Page 329 of Secret Shifters Next Door

An idea flickered in my mind. A few days ago, it would have seemed silly. Now? It seemed like the best thing we could do.

“April? Do you want to come over to my father’s house? If we’re gonna be miserable, can we at least be miserable together? It’s safe here. I know Steff has guys watching your place but…there’s like an army here. It’s the safest place within a hundred miles. A few days of sleeping over? Like when we were in high school?”

There was a long pause, and I was sure April was going to laugh it off.

“I’ll pack a bag. I’ll be there in an hour or less.”

After we got off the phone, I told the crew April would be staying with us for a few days and to not freak out if a strange car came up the drive. They all seemed happy that I’d have a friend to hang out with. I think they all understood how tense things were, and none of them were going to be great company until Antonio was dealt with.

April arrived forty-five minutes after our call with a backpack and a large suitcase. As she got out of her car, Uncle Sam told a few guys to help her with her bags.

“She’s a guest of Mr. Francis. You drop her shit, I kick your ass. Got it?” Sam said to the men. “Upstairs, bedroom next to Ava’s.” He turned and smiled at April. “Nice to see you, April. Been a long time. You were a kid the last time you hung around here. Glad to have you.”

April blushed and nodded. “Uh, thanks…Mr. Francis.”

“None of that shit. My big brother is Mr. Francis. I’m Sam. Same goes for Luis and Mike. Head on up. I think Marissa has your room ready for you.”

I put an arm around her shoulders and led her to the house. “It’s usually much less intense. These are special circumstances.”

She leaned into me. “I’m just glad to not be alone.”

“Me too,” I said. I’d never meant anything more than I did right then. Blayne had only been gone a couple of hours, and already I was lonely.

We sat in the living room after the guys got April’s stuff into her bedroom. One of the other maids who worked for Marissa brought us a tray of coffee, cream, and sugar.

We’d made our drinks and were starting to relax when things went to shit. I should have known it was too good to be true.

Dad came pounding down the stairs. I turned and saw him reach the landing, gasping for breath even though he was pissed. A knot of fear coiled in my stomach. My father never lookedscared, and beneath the anger, there was the telltale frayed edge of fear.

“Ava, you and April get to the safe room. Now!”

At the back of the house, gunshots erupted. Terror hit me like a sickening punch. My uncles came running inside, screaming.

“What’s happening?” I shouted over the chaos.

“That fuck thought he could attack the house. They snuck through the woods and got by our scouts. They broke into the guesthouse. My phone sent me the alarm notification. They’ll be here in seconds. Go. Run!”

I tugged April along toward the safe room. “Don’t get hurt, Daddy.”

He stepped close and hugged me quickly, kissing my forehead.

“Hurry. They’ll be here any second. Go on. I’ll be fine.”

I pulled April down the hallway. When I looked back, Uncle Mike was tossing an assault rifle to my father. I turned away and held back a scream when glass shattered at the back of the house. Suddenly, the whole place was filled with the deafening sound of gunfire, screams, and shouts.

The safe room was right beside the billiard room. It had a toilet, a sink, one cot, a couple of stools, and enough food and water for two or three days. This was the first time in all my life that anyone had ever used it.

I pulled April inside and slammed the door closed behind us. The erratic sounds of battle weren’t fully cut off. Instead of the cacophony we’d heard, it was now a muffled thunder outside.

April collapsed onto a small stool in the room, looking pale. “Maybe…uh…maybe I should have stayed home?” she said, looking at me with a lopsided, humorless grin.

Before I could answer, April’s phone rang. She dug it out and glanced at me. “It’s Steff.”

“Answer it,” I said, waving at the phone.

She put it on speaker for me to hear too. “Steff? Baby, are you okay?”

“I'm fine. Where the fuck are you?” The man sounded like he was half out of his mind. “I need to know you’re safe. I got an alert that our place had been compromised. You texted earlier and said you were going to Gio’s. Are you there? Please tell me you are.”

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