Page 43 of The Heart Stealer

Casey’s still waiting for an answer. I can feel his stare and eventually glance at him, mumbling, “Just turned out to be kind of mean.”

Is that a good enough response?

Casey’s pained expression tells me he’s probably doing what Liam did and jumping to the worst conclusion possible.

So I huff and quickly say, “He let his friend hit me, then locked me in his room. I ended up running away in the middle of the night after he was asleep.”

“He let his friend—” Casey balks. “What the shit?” He’s obviously horrified, while Asher gapes at me, his skin paling.

“He’s probably super pissed with me,” I mumble.

“He’s not getting near you.” Asher’s voice is pure steel, color coming back to his cheeks as he crosses his arms and shares looks around the table.

The guys are all standing, and I feel like I’m tucked up within their fortress.

I’ve gotta admit, there’s some comfort to that.

But can I honestly sit here and expect them to become my personal bodyguards?

That’s not fair to anyone in this house.

If Theo’s as stubborn as I think he is, he’s not just going to drop this. His dad might even help him hunt me down.

Cold fear pools in my belly, and I cross my arms over my body, hunching forward.

I should use Theo’s money to get out of here. If he’s as pissed off as I think he’ll be, he’s no doubt gathering a posse to track me down and make me pay.

Shit. If that happens and I don’t have the money, it’ll be so much worse.

I can’t touch any more of it. I should send it back, but how do I do that without giving away my location?

This is all such a mess.

I need to get myself a job and start saving. If I can work hard enough and fast enough, I’ll be able to split before Theo finds me.

And then I can unburden these amazing men who would probably risk life and limb to keep me safe. I can’t expect that of them. I can’t put Mikayla in harm’s way either.

I need to sort out my shit and move along. Quietly.

Just disappear without a trace.

That way Theo can’t find me, and these guys will have full deniability if his father tries to hunt me down as well.

CHAPTER 14

LIAM

The day after Theo’s phone call, Rachel went on a job-hunting mission. I’m not even sure why, but she seemed obsessed with finding work and paying her way.

It only took her three days, but she managed to score a waitressing gig at a local family diner. They’d just lost a woman to maternity leave, and Rachel stepped right in, working long shifts five days a week and even doing extra shifts when asked.

Man, that girl knows how to work. I don’t think she’s said no once to any overtime, and she ended up working sixteen days in a row once. She was exhausted, but I didn’t hear her complain.

Mikayla got a bit pissy about it, telling her off for not looking after herself. She forced Rachel to take Thanksgiving off and go to Denver with us. She spent the day with Ethan’s dad, Jack, while I hung out with my mama, sisters, and abuela. We had a nice time together, but I couldn’t help wishing I was with Rachel… and Ethan and Mick.

We ended up getting together on that Sunday, when Ethan and I got back from our away games in Nebraska. We took the girls out for lunch, then to the movies. We had some good laughs, and it’s safe to say Rachel is shooting to the top of my “favorite people” list. She’s awesome. I love her smile and her sense of humor. I love that she cried at the end of the rom-com we took them to. I love that when Mick teased her about it, she turned bright red. And I love that she couldn’t stop talking about how great Jack is. The girls stayed with him while we were traveling. They were gonna come watch us play, but the cost added up too fast, and they decided a weekend in Denver would be fun. Jack was happy to play tour guide, and they had a blast together.

Because he seriously is the best dad in the world.