Page 29 of Drift
DRIFT
Iparked half in the grass, killed the engine, and swung off my Harley before the kickstand even hit the ground. I could hear the faint hum of her building’s security lights, and the soft thud of distant waves from the coast. Everything else was quiet.
As I stalked toward her apartment, my phone vibrated in my pocket.
My stride didn’t slow, but I doubled blinked in surprise when I saw that it was from Jax.
Jax
Get your ass to Alanna’s. Now. 9-1-1
Perfect fucking timing since I was already there. But I just sent back a “got it” and turned my focus back to the situation.
As I ran up the stairs, my boots hit hard enough to echo in the hallway, the metal railing rattling under my grip as I took the steps two at a time. When I reached the second floor, my pulse was a slow, steady hammer behind my ribs.
I didn’t knock. Didn’t even pause. One sharp kick, and the door flew open, slamming into the wall.
Alanna gasped from across the room, and Ethan turned, face pale, his hand hovering in midair where he’d been reaching for her.
“Get. The fuck. Out.” My voice was low. Even. Deadly.
He froze like a deer in headlights, his eyes flicking from me to the swinging front door, then to Alanna. His mouth opened, and he tried to puff himself up. “You-you can’t just break in here?—”
As I walked forward, my pace was slow and deliberate, and the air changed. He felt it. Everyone did whenever I was in this state. It was a warning that shit was about to go sideways.
“You don’t want to know what’ll happen if you touch her again,” I growled, my knuckles cracking as I curled my hands into tight fists.
Whatever color he had left drained from his face. He stumbled back, knocking over a chair, his keys clattering to the floor.
For a second, he looked like he wanted to say something—to prove he wasn’t terrified—but the words died before they made it past his lips.
It was a good fucking choice because the silent calm radiating from me was an indication that his life expectancy was dropping. Fast.
He shot Alanna a look full of anger, and something darker, before he bolted.
I slammed the door closed behind him, but it was hanging at an angle from my well-placed kick. So I had to straighten it before it would shut properly. Then I stood there, staring at it as I tried to push the monster back down inside me. I didn’t want Alanna to see the lethal creature lurking beneath the surface, the one who had literally torn men apart. The red in my ledger was always in the name of justice, but would she understand that? Our code of honor was usually seen as being on the wrong side of the law by outsiders.
At that moment, my worst nightmare was that I would face her and see fear on Alanna’s face. I didn’t ever want her to be scared of me.
Finally, when I felt in control, I turned around.
Alanna was shaking. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her hands were trembling. She stared at me with wide eyes, and her breath caught in her throat. I took one step forward, and she did the same. Then another. And another. Until we were only a foot apart. After a beat, I reached for her without thinking, my fingers brushing her wrist before closing around her hand.
“Hey.” My voice came out rougher than I meant. “You’re okay.”
I pulled her against me, holding her hand to my chest while my other arm went around her waist. Her pulse was racing under my fingers, too fast.
She buried her face in my shirt for a minute, taking deep breaths to calm down. Eventually, she shifted back, and I reluctantly let her go, with the exception of her hand. She swallowed hard, her eyes darting behind me for a second. “You—you broke my door.”
“Yeah.” I hadn’t let go of her hand, and I was pleased that she hadn't tried to tug it away. “I’ll buy you another one.”
Her mouth twitched, a half sob, half laugh that didn’t quite make it out.
I took a step closer again, close enough to see the small tremor in her chin. “You’re coming with me.”
“What?” Her eyes widened. “No. I’m not?—”
“He’s not done,” I cut in, my voice low but sharp enough to slice through her argument. “You saw it in his eyes.”
