Remi.
The voice she used when she was keeping the storm just beneath her skin.
I followed the sound until I saw them.
A man I didn’t recognize stood toe to toe with her. Late twenties, maybe thirty. Twisted smile. Arms crossed like he wasn’t intimidated, like he was entitled to her attention.
But Remi looked like steel. Not scared. Not even angry. Just done.
“I’ve paid my dues,” the man said. “You think you can keep running around like you’re better than the rest of us? You think what you did back then makes you some kind of hero now?”
Her jaw clenched. “You are the reason my sister is dead. Then you were stupid enough to try and come for me... for Ava.”
“That was never proven.”
She stepped closer. “I saw it with my own eyes, Colton. I don’t need proof. Iamthe proof. And if my memory serves me right, I almost beat your skull in with a bat. That wasn’t proven either. But we both rememberthatdon’t we?”
I stepped forward just as Jack rounded the corner from the other direction.
His eyes landed on the man and turned to ice. “Colton.”
The man turned. “Well, well. The good old boy toy. Here to clean up her mess again?”
Jack didn’t react. “I’m here to make sure you never show your face around her again.”
Remi reached out, placing a hand on Jack’s arm. “You don’t have to.”
Jack’s gaze stayed locked on Colton. “Iwantto.”
“You going to threaten me, counsellor?” Colton sneered.
“No,” Jack said calmly. “I’m going to have your parole officer review the conditions you’re clearly violating by being here. I’m goingto have a conversation with your parents that they’re not going to like. And if you so much as breathe near her again, I’ll make sure you get reacquainted with a cell.”
That finally got through. Colton’s swagger dimmed. He looked at all three of us, scoffed, and muttered something under his breath before slinking away like the coward he was.
Remi stood frozen.
I stepped forward.
“Are you okay?” I asked quietly.
She nodded. Then shook her head. “I need a minute.”
Jack stayed where he was. He didn’t touch her. Just said, “You know I’ll always protect you, right?”
She didn’t answer.
And I stood there, watching the two of them, understanding that whatever line they’d drawn between past and present, it wasn’t clean.
And something was coming to wash all of it out into the open.
CHAPTER 35
AVA - SOMETHING PERMANENT
It shouldn’t have felt this right.
But it did.
