Page 96 of Hell and High Water

“Shit, shit, shit,” I hiss, backing onto the stoop to wait for them to pull up. All three doors open almost before the car skids to a stop, three guns in three sets of hands, three sets of eyes boring holes through me.

“Hellena, freeze!” Gavin barks, gently but firmly shoving me against the wall and out of his way as he kicks the door back open and storms into the house followed by Tell, Evan backing up to the step, scanning the surrounding forest and keeping his barrel up.

“She’s not here!” My voice cracks as I try to shout after them.

Gavin’s back out front in a flash, looking me over. “Are you…?”

“Fine. I’m fine. I don’t think the door’s going to make it.” He follows my eyes over to the splintered pieces of the front door, the leftovers clinging to the hinges.

“Um. Whoops.” He stares at me awkwardly for a few seconds.

Tell’s voice breaks the silence.

“Hey! It’s little Hell! And her dad,” Tell hollers from inside, drawing all of us to join him.

Gavin is still amped, Evan seething but quiet as we step into the dim confines of the small house.

Both of them keep giving me glaring looks, worried looks, like I might suddenly tell them I’m dying any second. Guilt trip, much?

“I promise, I really am fine. And I would apologize if I thought it would do any good. I was hoping to make it back before you woke up and then?—”

“Then what?” Evan snips. “Not let us know you snuck out?”

“No! I was going to say that I would have filled you in. I didn’t even know if I would find anything, so I didn’t want all of you to do… this!”

“We could have come with you, Hellena, for backup.”

“The message specifically said to come alone.” I palm my face as I say it.

How utterly stupid and naive it sounds.

“You mean this message?” Tell smiles ruefully, slipping the note out of his pocket.

“Um. Yes?” I am so confused.

“I found it outside on the driveway. You dropped it.”

“And thank goodness you did,” Gavin growls, his tone and words clashing horribly.

“Not cool, Hella.” Tell’s usual smile is gone.

“I know. It seems like a risk, but what else have we found? I had to take a chance that they knew something about my father and the Sinful. Besides, the shooter had every chance to kill me the other day when I was hiking and didn’t. Why would she leave me that message when she could have just taken me out before you guys could come back to the house?”

Again, I kick myself internally. My logic might make sense, but I’m only digging my hole deeper.

“So our safe house is compromised! Shit!” Evan curses under his breath.

“Even if you hadn't dropped the address to this place, you realize you stole my car, which I have a trace on,” Tell adds, just to rub it in that they could track me. “This is why we worry. You see how easy it is for someone to lure you out or trick you into danger?”

“And do you see how this situation worked out just fine and I am capable of taking care of myself?” I snap back, my ire suddenly flaring through the roof.

All three of them give me that look, disparaging.

Macho. Protective. Bullshit.

Tell is the first to cave, looking away and rubbing his neck. I let my glare track all the way across, lingering on each of them. “You have to trust me at some point, you know?”

“We do…” Gavin starts.

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