Page 16 of Bound by Desire
Anger bubbles in my veins. Has she not learned anything fromanyone?
“That’s not all that matters. Fucking hell, Austyn! So many things could’vehappened.”
She runs her fingers through her hair, pulling it at the roots. “You think I don’t know that? I couldn’t call Mom, Dad, Cooper,orNox.”
“Why the fuck not!” I’m fully aware that I’m arguing with my twenty-year-old cousin, but I don’t giveafuck.
Austyn has support. She has family. It’s not that I’m not willing to pound the fucker in the ground for her, because I am. Why come to me when there is a clubhouse full of badass motherfuckers ready to pounce in the name offamily?
“Look at my face, Deke!” She points to it. “If they find out about this, I’m fuckingtoast.”
“More like he’s toast,” Igrowl.
“No, Deke.” She moves into the space, making small passes. “Things are different now. So much different.” She shakesherhead.
Things aren’t that different. Emery shares enough; I would know if Austyn had a reason to worry aboutgoinghome.
“I’m sure they are, but they sure as shit are looking for your assrightnow.”
“I texted Nox and told him I was fine, that I’d behomesoon.”
“Give me yourphone.”
She reaches in the back pocket of her jeans, pulling it out. “It’sdead.”
I don’t answer. Instead, I tear the sparkle infested cover off, then the back of the phone. Pulling out the battery, sure as shit, there’s a chipinit.
“Fuck,” Igrowl.
“What?”
“You can’t be this stupid,Austyn.”
Her hand goes to her hip, and in that moment, the look on her face is just like my aunt’s. Fuck, that’sfreaky.
When no one would listen, when I couldn’t stop the rattling in my head, Aunt Princess was there. She didn’t force me to talk. I asked her to teach me to fight, to give me the escape, the control, andshedid.
“I know there’s a tracking device on it. That’s why I let it run out before I got close to your place so they wouldn’t know where to find me. This is the last placethey’dlook.”
Fuck, that guts, but it’s no more than I shouldexpect.
“I can’t let them see my face. All of them will go apeshit, and I’m already in deep with MomandDad.”
“You’re fucking twenty-years-old, Austyn; why haven’t you grown the fuck up?”Ibark.
“Oh, I have in more fucking ways than one, so don’t you sit there and lecture me on that shit, Deacon! None of it’s your goddamned business!” She sucks in air. “Look, I just need a place to crash for a couple of days while my face heals, then I’ll go home and face themusic.”
“And you think you’re staying here? With me?” I open my arms, gesturing at the tight space. “No, you’re going thefuckhome.”
“Deke…”
“Not tonight. You sleep on the fucking floor, and I’ll figure out what to do with you tomorrow. Need to shower.”Iturn.
“Why are you all busted up? Your face and knuckles look like you’ve been fighting,” she asks, studying me for the first time since shegothere.
I don’t turn. “It’s what I do.” Then, rather than explain, Ishower.
I knew that if I told her I was taking her ass home right now, she would bolt when I got in the shower. Therefore, I lied. Once I get this fight off me, I’m driving her ass back to Sumner. The damn place I never thought I’d gobackto.
