Justified

by Jay Crownover

  I snorted in his direction and flicked my hair over my shoulder. “Can’t or won’t?”

  He met my eyes unflinchingly and gave me the answer I was afraid to hear. “Won’t. When you’re not living under my roof, when I can’t smell you throughout my house, and when I can move without bumping into you every day, all the reasons we’ve always had for avoiding one another are still going to be there. It’s hard to remember them when all I want to do is kiss you and touch you, but they haven’t vanished.”

  It was my turn to sigh. I hobbled past him, careful not to touch him as I limped my way across his very masculine bathroom. “My reasons for avoiding you are very different from your reasons for avoiding me. You’ll never understand how deeply I compromised myself for you, and for your son. You have no idea that there were times I hated myself almost as much as you seemed to hate me.”

  I slipped out the door on that parting shot, evading his reaching hand and ignoring his barked, “Wait. Aspen! What are you talking about?”

  I didn’t have the energy left to keep running around in circles after him. I was not chasing after his affection any longer. When I really thought about it, I’d been running after the barest hint of attention from this man since I was fourteen years old. And I was over feeling rejected by him. Every single time I was brave enough to get close, it felt like he purposely found a reason to shove me away. I was embarrassed and angry. I felt stupid for getting my hopes up that things might turn a corner, only to realize we were never going to be on the same page because Case didn’t have the full story and I was too afraid of hearing and sharing the truth.

  I swung by the kitchen for another glass of wine and by the living room to collect the abandoned computer. I knew sleep was going to be hard to come by, so I figured I might as well do some work instead of obsessing over what happened in the bathroom. I needed the distraction and could claim to be busy if for some reason Case decided he was going to demand answers about why exactly I’d stayed out of his orbit all these years.

  He was standing outside of the guest bedroom door when I made my way back down the hallway. He had a determined scowl on his face and his arms were crossed over his chest. Gritting my teeth, I switched the laptop to my good hand, knowing he wouldn’t grab for my injured one as I reached around him to push open the door.

  “What did that mean?” He extended a hand but let it drop when he realized he would have to grab my bandaged hand in order to keep me still.

  Without saying a word, I slipped around him, one of the benefits of being small, and silently shut the door behind me. It was rude to ignore him in his own home after everything he’s done for me, and after he’d shown so much compassion tonight. But I literally was at the end of my rope when it came to dealing with the emotional upheaval from being around the man. I needed a break.

  Before I started working I checked my e-mail and was pleased to see my insurance adjuster had sent a note asking if I could meet at my house to sign some paperwork and talk about options for rebuilding. Excited at the prospect of actually doing something productive to move my current situation forward, I agreed to find a ride to my destroyed house sometime tomorrow afternoon. I knew Case was going to throw a fit that I wanted to leave the safety of his house, but I needed the space to breathe. It was clear we both could use a break from each other, so I decided not to tell him what I was doing. Maybe it was a bit spiteful, and I was still angry from his reaction in the bathroom, but I was an adult after all, and the risks I were taking were my own. Plus, no one would have any idea where I was or where I was going. I figured I could meet a cab or an Uber a few blocks over and slip in and out of Case’s neighborhood undetected. Feeling like I’d taken a little bit of control of my life back, I climbed into bed after finishing my glass of wine.

  Sleep was unsurprisingly elusive. So much so that I was still wide awake when I heard Case banging around the next morning before he left for work. I did have to hold my breath and pretend to be asleep when I heard him outside my door. I held completely still when it creaked a little as it opened. Him checking on me before he left for the day was new, and my brain was too tired to try and puzzle out what it meant, or if it meant anything at all. Instead, I waited until I heard the garage close and forced myself out of bed. I cleaned up as best I could, checked a few e-mails, made myself some breakfast, and figured I would kill some time on Facebook before I had to meet the adjuster at my burned-out house.

  Unsurprisingly, my Facebook messenger inbox was filled with questions about where I had gone after the shooting at the hospital. My friends who ran the coffee shop across from my office had left several messages inquiring if I was all right. My paralegal also sent several get-well-soon messages and asked repeatedly if there was anything I needed or anything she could do for me. I realized I missed the small interactions I’d had day in and day out with the people in my life. People really did care about me, which made it slightly easier to swallow Case’s dismissal. As I scrolled through more messages I noticed several old acquaintances had popped in looking for information on what had happened, and I was not surprised to see that David had left a string of messages demanding that I check in with him.

  I was going to have to have a serious talk with my former husband sooner rather than later, but not today. No, today I was doing things my way and making it clear I didn’t need David or Case to take care of me. I could do things on my own. It suddenly felt very important to remember that.

  I was getting ready to sign off and figure out how to find a ride to my house when I saw that Kody Lawton was online.

  I liked Case’s sassy, vibrant sister quite a bit. I loved that she gave Case an endless amount of hell and he simply took it because he adored her. I loved that she wasn’t afraid of her older brother and that she refused to let her family’s complicated legacy define her. I didn’t like her taste in clothing, however. I was surprised she was awake this early, since she kept bar hours, but seeing an opportunity, I didn’t linger.

  Opening a chat window, I fired off a short, to-the-point message.

  Hey Kody. I need to run a few errands. I need a phone and some new clothes. I also need to swing by my old house. Are you free at all today? I could use a ride. I’ll buy the coffee.

