“I thought you were the masked stalker.”
“Fuck off, Faulkner.” I slide down the roof and jump, narrowly missing a Japanese maple in Winnie’s neighbor’s yard. I creep through the dark. The back door off the mudroom is unlocked.
I hear something crash in the laundry room.
I sprint, yelling, “Get the hell away from her!”
There’s a big man, all in black, very muscular, his hand on Winnie. He goes down hard when I tackle him then springs immediately back up while Winnie screams, “Call the police!”
I circle the guy. His black mask darts back and forth. He hears Winnie’s family coming too.
“What on earth is going on down there?”
Her mom and dad thunder down the stairs, Knox’s mom behind them.
“I should have gotten a hotel.”
“You are more than welcome to get a hotel and stop mooching off of my granddaughter’s hard work.”
He’s athletic. I can take him, though.
The first punch lands on his face. The second one in the ribs doesn’t seem to faze him. Is he wearing padding?
I knee him in the stomach. The assailant doubles over. I grew up fighting my older brothers, and they fight dirty.
He’s reeling. I reach for the mask, but he swipes at me, scuttling back. The assailant knocks Fidget out of the way as he sprints to the front door, out into the night.
Then all of Winnie’s family is in the way, crowding into the hallway. “What’s going on? Do you have a man in here, Winnie?”
“This is why,” Knox’s mother is hollering. “A bad influence. This is what you cannot act like, and don’t let my grandchildren—” She screeches over Fidget barking.
Her mom comes in. “Oh, Winnie! Did he hurt you? Are you okay?”
I gather Winnie protectively in my arms.
“She’s not hurt, she’s getting laid. You—” Frances whaps her bonnet at Winnie’s mom. “You cockblocked your own daughter!”
“All this drama in the middle of the night.” Winnie’s dad seems a little shocked.
“I guess you actually are dating,” Shelby says sourly. “We had our doubts, right?” Knox’s mother frowns.
“I never did,” Granny Frances declares. “When’s the wedding?”
“What are you doing here?” Winnie whispers.
“Saving you.” I kiss her.
“Yeah, but saving me from who?”
“That’s what I fucking want to know.”
31
WINNIE
“Maybe I do need to get the authorities involved,” I worry aloud.
“He was in your bedroom?” Carolina is appalled.
