Page 60 of PET

“Zeke Lungren, you’re under arrest for the assault of Patrick Lucas. Anything you say—” he continues to speak about my rights, but I’ve blocked him out.

He’s taken Billie completely out of my sight, and I almost pass out in my struggle with the officers.

Loud knocking on the metal jailor’s door pulls me back from my memory, and I crane my neck near the bars to see who it might be this time. The Sheriff gets up, moving like a sloth as he yanks the door open.

And I’ve never been more happy to see anyone in my life.

Dana marches into the room, seeking me out with her gaze and nodding when she sees me. “I’ve come to release Zeke Lungren from your custody.”

I look up at the ceiling and blow out a breath, thanking the universe for this woman—the one I’ve hated until this fucking second.

The Sheriff laughs, shaking his head. “I don’t know what kind of clearance you think you have around here anymore, Ms. Witt, but I’m pretty sure the FBI isn’t warranted in Reaper anymore.”

She grins, leaning over the desk to get right in his face when he sits back down. “The FBI is still very, very present in Reaper. I’ll bet that makes you nervous, doesn’t it? Release my subject or I’ll be forced to charge you with obstruction of justice,sir.”

I’m smirking, watching his face turn tomato red right before my eyes. The Sheriff doesn’t seem to be accustomed to anyone talking to him like that, but fuck, I’ll bet she felt good doing it.

The Sheriff studies her for a moment longer before he huffs out a breath and gets back up, marching straight for me. I step away from the bars and hop on my feet, anxious as fuck to get out of here.

When the lock clinks and he pulls the bars open, I jump out and take a huge breath as if I’ve been trapped in an actual box. I look at the Sheriff and grin, squaring my shoulders as I look down at him in victory.

“Alright, Zeke, you won. No need to poke the bear. Let’s go,” Dana says, tugging at my shirt to pull my attention away from Sheriff Douchebag.

I give him a wink and step away, watching his expression morph from intimidation to anger. Dana rips open the door and ushers me out.

The sun burns my eyes when we step out of the police station and onto the front sidewalk where her SUV is parked at the curb. Shielding my eyes from the afternoon sun, I ask, “How long was I in there, Dana? I have to get to Bil—”

“Relax, Romeo.” She holds her hand up, stopping me. “She’s safe and with Christian right now. I’m told they’re getting ready for some Halloween party tonight…?”

Grinding my teeth, a bout of jealousy tears through my stomach at the mention of Billie being alone with Christian right now. I’m glad she’s safe, but I also hate how he was the one to rescue her and not me. Fuck, he won again.

“Take me to them,” I say through clenched teeth, yanking open the passenger door.

Chapter 25

BILLIE LUCAS

“WhataboutZeke?”Iask as Christian pulls up to the house on the hill where everyone knows is the party house.

Christian pulls into an empty spot and puts the car in park. “Dana told me she was picking him up from the police station and bringing him here.”

I clutch my mini skirt with one hand and twirl my braided pigtails with the other. After everything that has happened today—me and Mandi getting into it, my uncle and Zeke fighting, me being held hostage, to finding weird ritualistic items in the depths of the house I grew up in. So, it seems weird to be at a party right now, but Christian said it would be a good distraction. And since there isn’t anything we can do about it right now, we need to continue living our lives in case people are watching us. We don’t know how big this thing really is.

Glancing over at Christian, I chew my bottom lip as my heart pounds. He leans over the console and grabs my chin, pulling my bottom lip down by his thumb.

“Don’t worry, little hellfire, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

I stare into his bright eyes and shake my head until his grip is released. “You shouldn’t say things you don’t mean, Christian.” Pulling up my thigh-high socks, I look out the side window and watch all the party goers moving about the house and grounds.

His groan fills the car as he grabs my throat and squeezes until I look at him, clutching at his forearms. My eyes dance over his beautiful features—high cheekbones, plump lips, brows that are naturally perfect, and eyes that look into my soul.

“Let me try this again… I won’t let anything happen to youagain.Just like the shit in your house, there are things you don’t know or understand yet. Shunning you wasn’t something I ever wanted to do, B.”

I inhale an excited gasp when he calls meB.That was his thing for years, always making me feel special around all the other girls because Christian fucking Veradin had a pet name for little ole me and not for anyone else.

“Who made you do it, Christian?” I ask softly, my eyes flitting between his.

He licks his lips again, about to tell me when someone slaps their hands repeatedly on the hood of the car. I nearly jump out of my skin, my yelp echoing around us. Christian chuckles while giving Holden the bird, and I do the same thing because he scared the shit out of me.

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