“You think that’s why I’m mad at you?”she questions before laughing.“You are something, Reid Hayes.”
I puff out my chest.“Thank you.”
“It wasn’t a compliment.”
“So let me get this straight—” I stop when the house comes into view, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.“I thought you were all at the party tonight,” I voice, the light, teasing tone gone as I flick off the headlights to the car.
“What are you doing?”she asks in a panic.“Milly is in the car.”
“Look,” I order, pointing up to the house.
The house is dark, aside from the outdoor light and the light coming from a torch inside.
“Oh my god,” she whispers, her voice trembling.
“Call the police,” I order, pulling the car over to the side of the road.
“We can’t.I can’t.The police can’t be involved.”
I close my eyes for a moment, remembering Jaxon’s comment from earlier.“If I get stabbed again, I’m going to be pissed,” I grumble, shoving open the door.
“Where are you going?”she hisses, grabbing my arm.
I glance down at where her soft flesh meets my tattooed arm then back up at her pale blue eyes.I hand her my phone, keeping my gaze on hers so she can be assured everything will be okay.“Call Jaxon if anything happens.”
Her lips part, panic filling her gorgeous eyes.“Happens?”
“Call Jaxon,” I repeat and close the door on her.I lock the car up before making my way up to the house.
“Reid!”she yells as I run toward the house.I don’t get far before the horn of my car is blasted.I stop, turning around to glare at the insufferable woman in the car.
Maybe I was wrong about her.
Maybe her beauty is all there is.
I grit my teeth before turning back to my mission, when I hear a crash and see a hooded figure climbing out of the window at the side of the house.I get a glimpse of a scar running over his cheek and chin as the torch moves, the light landing on the side of his face.I race toward him.
“Stop!”I roar.
I knew they wouldn’t stop at my words, but it was worth a shot.I mean, it wouldn’t kill them to take responsibility for their actions and take a beating like a man.
I chase him to the fence that blocks off the main house from what used to be their farm.I stop at the fence because I know the wild will do more damage to him at this point than I could.Running on unknown land is bad enough, but doing it in the dark while heading toward the rockery is just plain suicidal.I trekked through that area for the Addisons when they lost their dog, and my brothers had to carry me out after spending hours looking for me because I had fallen and broken my leg.
I run my fingers through my hair, letting out a sigh.Day one of meeting this family and already there’s trouble.We have enough of our own shit going on.Yet there’s no denying our shit is now linked with theirs, whether we like it or not.Though at this very moment, I’m beginning to understand how my brothers have been feeling.You can only help someone so much.They need to help themselves first.Summer could have gotten me fucking killed with her actions, and all because I was trying to help her.
I turn back toward the direction the house and car are, staring at the empty space like it will calm the rage boiling inside of me now that the adrenaline has worn off.
What the fuck was she thinking blasting a horn?
I jog back in the direction I came from, hoping it will burn some of the anger away.By the time I reach the car, it ignites at seeing her.It doesn’t matter that she looks petrified.I unlock the car, and before she can utter a breath, I rip open the door.She rears back in surprise, her eyes wide as saucers.
I grip the top of the door and the roof of the car as I lean in.“What the fuck was that?Do you have any idea the kind of danger you could have put us all in?There’s a fucking child in the back seat.Are you fucking stupid?”
Her beautiful blue eyes narrow on me.“One, I’d die for that child.”
I snort.“That’s good.Great even.Because after you’re dead, there’s no one to stop them from killing her.Great plan.”
Her lips press firmly together, but I see the fire behind those gorgeous, burning eyes.“They were robbing our house, not waiting to murder us.”
