.
I can’t be nice. Not even a little. Not out here.
“Stop saying my name.” I let go of her neck. Wind my fist in her hair that smells so goddamn nice and tilt her face up.
Our gazes clash.
“Don’t—” Her teeth chatter. “Can’t you see I’m next? Why won’t you do something like take me away from here? Or let me escape? We shared a moment back there, Knox. I mean something to you.”
“Listen to me.” I give her head a sharp shake, ordering her to focus as I murmur, “If I’m nice to you, they’ll come over here. You need to shut the hell up.”
Don’t let them,she mouths.Please.
In the background, I hear Grandpa groan as his boots scuffle against the ground.
“You need help there, Knox?” Jett hollers out to me, turning my blood molten with rage. “Want me to paralyze this one for you too?”
“No.No. Let me go.” The fear twisting her features is beautiful.
It’s the kind of beauty that changes a man.
I’m starving, fantasizing.
Aching.
