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“Town.”
“Lucas—”
I jumped in the front seat. “This has to happen later, Harlan.”
He stood still for one second, then rounded the truck and got in the passenger seat. “Let’s go.”
“Get out.”
“No.”
I huffed out a breath. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“You don’t think any of us know you well enough to see what’s happening? That’s fine, you don’t have to tell me. But I can see it on your face. I’m going with you in case you need help. Now drive.”
There wasn’t time to argue with him. He wanted to come? Fine. But I was leaving his ass in town if Ev wanted to come home. I wasn’t going to force her to sit between two men after something had happened. What had happened?
I tried to calm my spinning mind, put together what was going on. But I had no idea. The fact that Lena wouldn’t tell me made me that much more desperate.
She was probably right to not tell me. I was skirting traffic laws as it was. The only thing keeping me within the speed limit was the thought that getting pulled over would slow me down.
There wasn’t any parking by the coffee shop. I was about to double park when Harlan’s hand landed on my shoulder. “I’ll park, you go.”
I did.
Lena was behind the counter when I walked in. “Where is she?”
“She’s in the office,” she said. “There’s something you need to see first.”
She led me into the kitchen and didn’t need to guide me any farther. A massive bouquet of black roses sat on the table, beautiful, though morbid. And a ring.
“There’s an inscription in the ring,” Lena said softly. “And the card...”
I read them both, keeping myself deadly still.
Shock came first, then anger. Evelyn had PTSD, and it was obvious that she was suffering. I hadn’t known she was in danger. No wonder she was fucking running.
The idea of Evelyn in danger cracked something open in me, a portion of myself that I’d locked away after Emmett. A part I’d dealt with as much as I was able. But Evelyn had to be safe. I needed her to be safe.
I gripped the side of the table in an effort not to stride into the office and take her back to the ranch. Lock everything down. But I couldn’t do that. She was probably scared out of her mind, and I needed to keep myself in control.
Grace slipped out of the office and saw me. She smiled, and then she didn’t. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
The words weren’t aimed at me, but at Harlan. He was standing in the door to the kitchen with my keys. “I came with Lucas, in case he needed help.”
She scoffed, fire in her eyes. “I don’t think anyone here is going to be helped by your presence, Harlan. Go home.”
His face darkened, and then it sharpened into a smile. “You don’t control where I go, Gracie. And I’ll leave when Lucas, Lena, or Evelyn asks me to, given that they’re the ones actually involved in the situation.”
“You’re such an asshole,” Grace hissed, body taut like a spring. I wouldn’t be surprised if she pounced on him.
“Enough,” Lena said. “You guys have issues, we get it. If you need to work it out, get a room. But this isn’t helping.”
The two glared at each other but stayed silent.
“I’m going to talk to her,” I said, slipping by Grace.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, walking into the office. Would Evelyn be in a state of panic or fear? What I didn’t anticipate was the utter calm. She was sitting quietly, still, staring into space. I shut the door behind me.
