“Bloody hell!” Hayden shouted, dropping the trash bag. “Call out next time.”
When I didn’t answer, she came over and crouched down beside me. “You know everyone is out looking for you, right?”
She pulled her phone from her apron pocket. I grabbed her wrist.
“Don’t. I can’t go back there. Not yet.”
Her frown deepened. “Did something happen?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
When tears filled my eyes, she hauled me up by the arm. “Okay. But I’m not freezing my tits off out here and neither are you.”
The inside of Dark had been tricked out for the holidays. They’d gone a little heavy on the flashing blue and white lights and a jagged icicle effect that had more of a club lighting vibe than anything that screamed gingerbread men or candy cane wielding elves, but hey, this was Ethan and Hayden. What had I expected?
Hayden steered me over to a small round table in the corner.
Shutting off the grinders, Ethan came over. “Dallas has been looking everywhere for you.”
“She’s slumming it here with us for a little while.” Hayden flipped her long black hair over one shoulder.
“He’s pretty freaked out. Maybe you should—”
“Can’t you see she’s upset?” Hayden flashed him her patented death glare. “Just give us a minute.”
Ethan frowned, seeming to take in my red eyes and puffy cheeks for the first time. I pulled a napkin from the dispenser, folding and unfolding it. When two mugs of steaming hot cocoa appeared, accompanied by a plate of croissants with a dish of honey butter, I jumped a foot.
“Look, I don’t want to get in the middle of anything,” he said quietly, “but Dallas sent out a group text. Said you’re not answering your phone.”
“I must have left it at his place. I wasn’t thinking straight when I left. I just… had to get out of there.”
“So let’s call him.”
“No.”
When Ethan frowned, I quickly amended, “I just… had to get out of there. I’ll call. I swear. I just need a minute. Please.”
The napkin was in shreds beside my mug of cocoa. Great. I was losing it.
He looked down. “Did something… shit, I don’t even want to ask this, but did you and my brother, did he—”
“No,” I said quietly. “Dallas would never hurt me.”
Hayden glowered. “Tell Dallas I heard from her and she’s safe. That’s all he needs to know for right now.”
They held a silent conversation with their eyes, and then with a growl, Ethan left us alone. Hayden twirled a peppermint stick through her hot chocolate.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
I sipped my cocoa. It was an explosion of chocolate and cream. Sweet and delicious. “Have you ever told a lie, something really unforgivable, and known the day would eventually come when you’d no longer be able to outrun the truth?”
Hayden buttered a croissant and shoved it across the table at me. “If this is your way of telling me you killed someone and need me to help you dispose of the body—”
Rolling my eyes, I tore off a bite of the croissant and stuffed it into my mouth. Rich, buttery flaky pastry melted over my tongue. “Like we both don’t know I’d be doing the digging while you took selfies.”
“Savage.” She ran her fingers over the dark blue daisy tattooed along the length of her forearm. “Seriously, though. You know people here would have your back. I’d have your back. Even if I took a few selfies along the way. Maybe it’s time you let someone in.”
I stared down at the fat gooey marshmallows dissolving in a lake of chocolate. “Everyone around me gets hurt. Dallas. My mom. I’ve never been able to keep any of them safe. And now—”
I curled my arms around my middle. Her pale blue eyes widened with understanding. “Are you—"
I nodded, the cocoa blurring as my eyes filled with unshed tears.
“Oh, wow.”
“Yeah.” I wiped my eyes on my sleeve. I had to pull it together. I was so not the girl who fell apart like this. “I’m just sort of freaking out right now.”
“Just tell me what you need and I’m there.” She reached for my hand, starting to say something else, but before she could, tires screeched against asphalt. We both whipped around in time to see Dallas’s SUV roar up to the curb.
I swore.
Hayden shot out of her chair and stormed over to her husband, eyes blazing. “I can’t believe you.”
Ethan tore off his apron, coming around the counter. “He’s my brother. I just wanted him to know she was okay.”
“Yeah. Looks like he got the message.”
“Stay here,” he growled. “I’ll deal with Dallas.”
Right. Ethan and Dallas. What could possibly go wrong?
Hayden and I bolted after him. We were just rounding the counter when her phone rang.
“Shit. Yeah, Cal, he’s here.” She lowered her voice. “You’d better hurry.”
I burst outside. The cold air stung my cheeks like a thousand shards of glass, the wind swirling my hair into my eyes.
Dallas leaped up onto the sidewalk, eyes glowing a feral gold as he raked me over. His breath came in low, shallow pants, and I saw the instant worry was replaced with anger and hurt.
“You okay?”
I wrapped my arms around myself. “Fine.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Thought you were gonna stay at the house.”
I glared. He was pissed. But newsflash, so was I.
“For real? Crazy possessive stalker is not a good look on you.”
Jaw clenched, Dallas whirled on his brother. “West and I have been out combing half the county and you’re telling me she’s been here this entire time? What the actual fuck, Emo?”
Ethan held up both hands. “Think we all need to calm down.”
“You had your phone, right? You knew we were all worried sick, that I thought she could be hurt somewhere, dead.”
“That’s why I sent the text. To let you know she was safe.”
“Safe.” Dallas slammed his brother back against the side of the building. “Safe here with you, huh? Just not with me.”
I didn’t see who threw the first punch, only that a second later, Ethan had thrown Dallas into the side of the building. Someone shouted. Dallas slammed his fist into his brother’s stomach just as Hayden ran out onto the sidewalk. I elbowed my way through all the onlookers who’d gathered to watch the spectacle, nearly getting flattened when Ethan grabbed Dallas by the front of his shirt in an attempt to hurl him to the ground.
“Get Ethan,” I shouted to Hayden over the fray.
She swore but nodded. We lunged. Ever watched calf roping at the rodeo? Picture that, but with no rope, and two pissed off bulls that outweigh you by close to a hundred pounds. Hayden threw herself onto Ethan’s back. I hooked an arm around Dallas’s chest and yanked him towards the street, only to nearly get clocked in the head by Ethan for my efforts. Bull #2? Oh yeah, totally saw that. Howling in rage, Dallas slammed his brother to the pavement.
Hayden jumped back just in time. “We need West and Cal.”