Page 93 of Meet Me in the Vines
I jog to his side as he rolls his window down. “Dad, stay here. I’m gonna make sure Audrey’s okay.” His brows knit together, giving me a curt nod before I clap his shoulder and hastily move up her porch steps.
I push open the door, not bothering to knock. I’ve missed her too damn much. I immediately see Audrey leaning against the wall across from me, her eyes full of panic, breathing erratically, the color entirely drained from her face.
“Mouse, what’s wrong?” She’s in my grasp within seconds, our hands clutching one another, her head buried in my chest.
“Donovan, please. Leave. Go. Now!” she begs, pushing me off of her. I stumble back, eyes bewildered. There is a terror in her eyes that I’ve never seen. Worse than the nightmare. This fear isevil, and it has its sharp claws buried so deep in her that she’s hysterically crying, shoving me toward the door.
“Please, you need to leave. Now! Go!” she cries out, her sobs frantic and piercing. I steady myself and root my feet into the ground.
“Mouse, I’m not going anywhere. Tell me what’s wrong? You told me to come. I’m not leaving,” I mutter, her body slumps against mine.
“Mouse? Huh. That’s real cute.”
A low timbre vibrates in front of me, sending an ominous chill down the length of my spine. I pull Audrey close, clutching her to my chest as Kellan emerges from the shadows. The blanket of dusk casts a sinister light behind him, darkening every feature.
He wears a wicked smirk, propping himself against the wall. The dark circles under his bloodshot eyes tell me he hasn’t slept in days. His dress shirt is unbuttoned at the top, tucked into a wrinkled pair of suit pants. He rests his hands in the pockets as he tilts his head at us. Our eyes lock as mine blaze with fire. I gently maneuver Audrey behind me, pushing her back against the door.
“So, you must be the famous Donovan?” he teases. My jaw ticks and every muscle in my body flexes to keep me from murdering this guy with my bare hands, like he tried to do with Audrey.
“What the hell do you want, Kellan?” I seethe, narrowing my eyes. Audrey’s forehead rests on my back with one hand linked in mine. Her touch is kerosene, lighting me up for her.
“Well, my buddy Ted let me know that you and the little bird weren’t together last night,” he utters, jutting his chin as he talks. So Ted was involved in all this. Fucking hell.
“I came to bring Audrey home,” he growls, his head leaning to search for Audrey behind me. “You took her from me, after all.Didn’t anyone ever teach you manners?” he teases. The rage in my chest boils over as I spit my hellish anger straight at him.
“Manners?You were fucking killing her. You’re the last person on this earth to know anything about manners,” I hiss through my teeth. “I won’t let you fucking touch her again, you hear me? You stay the fuck away from us.”
If Audrey wasn’t holding onto me, I would’ve already had this asshole in a choke-hold, escorting him myself to the police. But her grip on me is desperate, mirroring the expression in her eyes. Kellan’s face remains unamused until the slightest of smirks tugs the corner of his lip, pissing me the hell off.
“Little bird, we’re leaving,” he demands, raising his voice. Audrey moves out from my hold. I try to move her back, but she puts her hand on my chest and gives me a reassuring nod.
She squares her shoulders to Kellan, eyes like steel. She’s no longer hiding. She’s standing strong, facing the demon of a man who beat her. Who trapped her in a loveless life for nearly a decade.
“I willnevergo back with you. I don’t love you. ’Cause you know what, Kellan?” She pauses, taking one more step forward. “I fuckinghateyou. Now get the fuck out of my house,” she spews every word with confidence. Strength. Conviction. I watch her stare him down—her stance never wavers and neither does her voice.
That’s my girl.
My eyes flicker back to Kellan, whose expression morphs from unbothered to fuming. Something shifts in his eyes. They go completely black. Dark and empty.
“Now, now, little bird. I gave you everything. What does he give you?”
“Everything you never could,” she spits back boldly. No hesitations.
He throws his head back and laughs. It’s menacing, undone and unhinged. I grab Audrey by the wrist, pulling her back to my side. Kellan moves his body in an animalistic fashion, cracking his neck like he’s morphing into a snake. It’s unnerving, but I stand my ground. I’m not letting this fucker get away.
He stares hard into Audrey’s eyes and lets out an exasperated exhale, thinning his lips. His eyes well up unexpectedly, grinding his molars, creating a flex in his jaw.
“Audrey, my dad is outside. Go to him. Now,” I mutter under my breath. Her eyes fix on Kellan as she slowly shakes her head, pursing her lips.
Jesus, this stubborn woman.
Kellan’s shoulders shake up and down as quiet sobs escape him. This guy is losing his goddamn mind.
“Audrey, I love you. I’m sorry for hurting you. Please. I need you. Just come home,” he cries, his voice trembling. Audrey shows no weakness. Her body is tense, wound up so tight that if you touched her, she’d snap. Her anger fumes, vibrating from her body and off the walls.
“I. Am. Home.” Every word she spits comes on a growl, rumbling deep in her chest. My eyes flick back and forth between them. “I won’t say it again, Kellan. Leave or I call the cops,” she seethes, not a tear falls from her face. I’m on edge seeing Kellan’s expression shift unstably. One minute he’s angry, the next he’s crying. This guy is off his rocker and I need to get Audrey out of here.
“Mouse, he’s not right in the head. Leave and let me deal with him,” I plead, grabbing her wrist while I reach for the front doorknob to usher her out.
