Page 76 of Beyond the Blue Horizon
Crushing.
God knewshewould have fared so much better if I had left her in that vacant lot.
THIRTEEN
THEO
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OLD
“What the fuck, man?”Kane hissed it low as he looked between Theo and the girl who was on the couch in the living room.
The two of them were in the hall, their voices hushed.
Agitation rolling through him, Theo roughed a hand over his head as he glanced at the girl curled up on the couch.
Hugging her knees to her chest as she rocked.
Her hair was still wet from her shower, and the dark brown tendrils stuck to Theo’s plain black tee that she wore.
Raven had also given her some casual shorts and undergarments.
Every piece of it hung off her frail frame.
“What did you expect me to do? I couldn’t just leave her there.” Theo’s words were low and hard.
“But you brought her here? To our home?” Kane pressed, brows cinching tight as he studied Theo.
Theo blew out a sigh.
It wasn’t even an unspoken rule that they didn’t bring strangers here.
It was clear and patent.
A promise they’d made to this family that they would keep this house pure and untainted.
“The rest of the guys are gonna fuckin’ flip when they get back,” Kane continued.
Unease stirred through Theo, and he rubbed at the back of his neck as he looked at his boots. “Know it. I just didn’t know what the fuck else to do.”
Sighing, Kane rocked back on his heels as he looked at Scarlett again. Scarlett who was chewing at her thumbnail, constantly peeking in their direction.
No chance was she oblivious to the heated conversation, of which she was the topic.
“Take her to the fuckin’ hospital, that’s what. She’s beat to shit, man.”
“She said she couldn’t go there.” He paused, anger making a rebound as he muttered quietly, “You know she’s in trouble.”
“Yeah, her and half the population of this city,” Kane said.
“And she’s the one who was put in my path.”
Air huffed from Kane’s mouth, and he slowly shook his head. “So, what do you want to do?”
“Gonna see what the rest of the crew thinks of her sleeping on the couch for a couple nights. Just until she heals enough that she can take care of herself.”
Theo jolted awake to the light tapping at his door. He sat up in bed and scrubbed a hand over his face as he tried to orient himself. “Yeah?” he called softly.
The door clicked open.
