“I couldn’t even talk to you on the phone. You called, said you were fine—and I wanted to kill someone. The need to rip their heads off, it was just like when you were arrested.”
I wound my arms around his neck and pulled him back in.
“It was the Red Demons.”
His hand went up my back and he grabbed fistfuls of my shirt. His head buried into my neck. “I know.” His voice was muffled. “I want to kill them. I want to—”
“No.” I eased back again, leaning back on the counter.
His head tipped back to see me. I framed his face with my hands, trying to wipe that fear from him if I could’ve. “It’s done. Everything is done. They know I recognized Heckler—” Oh, yeah. I already told Cross, and Zellman, and Jordan, besides Channing. They all knew. The Red Demons didn’t need to know that part. “I promised not to say a word, and promised not to hunt them as a bounty hunter later, but it’s done. It’s done. They’re out of our lives. I think my Dad, too. He told me he wanted everything from me, but he’d ask for nothing. I know what that means. That means he’s gone unless I reach out. It’s over, Cross.”
He searched me, then drew in a shuddering breath. His gaze fell to my mouth and he cupped the side of my face in his. “If they had done something to you—”
The Red Demons knew what I promised to do to them if they had hurt someone I loved, but they didn’t know Cross. They had no idea. Cross flipped his shit when I was arrested. I shuddered myself at what he’d do if something happened to me.
Drawing in one more harsh breath, he framed my face back and tipped my forehead to his. “I love you.”
I whispered back, my hands falling to his arms, “I love you, too.”
We took a few more minutes before there was a discreet knock.
The patio door slipped open.
Cross tensed, cursing under his breath, but our time was up.
Zellman swept in next, the same fierce hug that I got last night.
Jordan joined.
After a full minute, when it became obvious they weren’t going to let me go, Cross joined us and I lost track of time as my guys held me.
Two hours later, it was a full-on party.
Aspen and her friends went to get food and drinks. The grill was turned on and Zellman and Jordan were in charge of the meats. I’m pretty sure they had plans to grill a pizza, or two of them. If they could grill water, they would’ve.
By this time, Tabatha and Jessinda had joined us, too, but they came in at a slower pace.
Tabatha came over, gave me a tight hug, and she stepped back, flicking away some tears. She couldn’t look at me so she was half-turned away, but her hand was on my arm. She gave me a squeeze. “Just be safe, Bren. Please be safe from now on.”
I grinned. “Right. Because I invited them here.”
She looked then, more tears spilling as she did, and a small laugh slipped out. “You know what I mean.” Then her eyes trailed past my shoulder, to the backyard. “He’s back there?’
Jessinda waited for us to have our moment, then gave me a nod and went to the backyard.
That honesty I could handle. She knew she and I were never going to be friends, but there was a small moment of decency where she gave me the nod, glad I was good. Then, off to the true reason she was here.
“That’s going to be interesting.”
The words came from me as both Tabatha and I watched her go. The doors slid open, and when they closed, we saw that Jordan wasn’t alone. Jade was standing next to him and he was grinning down at her. Oh yeah. Jordan was full-on flirting with Aspen’s roommate.
Tabatha stiffened. “I didn’t know about her.”
“I think it’s a new development.”
I eyed Tab, not knowing what my place was here.
Then she sighed and stepped back from me. “Whoever he ends up with, I just hope he’s happy.”
I nodded. “I think he will be.”
She blinked away some more tears, then gave me another reassuring smile. It was forced, but it was there. She looked at my hands. “You should have something to drink. What do you want? I’ll go and get it for you. Or I can run to the store?” She was now seeing everyone else and her eyes got