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“Keep you safe,” West says, taking a sip of his beer.
She rolls her eyes and walks over to me. “I’m perfectly safe. I’ve lived here for four years without your protection.”
I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her to me, placing a soft kiss on those fucking perfect lips. “Bunny, you don’t understand yet, but we’re going to tell you everything tonight.”
“Bunny?” West asks with a smirk that makes his dimple pop out. “Cute. It fits.”
“How so?” she asks sardonically.
“Bunnies are small, so are you. They’re timid, as are you. And they run from everything.” He lifts an eyebrow in challenge.
“I would have thought youfinallygetting laid would have made you less of a dick,” Cody says as he walks out of the bathroom, making a bee line for Violet. His hair still damp, and he smells like fucking sin.
He stops in front of her, pulling her against his chest before kissing her senseless against the wall. When he finally breaks the kiss he buries his nose against her neck and groans. “Cherry, you smell so fucking good. Let’s skip dinner and I’ll just eat you.”
She giggles and the dazed look in her eyes from their kiss melts into good humor. The sound is like wind chimes to my soul, bringing a lightness I haven’t experienced in ages. When I glance away from them and over to West, I expect to see a scowl on his face, but instead, there’s a soft smile. I know then that we made the right choice to come here. To come for her.
No one talks about why we’re here. There’s a silent agreement to keep things light through dinner. She gives us a basic history of the town as well as the major players, and we find out that in the off season the population drops to only around four hundred people, who apparently know everything about everyone. It’s one of the reasons she was so relieved to find this place outside of town.
“This was delicious.” She looks across the table at me. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.” I run my fingers through my hair, buying time. “Now for the heavy stuff.”
She visibly stiffens, but relaxes when Cody cups the back of her neck, running his fingers through her dark tresses.
“Your uncle thinks you stole something from him. I overheard him talking on the phone about it a few weeks ago. He’s heading here after he gets off parole. That’s how we found you.”
The amount of surprise on her face drives home her innocence. “John’s on probation? And thinks I stole something from him? What?”
“I don’t know what he thinks you have,” I answer honestly.
“He’s on probation for assault with a deadly weapon,” West answers. “He spent a year in jail after you left.”
“I’m sure he deserved it.” She shrugs. “I haven’t spoken to him since the day before graduation. And I definitely did not take anything that wasn’t mine.”
Cody tosses a piece of salmon to Storm. “We didn’t think you did.”
“Well, he’s not going to find anything when he gets up here. I’m not worried. It’s just John. He’s a piece of shit uncle, but he wouldn’t hurt me.”
“That’s naive, considering he neglected you for seven years,” West growls.
“I was fine. I’m even better now.” She slaps Cody’s arm as he keeps tossing the dogs table scraps. “Stop that.”
“He’s not the same man he was when you were living with him. He’s more desperate now. He’s becoming a violent addict. He’s banned from half the businesses back home.”
“Wait. Could he have been the one to slash our tires?”
“No,” West says. “I put surveillance on his trailer when we found out he wanted to come after you. He was home this morning.”
“Is there anyone around here who would want to do that to you?”
“No. It’s a small town. I’m unproblematic and keep to myself.”
“Well, we’re all sleeping under the same roof from now on,” West says.
“What? Absolutely not.”
“It’s already decided.” West crosses his arms, his decision made.
