He gaped up at me like I’d just lost my mind. “What’s the matter? You can’t chicken out now. We’re right here!”
I tried to keep my voice casual and light, even forced out a nervous chuckle while I squashed the urge to cover his mouth and tell him to shut up.
I didn’t want to scare the kid.
“Hey, man, why don’t you let me go in and talk to Annie by herself first.” I glanced over my shoulder, panic trying to take me out. “You could, uh, head to the bookstore or…”
Go get the police?
Was that the best idea?
I honestly didn’t know.
Luis was a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ kind of guy. I knew without a doubt that he was already in the diner. Sloan was pretty good at getting around the law, and I was worried that bringing in the cops would only escalate the situation.
They wanted their money back. They wanted me. If I went quietly, then this could all be over, and Buckland Springs would be none the wiser.
This sleepy little town could remain a safe haven, just the way Chief Keyes wanted it to.
This was my chance to go in there and be the man Grandpa raised me to be.
No more running.
It was time to stand up and fight.
I patted Jackson on the shoulder. “We’ll come find you.”
He gave me a pitiful frown and crossed his arms. “You just don’t want me around so you can make out after you make up!” His scowl deepened. “How far are you plannin’ on goin’ with my sister?”
“It’s not like that.” I shook my head, desperate to hurry things along. “I’m just nervous about how mad she is, and I just… I don’t need an audience, you know?”
His shoulders slumped. “I don’t know what you did to make her so angry, but don’t screw this up.”
“I won’t.” The confidence in my voice surprised even me. But I was determined. I wasn’t screwing this up. Staring down at Annie’s little brother, it was an easy promise to make. “I’ll make it right.”
“Yeah, okay.” He scuffed the dirt with his sneaker and turned toward Main Street. I watched him walk a few steps, then turned my back on him, unable to bear a second more. Was that the last time I’d ever see him?
The thought killed me.
I love that kid… and I love his sister.
Which is why I’m standing in this diner, willing to do anything to protect her.
Stepping around Buster, I hold up the backpack.
“Here’s your money.” I give it a shake so he knows I’m not lying. “You can have it all, but you need to let her go. You need to leave this place and forget you ever knew me.”
Sloan snickers, then tips his head back with a hard laugh. “Michael. You dumb prick.” His humor evaporates, replaced with a venomous glare that makes my skin itch. “You stole my money. You took off in Luis’s car.”
“That’s my favorite car!” Luis shouts.
“You don’t steal from my family.” Sloan pounds his fist into his chest. “We looked after you. We took you in. So don’t go thinking I can just forget about that. I’ve been dreaming about this moment for weeks, Michael. Imagining every way that I am going to hurt you and make you pay for betraying me.”
My eyes dart to Annie.
Luis is still pressing that gun into her cheek. Tears are still soaking into her skin. Her blue eyes are vibrant.
And I love her.
“Let her go.” I swallow, forcing myself to sound stronger than I feel. “Please, just let her go. You can have me.” I raise my hands in surrender. “Do whatever the hell you want to me, but you let her go.”
Luis pushes the gun a little harder into her face, and her cry cracks my heart wide open.
“No!” Clutching the bag, I wrestle in my pocket for the lighter and yank it free. I hardly ever turn the damn thing on. I don’t even know if it’s got lighter fluid in it anymore, but I flip the cap open and rest my finger on the ignition. “If you hurt her, I’ll burn it.”
Sloan rolls his eyes, and I’m suddenly aware that this one bag of money is peanuts to him. It’s not even about the money. It’s about vengeance. Loyalty and betrayal.
I’m about to drop to my knees and start begging, but then Sloan flicks his head at Luis. The guy hesitates for a moment, then reluctantly lets Annie go.
She drops to the floor, stumbles up to her feet, then lurches toward me. I cradle her to my chest, cupping the back of her head and kissing her ear. It’s probably the last time I’ll get to do this, and I want to die with her scent in my brain… her taste on my lips.
“Go,” I whisper, pushing her toward the door.
A small part of me wonders if Sloan’s just playing with me. I don’t know why he let Annie go. Can’t he see that watching her suffer would hurt me more than anything he could do?
Annie’s crying and shaking her head. “Not without you.”
“You have to go.” I hold her face, turning my back to Sloan so he can’t see me mouth. “Jackson needs you.”
She reads my lips, her eyes wide with understanding.
Lurching down, I kiss her hard, savoring the salty tears that have slipped onto her lips, trying to give her a piece of my heart.
“Enough!” Sloan barks, and Annie’s ripped away from me.
Buster’s large hand wraps around her arm like it’s a twig he could snap in an instant.
“Let her go. Let her go!” I yell at him.
And that’s when Sloan starts laughing again.
I glance over my shoulder, rage bubbling inside of me again.
“He’ll let go when I say, Michael. Now that I know how much she means to you, I think we’re gonna keep her around for a minute.”
“No!” I growl, lurching sideways and driving my shoulder into Buster’s stomach.
He grunts in surprise, but I barely move him.
Annie’s wrestling free of his hold and I’m getting ready to punch the guy when he lets out a wail.
Annie’s teeth sink into his arm, and his hold slackens. She wrenches free and flies out the door.
I close my eyes, relief flooding me as I hear her sneakers scuffing up the loose gravel outside.
“You’ve done it now,” Sloan grumbles, then barks at Buster. “Go get her! Be subtle about it.”
Buster’s still rubbing his arm, muttering under his breath as he lumbers outside.
I spin around to face Sloan and am immediately met with a fist to my face.
44
Stubborn Brothers & Unexpected Help
My sneakers skid on the dirt and I land with a crunch, my hip hitting the ground hard.
“Annie, are you okay?”
I look up with wild eyes, my pain forgotten the second I see Jackson racing toward me.
“What are you doin’? We have to get out of here.”
“What’s going on?” He grabs my hand and hauls me up, perplexed by my screech. “Did Michael not apologize? He said he—”
Clamping my hand over his mouth, I press my finger against my lips before snatching his shirt and hauling him around to the back of the garage.
“What are we doin’? Where’s Michael? Annie!” He stops letting me pull him, fighting back with a strength I’m not expecting.