Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 169013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 845(@200wpm)___ 676(@250wpm)___ 563(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 169013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 845(@200wpm)___ 676(@250wpm)___ 563(@300wpm)
His throat bobbed heavily, eyes wild, before he gave me a tight nod.
I looked back at Trevan. “Yeah, we’re sure.”
“All right, then.”
“I’m going to go check on Elena and Kai,” I told them.
Trevan inclined his head. “You want the gates locked up?”
“No. We need to appear like everything is normal. If Kent is watching, we need him to think nothing is amiss, and we’re business as usual.”
We couldn’t afford for it to look like we were gearing up or hunkering down. Couldn’t afford for PJ to cost us this gig.
We needed to continue on like it was another normal criminal day.
“Crows ride tonight at ten. Through town. We go to Keg & Creek.” It was a local dive I was looking into purchasing. One that held so much consequence for me I couldn’t stop myself from going back there right after I came back here.
The original owner long gone.
Its sordid history erased as if it’d never happened.
“If we’re hiding out in these walls, it’s going to raise red flags. Let everyone know.”
Trevan dipped his head in assent.
Then I was moving.
Storming around the shop in the direction Brinley had taken them. Toward the little footpath I somehow knew she’d followed.
Like I could scent her.
That almond and apple scent mixed with terror and care.
I dipped under the shade of the trees, my heart that had been pounding hard now careening.
My gaze snagged on the same peep-toe shoes she loved to tempt me with that had been kicked off and left on the path. I ducked down and picked them up, my pace increasing as I moved through the stir of energy toward the house.
It was denser the closer I got. A whir of it that spun around the walls.
I clumped up the stairs, wondering what the fuck I thought I was doing, so fucking drawn I couldn’t think straight.
I tossed open the door to the flurry of activity going on inside.
“I said I’m fine.” At Brinley’s wheezed words coming from the kitchen, my screaming heart jumped to my throat. I flew through the archway.
She was in a chair turned out from the dining table, holding a bloodied damp rag to her foot.
Fury splintered.
“Are you hurt?” I demanded.
“She cut her foot up real good,” Meems confirmed, her gaze slanting to me.
Tortured and pained.
Full of an apology.
I gritted my teeth, trying to feel none of it, my attention slanting to Elena who was on her knees in front of Brinley. Her hands flitted all over like she wanted to do something but had no idea what.
“I’m worried she needs stitches.” I could hear the tears in Elena’s voice.
“I’m fine,” Brinley huffed again, then she pinned those fiery eyes on me. “Is he gone?”
That was her concern.
“Yeah, he’s gone, and he’s not coming back.”
I dropped my focus to Elena, offering it like a promise.
She nodded at me, the normal sass and irritation she watched me with replaced with trust and pain.
Like she got my reasoning for keeping her sheltered, but there was still no erasing the pain of it.
“Where’s Kai?” I gritted.
“Sleeping in his playpen. He didn’t even wake up.” Elena’s laugh was soggy.
My nod was sharp.
Eyes dragging back to Brinley who peeled back the rag to get a look at her foot.
More blood gushed, and she winced, quick to cover it up.
“Fuck,” I grumbled, and I was scooching Elena aside and sweeping Brinley from the chair, one arm under her legs and the other behind her upper back.
“What the heck, Silas?” she gasped as the rag splatted to the ground.
I didn’t answer.
I just carried her up the stairs and into the bathroom in my room, likely leaving a trail of blood behind us.
It wouldn’t be the first time I’d done it.
I didn’t stop until I had her settled on the counter before I knelt in front of her so I could inspect her foot. One hand on the outside of her calf as I carefully studied her sole.
She winced, though she didn’t make a sound as I gently prodded the flesh.
“It’s not that deep,” I rumbled, though it was a hundred percent in relief. “Don’t think stitches are going to be required.”
“See, I told everyone it was fine.” She huffed it, though her hands were clinging to the edge of the counter.
Not close to fine and it didn’t have anything to do with her injury.
I met her gaze.
Was trapped by it, really.
“You protected them.” Could barely get the words out around the dryness of my mouth, and they still sounded like praise.
“I…” Her tongue stroked over her lips. “I can’t bear the thought of someone getting to them. I don’t even know them and…”
She trailed off. Unable to vocalize this thing that neither of us could understand.
“He’s gone?” she finally asked again, though quieter, like it was a secret she was asking me to trust her with.