Page 13 of Savage Truth

Raelyn shrugged. “I guess. I don’t know much about when that stuff happens, but she told me this morning that she’d talked to the coach, and he said to come at six for practice.”

Riley joined a team. Interesting.

“It’s a big deal for her because she doesn’t let her guard down with people. It’s the first time she’s ever joined anything.” She grabbed her coffee and took a sip. I got a distinct feeling that she wanted to say more but stopped herself.

I didn’t say a word but waited to see if she would share whatever else was on her mind. I noted how her leg bounced under the table, and her hand trembled as she tucked a few loose blond strands behind her ear. Something was bothering her.Is it Riley letting her guard down?

“Have you seen anyone new around town?”

“No.”What does that mean?“Are you expecting someone?”

“Oh, no. I just thought I saw someone suspicious and wanted to see if you had.” Raelyn shook her head then jumped up from the table, a fake smile curving her lips. “It’s nothing. Have a great run.”

I watched as she set her mug in the dishwasher. She was hiding something. I needed to call the PI and see if he’d learned anything.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I checked it as I headed out. Phoenix was already waiting in front of the garage, stretching. I joined him, my mind going a million miles a minute.

“Let’s do a long run to the school. If we don’t want to run back, we can get our lazy-ass brothers to pick us up.”

“Damon wouldn’t get up?” He finished stretching then stood, waiting for me.

“I guess. He didn’t respond to my text, and I’m not going to chase after him. Where’s Shane?”

“Tracey’s parents are out of town, and since Mom worked last night, he spent it at her place.”

I finished stretching, and we fell into a good pace, heading out of our subdivision and toward the high school. Five miles would give me plenty of time to think. “Did you know the dive team practices on Sunday mornings?”

“No, but they have a meet tonight, I think, and later this week. Maybe they’re squeezing an extra one in.”

That had to have been it. My phone buzzed with an incoming text, and I glanced at it. “Damon said he and Shane will meet us back at the house in two hours to lift.” They liked to take Sunday as a rest day for cardio. I disagreed, but Phoenix and I were more ambitious about our goals, and reaching those goals took dedication, planning, and hard work. Thane University was the next step.

I set the pace, and we fell into a companionable silence, the distance melting under our shoes. It gave me time to think, which wasn’t a great thing after spending the night with Riley. No matter how many girls I’d slept with in the past, being with her had been different. Primal. Something about her called to me, and I couldn’t get her out of my head.

A physical relationship between us could work. It was just during the light of day that things couldn’t. Her mom had to go, which meant she did too. Because our fucking dad would not get what he wanted—nor would Raelyn. They’d already destroyed Mom’s life. It was their turn to suffer.

I would call the PI back after lifting to see if he’d found anything. Knowing Wes, he’d dug up information that could take them down. They were hiding a past that needed to be exposed, especially after the two encounters with the uncle and Raelyn’s strange question about spotting anyone unfamiliar around town.

Our pace increased, but she still took up all of the space in my head. She pulled me to her like a magnet. When we were within a block of the school, we decreased our speed to cool down. Phoenix’s phone rang, and we stopped in the grass by the side entrance to stretch. He flashed me the screen before answering. It was his mom.

“I’ll be right back.”

Phoenix nodded before I went to the athletic door that would have been unlocked if a practice was going on. I pushed on the door, found it unlocked, and headed to the pool. I’d seen her dive before, and there was no doubt that the coach had also witnessed her talent and pursued her to join the team. Not that I watched the divers or went to their meets, but when she’d soared through the air with complicated twists and turns, I knew I was witnessing something truly great, far better than most high school dive team members. That girl had her own destiny, and too bad—or not—it didn’t align with mine.

I tried to convince myself that I was there to find out if she’d lied to her mom. But the truth was, I couldn’t stay away.

I pushed open the door, and a wall of humidity hit me in the face, as it had the first time, when I’d spotted her there after hours. I walked between the bleachers then paused at the end, almost out of sight. The coach was in the office, talking to one of the swimmers with the door open. Someone jumped off the board. Not her. A few people congregated along the side of the pool, all in bathing suits.

Then I spotted her off to the side, chatting with Jarrett Duncan. I reacted before I realized it and stomped over to her, aiming a promise of retribution at Jarrett. He shrank back as my hand clamped around her wet arm and I yanked her away. I was furious, and I didn’t even know why. But goddammit, she was not going to fuck me one night and indulge some guy who was making the moves the next morning.

I slammed my palm against the girls’ locker room door then pulled her in with me and whirled around. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

She took a step back, fury pulling her features tight. “Excuse me? Take note, surface dweller, you have no claim to dictate what I do”—she jammed a finger into my chest—"or who I talk to.”

I crowded her against the door and lightly wrapped a hand around her neck. Her pulse thundered against my skin, tempting me to close the few inches between us and kiss her.Always with this girl.

“That’s where you’re wrong.” I kept my voice low, commanding. “You’re living under my roof and sleeping in my bed.”

“Once. We slept in the same bed one time.” She flattened her palm against my chest and wrapped the other around my forearm.

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