nor Cole makes a move to do so. “Austin Lowes.”
All their heads snap to look at Cole. And Deke looks down at his feet, but I don’t miss his jaw hardening. Cole stares at me for a long moment as silence falls around us. And I feel like I’m back in the cemetery with him and Deke. Like he’s trying to think of his next move.
Is he going to stab me this time? Let Deke shoot me?
Finally, he looks away from me and to Deke. “Take her home,” he orders and then turns, giving us all his back. He walks into the barn, letting the door shut behind him.
“Let’s go home, baby,” Deke says, walking over to me.
“No …”
He grabs my upper arm and squeezes, making me cry out as his fingers dig into my skin. The other guys turn their backs on me and walk into the same door as Cole. Deke drags me across the gravel and over to the side of the building where a black Range Rover sits. He tosses me in the passenger seat and then climbs in. I press my body against the door.
He chuckles. “I’m not the one you should be afraid of, baby.”
“What does that mean?” I demand, pissed off over what Cole put me through tonight.
“It means …” He starts his SUV. “That Cole is the only one who decides if you live or die. Not me.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
COLE
I RIP MY hoodie off and then my black t-shirt. I toss them both to the floor and raise my fists in front of me. I start bouncing around and hit the punching bag that hangs from the rafter.
I hear the door open and then Kellan’s voice. “Cole, what is going on?” he asks.
“I’m handling it,” I say, hitting the bag again.
“That’s not what it looked like from where we stood,” Shane argues.
I snort.
“She’s Bruce’s daughter—”
“Yes. I know who she is!” I snap, interrupting Kellan. I drop my hands and turn to face them. “I’m well aware of whose daughter she is.”
Kellan looks like he’s seen a ghost, but Shane smiles. “She’s perfect.”
I let out a growl. “She’s mine!”
He doesn’t even try to hide his smile at my possessiveness. “No. I mean she’s perfect for what we need.”
Kellan shakes his head. “Absolutely not. I’m not gonna be responsible for her.”
“Between the five us, she would be fine.”
“Look at what happened tonight,” Kellan snaps, arguing with Shane.
“Were you not paying attention?” Shane asks. “She managed to get away from the cops. And she didn’t even have any help.” He points at me. “Cole left her to fend for herself.” He smiles as if he’s proud of her. “And I must say, I’m impressed.”
I, however, want to strangle her. She fucked up my M4. I just bought that car. And the cops saw her, which brings up another thought. Why were the cops there? We disabled the alarm, and no one was around for miles. That warehouse is there for a reason; no one is ever in that part of the town. Barnes is a little town full of elderly people who live in retirement homes. Who would have seen us to call the authorities on us?
“I say we bring her in. See how she does.” Shane nods to himself. “Challenge her. She seems like the kind who wouldn’t back down from a fight.”
“And?” Kellan asks.
“And what?” Shane looks at him.
“When she gets us caught and we’re all in jail, then what?”
“That won’t happen.”
“How can you promise that?” Kellan snaps.
Shane looks back at me. “Because she won’t turn on someone she loves.”
I look at Bennett, the only one who has kept his mouth shut this entire time. He meets my eyes, and my chest tightens at the look in them. “You know damn well that she would be the best piece no one ever saw coming,” he says.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out to see it’s a message.
Deke: The princess was dropped off. Unharmed. You’re welcome.
I put my cell back in my pocket, close my eyes, and let out a long breath. “You guys know what this means, right?” I ask.
When silence falls over the room, I look them all in the eyes before I speak. “We’re throwing a party.”
AUSTIN
Shark: Party tomorrow night at my house. Be there at ten.
Cole sent me that last night while I was in the bathtub. As soon as Deke dropped me off, I jumped in the bath to clean off. To wash the day away.