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That gets me moving, and I sit bolt upright in bed. “No, I had no idea.”
“Over the summer, apparently.”
“Shit.” I drag a hand down my face. “Where has she been living?”
“With Warren.”
My entire body tenses and my fists curl at just hearing that cunt’s name.
He did this. Kenny might be protecting him for some fucked-up reason, but I know this was because of him. I don’t need the evidence that James seems so insistent on.
“What?” I seethe, panic trickling through me. “She can’t go back there.”
James swallows nervously. I’ve never seen him anything but sure of himself, even with the fucked-up situations we’ve brought upon him since we arrived. The sight has dread settling in the pit of my stomach.
“I’ve arranged a place for her to stay, but she needs to agree.”
“A place? Where? Here?” My mind reels.
“No, Conner. Not here.” He grimaces. “I don’t think that would be the best idea for the two of you, would it?”
“I wouldn’t have an issue.”
“I know, but this isn’t just about you.”
I sigh, sitting back against the headboard and resting my arms over my bent knees.
“I’ll offer Kennedy everything I can because I know it’s what you want, but she’s going to need to be willing to accept the help. Which also means you need to be ready to accept whatever decision she comes to. Even if she decides to go back.”
"Never."
"Conner." He releases a long breath. "I know you want to protect her, but you can't. This is her life. You need to let her make her own decisions."
"This is bullshit." I jump from the bed, ready to go and lock her in my fucking bedroom if I have to.
"Conner," he repeats, "stop trying to fix everything. You can't. Not this time."
"Fuck that. I can fix this, I can go and find—"
"Don't even think about it. You turning up to fight for her honor isn't the way to deal with this."
"How the fuck would you know?" I bark, frustrated with being told what to do. "You’ve never even lived in the Heights. You have no idea how shit works there. If we don't deal with him, it'll just keep happening.” And I refuse to let that happen. “He'll come for her, wherever it is she might go. And if by some luck he doesn't, then he'll just start on some other innocent girl. I'm not fucking having it."
"You need to keep your head, Son. She needs you here protecting her, not out there trying to fight her battles for her."
"She doesn't want me here. She's made that more than clear. But I need to do something... I have to."
I pull on last night's clothes, not missing the scent of alcohol that wafts from them as if I’d poured as much over myself as I did down my throat.
"Do not go to the Heights, Conner. He'll be waiting for you."
"I don't give a shit. I can't just sit here, waiting for her to go back to him."
"Conner," he calls as I fly out of the bedroom and down the stairs. I glance at my closed bedroom door, my body aching to walk inside and see her, but I don't. I'm not sure even she could talk me down from this right now.
It's so late that the sun is already starting to set when I rev the engine and wheelspin out of the driveway. I don't look back, but something tells me that I'm being watched by more than just my father. That suspicion is confirmed only two seconds later when Hadley's name appears on the screen on my dash.
I reject the call and turn the music up as I make the journey back to the Heights, ready to do what I should have done two nights ago when I first saw Kenny with a bruise on her cheek.
