There was a lot in that statement to unpack, but one part stuck out more than the others.
“What do you mean, Sawyer’s no longer a threat?” How was that possible? Sawyer had been a threat for as long as I could remember. That defined him. That was who he was in my mind... a threat... a danger. What did this angry stranger know that I didn’t?
“That lunatic is locked up. He was already crazy, but he went feral when you disappeared. He tried to have me killed, and when that didn’t work, he tried to kill himself instead. His mother schemed to hide him away because she could no longer cover up how unhinged he was. He isn’t coming after me or coming to save you. He’s rotting in a padded cell somewhere.”
I felt like someone had suddenly dumped a bucket of cold water over my head.
Sawyer was locked away.
He wasn’t following me.
He wasn’t coming after me.
He wasn’t manipulating me or forcing me to return to his home.
I was safe. And so was Huck.
It was all too much to get my head around. It was as if the world as I knew it had been shaken up and dumped out just waiting to be put back together. It was a place I didn’t recognize anymore.
“She never needed anyone to save her. She can do that all on her own. You’re just pissed she used you when she did it last time.” My head jerked around as Huck’s voice suddenly came from behind me. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me to my feet. “And if you think my brother fucked your life up for messing with her, you haven’t seen anything yet. When I’m through with you, you’ll wish for the days that used to get your panties in a twist. If you think anything in your life is hard now, I’m about to make it impossible. Leave. Don’t think about messing with Ollie or Mercer ever again. I know rich guys like you don’t like to follow orders, but this is your best option.”
After dropping the less than subtle threat, Huck pulled me along behind him out of the restaurant, and I heard concerned murmurs coming from the other diners. I chanced a look over my shoulder, hoping Vernon managed to delay Mercer a bit longer, but no such luck.
She was standing in the middle of the melee, watching Huck drag me out of the restaurant. I had no clue how I was supposed to explain all of this to her or if we would still be friends afterward, but she needed to know that Jack was no good for her.
“Where did you come from?” I whisper-growled the question to Huck as he continued to pull me along behind him like he was the one who had the right to be furious.
Between Vernon’s slip of the tongue and his general unease earlier, and my one-night stand’s admission about Sawyer, I knew Huck must’ve known his half brother was no longer able to get his fingers into our business. He kept that from me for reasons only known to him, and I hated it.
“I got a text from Vernon saying you knew the guy Mercer was with. I knew it couldn’t be Sawyer, so I got worried and dipped out of work. I actually have to go back, but I want to make sure you get home first and aren’t running around playing James Bond anymore tonight. I knew this was a bad idea.”
I tugged my arm free and stood in the crowded parking lot, glaring at him from under the low brim of his hat.
“How long have you known that Sawyer was institutionalized?”
Huck lifted his hands and shoved them through his messy, dark hair. “Not long. I asked Vernon to look into Sawyer’s medical records because I thought maybe he’d been lying about being hurt all this time. It seemed weird he’d been so quiet since you escaped. He stumbled upon Sawyer’s current whereabouts during the deep dive. I was going to tell you, but I wanted to get a better handle on what was going on back home before I did. I didn’t want you to stop watching your back just because Sawyer is harmless these days. With or without him, the world is still a cruel, twisted place. It’s better that you keep your eyes open and an ear to the ground. It’s not like he’s the only villain in our story.”
I blew out an angry breath and started walking toward the street. The house wasn’t really within walking distance of the restaurant, but I was frustrated and heated, so I could power walk some of my feelings down to a simmer while I figured out a way to get home. Right now, they were about to boil over.
“You should’ve told me things have changed. We’re supposed to tell each other everything now—no more secrets. We’re supposed to be teammates, not a player and the coach. I don’t appreciate you making all the calls without clueing me in, Huck.” I’d been there and done that with Sawyer, and there was no way I was going back there. Not even for him.
Huck pulled out his phone and looked at the time. He swore in frustration and took a couple quick steps after me.
“Ollie...”
I held up a hand and kept up my hurried pace. “I know you think you were looking out for me, but it feels like you aren’t letting me make up my own mind about things. That’s the exact reason I ran away from my last home in the first place. That’s what I came to you to get away from, Huck.” I gave him a serious look.
He caught my arm once again and spun me around so we were face to face. “I messed up. I’m sorry.”
I could see his sincerity shining out of his honey-colored eyes and dripping from every word when he told me, “I’m overly cautious where our childhood is concerned. I acted without thinking about how you would feel about it. I didn’t realize it was similar to how my brother always treated you. I’m used to doing what I think is best for you without asking for permission. I forget that you aren’t a kid who needs me all the time nowadays.”
I took a breath to calm myself down, and after a few silent moments, I reached up to hold his face between my hands.
“I do need you all the time. But I can think for myself. I can decide what’s best for me without anyone else’s help.” I sighed and frowned as I told him what was bothering me even more than his highhandedness. “Right now, I need to think about how to get Mercer away from Jack. He has a reason to hate me, and I don’t blame him for wanting revenge, but he can’t hurt her in the process. Go back to work. The last thing you need is to get fired because you ran to my rescue.” I looked back toward the restaurant and realized I’d left Vernon alone with the mess I’d just made. “I need to go and rescue Vernon. Mercer is pretty laid back, but who knows how she’s going to react to that shitshow I just unleashed.”
Huck caught my shoulders and turned me back. “Vernon can take care of himself. And he’s better at reading a situation than anyone I’ve ever met. He’s the best person to get a feel for what your friend is feeling and how receptive she’ll be to the truth when you tell her. You should head home and figure out what you want to say to Mercer after everyone cools down. Remember, an apology is more about who’s giving it and receiving it than the actual words. Let’s talk about our plan for that rich prick later. He’s not on Sawyer’s level by any means, but he’s still a problem.”
I nodded and gave him a lopsided grin. “You can piss me off without much effort, Huck, but I’m glad you are always there when I need you.”
All his heart knew how to do was take care of me, and because of that, I was willing to let some of his bossy, overprotectiveness slide.