I yank the bag out and start throwing clothes in. T-shirts. Jeans. Whatever. My hands move on autopilot while my brain tries to catch up to what Tigerlily just said.
Her dad punchedher.
In the face?
Fuck, that’s rough.
I scanned her face in that moment. Her soft face. No bruises. No scratches. Nothing visible. Maybe a swollen lip, but I mistook it for being plump. It didn’t look like a punch did it, it looked morelike she bit it. Which means either her dad’s careful about where he hits her, or Jax got there before it got worse.
I shove another shirt in the bag harder than necessary.
A sweet girl like her. Innocent. Gentle. And some piece of shit puts his hands on her.
Movement in the hallway catches my eye. Jax walks past, his jaw set in that way that means he’s locked down tight. Processing. Planning.
I zip the bag and follow him to his room, slipping inside before closing the door behind me.
“Why didn’t you fucking tell me?”
Jax doesn’t look up from packing his own bag. “Tell you what?”
“Dude.” I step closer. “Her dad hits her?”
The door opens, and Callum slides in, looking between us with that hungover but curious expression. He nods like he wants details too.
Jax’s hands still on his bag. His voice comes out flat. Cold. “He’s a piece of shit. He’s lucky she held me back because I would’ve killed him.”
“Did you fuck him up?” Callum asks.
Jax shakes his head once. “I punched him once. Then she stopped me from doing anything more.”
Callum leans against the doorframe. “How do you even know her?”
“I don’t.” Jax zips his bag with force. “But it takes only two eyes to see that she deserves better.”
I cross my arms. “Okay, so we lay low at Callum’s. He won’t find her there.” I pause, thinking through the variables. “And what about the sister?”
Callum perks up. “She has a sister?”
“She’s ten years old, dude.”
I look back at Jax. “You think the sister will remember where we live?”
“Was she here or something?” Callum asks.
Jax and I both turn to glare at him.
He holds his hands up. “Brothers, I came in mid-story. I don’t know what the fuck’s going on.”
I turn back to Jax. “I don’t even know if this turd’s going to remember today. He’s so fucking hungover.”
“Nah,” Callum grins. “Tiger purified me. She has cleansed me.”
Jax grabs his bag and shoulders it. “You’re right about the sister. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
“Lock up, boys!” Callum announces behind us, way too loud for the situation.
When I step into the hallway, Tigerlily is standing there. All three of us must look like the three stooges crammed in one bedroom.
