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Jed was glaring at Dawg just as fiercely as Dawg was glaring at Jed, and she was getting tired of it.
Dawg’s disapproval was clear.
Piper sighed in irritation.
“Both of you get the hell out of my room,” she suddenly ordered, anger beginning to flare inside her. “Get out. Go away. Leave me the hell alone. ”
She had a ride to catch, and she had no intention of missing it. Especially not so she could babysit two grown men who were suddenly acting like two dogs over a bone.
Jed turned his glare on her. “We weren’t finished. ”
“The hell you weren’t,” Dawg answered for her.
Propping her hands on her hips, she turned a fierce stare on both of them.
“Get out of my room,” she snapped again. “If I have to ask one more time I’m calling Mom and Tim and you can deal with them. ”
“That little bastard Timothy doesn’t scare me in the least,” Dawg informed her, his celadon gaze sparking with anger.
“Well, Mom does scare you,” she reminded him. “And trust me, if she knew what was going on right now she’d have both your heads. ”
They both grimaced and began retreating.
Jed moved for the connecting door as Dawg backed to the door that led to the hall. As each door closed Piper moved to it quickly and locked it securely.
Good God, how the hell was she supposed to slip out of the house and out of the state with this mess going on?
One thing was for damned sure: if she’d had second thoughts about how her brother or even Jed would act if one of them were to go with her, then she had her answer now.
They’d act just as they were: like two Neanderthals with nothing better to do than beat their chests and roar out their aggressions.
Not what she needed this week.
Oh, God, she didn’t need it this week.
The week she was going to find the dreams she’d worked for all her life.
* * *
She was slipping out, making her way across the darkness of the porch, two traveling bags in hand.
Jedediah lowered his head for a second before lifting his gaze and forcing himself to watch her make her way from the inn. Curling his fingers into fists, he held back the urge to follow her. To stop her.
If he stopped her, he’d be no better than her brother or her cousins. They were doing all the wrong things for all the right reasons, but that didn’t make it bearable for the impulsive, bright, beautiful little star they were smothering.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned against the heavily leafed tree he hid beneath and just watched her. There was no need to follow her. She wasn’t headed to a party, a friend’s house for a night out, or even one of the local bars.
He’d known that when he’d talked to her on the phone as he’d watched her through the closed-circuit wireless camera that had been installed in the bedroom when her sister occupied it. It hadn’t been removed when Eve had moved out.
As he had watched her pack he had known she was heading out of town.
With a friend? Most likely a lover, he thought wearily, wondering at the sense of possessiveness tightening his gut.
Hell, he’d waited too long to secure her to him, left it too late. He’d sensed that as he watched her packing earlier.
He was always careful when checking on her. He never interfered, never looked in on her when there was a chance of embarrassing her if she found out he was watching.
Sometimes, he just wanted to see her. See her relaxed, sleeping, or amused. Sometimes, he just wanted to make certain she was safe, nothing more. He’d seen her packing, though, and he’d been unable to resist calling her, hoping she’d confide in him. Hoping that talking to him, remembering the pleasure they’d shared, would change her mind if she was heading out to stay with a lover.
