“They don’t have to look the part to play the part,” I said.
Whoever sent that message knew more than they should. It wasn’t some random creep—they were watching our movements, keeping tabs, and we had brushed it off. I should have duginto this sooner. I should have dealt with it when that fucking guy said they would come after her.
I let it get too far now.
“We need to find out who it is before they get any closer.” Hero’s voice dropped, the menacing tone conveying exactly how pissed off he was. “I don’t need any more people coming around poking into my business. We have plenty as is. Can you check into that phone number?”
Evie nodded as I pulled out my phone, clicking into our group chat.
Aiden:Everyone back at the garage. We have another problem.
Evie glanced down at her phone, groaning when she saw the text.
“You really sent out the bat signal immediately?” Her eyes met mine, the glint back in them now. “What am I saying? Of course you did, Ace. I’m going to figure out who owns the phone number before the wolves descend.”
She disappeared into the office and I stared after her, not sure if I wanted to follow or not.
Evie has always felt like mine in some way.
I would always be there to protect her, to save her, to beherAce. As much as she wanted to give me shit for being loyal to her brother, I was loyal to her. I wanted, and constantly tried, to stand between her and anything that could hurt her, and now, right when I should be backing off, the need to keep protecting her felt stronger than ever.
Someone was threatening her, and now I would do anything to stop them.
I had a taste of Evie, and I had hoped it would be enough. But now, someone else wanted her, too—and they were already too fucking close.
If they thought they could take what’s mine, they were already dead.
Chapter 16
Evie
The bike’s engine roared, rattling the walls and drilling straight into my skull. I rolled my shoulders, my hands curling into fists as Hero revved it again—louder this time.
My patience was already razor-thin. That text had wrecked any hope I had of a normal night, and now my ears were ringing like a goddamn siren was going off. If he revved it one more time, I was putting a wrench through the gas tank. Across the garage, Aiden turned away, disappearing behind the nearest bike—avoiding me.
Again.
He was still acting like it hadn’t been him at Hero’s birthday, and it was starting to make me wonder if it truly hadn’t been. I leaned back on the chair, my mind wandering from the actual problem in front of us. We were still waiting for everyone to get here after Aiden told them about the threatening text, but I felt a thousand miles away.
Could it really not have been him? A gross shiver ran down my spine at the thought of it being anyone else touching me.
No. It had to be him. He called me Psycho, and no one else would have done that so naturally.
I stepped back out of my office, ready to ask him directly, and nearly ran into Zack.
I didn’t hide my smile as I looked up at him. Zack was easily lovable. With wild dirty-brown hair and a lanky build, he was the lovable, quirky brother I never had.
I thought about Rook with a smile. My real brother was a little more murder and threats than smiles and hugs.
And unlike my real brother, Zack was easy to have a conversation with. He even always seemed intent on listening to what I had to say—unlike a few other people around here—but now he looked unusually pissed as he glared at Hero.
“You’re not the only one here, asshole,” Zack yelled at Hero, who had revved again. “Have a little respect for Evie—she’s working five fucking feet from you.”
Hero’s head snapped up, confusion crossing his face, making me wonder if he had forgotten anyone else was around. He had a way of zoning out, forgetting anyone else existed. The world around him would fade, and I wondered if it’s what helped his stress levels stay near zero.
If I could forget the world and the people around me for an hour here and there, I’d probably feel better, too.
Hero tilted his head, blinking like Zack had started speaking a new language. “And? This is a motorcycle shop, not a library. Hearing them rev is a hazard of the job.”
