Page 126 of Dean

“I won’t be long. I’m sure it will just be a short visit, but he sent me the address and I think it’s at Cash’s parents, which is even weirder.”

“I didn’t know they were having a party, did you?”

“No, but then again, I don’t fucking like them, so it makes sense that Cash didn’t say anything. They’re assholes. He may not even be going. It could just be Anthony who’s there and he wants to talk to me.”

“Oh, well, I guess you should go then.”

“Yeah, I guess so. As long as you’re okay to stay here by yourself. I still don’t like that Nick is out there.”

“Oh, don’t worry about him. I’ll invite Kit over. He’s been asking to come by.”

“So, you two are best friends now? Like, should I plan on this guy being here more often?”

I peer over at him. He’s so damn handsome. I see his gaze moving to the small hickey he left on my neck. Seems he likes marking me. I don’t mind it either. “Yeah, I guess so. He’s…endearing.”

“I can see that.”

“Like a feral goldendoodle.”

He harrumphs, and I reach out, threading my fingers with his.

“It’ll be fine. Just go tonight and see what Anthony wants. Maybe sneer at Cash’s shitty parents. And then come home to me.”

“Yeah.”

Just as I say that, a crash resounds from the front of the house and Dean and I pop up, rushing to see what the noise is. When we fling open the front door, I see the pots with my recently planted flowers smashed, soil seeping out onto the ground. I gasp and glance around as Dean pulls his phone out to see if he can get a better look at who did this.

Even though I know who it is.

It’s Nick. He can’t just leave me alone. I mean, really. He needs to let this go and accept the fact I didn’t take his damn money. Or maybe he’s targeting me because I’m gay. At this point, I don’t really know.

“My flowers. Oh, this has gone too far,” I whisper.

“So, him threatening you over and over is not too far, but ruining your flowers is?”

“Yes. It is. I’m going to get him. These flowers never did anything to him. He better not cut down my trees or I’ll drown him.”

Dean shakes his head as he pulls up the video feed, and the two of us seeing a man in a hoodie walking up the driveway with a mask covering his face. The man is tall and thin and walks slowly with jerky movements. I can tell that it’s Nick. It’s definitely Nick.

Who else would do this? No one else would try to hurt me.

“I really need to get him to leave me alone. To leave us alone.” My mind reels with the thought of this continuing for the next several months or years. If anything, Nick is a dog with a bone. He won’t let this go. He wants to hurt me.

“How about we call the cops and let them take a report?” Dean says gently, giving me false hope that this will all resolve itself nicely.

“Yeah, we can do that. I’ll call and see if we can get someone out here.”

“And when I’m gone tonight, just keep your eye out and maybe don’t leave the house,” Dean says. “Promise me, Avery.”

I roll my lips between my teeth. I don’t want to go anywhere. Not without feeling safe. I just want to feel safe again.

“I promise.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

DEAN

I was loath to leave Avery home alone with Kit. The two of them looked like they couldn’t kill a fly let alone protect themselves from Nick, but hell, I had no choice. I had to go meet Anthony. This was non-negotiable. I even tried to get out of it, but he refused. This must be more important than I thought.

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