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Grayson looked at me, a grimace on his lips. “Come on,” he said, slowly rising to his feet and helping me up on my shaking limbs as well. “Let’s get to the house. I’ll let Tex tell you everythingthere.”
Instead of arguing, I took his hand and let him lead me away. We practically sprinted the rest of the way to the duplex. I had the feeling I wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to be on the streetsanymore.
* * *
Shewhat?!” Marv’s voice echoed through the house. “How could you let her almost get run over? What the hell were youthinking?!”
“Calm the fuck down, asshole. Harlow’s fine. She’s a little shook up, and you’re not fuckinghelping!”
“Are you sure you’re okay, Princess?” Texas askedme.
I nodded. “I really am fine,” I insisted. “Grayson savedme.”
Texas didn’t match my smile. Although, in truth, the smile felt frayed and a little twitchy. I was going to have nightmares, I just knew it; imagining that car screaming towards me, except this time no Grayson would be there to pull me out of the way. None of the guys would be there either—not Marv, or Texas, or Bellamy, or Knix. It would just be me, standing on the side of the road. And then the car would hit; I’d topple over it or maybe under it. Crushed by the metal and tires. I shuddered as I sank down into thecouch.
“Marv!” Texas finally snapped, drawing the attention of the two men arguing in the entryway. “Lay off. Come in here and sit down, we need totalk.”
Marv shot Grayson one last glare before striding into the living room and taking a seat next to me. Despite the fact that I found his continued hatred towards Grayson annoying, I found myself sliding closer to him and cuddling up to his side. Marv stiffened for a brief moment before he sighed and slung an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer. I squeezed him back. The tighter I squeezed, the less I shook. He didn’t seem tomind.
“Alright,” Marv said, “tell us what you found. Does it have something to do with the carincident?”
Texas and Grayson glanced at one another. A tense moment of silence reigned before Grayson sighed and stepped forward. “We managed to get in and see the tapes before Josh’s disappearance. From what we can tell, no one helped him escape. He simply walked out on his own twofeet.”
I sat up straighter, tilting away from Marv as Texas nodded. “His disappearance wasn’t reported until the followingmorning.”
“So, we still have nothing?” Iasked.
Marv shook his head and moved to the edge of the couch, planting his feet firmly and leaning over to prop his elbows on his knees. “Not exactly.” I watched him brood for a moment, his chin on his hands as he thought. He looked so like Knix in that moment. It made me miss the others. I suddenly wished Knix and Bellamy were there. That we had the whole team. It didn’t feel right withoutthem.
“Then what do we have?” I asked, chasing away those thoughts. We had more important things to worry about than my wants and desires right now. Even if I really, really wanted to run my hands through Marv’s hair and smooth away the crease in his brow. He was just as frustrated with this as me. I wanted the others here. I wanted Josh and—especially—Erika found. I wanted him to get over whatever grudge he held against Grayson. I wanted our…relationship—if that’s what it could be called—figured out. There was a lot that I wanted and couldn’thave.
I sighed as Marv answered. “Well, we know he wasn’t taken. We know he left of his ownwill.”
“The cameras just show him walking out,” Grayson replied with a frown. “That doesn’t necessarily mean he wentwillingly.”
“Did anyone have a gun to his head?” Marvargued.
Grayson shook his head. “No, but Erika is missing—what if she’s being held and Josh knows something aboutit?”
Texas and I glanced back and forth between the two of them, and I could practically feel the tension and irritation oozing off of them. “Oh-kay.” I stood up abruptly, stepping between the two of them. “So, what we know is that Josh left the rehab facility and Erika is missing as well,” I state. “And that a crazy driver tried to run us over—why exactly would you think that had anything to do with the facility, again?” I asked, turning towardsGrayson.
He had the grace to at least flush, though I wasn’t sure if it was in irritation or something else. “I—well, I can’t be sure, obviously. But they weren’t exactly happy to have us there and I don’t know, it was just a crazy incident and Ithought…”
“You thought it was connected,” Texas finished for him as he drifted off with a frown. Texas clapped him on the shoulder and sighed. “It’s not a big deal buddy. People speed on college campuses all the time. But maybe you two should be more careful anyway.” Texas cast me a look, and I nodded. If I could avoid dying by way of crashing cars and shattered bones on the pavement, that’d be justswell.
“How were you able to get in to see the tapes anyway?” I asked. “They wouldn’t have just shown them to you because you’re Josh’s brother, would they?” I looked to Grayson forconfirmation.
He shook his head. “No, we went in as Charleston law enforcement looking to question Josh about a ‘crime’—” Grayson cut himself off and air-mimicked the quotes aroundcrimebefore continuing, “—he may have been a witnessto.”
“And they just let you right back?” I asked. “You’re not too young to bedetectives?”
Texas smirked and pulled a genuine looking detective badge with his face and name on it. “It’s amazing what you can do with a little confidence and one of these bad boys.” He winked before tucking it back into hispocket.
“Well…” I said with both eyebrows raised. I shook my head and grinned at him. “I guess that answers that,DetectiveJohnson.”
He wiggled his eyes at me before striding over with a little more swagger in his step than he had before. Texas slung an arm around my shoulders. “What do you say we kick this popsicle stand and head into the kitchen for some dinner?” He grinned. “I hear Marv made somethinggood.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I think dinner would be great.” I shot a look over to Grayson and Marv. “You guyscoming?”
