Watching my sisters get hauled away in tears, I hate my father in that moment, more than I ever have, even more than when he was hurting me. What makes me feel even more crappy is I should’ve seen this coming. Maybe I did. Maybe I was just living in denial.
“I swear to the moon and back I’ll fix this!” I shout to my sisters as the car they were put in starts to drive away. I stand up from the back of the ambulance, letting the blanket wrapped around my shoulders fall to the ground. “I swear to the moon and back I will.”
Londyn watches me through the back window until she can no longer see me, until I can no longer see her.
Another officer approaches me then and asks even more questions, most of which are about what happened and my dad, like if I know where he went—stuff like that. By the time everyone clears out, my dad is now a wanted man, my sisters are gone, and the blood on my face has dried. My heart, though, still feels like it’s bleeding.
“So.” Blaise steps up beside me as the last officer pulls away.
He’s been hanging around the entire time, answering questions. It’s late. The sun set behind the shallow hills hours ago, and the air has a slight nip to it, yet I don’t feel cold. Numbness. That’s all I feel.
“So,” I mimic as I stand near the side door, staring down the empty driveway.
I should go inside, take a shower, and wash the blood off my face, but I’m not that eager to greet the darkness and stillness awaiting me inside.
“Hadley.” He gently places a hand on my shoulder.
I tense—I don’t even know why—and he quickly removes his hand.
“I should go inside.” I start to turn, but he steps in front of me.
“The paramedics said you might have a concussion.” He levels his gaze with mine. “I think you should sleep over at my house for the night so you’re not alone. I can sleep on the couch, and you can take my bed.”
“I’m fine.” Lie. I’m not even close to being fine.
I’m broken.
He eyes me over with doubt. “Even if you are, it’s still a good idea for you not to be alone. The paramedics even said so; said someone should keep an eye on you.”
“And you want to be that person?” I question in disbelief.
He shrugs, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “I don’t mind doing it.”
“You should. You barely know me. And I’m the one who owes you favors, not the other way around.”
He chews on his bottom lip as he stares at me strangely. “Yeah, I know, but I still want you to stay over at my house for the night, just until we know for sure if you’re concussed. Then tomorrow, we’ll make a plan on how we’re going to get your sisters back.”
He keeps throwing around the word we, and my initial instinct is to correct him, but I feel too disheartened to start bantering with him, so I simply nod and say, “All right, let me just grab some clothes first.” I head into the house, but when he trails after me, I pause. “Can I just have a few minutes? I promise I’ll come over as soon as I get my stuff.”
He dithers then nods. “Sure.”
I offer him what is probably the most miserable yet grateful smile then dash into the house.
The moment the door shuts, I collapse to the floor and cry for five minutes straight. That’s all the time I give myself—five minutes to break the fuck down. Then I dry my eyes and pull myself together, vowing to never break down again. To be strong. Because, if I’m ever going to have a chance to get guardianship of my sisters, that’s who I need to be.
Strong.
Chapter 21
After I grab my pajamas, I go over to the Portersons’ house like I said I would, where Blaise is waiting for me. Their house is surprisingly quiet.
“Alex is still sleeping it off,” Blaise explains as he leads me up a stairway to his room. “And Jaxon and Rhyland are in their rooms, playing video games. No one will bother you, I promise.” He points to a cracked open door as we pass it. “That’s the bathroom, if you need to use it.” He stops in front of a shut door and opens it. “And here’s my room.” He motions me inside.
I step in, noting the space is shockingly clean. The bed is made, there are no clothes on the floor, and there’s minimal clutter.
“Are you a neat freak?” I ask.
He slants against the doorframe with his hands in his pockets. “No, not really. I actually hurried up and cleaned it before you came over here. Kicked a lot of stuff under the bed and tossed the rest in the closet.”
I laugh softly, and a small smile touches his lips. “That sounds like something Payton would do.”
“What about you?” he asks. “Are you a neat freak?”
I shake my head, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “But I clean a lot. Not because I want to, but because, if I don’t, no one else will.”
“Me, too. That’s probably why my room’s so messy—I never have time to clean it. My brothers are slobs. I swear they think the floor is a trash can or something.”
I smile, but this time the move is more forced. Talking about cleaning and his brothers is reminding me too much of my sisters.
“I should probably get to bed,” I say. “It’s been a … well, I’m not really sure what to call today.”
He nods, understanding, and starts to back out. “Of course.”
Something dawns on me. Or, well, I realize I need to say something.
“Blaise,” I say quietly.
He pauses. “Yeah?”
“Thank you for what you did tonight.”
His lips tilt into a small smile. “You’re welcome. And if you need anything else at all, I’ll be downstairs on the sofa, okay?” He waits for me to nod then closes the door, whispering, “Goodnight, stubborn girl.”
And the nicknames are back. But I’m not as annoyed as I usually am.
As silence surrounds me, tears threaten to pour out, but I blink until they vanish. Then I put on my pajamas and climb into bed.
