Page 59 of Moon Blind Hearts
Cash moves closer on instinct, trying to protect me. “Mrs. Harrington?”
Augustus narrows his eyes on him. “This is a conversation between me and my fiancé, asshole. Not for some rat like you.”
I feel them tense but none of them react. I can’t stop my body from trembling, and they all take note. Sawyer has his fingers threaded with mine a second later. On the other side, Cash does the same. Despite my fear, I feel safer than I ever have.
“We know where you are now, Juliet,” Augustus continues. “You think you can escape this time?”
He takes a threatening step forward, like he intends to grab me, but Oak pulls a large knife from his hip and flicks it open. I didn’t even know he had the thing on him. It’s menacing as he holds it loosely in his hand, clearly prepared to use it.
“Take one more step motherfucker and you’re going to wish you were never born,” Oak warns.
Augustus looks at Oak with disgust. “Of all the places, you had to run to this Podunk town and hang out with all these . . . hillbillies,” he says, shaking his head. “Disgusting.”
“I don’t want you here,” I say, my voice less strong than I’d like.
Augustus laughs. “I want what I’m owed, Juliet.”
“I don’t owe you shit,” I spit.
He curls up his lip. “I expect more from a Ward than language like that.”
“Ward?” Sawyer repeats, as if he hasn’t seen my name on the contract. But seeing Augustus here must make him connect the dots because he tenses a second later. “As in the political empire Ward or . . .”
Augustus laughs, looking between the three men protecting me. “They don’t even know who you are, do they?”
Oak starts to press me backwards. “Time to go.”
I let him because I don’t know what else to do. I’m in danger. We’re all in danger. Oh, god. I’m too late.
“Your father sends his love, Juliet,” Augustus goads, clearly amused. “Daddy misses you.”
My heart freezes in my chest as they drag me away.
Chapter 32
Sawyer
I’ve had a few panic attacks in my life. Once, when I was younger and learned that my birth mom had surrendered me to the state but not my siblings. And again when the doctor told me I’d go blind before I hit forty. That’s the only reason I know that Jules is deep in a panic attack when she freezes. I can sense it. Her pulse flutters painfully, her breathing slows, and she’s not talking.
“Pick her up,” I instruct Oak. “She’s about to lose it.”
Oak does as I tell him, scooping her into his arms and moving faster. We’re practically running now. When we make it to the truck, we make record time of getting her inside.
“Everything okay?”
The voice behind us makes me curse, but when I see it’s only Dakota Steele with his partner, Kate, under his arm, I relax a little.
“Trouble,” I say.
Dakota tenses. “What kind of trouble?”
I glance at Jules in the back seat where she stares, wide eyed and blank, straight ahead. “I don’t know yet. But bad trouble.”
Oak climbs into the driver’s seat and starts the truck, hitting the panel out his window to let us know we need to go.
“When you figure it out, give me a call,” Dakota says. “I’d hate for Kate to lose her favorite cheese. And Naomi mentioned she rather likes your new friend, Jules.”
Kate glances up at him lovingly and then peers around the door. “Do you need anything for her?”
