Page 205 of His Pretty Little Duet

My direction—towards the front doors— spikes my pulse as though any minute now I will get tackled to the ground for trying to escape.

I open the left one and slowly step out into the spacious air, utterly free, standing at the top of the stairs in the far-reaching daylight. It is a beautiful estate. The hedges roll into the distance towards those looming white fences.

At the foot of the front steps, shiny black vehicles line the side parking lot with one standing out like a sore thumb—it’s red. Henchman Jeeves is suddenly at my side, and the out of place car flashes ahead. The sound of it unlocking resonates like independence.

“That’s your vehicle, Fawn. And they”—he points to the four men now climbing into another car nearby— “will be following us. They work for Clay.”

Of course.

“I knew he couldn’t relinquish complete control.” I jog down the steps and rush over to the car, eager to touch it. I run my fingers across the metallic red paint—no, orange, no, gold… Depending on the angle, the car flashes with various analogous colours. I smile. “It’s a nice offer though. Isn’t it?”

“It is.” He rounds the vehicle and steps into the driver’s side with one foot, staring at me over the sparkling red/orange roof. “Jump in, and I’ll take you to see Mr Butcher.”

I grin over the roof, then wiggle my eyebrows with mischief dancing around on them. “Do you think he’ll teach me to drive it one day?”

“I doubt it. Anyway, you have me.”

“Hmm. I’ll work on him.”

It takes twenty minutes to get to Max and Cassidy’s neighbourhood. The houses are mostly two storeys, a bit smaller than the ones in Connolly, but the appearance of wealth is still in the cleanliness, the perfect green lawns.

All those cultivated roses.

Being from the other side of Stormy River, I’ve only ever seen poverty. Rusty bikes and motor vehicles abandoned on lawns. Couches in strange outdoor positions. The kind I’d never sit on. Not for a million dollars. Then, a few months ago, I experienced the culture shock of Clay’s level of abundant prosperity.

We slow at the base of a small hill. There are no parking spots, so we leave the car on the street. Closely behind us, the car with Clay’s soldiers brakes and parks a few lengths away.

Henchman Jeeves opens the passenger door for me, and I make my way up the pretty pebbly walkway to the house.

Ahead of me now, standing on top of the hill, is a home with two levels and low white fencing around a veranda.

The beautiful construction looks like Cassidy and the absolute opposite of Max. It looks friendly. Charming. Not overly big but clearly built with wealth.

Butterflies awaken inside me.

I can do this.

Nodding to myself, I approach the door and knock, instantly met by barking and canine grumbles.

I beam and widen my legs to brace myself for the large Bernese Mountain dog’s attention. She can effortlessly bowl my feet out from under me.

Cassidy answers the door with Clara—the noisy canine—peering around her waist to get a good look at me.

“Hi,” I breathe the word, suddenly hit with nervousness that fills my chest, creating an airy kind of sensation. “You might not want to see me after everything. It was my fault that Max got hurt and?—”

“Look,” she says straightaway, ushering Clara away with a little pat. “I am overprotective of my Max. I didn’t like what happened. I didn’t like not knowing. It really hurt. I care about no one as much as him. He’s mine.MyMax.”

I suck a breath in. “I know. It was my fault?—"

“But no, Fawn.” Opening the door and stepping to the side for me, she adds, “It was Dustin’s fault that Max got hurt. Not yours. It was Max’s fault that he did this without telling me. But from what I’ve heard, if you didn’t go with him, Xander might be dead.” Her eyes well up. “I’ll always be selfish when it comes to Max. I’ll always want to keep him safe above anything or anyone else. I don’t apologise for that. I can’t. But you were so brave, Fawn, to go to him and to think of Xander. You risked your life for Xander’s.”

I exhale with relief but shake my head at her praise. “I didn’t feel brave at all. It was what had to happen.”

“Honestly, I didn’t see that side of you before this,” she admits. “The protective side. The selfless side. Everything has been a little… “about Fawn-ish”. I’m sorry for that. It’s just how it has seemed from the outside. Clay put you on this pedestal. Don’t scare Fawn. Don’t upset her. Make sure she eats.

“And these boys are special. And I liked you. I like most people, but now that I look at our interactions, I can see that I didn’t really take the time to get toknowyou.” She sighs, a littleregret tumbling down the sound. “I didn’t see you ever risking your life for one of the boys.”

I shrug. “It isn’t a big deal. You don’t owe me anything. I mean, I came the whole way here to avenge a boy who had no fucking respe— Oh.Shit.”I lower my voice, remembering her daughter, Kelly, could be close by. “Is Kels here? I probably shouldn’t swear around her, hey?”

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