Page 34 of Law Of Love

I wanted to say something—to alert her to my presence—but I didn't want to embarrass her for being caught in her tiny sleepwear.

Instead, I remained still and quiet on the couch, averting my eyes as she entered the kitchen, only to reappear a minute later with a full glass of water. As she ascended the stairs, I focused on the fraying cushion below me, hearing the click of her bedroom door closing. I pushed the blanket off me, suddenly extremely hot and bothered, my body tingling. After telling myself we would remain neutral, that outfit was the last thing I needed to see Freya in.

My frustration was boiling over, spilling out of my pores and tarnishing the couch I was lying on. Why the hell was it so hot? It felt like I was resting on a bed of hot coal, my skin slowly singeing. In displeasure, I tapped my fingers against the soft couch, my body twitchy and on edge,

Why couldn't I get her out of my head?

Damn it.

I wasn’t a weak man, but when it came to Freya, I was fucking powerless.

“Back again, boys?”

I cringed at the usual huskiness of Will’s voice, his smoker's lungs struggling with every word.

Brent grinned at him. “You know this is our favourite shooting spot in town.”

“It’s the only shooting spot in town. The next one is seven miles away.” Will chuckled, the sound grating. Brent took another shot, and Will watched him with dubious eyes before he turned his attention to me.

“He’s a good shooter,” he murmured, leaning up against the metal wall that separated us from another two men. “But not nearly as good as you.”

“I’ve had more practice.”

“Was bringing Freya here just a one-time thing, then?"

The question caused my nostrils to flare. He was using her name now?

Brent eyed us up at the mention of Freya, and I wanted to do nothing more than turn around and wrap my hand around Will’s throat for muttering it, but I took a deep breath to compose myself.

“She’s not really relevant,” I responded, trying to keep my tone neutral, but Will chuckled.

“Seems like someone has a crush.” He lit up another cigarette. “Nothing wrong with that.”

I remained silent, sipping on my drink.

“She was beautiful, Kaleb.” Will shrugged. “I can’t blame you.”

God, I’d pay good money to get him to shut the hell up. I despised the way he spoke about her.

He snickered, toying with his own gun that hung from his waistband. “That’s clearly a sensitive topic, so let’s change it.” He shot me a toothy grin. “When are you boys planning on leaving town again? I hope not anytime soon. It’s always quiet around here without you.”

I smiled—a very, very fake smile. “Still undecided. We’ve got some business to take care of, but we want to stick around for as long as possible.”

“Good. You fit in here.”

I mentally chuckled.

Not for long.

Seventeen: Freya

Ihad a feeling that my mom had been avoiding me. I wanted to talk to her regarding Dad's disappearance and the fact that I couldn't find his company online, but she had been leaving for work early and getting back late, claiming she was in the middle of a big project and had important deadlines to meet.

I just couldn't wrap my head around the fact that the police didn't seem to care about my father's disappearance, though. It was as if it was some kind of inconvenience to them, and his case had been tossed into a pile with others to rot away in a dark room where no one ventured.

“Everyone is asking me if I know where Zach is,” muttered Hannah, turning to me with a cocked brow. I’d told her briefly about what had gone on between Zach and me, but I'd utterly dulled down the intensity of the situation, leaving out the part where he’d practically assaulted me and Kaleb had beaten the shit out of him.

“I know. People have been asking me too. I guess he just needs some time to himself after what happened between us,” I responded, glancing over at Josh, who flung his arm over Hannah’s shoulder, pecking at her cheek. The two of them looked pretty loved up.