Rocking Kin (Lucy & Harris, #3) - Terri Anne Browning Page 0,77

house,” she told me. “You don’t have to worry about me, Jace. They can’t break me.”

“Maybe not, babe, but that bitch will bend and bruise you trying her damnedest.”

She clasped her hands together in her lap and looked at me through her lashes, hiding whatever was in her eyes from me. “Thanks for caring, Jace. It…” She swallowed hard and gave me the smallest of smiles. “It really means a lot to me.”

“I’ve always cared, Kin.” I pulled to a stop outside her father’s house and then turned to face her. Before she could move to get out I leaned across the space that separated us and caught her face in my hands. “What I feel for you hasn’t changed except to grow stronger. Don’t you fucking forget that, babe.” I kissed the tip of her nose and slowly pulled back. She didn’t speak as her wide blue eyes watched me intently. “If you need me, I’m only a call away. No matter what time, baby. Day or night.”

She sucked in a sharp breath. “Thanks.” She reached for the door handle, seeming just as reluctant to go as I was to let her. Slowly she got out and started to turn away, but quickly stuck her head back in. “Will you call me later?”

“Call. Text. FaceTime.” I gave her a wink and a smile, trying to relieve some of that haunted look in her eyes. “Whatever you want, baby.”

“Call me,” she murmured. “I would really appreciate it if you did.”

“Then I will,” I promised.

“Okay then. Thanks…” She stepped back and shut the door but stood on the sidewalk for a few moments before finally waving and walking to the house.

I watched her go, dreading the distance she put between us with each step she took. Only once she was inside did I put my car in gear and head back to my apartment. After a few miles I activated the car’s voice command to call Lucy. She picked up after a few rings.

“Jace?”

I glared out the windshield. “Hey, Lu. Can you do me a favor?”

There was a small pause on her end before she answered. “If I can, sure.”

I gritted my teeth, mentally cursing myself. “I just left Kin at her father’s house. Can you call her? She’s had a rough few days.”

“I heard something happened at the gala the other night with the Montez family and the Jacobsons, but I didn’t really pay attention to what was being said.” She blew out a long breath. “Yeah, Jace. I’ll call her now.”

I stopped at a traffic light and leaned my head back against the headrest, closing my eyes. I wanted to turn around and go back for her. Take her home with me and never let her go back to that fucking house again. Instead, I cleared my throat, knowing there wasn’t a damn thing I could do. “Thanks, Lucy.”

Kin

The house was oddly quiet as I let myself in and headed up the stairs. I’d honestly expected Jillian to be waiting on me as soon as I walked through the door. Yet there was no sign of her, and I didn’t hear her voice as I passed her bedroom on the way to my own.

I didn’t know if I was relieved to not have to deal with her shit right then or if I was even more pissed. I wanted to have it out with her. Wanted to yell and scream and call her names and then I wanted to put my fist through her face and yell some more. She was why my real family was gone a week sooner than expected. She was the one at fault for ruining my time with my loved ones. She had ruined my first Christmas without my mother, which had been a fucking disaster, and all I wanted to do was cry.

Cry, damn it.

I hated crying.

Opening the door to my room, I tossed my bag on the bed and slammed the door behind me. Had I really ever been this angry? I couldn’t remember a time when I’d been so upset, so hurt, so resentful of any one person in my life. I had a throbbing headache from the tension and my eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my head at any second.

As I dropped down on the end of the bed, there was a soft tapping at the door seconds before it opened. I lifted my head, ready to rip in to Jillian, but clamped my mouth