Page 24 of All Our Ghosts

It takes me a moment to realize he’s actually asking me if I’m okay. “Actu—”

“She’s fine,” Quinn cuts in, stepping in front of me and squaring his shoulders. It’s a little comical, considering Holden’s a good four inches taller than him.

“I wasn’t askin’ you.” His voice drops to a low warning but his eyes stay glued to me as he takes a step forward. “Kadence—”

“Hey!” Quinn barks, shoving Holden back a step. “I said she’s fine.”

A smirk spreads over Holden’s face as his attention turns to Quinn, almost like he’s been waiting for a moment to let out whatever pent-up aggression he has. Before I know it, he’s throwing his fist into Quinn’s cheekbone, crunching whatever bone he connects with and dropping Quinn to the ground.

“He touch you?” Holden looks up at me stretching out his fingers.

I hear him but I’m focused on Quinn’s groans and the blood dripping down his face.

“Kadence,” Holden says again firmly.

“I’m fine.” The words come out but not even I’m convinced that I actually am. The tight grip I have on the clothes shakes as our gazes meet.

“Did. He. Touch. You?” He asks again each word punctuated with a clench of his fist.

“He tried to.”

Holden searches my eyes for a moment before grabbing Quinn by the collar of his cut, effortlessly dragging him to his feet. “Youpiece of shit,” he growls. “Get the fuck out of here and leave your cut at the door.”

Quinn stumbles holding his face as Holden shoves him out into the hallway.

“Holden.” I step forward, unsure why I feel the need to stop him.

“Grab your things,” he snaps back at me, stopping me from moving another step. He’s still watching Quinn wobble down the hallway but as he looks back at me, his gaze softens ever so slightly realizing his tone. “The washer broke a week ago, Cole half-assed the repair. Damn thing doesn’t work.”

“Great,” I mumble, ignoring the way his softened tone warms me.

“There’s a laundromat not far from here,” he offers and picks up my suitcase from the ground, setting it on top of the washer for me. “I’ll grab the keys to the truck.”

“You don’t—”

“Humor me?” The corner of his mouth turns upwards as he steps back, giving me space to make the decision.

“You’re really going to sit around and wait for my laundry to get done?” I raise a brow, challenging him only because not twenty minutes ago I locked him in the garage out of spite. I don’t trust that he isn’t going to wait for me to pack all my clothes up and drop me off like an unwanted puppy.

This time his grin spreads. “You promise not to lock me in any more rooms if I do?”

I can’t help but smile back and set my clothes into the suitcase. “To be fair, you deserved that.”

HOLDEN

Kadence leads the way into the common room of the clubhouse, towing her suitcase behind her. My eyes track down her curves, the way her hips sway as she walks with a newfound confidence after I tossed Quinn out. Truthfully, I wanted to do a hell of a lot more than just crush his cheekbone. I’ve never liked the guy. He preyed on the Lunas like they were food, and though the girls seemed always to say yes, they never went back for more. I’m glad he’s gone.

She steps out into the lot and glances back at me. “You really don’t have to take me. I can walk there if you have other plans.”

“I don’t,” I say, walking past her towards the truck.

“Are you going to be a dick the whole time?”

I bark out a laugh and turn back to her, watching her march towards me, towing that stupid suitcase. “I’m trying to do you a favor, Darlin’.”

“I don’t need any favors from you,” she snaps back at me as fire stokes in her green eyes, but she hasn’t stopped heading towards me or the truck, which means I haven’t lost her completely yet. She drives me insane with her whiplash of an attitude, but atthe same time, it’s addicting. She pushes back at me instead of folding against my own personality, but hell, if it lets me get to know her more, then I’ll put up with it.

“Get in the truck, Kadence.”

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