I hesitate, but climb off him and back up, sure to keep Delaney behind me.
I keep my eyes on Brandon as he scurries to his feet. “Go pack a bag, Delaney. You,” I say to Brandon, “Stay outside where I can see you until we’re gone.”
“Piss off,” he hisses. He spits out a mouthful of blood as he walks over toward his trailer.
“No. Away from the darkness around your house. Stay by your truck.”
Brandon flips me off but obeys. I’m still shaking from adrenaline, and the red-hot anger I’m trying to come down from, but I don’t react to his childishness.
A few minutes later, Delaney rushes out of her trailer with a laundry basket overflowing with clothes and toiletries. There’s a journal on top. She has a reusable shopping bag hanging on her shoulder, and it’s so full it’s bulging.
“Watch him, and I’ll carry that to the car.” I move toward her, but she twists her body to keep me from grabbing the basket.
“I’ve got it. I carry more than this all the time.” Her eyes tell me there’s no arguing with her on this.
I keep an eye on Brandon while Delaney puts her things in my backseat. When she comes back over to me, she says, “I’m just going to lock up, then I’m ready.”
The seething glare Brandon is throwing our way makes me worry about what he’ll do when we’re gone.
“Make sure you have everything important to you. I don’t trust this asshat not to go into your trailer and do something to your belongings.” I pivot my head to look at her, and her eyes are wide open. She’s nervously chewing on her lower lip and staring at her trailer.
“I can put it in my car when I get there,” she mutters to herself as she walks away and into the trailer. A minute or two later, she’s back out, and I watch as she sets a large box behind her on the tiny porch and turns to lock her door.
While she’s distracted, I swoop in, grab the box, and take it to the car, careful to make frequent visual checks that Brandon is still where he’s supposed to be.
“Hey,” Delaney calls after me. “I could have gotten that.”
I walk and meet her halfway between the trailer and the car.
“Didn’t say you couldn’t have. Doesn’t mean you have to,” I say as we walk to the vehicle. I open the passenger door, and she climbs in. Then I grab the seatbelt and buckle her in before she can protest.
But I don’t get in the car. Instead, I walk over to Brandon. He’s standing arrogantly with his arms crossed.
“Harrison!” Delaney calls from the car, but I ignore her.
I fix my eyes on Brandon and stare at him for a few uncomfortable seconds. He looks away first.
“I’m going to say this once. You stay away from that trailer and Delaney’s things until she’s had a chance to come get them all?—”
“She can’t move out. She has a lease.” He smirks like he thinks he’s won.
I look down at the ground for a second and scratch my head as if I’m processing his words. Then I lift my gaze back to his.
“Did you know I’m an attorney? A damn good one, too. So, believe me when I say that you will let her out of her lease,andgive her back her security deposit, or I’ll destroy you in court. Not only are you violating zoning laws, but look over at my car, at those little red lights on my mirrors.” Whether he means to or not, his eyes dart over to the running vehicle, then back to me. “Those are cameras. They’ve recorded everything since I got here. That includes you trying to break into Delaney’s homeandthrowing the first punch at me.”
“I don’t believe you,” he hisses. I shrug.
“Doesn’t matter what you believe, but take it as a fair warning.” I turn and walk toward my car. Without giving him another glimpse, I say, “You’ll be hearing from me soon.”
As I get to the car, Delaney has her head sticking out of her window, and she’s wearing a scowl. Once I’m inside and have turned us around so we head down the dirt driveway, she clears her throat.
“What the hell was that there at the end? What did you say to him?” Her tone is demanding.
It’s pitch-black back here in the woods, so I keep my eyes on the road since I don’t want to hit a tree or an animal.
“Nothing. I just warned him not to touch your stuff.” I keep my voice even.
“That was an awfully long time for that to be all you said.” Her voice bears a hint of a dare for me to challenge her.
