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This was comfort.
This was peace—home.
My heart was in my throat, and every beat made it hard to breathe as I decided to just go for it. Fuck everything else. I wound up the pitch, my muscles all working together to move the ball at the kind of force that could seriously injure someone if they were at the other end. It was like my body remembered every movement. The way I twisted my torso, how high my leg needed to come up, that subtle twist and flick that made my pitch so dangerous—the one that had taken me years of throwing to my dad in the backyard to perfect.
The instant I released, I knew my aim was on point, and in a split second the ball easily flew into the middle pocket of the nine-pocket catching net I had down at the other end of the short alleyway.
“Jesus, how are you not in the big leagues?” Leo asked as he came around the side of the building to the small space I guess I’d commandeered so no one would have been able to see me had this been an epic fail. I rolled my shoulders but didn’t answer him, planning on just picking up another ball and throwing and throwing until I had to ice my shoulder because I was in so much pain.
It was like that part of my brain remembered how damn fucking good it felt and had suddenly switched back on, and I felt electrified. Instantly, I reached for another ball snatching it from the bucket and getting ready to wind up.
Then my plans of self-destruction were crushed.
“Your sister is here.”
I could see her standing at the gate looking so sure of herself as she stared down a handful of dangerous-as-hell looking men—my brothers. Leo trudged along beside me, letting me know in no uncertain terms that he had my back.
The notion could have been kind of amusing if the situation were different, given that Phee had never grown over five-foot-four inches. The moment she laid eyes on me, though, I was reminded of the fire that burned in her eyes was enough to make any man or woman cautious of what she was capable of.
“You should have stayed away from him!” my little sister yelled, running at me.
My brothers weren’t sure what to do looking between each other awkwardly.
Did they try to stop her?
Was she dangerous?
The answer was… I really had no idea.
For all I knew, she was going to rip a knife out from underneath her denim jacket she had on and drive it straight through my heart.
I probably wouldn’t blame her.
Her hands connected with my chest and with the force of her small body, I was pushed back, my feet scuffing the gravel. I grabbed hold of her shoulders and moved her back holding her at arm’s length while she continued to huff and puff, looking up at me as though she hated me more than her entire being could express.
I caught some movement, a couple of guys who must have come with her standing beside a blacked out SUV outside the clubhouse gates. They looked like they wanted to protect her, both racing forward a couple of steps before Op and Leo both pulled their concealed weapons and instantly put a stop to their movements.
I admired their bravery, ready to jump in and protect Phee at a moment’s notice, but they obviously were out of their depth.
She struggled against my hold, and I finally let her go. Her ashy blonde hair was loose and uncontrolled flying around her face and whipping in the wind like she was controlling it with her anger. The weather was picking up. What had been a beautiful day just an hour ago was now threatening a storm, and I could feel it, not just in the sky but right here between us. She’d come here with a purpose. Phee had something she wanted to say, and just like I’d done with Romeo, I needed to hear her say it.
It was probably going to hurt, but that was okay.
There was no healing without first having hurt.
“You should have stayed away. You should have just left him alone,” she yelled again, this time with less power and more emotion in her voice. Her eyes were red but still fierce and determined. My little sister was not one to let someone get the better of her before she had her say.
I stepped forward, reaching out to her, but she slapped at my hand. “Phee, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. What is going on? How did you even get here?” I was confused. She was meant to be staying at a home in Cali. How did she even afford to get all the way across the damn country?
“Romeo!” she snapped. “The prison rang me. He had the shit beaten out of him and was put in the infirmary. Funny that happened the day after you visited him.”
My heart stopped.
“Fuck,” I heard Wrench curse softly from behind me. I looked over my shoulder at him, and he was already pulling his cell phone from his pocket. His eyes met mine, and he nodded. “I’ll find out what happened.”
“It’s your fault,” Phee accused, drawing my attention back to her. “You should have just stayed away from us, Hamlet. We got this far without you. We don’t need you.” Her voice was unsteady, her posture not as strong as it was a few moments ago.
I clenched my teeth and took a step forward forcing her back. “You don’t need me, but I sure as hell fucking need you. I want my family back. I want you back, and Romeo, and I will do whatever I need to do to make that happen.”
