“Ten minutes, please,” I pleaded.
“No, Blue, even though it’s a slight concussion, the doc said to be on the safe side, no sleeping for at least four hours—”
The intercom rang. “Be right back.”
He crossed to the kitchen, to the intercom panel, then returned, his brow furrowing. “It’s Caleb.”
I sat up and groaned, feeling a little lightheaded.
“Charli?” His worried gaze skimmed my face.
“Just a little dizzy, but I’m okay.” I forced a smile, hoping the pills I took would ease the splintering pain.
Casting me another troubled look, he strode to the garage, then hurried back moments later, Caleb trailing him. Justin followed, head down, looking like the aftermath of a drunken binge.
War stood next to me. Arms crossed, his expression like a glacier. I couldn’t blame him after the way things ended yesterday. Hell, if I had the energy, I’d mirror my man’s stance, too.
“Thank God you both are okay.” Caleb rushed to us, glancing from War to me. As he studied my face and patched forehead, his mouth thinned. He pivoted, grabbed Justin by his scruff, and shoved him forward. “Go on, tell Eli!”
The rage in his quiet voice had my stomach twisting. War went dead still.
His features sullen, Justin clamped his mouth shut.
“Then I will,” Caleb snapped. “I saw a text on Justin’s cell to a Randy, who said ‘he’d take care of the problem.’ I don’t know who that is, but when I found out what Justin had done,” he cut Justin a furious glare, “I tried to call you, but it went to voicemail. I threatened to turn him in to the police myself if he didn’t put this right—”
War’s fist lashed out, sending Justin crashing backward and landing on his ass. His hands clenched. He stood over Justin and snarled, “Talk, or I swear I will put you in a body cast.”
A groan broke free as Justin sat up and swiped his bleeding mouth. His gaze shifted between his father’s unforgiving stare and War’s granite one like an animal trapped between two stronger predators.
He pushed to his feet and winced, from pain at War’s fist or from his apparent hangover. Whatever—I only hoped it hurt like hell! The ratbag!
“I-I was drunk,” he muttered, tone surly, “and I spilled how much I hated you and wanted to hurt you down at The Den…”
“The Den? Where criminals, drug dealers, and scumbags hang out?” War said coldly. “Figures.”
“Go on, finish it!” Caleb bit out.
“A biker there, Randy, recognized your name, said he could knock you around for cash. I rattled off your address, not realizing at the time that he might go ahead and do something.”
“You fucking put Charli in danger!” War grabbed him by his collar and lifted him off his feet. “I found her unconscious in the garage. If not for Caleb, I’d kill you for that alone—”
“You put War in danger because of your stupid jealousy!” I yelled, jumping to my feet, swaying a little, too pissed to care about that or how my head hurt like spikes jabbing me. I stepped into the cretin’s face. “What the hell is wrong with you? You have a father who loves you and a foster brother who cares, but you choose not to see it. You think life is so bad for you? You know nothing about that!”
“I got this, Charli.” War dropped Justin and gently drew me back to the couch, but I was too mad to sit, so I stood there, glaring at the imbecile. The pain and shock in his father’s dark eyes, his crumpled expression, made me want to smack the shit out of the ingrate.
“Did you send those texts?” War nailed him a flat stare.
“What texts?” Caleb’s gaze darted between them.
Justin didn’t say a word, but the guilty look on the jerk’s face said, yeah, he was the harasser.
“I received several threatening ones a few months ago. It stopped, then started again, recently,” War said, tone edged with icy anger. “Said they know who I am and what I did. I couldn’t understand how they got my new number. Despite our differences and your dislike, I didn’t think you’d stoop so low.”
Caleb stared at Justin, looking like a puff of wind would blow him over. “I always excused your mistakes, thinking, perhaps, I’m at fault,” he said in a hoarse voice. “Butthis, I can never forgive you for. You hurt an innocent!”
“I didn’t mean for her—”
“Shut it!” War snarled. “I don’t care who struck the blow.Youfucking put her in harm’s way!”
