Primal Hunger - Piper Davenport Page 0,4
not using the right words to express it.”
“My dad is… complicated.”
“We all are, sweetheart, but it doesn’t mean the love’s not there.”
“I just want out.”
“You don’t, Violet. Take it from me. You might want a break, but you don’t want out.”
“It would be so amazing if, just once, a man didn’t tell me what I wanted.”
“Fair,” he said.
“I’m gonna let you go.”
“Okay, Violet, I’ll—”
“Letti for fuck’s sake,” I breathed out. “Violet’s only used when someone’s pissed at me.”
He chuckled. “Got it. Text me if you want some sage wisdom. Or just want to talk.”
“Okay,” I said, and hung up.
I dropped my phone on the bed and sat up. I needed to get a few things from home, but I had a feeling Dad would object to me leaving the compound, so I dug through my purse to find a pad and paper. I was old school when it came to taking notes. I never put anything in my phone, rather, I always had some kind of notebook with me where I jotted things down.
Before I could click my pen, a knock came at the door. I sighed. “Who is it?”
“Me,” my brother, Orion, called.
“Come in.”
The door opened and my big brother stepped inside and closed it behind him. “Hey.”
“Hi.”
He crossed his arms and leaned against the door. “Where’d you get the ID?”
“I’m not going to tell you that.”
“Dad came pretty hard at you, huh?”
“When doesn’t he?”
He grimaced. Orion knew what I was going through because he and Dad butted heads constantly. Drake was the only one who seemed to be on his good side. Orion had Raquel now, though, and she was awesome. They’d fallen in love not long ago and I knew she was going to stick around forever.
“Need a hug?” he asked, and I nodded as I stood and walked into his arms.
“Do you think he’ll ever calm the fuck down?”
“Probably not,” he admitted, rubbing my back.
“He’s not going to let me go home, is he?”
“Nope. Drake and I have both got the order that if you get out of here somehow, we’re to alert the dogs, so to speak.”
I sighed. “Can I send you on an errand, then? I need a few things.”
“Why do you think I’m here?”
I pulled away and rolled my eyes. “You’re a mind reader now, huh?”
“Not my first rodeo.”
“Well, there is that.”
I scribbled down a few things and tore off the page, handing it to him. “I have a few clothing items here, so I really just need makeup stuff and my laptop.”
“Got it. I’ll probably be back in about an hour.”
“Thanks, Ori.”
He settled a hand on my shoulder. “Hang in there, sissy. He’s just trying to protect you.”
“Yeah. Sure.”
Orion grinned and pulled open the door, almost running into my dad. “Hey.”
My brother gave him a chin lift, then walked away. Dad leaned against the doorjamb and studied me. I stared him down. I refused to be the first to speak.
He smirked. “You have always been the most stubborn.”
“You said you liked that.”
“Baby girl, I love that. I love everything about you, but the truth is, you might look just like your mama, but you’re me in female form.”
I rolled my eyes. This was glaringly true.
“I need you to be safe, Letti. If anything ever happened to you, I’d lose my mind.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to me.”
“You say that because you’re twenty and full of confidence. You never think anything’s gonna happen to you when you’re young. Your mom didn’t think anything would happen to her either, but it did. And it’s my job to see all sides and make sure I stop the bad shit from touching you.”
“You can’t stop all of it,” I said. “You have to trust that I can look out for myself.”
“So, you looked out for yourself by getting a fake ID and heading to Nocturn for a night of underage drinking with your bestie?” he growled. “And what about Everly? I won’t insult you by telling you you’re banned from her presence, because I know… goddammit, I know… you’re the bad influence on her. What if her parents decide they don’t want her hangin’ with you?”
“They won’t do that. They’re cool.”
“Her father’s a religious man, Violet, and if he knew his daughter was out at a club, you better believe he won’t be cool anymore.”
“It’s not like Everly’s virginal, Dad. She’s got her own rebellious streak.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not responsible for her rebellious streak. Just yours. Jesus, you two have been a pain in my ass since