Page 60 of Centering Kaos

Then again, maybe the house wasn’t home. Maybe they were, because I couldn’t imagine going back there without them. It would go back to feeling like a house, all cold, lonely, and quiet. I didn’t want to live there without them.

My calf started cramping.

If I was going to start skating regularly with Dylan, I’d need to start taking potassium and get better about stretching. Getting old was some shit. I kicked out my leg, but the cramp only intensified. Setting my iPad down, I got out of the SUV and started pacing. The physical pain was a nice distraction from the ache inside my chest, and I moved slowly, in no hurry to work it out.

When the pain finally subsided, I climbed back into my rig and answered a few emails and checked stock prices, wondering how Tina and Dylan were doing. Would Elenore try to talk some sense into her? Or would she welcome her back with open arms, relieved that Tina refused to take a chance on me.

Fuck!

It was all I could do to keep my ass in that garage when I wanted nothing more than to march back up to Elenore’s and demand that Tina and Dylan come home.

My phone rang. Hope made me snatch it up before the first ring ended, but disappointment leveled me out when Morse’s name flashed across the screen.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Hey Kaos. I see you’re in Elenore’s building’s garage,” Morse said into my ear. “Everything okay?”

Emily must not have gotten the chance to fill him in yet. Eyeing the camera that he no doubt watched me from, I nodded. “It will be.” I sounded a hell of a lot more confident than I felt, but I didn’t want to get into all the shit that had gone down.

“Are Tina and Dylan inside?” Morse asked.

I nodded, and then realized that even if he was watching me, he probably couldn’t make out what I was doing in my rig. “Yeah. You didn’t see us go in?”

“No. I had some errands to run this morning, and just got into the office. We’re checking the feeds now.”

“Morse!” Hound shouted in the background. “Camera C.”

I tensed, wondering what the hell Camera C was and why Hound sounded like he was about to shit himself.

“Fuck. Matt’s there,” Morse said, his words clipped. “By the front door. He’s got Tina and Dylan.”

“What?” His words refused to register, but my body reacted instantly. I was out the door before he could answer.

“Get there, Kaos. Fuckin’ get there now!”

Still confused, I sprinted for the exit, cursing how far away Tina’s parking spot was.

“That’s a… Shit. He has a gun. He’s aimin’ at the fuckin’ kid!”

Pushing myself harder than I ever had in my life, I darted around the corner. A blur caught my attention. Dylan. Flying through the air?

POW!

The loud, explosive pop of gunfire made my ears ring.

Dylan landed in the bushes.

I started to run for him, but beyond him, Tina and Matt hit the ground. Landing on top of him with a bone-jarring thump, she was fighting. Swinging, her hands swiped at the gun, knocking it out of his hand. It slid just out of his reach.

“Bitch!” Matt shouted.

He balled up his fist, and I rushed them. I heard the fleshy thud of his fist finding purchase, and her head bobbed backwards. But she kept swinging.

A strange mix of pride and rage filled me as I reached them. Matt’s hand stretched for the gun, but I stomped on it. He screamed. The bastard must have been too busy to realize I was there, and it took him a moment to register what was causing the pain. His gaze met mine, and his eyes widened as I lifted Tina off of him. Flailing arms and legs wildly, she somehow managed to land a kick between his legs.

Matt doubled over, spitting out curses and threats as he cupped his crotch.

“I got you, angel,” I said, setting her down.

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