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“Luke.” I continued to hold the ice on Emmie’s lip. “Can it wait? Emmie had an accident.”
“Are you okay?” Luke asked.
“Yes, I’m clumsy, is all.” When Emmie held the ice to her face, I let go. “I’m fine.”
“What is it?” I stood. “Can you handle it?”
“You’re going to want to hear this.” Luke glanced at Emmie. “Do you want to tell him or shall I?”
“Tell me what?” I glanced between them. “What does Emmie have to do with this?”
When neither of them said anything, I became annoyed. What the fuck was going on now?
“Someone better start talking.” I turned to Luke. “Well?”
“Anthony was upset,” Luke said. “We were supposed to order pizza but he was late. When I went to the stables to look for him he was hidden in the back room.”
“Why?” I asked.
“He observed something that unsettled him.” Luke looked at Emmie. “He’s worried about you.”
“Did he see her fall?”
“I didn’t fall,” Emmie whispered.
“What happened to your lip?” I faced her, but she didn’t answer, so I sought an explanation elsewhere. “Luke?”
“There was an altercation between Josh and Emmie, and according to Anthony, Josh hit her.”
“What the fuck?” When I shouted, Emmie stood from the chair and backed away. “Is this true?”
“Yes.” Her voice was soft and broken. “I hit him first. I shouldn’t have, but I…”
“Come here.” I held out my hand.
When she came to me without hesitation, I pulled her into an embrace and kissed the top of her head. She relaxed against me, but why had she lied to me?
“You have to tell me what happened.” I held onto her upper arms. “I can’t protect you if I don’t know what happened.”
“I went to the stables and Josh was there.” She shook against me. “I wanted to leave but…”
“But what?” A blind rage came over me when a thought occurred. “Did he touch you?” I looked her over for any other injuries. “What did he do?”
“Not that.”
That created a small amount of relief, but knowing that he put his hands on her infuriated me. I needed the full story before I went after him. He would pay no matter the circumstances.
“He was taunting me about not being able to read.” She glanced at Luke, and the shame in her expression gutted me. “Bristol told him you were teaching me.”
“I’m helping you get better at it, and why would that be Bristol’s business?” Cassandra was going to hear about this. I didn’t have room for this nonsense in my home. I stayed away from drama. I promised Emmie she would be safe here. “What else happened?”
“He said that I was here for your money and he and I were alike. The only difference was I found a way into the house and he was hiding in the shadows.”
“What does he want?” Luke asked.
“A job at the club, and he wants me to convince Jude to give it to him since I said that he should have Thanksgiving dinner with us. He sees me as an asset.”
“Do you see why you can never go against me?” I asked her. “People will find the weakness and use it to their advantage.”
