Page 96 of Knot Happening

Anywhere would be better than that place…

I hang up on Ghost who’s still trying to defend the Hayes brothers. I know he does business with them, but he’s crossing a line there.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Tatum

When he finally agrees with my idea of where to hide, Easton stops in a nearby parking lot so he can ditch his truck, and he steals a small car. I clutch my hands in front of me nervously while I watch him pop the door with a thin piece of wire. Within seconds, he is able to hot wire it, shrugging when he sees me with my jaw dropped. “I’ll leave it where it can be found. Mostly unharmed.”

When we’re about three miles away from the address I gave him, he pulls over, and we ditch the car behind an old closed building so we can walk the rest of the way.

Thankfully because of all the dancing, I’m not in horrific shape, and I’m able to basically jog to keep up for the first mile.

I nibble my lip. At some point, it starts raining, and I get tired of taking three steps for every one of his.

I lose steam during the second.

“Come here.” He shakes his head, grinning at me, and squats low enough that I can hop on his back, carrying me piggyback style.

Now that my mind isn’t consumed with thoughts of breathing, so I don’t pass out, I start asking questions.

“Would you really hurt them?” I ask quietly.

“Maybe. If I had to. For the sake of my uncle? No.”

I wiggle for a moment when he jolts, adjusting me, making me yelp as I tighten my grip around his neck. “Choking. Me,” he grunts, and I squeal as I release him, dropping my hold to his shoulders.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I was starting to enjoy it.”

“Stop trying to distract me,” I hiss, because he knows exactly what he’s doing. My scent spikes, filling the air with blueberries, and Easton groans. I bite my lip and squeeze my eyes shut. “Why did you want to hurt them?”

“They hurt someone I loved. At least, that's what I’d always been told. It wasn’t until recently that I started seeing them in a new light.”

“What changed?”

“The light,” he murmurs, and for some reason, that's all I needed to hear. I’m also cold, and wet, and over this walk, though. Maybe I’ll ask more questions later tonight…

“What the fuck?” Easton whispers to me, as he leans over, his arm pressing into mine. His wet hair drips with rain and streaks down his cheek. His lashes are darker from the water, and clumped together in a way that makes the startling turquoise of his eyes stand out.

He’s so freaking handsome… I blink at him. What did he say?

“Tatum, seriously. What. The. Fuck?” His hiss is barely audible, but he’s pressed tightly to me now. I wince.

We got rained on for the last half mile, and are currently sitting on towels in my former high school teacher's house.

To say he was shocked when I knocked on his door, is an understatement.

Nothing compares to the shock on Easton’s face when he realized my teacher was a man.

And an Alpha, more specifically.

“He’s nice, hush,” I scold, shaking my head at him when his eyes bug out at me.

“He’s creepy, and keeps looking at your tits,” Easton growls right back, and I shush him as Mr. Ferris walks back in.

“I brought tea!” he announces, and I smile sweetly, taking the warm cup he offers me. It has this oddly sour flavor, but I sip it anyway.

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