Page 52 of Hush (Fighting Fate)
He took another couple of steps towards me until he was only a few feet away. The breath stuck in my chest. Panic was starting to creep in. TJ scared the crap out of me. I knew Mitch had protected me before, but that was behind closed doors. Would he do the same if TJ demanded him to hurt me? And then there was the problem of TJ knowing my greatest fear. They all knew I’d do anything to protect my mom.
“And then there’s the little point of your mother coming home the day after tomorrow.” His eyes narrowed dangerously. “She might not make it next time.”
I wanted to smash him. I seriously wanted to take my fists and inflict a pain so deep, he’d never get up. “You give me that bag and I’ll take it straight to the police.”
I wouldn’t. I was too chicken shit.
Ken’s eyes darkened. “Then you can say goodbye to your mother.”
We continued to glare at each other for god knew how long. We both knew I was going. I hated having to back down. “I hate you,” I said.
He shrugged like it didn’t matter, and I supposed to him it didn’t. “TJ’s expecting you at seven.”
With that, Ken simply turned and walked away, leaving the brown bag from hell sitting on the floor where he’d left it.
Glancing at the clock, I realized I only had half an hour. Snatching up the bag, I stomped from the house.
Chapter 38
Noah
I got the text from Kaeli that told me she was on her way ten minutes before TJ announced it to the gang.
As much as I hated for her to have to come to the Den, I stupidly found myself looking forward to seeing her. That kiss we’d shared back at The Crypt had filled every spare minute of my days since. I knew I should be trying to push thoughts of her away, but I just couldn’t help it. I wanted her like I’d wanted nothing else before.
Sitting back, I tried to look as though I was just hanging out like the rest of them. As much as I hated to admit it, a joint would’ve helped me a lot, but the thought of Kaeli smelling, or tasting, it on me stopped me cold.
When the knock sounded on the back door, I almost had to grip the couch I was sitting on to stop myself from jumping up and running to answer it. Letting Mac go instead almost had me swinging, and seeing TJ follow almost killed me, but I had to act cool.
All thoughts of cool went straight out the window though when I heard TJ’s loud, booming laugh from the kitchen, followed by, “Mitch! I think someone’s been beating on your girl!”
I jumped out of my seat so fast, I almost gave myself whiplash. Flying into the kitchen, I went straight up in Kaeli’s face.
The sight of her badly bruised cheekbone had me seeing red. Dark. Fucking. Red. She kept her eyes down, unable to look at me for some reason.
“Who did this?” I demanded. I already knew who, but I wanted to hear her say it.
She didn’t answer.
I tried to soften my voice a little but I knew TJ and Mac were still in the room. “Tell me, Kaeli. Who did it?”
“I tripped,” she said quietly.
The fists my hands were clenched into tightened even more. “Bullshit. Tell me who did it. Now.”
Finally, she met my gaze. I couldn’t quite decipher the expression on her face. She looked like she was maybe making a decision or something. Something that looked like curiosity bloomed in her eyes. “Ken,” she said.
My jaw clenched. Hard. So hard I thought I might actually break some of my back teeth. Turning my attention back to Mac, who stood watching with Ken’s brown bag in hand, I growled. “Get the bag ready. I’m going to deliver it personally.”
Both TJ and Mac disappeared, leaving me alone with Kaeli. I wanted to ask her if she was really okay, but I wasn’t so sure I could speak without it coming out a growl. I took a few deep breaths.
“Your mom?” I asked instead.
She swallowed. “She’s…she’s in the hospital.”
I gave a stiff nod. I was going to kill that fucker.
Less than five minutes later, Mac returned with the bag. Without a word, I grabbed it off him with one hand, took Kaeli’s hand with my other, and pushed out the door.
