Page 85 of The Wild Man
“I love you, Wild Man.”
Her words have the pounding muscle in my chest tightening.
I brush the damp hair from her cheeks. “I love you, my momor.”
“I can’t believe you’re really here,” she says, whispering her fingers over my forehead and cheeks.
When she grazes my lips, I press a kiss against them. “I always come for you.”
She smiles, but her lips tremble. “I missed you so much.”
I drop my head for another kiss. Since momor gave me her mouth the first time, I can’t get enough. I’ll never get enough.
Something loud bangs against the wall and a bright light fills the room. I’m on my knees in the next second with momor shoved behind me. My eyes meet a man who stands in the doorway.
In his hand is something metal, and he’s pointing it straight at my chest.
thirty-one
Everlee
The second I see Joe standing in the doorway pointing a gun at Wild Man, a deadly look in his eyes and his finger a mere centimeter away from the trigger, I know he intends to kill him. Joe, just like the rest of my brothers and our dad, is an excellent marksman. Even if his target wasn’t directly in front of him only a few feet away, he wouldn’t miss. Joe can hit a bullseye a hundred yards away. The only reason he hasn’t fired yet is because I’m behind Wild Man and he wouldn’t take the chance the bullet would slam through Wild Man and hit me.
A ball of fire erupts in my stomach at knowing Wild Man is so close to death.
We’re both on our knees facing the door and we’re both naked. It should feel weird—for me at least—with my brother in the room, but it oddly doesn’t. Or rather, it does, but my concentration isn’t on finding clothes. My only thought process is to get Joe to lower the gun.
I grab Wild Man’s arm and inch my way closer to him. The closer I am to Wild Man, the less of a chance Joe will pull the trigger.
“Put the gun down, Joe,” I say, surprised at how calm and collected my voice is when my entire body is shaking like a leaf.
He doesn’t acknowledge my request, just keeps his hate-filled glare on Wild Man. “Get away from my sister.”
“No.”
Rika walks up behind Joe, stopping just inside the doorway. Her hand flies to her mouth and her eyes go as big as saucers. “Oh, Jesus,” she mutters.
“Get the fuck away from her,” Joe growls. “Or one of my bullets is going through your skull.”
“Do it,” Wild Man snarls. “Momor is mine. Kill me. Dead is only way I leave her.”
I watch the muscle in Joe’s jaw clench as he gnashes his teeth together.
“Please, Joe.” My voice cracks on his name.
Nothing in his body changes except for his eyes as they meet mine behind Wild Man. “Off the bed, Ever, and come to me.”
“No.” My nails dig into Wild Man’s arm. “If I leave this bed, you’ll shoot him.”
“Damn right I will. The bastard deserves to die for what he’s done to you.”
At his rancorous tone, anger mixes with the fear swirling in my stomach. I shuffle my knees forward with every intention of getting in front of Wild Man. Of course, Wild Man doesn’t allow it. He blocks my way by throwing out his arm.
He keeps his eyes locked on Joe as he says, “No, momor. Stay behind. I protect.”
I press my body against his. “You don’t need to protect me from him. He won’t hurt me.”
“Behind me.”