Scarlett ran her light over the closest section of wiring, examining it without getting close enough to touch. "I can't tell if this is deliberate or an accident. Something about the way it burned doesn't look right."
My brain kicked into gear. When the lights had gone out, it hadn't occurred to me that it could be deliberate. I'd heard all about the electrical problems at Heartstone. But this wasn't what Scarlett had been expecting. Which meant it wasn't the usual power outage. Shit.
"I have to get to Parker," I said, turning for the door. Scarlett moved out of my way, following me out.
"Do you think her husb– Uh, your brother could have–"
"I don't know, but–" I cut off as feet pounded down the stairs at the far end of the hallway, voices raised. Billy Bob came into view, a tall, thin stranger behind them. By the way the stranger was huffing and puffing, they'd come on the run.
Parker was alone.
Without another word, I raced for the cottage.
ChapterThirty-One
NASH
The cottage wasn't far from the Manor. Only a few hundred feet down a winding gravel path. It felt like miles. From a distance, the cottage looked peaceful, a two-story stone building tucked into the trees. The door was closed. The windows dark. My feet hit the gravel in skidding slides, my shoes meant for polished floors and not a sprint on an uneven surface.
I didn't care about my shoes; I cared about getting to Parker. Nothing about the scene in front of me indicated she was in trouble. Just my gut, urging me to run faster, faster, until I hit the porch in a final lunge. The doorknob turned under my hand, the door giving the barest inch before slamming shut.
Fuck. I swung back, giving myself some space, and flew into the door, turning the handle as I hit, using every pound of my body weight, every inch of leverage to force the door open. I heard them before I saw them, the thump and roll of bodies hitting the floor, the door suddenly swinging wide to crash into the wall once the resistance was out of the way.
I dove for Parker, laying on her back on the hardwood, her chest lurching as she gasped for breath. I hit my knees beside her, spotting Tyler face first on the floor a few feet away. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean to knock you down." I ran my hands over her body, looking for injuries.
Parker caught one hand in hers, her voice a whisper as she fought to fill her lungs with air. "Breath knocked out of me. I'm okay."
"I'm sorry," I said again, sick at the knowledge that I'd put her on the ground. I'd burst in thinking I was saving her from Tyler and instead I'd tossed her halfway across the room.
She squeezed my hand hard, her eyes sliding to where Tyler was slowly getting to his feet, fury turning his face a deep shade of red. "He wouldn't let me leave." She sat up, leaning in to press a soft kiss to the side of my mouth. "You were just in time. Now we have to get out of here without killing him. Can you do that?"
To be honest, I wasn't sure I could. He wouldn't let her leave? I wanted to kill him for coming this close to Parker, much less for trapping her here. For making her feel unsafe. I saw the fear in her eyes, felt the way she gripped my hand.
But I knew my brother. If we gave him the slightest excuse, he'd use his meager funds to find a lawyer willing to fuck with us until he drove us all mad. Or worse.
I helped Parker to her feet before I turned to face Tyler. "Stay away from Parker," I said, trying to sound like a reasonable adult. Even I heard the growl in my voice. I was pretending to be civilized, but inside I was anything but.
"You can't tell me to stay away from my own wife," he whined.
A rumble filled the room. Shit, that was me, growling again.
Parker squeezed my hand hard. "It's no use trying to reason with him," she said. "He just wants to cause trouble. He can't unless we let him."
Tyler ignored her words, and me, focused again on Parker. "You know Nash is only using you, right? He's jealous because mom always loved me more. And because I slept with his girlfriends when we were younger." Turning his attention back to me, he said, "Why don't you just find someone else to fuck and let Parker and I work this out between us? Our marriage has nothing to do with you. And, honestly, sleeping with my wife is just tacky."
Tyler swung back to Parker. "I thought you were better than this, Parker. I can't believe mother disowned me when you're the one fucking your brother-in-law while you're still married. Such a fucking whore."
I lunged at him when he called her a whore. Parker yanked me back, but said nothing. Only she could have stopped me. My chest heaved with each breath. I knew throwing a punch was a disastrous idea. I knew it. My fingers curled into a fist, anyway.
I was not going to escalate this shit show. I was not.
Parker leaned into my side, her arm going around my waist. I reached for calm. It eluded me, but I managed not to annihilate Tyler.
Tyler set his hands on his hips, sneering at both of us. "I can't believe you're falling for his bullshit, Parker. He's going to dump you as soon as he's bored with you. You know that, don't you? And then what'll you have? You'll be alone, used up, and no one will want you. If you don't get rid of him and come back to me, you won't have another chance."
"And if I stay with Nash? You'll walk away and leave me alone?" she asked serenely.
Tyler saw his mistake. If he'd thought to undermine her by poking at her confidence, he'd chosen the wrong woman. Parker had her own insecurities, but she was long past letting Tyler's insults break the skin. He turned his rage on me.
