“Who is this Scotty guy, anyway?” I asked, studying them both.
Neither one answered me.
I crossed my arms and tapped my foot. “Lucas.”
“Heidi,” he said back, using the same threatening tone I’d used with him. The smirk I was all too familiar with slipped into place. At least he no longer looked murderous. “He’s no one you need to worry about, darlin’.”
Chris shifted his weight. “We need to talk.” He paused. “Alone.”
“Of course.” Lucas tipped my face up with his fingers under my chin. His touch was tender. “Hey, dinner smells delicious, but I didn’t get those things you asked for, so I’m gonna run down the street and get them with Chris. I’ll be home in five minutes.”
Chris made a choking sound.
Lucas glowered at him.
“Okay,” I finally said.
He let go of me and motioned for Chris to follow him. They walked out the door, and I was left there alone, with my arms wrapped around myself, wondering what the hell was going on, who this Scotty guy was . . .
And why Lucas looked so upset at the mere mention of his name.
CHAPTER 13
LUCAS
I shut the door behind me, stepped outside, and leaned against the brick wall. The freezing night air seeped through my veins almost instantly, and I huffed out a breath. Impact wrenches buzzed behind me, and something clanged on the concrete floor of the shop. Across the way, I could make out the lights of the stadium, and I could smell the stench of the docks if I tried hard enough. Snow fell from the sky again, the kind that fluttered down majestically in big white tufts.
It looked so pure and fresh until it hit the ground . . .
And everything got muddled together in a big fucking mess. Just like life. It all looked good till the shit hit the fan, like it inevitably did.
“Okay, time to talk.” Chris shoved his hands into his pockets and sighed. “What the hell are you thinking, man? Bringing a girl like that into this world?”
“She’s tougher than she looks,” I said, still watching the snow falling from the black sky above. “Don’t underestimate her.”
“Oh, I won’t,” Chris muttered. “But still . . . why?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted honestly, for once in my fucking life. “I wasn’t thinking at all. She needed me, and I came to the rescue like an idiot.”
“Wait.” Chris scratched his head. “You came to the rescue?”
“I know, right?” I shrugged. “But she was about to be raped by some Bitter Hill men. I couldn’t just stand there and say nothing. I might be an asshole, but even I have to draw the line somewhere.”
Chris dropped his hand back to his side. “Damn. You’re right, of course, but this new intel makes my news even worse.”
I blinked. “How so?”
“Never mind for now.” He whistled through his teeth and looked over his shoulder. “What did you do to them?”
“Killed two and sent the other one home with a message.”
“You should’ve killed—”
“Them all.” I stared up at the sky. “Yeah, I know that now.”
Chris shook his head, his irritation seething off him in waves. “Does Tate know about all of this?”
“Yeah. He was cool with it, but now she’s my girlfriend, for all intents and purposes.” Lifting a shoulder, I added, “Whether we like it or not.”
“You better make sure she doesn’t think it’s for good.” He scratched his chin and glanced up at the window of my living room. The curtains were drawn, so there was nothing to see. “She looks awfully comfortable in your place.”
“Believe me—she’s as unhappy about this situation as I am. She’s just trying to make the best of a shitty situation, because that’s the type of person she is.” I started down the sidewalk, and Chris fell into step beside me. “Neither of us wanted this.”
That much was true. But if I was being honest with myself, which I wasn’t, having her around the apartment didn’t exactly make me unhappy.
“So when you acted as if I’d attacked your most prized possession up there, and you threatened my life if I ever touched her again . . .” He shot me a look out of the corner of his eye. “That was all for show? Does she mean nothing to you at all?”
I didn’t answer, and I wasn’t going to, because it was none of his damn business.
Yeah, I’d lost my shit up there when I’d found him on top of her. She was supposed to be safe inside those walls. Not threatened and thrown on the floor by someone who was a stranger to her. Seeing Chris on top of Heidi like that . . .
It had messed with me.
At first, I’d been terrified she’d be dead. Chris was the type to shoot first and ask questions later. And once I’d realized she was breathing, the relief had set in, followed quickly by the jealousy. I’d never been jealous before. Over anyone or anything.
And I didn’t like starting now, with her.
“Hmm . . .” Chris said, side-eyeing me.