The blanket I pull over me smells like Blaise’s cologne. I didn’t even realize I knew what his cologne smelled like until now. It’s a nice smell. I breathe it in as I roll over and try to get comfortable in Blaise’s bed, something I never thought I’d be doing.
He surprised me today, and not just tonight when he stopped my dad from hurting me, but earlier today. I don’t know what to make of that—make of him—but I’m fairly convinced that the cocky guy I first met by the fence isn’t who Blaise really is.
I’m glad he’s helping me, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to allow myself to rely on him. No, I’ll never be that girl. And not just because of my rules.
Fuck, my rules. They probably can’t even exist anymore, can they? Not with me deciding to pursue guardianship of my sisters.
Reality crashes down on me, heavy and throbbing, just like my injured face. My rules don’t—can’t exist anymore. My future plans are gone. Nothing will ever be the same for me. But that doesn’t mean I’m just going to walk away from this. I knew the moment Social Services drove away with my sisters that I need them in my life. That I can’t let us be separated. That I’m going to have to step up. That that’s what our mom would’ve wanted me to do.
“You’re the bravest of my daughters,” she used to say to me. “Fearless. It’s why I know you’ll make a great racer someday. You’re going to make me proud; I just know it.”
She was right. I am fearless and brave and a damn good racer. I just hope I can make her proud.
As I lie in bed, my eyelids growing heavy, that’s what I think about—making my mom proud. And thinking of her relaxes me. If only the feeling could’ve carried into my dreams …
I’m standing near the street with a river flowing on one side, the sound of car engines filling the air. Then I hear tires skidding, followed by a loud splash.
“No!” my dad shouts from beside me. Then he rushes toward the river, leaving me behind with a mob of bystanders.
I start to run after him, but then my stomach clenches as someone scream
s.
No, not someone. I’m screaming, because someone is gripping my arms and dragging me back, away from my dad, away from the accident, away from my mom.
I scream again when a hand clamps down over my mouth. “Quiet,” the person warns. “Everything will be fine as long as your dad pays his debt.”
Then I’m picked up and hauled away into the dark—
My eyes pop open, and I bolt upright, gasping for air.
“Holy shit,” I breathe out, my heart a racing mess. “Where the hell did that dream come from?”
Or was it a dream? Because the images … they felt so real. But, wouldn’t I remember if I was taken? That’s something you don’t just forget. Then again, it was eight years ago, and I have those blank memories where the days between my mom’s death and her funeral should be.
I cup the side of my face where my cheek throbs with the reminder of what my dad did to me only hours ago. I had thought he was just starting to turn into a monster, but what if it’s been building over time?
“What did you do, Dad?” I whisper. “What did you do?”
My only answer is silence. That doesn’t mean I’m going to let it stay that way. I will find out the truth, no matter what.
Chapter 22
Blaise
Instead of going downstairs right away, I linger. It makes me nervous that she has a concussion. Plus, her dad is out wandering around, and who knows if he’ll return? It’s not just that that has me worried, though. No, it’s the people her dad’s gotten mixed up with. Like my dad, for starters.
Yes, he’s my father, but that man is corrupt, and so is anyone who works for him. Hadley’s dad isn’t technically working for him, though. He’s just working off a gambling debt that he’s owed for over a decade now. He’s lucky my dad let him off that easy and gets to work as his little bitch. Normally, when someone owes my dad money, especially for that amount of time, things don’t end well for the debtor.
I’m not sure why he let Hadley’s dad off so easily. I could ask, but my dad and I rarely talk, and when we do, he usually tells me nothing but bullshit lies. The best day of my life was when I got guardianship of my brothers and we were no longer obligated to talk to him. Well, not as much anyway. A monthly visit was his stipulation before he signed over guardianship to me.
When I’m almost certain Hadley is asleep, I do a quick sweep through of the house, making sure all the doors are locked. Next, I peer out the window, looking out at the street, frowning at the car parked near the corner.
The tinted windows and luxury are a giveaway that the owner more than likely doesn’t live around here. My bet is it’s the other people Hadley’s dad has gotten mixed up with, something I discovered today while we were at the gas station and I saw Mel in one of Axel’s men’s truck.
Axel is my dad’s rival who does a lot of dealings in drugs and runs some gambling sites. Yeah, Honeyton’s really corrupt, mostly because the people who taint the town are rich enough to buy off the police, my dad and Axel being two of them.
If my dad finds out Mel is working for him, there’s going to be hell to pay. And he may not just go after Mel.
Since the person currently parked outside is either one of my dad’s men or Axel’s—I’m betting the latter—that means Mel may have pissed off Axel. That man seems to have a knack for that. He seems to have a knack for doing a lot of shitty things, like beating his daughter.
My jaw twitches as I remember how angry I felt when I saw him hitting Hadley. It reminded me too much of when my dad hit my mom.
