Page 51 of Like a Hurricane

“Momma!” Harper loudly announces her and ultimately our presence, “Look who’s here!”

“Rett!?” She gasps but the man she’s with just looks pissed. The wedding rings on their fingers show the two of them are married. This had to be Rett’s brother.

“Don’t stop on our account,” Rett drawls, “It’s not every day I get to see my older brother doing something other than scowling.”

The woman, Maya, I remember Rett calling her from his story, smiles and rolls her eyes, “What are you doing here?”

“Just dropping in to see my favorite person,” He ruffles Harper’s hair, “Plus I wanted you guys to meet someone.”

Rett’s brother looks towards us, holding his wife close, protectively, while Harper hovers with the damn chicken in her arms.

“This is Arryn Lauder.” Rett gently nudges me, “Arryn this is Torin, my brother, and Maya, his wife, my sister-in-law.”

I swallow, “Nice to meet you.” I met new people all the time, new faces, names, environments, but I feel out of my element here.

“Blink once for yes, and twice for no,” Maya smiles, “Did Rett kidnap you?”

Her words are in jest, no meaning whatsoever behind them but both brothers go deathly still and so silent, I could hear a pin drop between them.

A few pregnant seconds pass and then Maya gasps, “Hedidkidnap you!?”

“Hey now!” Rett tries but Maya is already moving.

“The fuck, Everett Avery!?”

She clutches my hand protectively, a woman I don’t know coming to bat for me.

“I was saving her!” He defends.

“Little doe,” Torin steps in, “Just wait a minute,”

“You,” She scowls at him, “You knew, and you let him do it!”

“Hey now,” He defends but she marches over to him, dragging me along with her, and pokes him in the chest, “Shame on you, Torin Avery.”

“Baby, hear him out,” Torin says softly, Maya’s hand clutching mine.

I didn’t know what to say or how to act. I was stumped. My eyes cut to every face in the room, between the innocent eyes of Harper staring on in confusion, to Rett’s pleading, Torin’s guilt and Maya’s fury.

“Are you okay!?” Maya asks me urgently.

“I’m fine,” I assure with a swallow.

“What the fuck are you doing?” She growls.

I didn’t know what to do here! A woman I didn’t know was fully prepared to come to my defense and yet I was finding I didn’t want her to. I understood why Rett did what he did, why me, I couldn’t fully grasp but I understood.

“It’s okay” I find myself saying, “He did it for my own good.”

Rett takes a protective step towards me, “It’s not that easy.”

“You knew,” Maya turns her ire to her husband, “You knew about this, and you didn’t tell me!”

“There are people after me,” I tell Maya, “Everett did what he needed to do to get me out of that situation. He knew I wouldn’t come willingly since–” I stop myself from telling them what happened right before my father died. I hadn’t forgotten Rett had practically stalked my ass, but they didn’t need all the details, “He knew I wouldn’t come willingly. I understand now.”

“There must have been something else you could have done,” She says to Rett, “You kidnapped her.”

“Look, let’s all calm down for a minute,” Torin orders gently.

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