dripping from a nostril and bitterness in his eyes when he glared at me.
Guy could hate me all he fuckin’ wanted. But if he turned that aggression on Frankie Leigh? That story wasn’t going to end in his favor.
Seth shoved Jack into the backseat of his cruiser while I sat there trying not to pass the fuck out.
Getting in a fist fight with that asshole was like getting in a wrestling match with a grizzly bear.
Groaning, I slumped back onto the ground, just trying to breathe.
Unease sloshed around in the deepest part of me. Where awareness and trepidation met.
Wanting it to be over, but none of it adding up.
Ashley and that note and the one that was tacked to my door.
Could feel the shockwaves of worry blast through the atmosphere, the spiral of energy and the rustle of movement vibrating the ground floor.
I forced myself to peel open an eye, finding Frankie leaning over me, all frantic and tremoring, her fingers fluttering over my face.
Wanted to welcome her touch, but I flinched.
“Are you okay? God, what were you thinkin’? What were you thinkin’?” Frankie was pleading, those eyes searching my face, girl trying to hold back tears. “You’re a mess, Evan. Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.”
“What are you apologizing for?”
“For dragging you into my mess.”
A frown deepened my brow, and I started to answer her until a shadow fell over us. I forced myself to sit up, fighting the rush of dizziness that spun my head.
“You good?” Seth asked.
I swiped at the blood I could feel dripping down my chin. “Yup. Good as fucking new.”
“You’re not fine. Look at you. You are a mess. I can’t believe this. I can’t believe this. We need to get you to a hospital.”
I DON’T NEED A HOSPITAL, FRANKIE. I let a bit of frustration weave into the response.
She shook her head. YES, YOU DO.
NO, I DON’T.
Seth bent his knees to sink down in front of me. “You sure you’re good?”
“Yeah,” I told him.
He gave a tight nod. “Okay then. I’m going to take him down and process him. See if I can get him to confess about what’s been going on around here. You two try not to touch anything on the porch. I’ll have someone come tomorrow to dust for prints. Problem is, Jack lives next door. A print of his on Frankie’s porch isn’t going to be all that condemning.”
Seth looked skeptical.
About everything.
I was, too.
“Okay.”
Seth straightened to standing, hesitated. “You’re sure you’re good? Face is busted up pretty bad, man.”
“I’m good.”
Frankie and I watched Seth head back to his cruiser.
Tension bound the air, something unsettled and wrong.
When he pulled back out onto the street, Frankie moved to get onto her feet, still bent over and extending a hand. “Come on, let’s get you inside and cleaned up.”
I took it, groaning a bit as I forced myself to standing.
Warily, I followed behind her, our fingers loosely threaded as she slowly made her way up to the house. Neither of us touched the railing, and we were careful to sidestep the letters the best that we could. She opened the door to Milo who looked like he’d been scratching at the window the entire time, frantic and worried himself, trying to get out to do a little protecting of his own.
I scratched his head when he did a circle around my legs. “Good boy.”
I followed Frankie through the great room of her house to a small hallway that opened up to two bedrooms on each side. She led me into the one on the right, not slowing as she started toward the bathroom attached at the back.
My gaze jumped around to take it all in.
It was so completely Frankie Leigh it was ridiculous.
A pink comforter and purple sheets and a ton of mismatched pillows piled on her unmade bed. Bright pictures covered every inch of the walls. Covering the floor was about everything she owned, the room a disaster, clothes strewn everywhere, clearly the girl trying things on and tossing them to the floor before she went to digging through her closet again.
A whirlwind.
A tornado.
My unicorn girl.
I followed her the rest of the way into the bathroom. She flipped on the light and I finally got a good look at myself in the mirror. I cringed.
“Do you get it now?” she demanded. No question, the words had come out mad.
“Get what, Frankie? That I would do anything for you? Protect you? Fight for you? Love you? Whatever the hell it takes?”
She went