I heard a scream first and looked out the window. Then I saw red and heard nothing but my blood roaring in my heart. I probably would’ve beat Mel’s ass if he hadn’t bailed like a fucking coward.
How he managed to raise someone like Hadley doesn’t make any sense. The girl is tough as hell and strong, and not just physically. Most people would’ve broken the fuck down tonight, yet she held it together. Underneath that tough exterior, though, she’s got to be hurting. I know because I’ve been there, especially when my mom died. And whenever I’m around my father, but that’s for a different reason.
I stay near the window until the car drives away. Then I lie down on the sofa, but I don’t doze off right away, my mind in worry mode.
I think about Alex and how I’m going to convince him to get away from our father’s world and into rehab. I also worry over Jaxon and if he’s ever going to get over this no-talking thing, something that started right after our mom died. Rhyland’s probably the easiest, but his racing concerns me. He’s getting more and more reckless every day. Scarlett’s a handful, too, but she’s only here some weekends. She mostly lives with her mom, though her mom’s new drug addiction is starting to make me question if perhaps she should be living with us full-time.
Yeah, my life is full of stress. Now even more so.
Hadley, Hadley, Hadley. She’s stuck in my mind. I want to help her get her sisters back, yet I’m not sure how I’m going to do that, or how I’ll balance helping everyone out. I barely have time as it is. But something about Hadley feels oddly familiar, and not just because she reminds me of myself. I’m unsure where the familiarity comes from.
The first day I saw her, I knew she was different from other girls. Hot as hell, for sure, and her toughness turns me on, even if that makes me fucking twisted. And that kiss … it was hands down the best fucking kiss I’ve ever had. Well, up until she kicked me in the dick. That part sucked big time.
I guess I sort of deserved it in a way, for being an ass to her when I first met her. But I was trying to protect Alex. Well, that and I suck at flirting. Rhyland’s always giving me shit about having no game. He’s right, but I spent most of my teenage years trying to be a parent. Even before I got guardianship, I took care of my brothers and my sister.
“You okay?” Rhyland asks as he wanders into the living room.
I nod, stretching out on the sofa. “Just trying to sleep.”
He plops down on the chair across from me. “Hadley’s staying in your room?”
I nod through a yawn. “It didn’t seem like a good idea for her to stay in that house alone.”
“I completely agree with you.” He kicks his feet up onto the coffee table. “I’m a little worried about you, too. You’re taking too much on.”
“I’m fine.”
“You always say that.”
“That’s because I always am.”
He sighs as he slumps back in the chair. “You know, it’s weird, but I swear she seems familiar.”
I turn on my side to look at him. “Who does?”
“Hadley.” He shrugs, while I pull my brows together. “I don’t know why, but it feels like I’ve met her before.”
“Yeah, me, too,” I mumble.
“Really?” he asks, and I nod. “That’s kind of weird.”
“I’m sure we’re just being weird,” I say. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that maybe he’s right. Perhaps I have met Hadley before. But when?
I guess it doesn’t really matter right now. All that does is getting Alex help, keeping my siblings out of trouble, and helping Hadley get her sisters back. I just hope I can handle everything
About the Author
About the Author
Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.
Also by Jessica Sorensen
Other books by Jessica Sorensen:
Chasing the Harlyton Sisters Series:
Chasing Hadley
Falling for Hadley
Holding onto Hadley (coming soon)
Rebels & Misfits, Wynter & Everette:
The Secrets We Carry
Untitled (coming soon)
Cursed Hadley:
Cursed Hadley
Charmed Hadley (coming soon)
Capturing Magic:
Chasing Magic
Untitled
(coming soon)
Tangled Realms:
Forever Violet
Untitled (coming soon)
Curse of the Vampire Queen:
Tempting Raven
Enchanting Raven
Untitled (coming soon)
Unraveling You Series:
Unraveling You
Raveling You
Awakening You
Inspiring You
Fated by Darkness
Untitled (coming soon)
Unexpected Series:
The Unexpected Way of Falling
The Unpredictable Way of Falling
Untitled (coming soon)
Shadow Cove Series:
What Lies in the Darkness
What Lies in the Dark
Untitled (coming soon)
Mystic Willow Bay Series:
The Secret Life of a Witch
Broken Magic
Untitled (coming soon)
Standalones:
The Forgotten Girl
The Illusion of Annabella
Confessions of a Kleptomaniac
Rules of a Rebel and a Shy Girl
The Heartbreaker Series:
The Opposite of Ordinary
Broken City Series:
Nameless
Forsaken
Oblivion
Forbidden (coming soon)
Guardian Academy Series:
Entranced
Entangled
Enchanted
Entice (coming soon)
Sunnyvale Series:
The Year I Became Isabella Anders
The Year of Falling in Love
The Year of Second Chances
Untitled (coming soon)
The Coincidence Series:
The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden
The Redemption of Callie and Kayden
The Destiny of Violet and Luke
The Probability of Violet and Luke