Page 12 of Easton’s Claim

She shook her head, trying to take in all the damage. How had this happened? Greg was missing, possibly wounded or worse. Her house was a mess, a good number of her most precious things destroyed.

There was no way she could show the house until all the repairs were made. Who knew how long the police would treat it as a crime scene? Then there’d be cleanup and repairs. She’d have to clear out all the broken glass and furniture, patch and paint the walls, replace all the furniture and deep clean everything before she could show it again.

“Everything else seems pretty much intact, but the forensics team is doing a thorough sweep of the entire house, just to be sure,” Frank said.

Piper turned and followed him down the hall to the guest bath and bedroom, then into her master bedroom. The drawers of her dresser had all been dumped out, but from what she could see there was no damage here like in the main living areas of the house.

Staring at the contents of her drawers strewn over her floor and bed, her underwear, clothes and jewelry, she felt…violated. The thought of coming back here to tackle the clean up after the police turned the house back over to her filled her with despair.

After she packed a bag with clothes and toiletries, Frank walked them back outside and down the driveway. Piper was acutely aware of all the stares from neighbors and other curious onlookers walking their dogs past her house. At least one of them had witnessed Greg being dragged into the kidnappers’ car.

The frantic need to leave built inside her, pressing at her ribs until it felt like her chest might explode.

As they neared Easton’s truck, Frank stopped. “Do you have somewhere to stay tonight?” he asked her.

“She can stay with us,” Easton said before she could answer. “My brother’s driving her car there right now.”

Piper met his eyes and forced a small smile. “Thanks.” She wasn’t looking forward to coming back here to clean up, let alone stay here by herself. At least at the Colebrooks’ she’d feel safe and have a short reprieve before having to face reality again.

“It’s a good idea to be vigilant over the next few days, at least until we find out what happened and locate Greg,” Frank said.

“We’ll look out for her,” Easton said, drawing her into his side with a firm hand on her waist.

She didn’t want to be a burden. She’d tried so damn hard to rebuild her life and regain her independence. This ugly incident threatened to undo all of it.

“Come on, sweetness,” Easton murmured, and opened the passenger door for her.

They didn’t talk on the drive to his father’s place. When he pulled up out front and shut off the engine, she reached out to put her hand on his. “Are you sure it’s safe for me to be here? I don’t want to bring you guys any more trouble.” They’d had more than their share of that lately.

“I’m sure. Don’t you worry about us. How about for a change, you let us worry about you?”

She blew out a breath. “I hate this.”

“I know you do. But at least if you’re here, we can make sure you’re safe.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

In the house he put her bag in Charlie’s old room and when they came back downstairs, his father was waiting for her at the foot of them. He stood there with his left hand on the top of his cane, an unmistakable aura of power and authority radiating from him in spite of his deteriorated physical condition. His hazel eyes were full of empathy as he looked up at her.

She paused, hand on the railing, precariously close to tears. This man had become a father figure to her after her own dad had died. He’d never liked Greg. None of them had. She’d been naïve, had truly thought she and Greg loved each other enough to make it work. How wrong she’d been.

None of the Colebrooks had ever saidI told you sowhen she’d finally realized Greg was beyond help and made the decision to leave him, but it crushed her to think that she might have disappointed this strong, proud man standing before her.

“Hey, Mr. C,” she whispered in a rough voice. “Sorry about dragging you into this, but thanks for letting me stay for the night.”

That penetrating stare bored into her as he started up the steps, his cane landing with a thud on each tread.

He stopped on the step below her, bringing him eye to eye with her, and set a finger beneath her chin to force her to meet his gaze. “Young lady, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” he said, his words firm despite the slight slur in his speech. “Hear me? You’re one of us, always have been, and we look out for our own. You’re welcome here anytime, for as long as you like, no questions asked. Ever.”

His kindness was her undoing. Tears flooded her eyes and her throat closed up. “Thank you,” she choked out, and whirled past Easton to flee upstairs to Charlie’s room where she could cry in private.

She loved these people with all her heart and leaving them behind would rip her heart out, but the nightmare that was her personal life wouldn’t end until she got her house sold and left for Minnesota.

****

Not so arrogant now, are you, asshole?

Brandon pushed away from the wall where he’d been watching one of his men beat Greg Rutland to a bloody pulp and signaled for him to stop.

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