  The little bubbles at the base of the box indicated she saw the message and was replying. We weren’t exactly friends, but if anyone was going to defy a direct order from Case, it was going to be her. At least I hoped I could convince her to play chauffeur for me this morning.

  Does my brother know you want to play hooky from protective custody today?

  I sighed and resisted the urge to hit my head on the keyboard.

  No. But I’m going stir-crazy living in his pocket all the time.

  Chewing on my lower lip, I decided being honest with her was my best bet.

  If you can’t make it, I’m calling a cab. I don’t care if it sends Case through the roof. I have to get out of this house for a few hours.

  I really did. It felt like my sanity relied on it.

  The tiny bubbles flashed on the bottom of the box again, and I breathed a sigh of relief when she finally responded.

  I need to run home and change. Give me an hour. I’m only saying yes because I figure it’s better you risk your fool neck with me rather than alone. You have two hours tops to take care of what you need to get done. If Case finds out you skipped out of protective custody, I’m throwing you under the bus so fast you won’t know what hit you.

  I replied with a simple thank you, relieved she didn’t ask a million questions about why I was desperate to escape from Case’s sanctuary.

  I dressed in one of her colorful hand-me-down outfits, ecstatic at the thought of getting my hands on something to wear that was neutral and dark. The bright colors were pretty and eye-catching. I could see why Kody favored them, but they made me self-conscious. They didn’t match how I felt on the inside most days.

  As eager as I was to go, I was waiting for her in the garage when she opene
d the door. She blinked at me in surprise when I climbed into the passenger seat of her Jeep without needing any help. I still needed the crutch I tossed in the back for long distances, but I was much more mobile than I’d been the first days out of the hospital. By next week, when I had a checkup, I might be able to put my full weight on the injured ankle.

  “Thank you for doing this.” I was breathless as she pulled out of the driveway.

  She shrugged. “Case is going to murder both of us, but I know what it’s like to feel like you’re suffocating inside a safe place. I assume there’s a valid reason you felt like you couldn’t ask him to take you around town. One aside from the fact he would have refused.”

  I huffed out an irritated and frustrated sound and turned to look out the window. “We’re getting on each other’s nerves, and it’s only a matter of time before we start to go for each other’s throats. It doesn’t matter how big or how nice the cage is, we’re still locked up together. I don’t want to ask Case for permission to manage my life.” And I didn’t want to be the only one tripping over our dangerous attraction time and time again.

  “I understand, but that doesn’t change the fact this is an unnecessary risk and he’s going to burst every blood vessel he has and blame me for going along with it.”

  “Then why agree?” I turned a curious look in her direction.

  She shrugged. “Because I like winding both my brothers up and pushing them off-balance. And I think it’s good for Case to realize there are some things in the world he can’t control. Plus, I like you. I wasn’t expecting to, because I don’t really like anyone who messes with my family, but here we are.”

  I felt a grin tug at my mouth. “I like you too.” She was someone I would actually like to consider a friend. I didn’t have many—most of my “friends” fell away with the separation—and Kody would be a fun person to have around. She didn’t seem to take anything too seriously and I could use some of that levity in my life.

  The conversation lapsed after that and Kody seemed content to sing along to the classic rock playing from her old radio. We stopped to get the phone first, and since it took longer than anticipated because of a line, we had to rush across town to meet my insurance adjuster. The older man was visibly annoyed to be kept waiting. His overall demeanor lacked sympathy, considering everything I owned currently looked like it belonged in a landfill. He asked me a million questions about the fire, the cause, and my plans for the home. I tried to explain there hadn’t been time to evaluate any of those things and he harrumphed at me and gave me a narrow-eyed look. Next, he practically accused me of starting the fire myself for an insurance payout. I could feel Kody tensing up and bristling at his treatment from where she was leaning against the Jeep, but this entire outing was to prove I could manage my own problems without someone holding my hand.

  Eventually, I told the cranky adjuster I was a lawyer and well aware of my rights and what was covered by my plan. I informed him the fire was part of an active police investigation and if he were inclined to hurry things along I would inform the sheriff. Apparently, Case’s reputation preceded him because the adjuster backed off and mumbled he would be in touch after conducting a little more research. I assured him there would be no need for that because I was going to be on the phone with his boss as soon as we parted ways. I wasn’t going to stand being treated like a suspect when I was the victim.

  “That guy was a total jerk, but you handled him all right.” Kody wheeled the Jeep out of my old neighborhood and asked me where I wanted to shop.

  I told her Target was fine and muttered, “I just did all right?” I thought I dealt with him calmly and effectively.

  She flashed me a toothy grin and looked at me over the edge of her retro, cat-eye sunglasses. “I woulda kicked him in the nuts. But I also would have threatened to sic my brother on him, the same way you did. Case isn’t a fan of men disrespecting women. It comes from the shit way our dad always treated our mom when she was still alive.”

  I choked, torn between a laugh and a sound of sympathy. I was never prepared for what came out of Kody’s mouth.

  I also wasn’t prepared for the way her solid Jeep abruptly lurched forward, sending both her and me rocking toward the dash and against our seat belts.

  “What the hell was that?!” Kody’s voice was thin and irritated as she whipped her sunglasses off her face and glared into the rearview mirror.

  We both yelped again as the Jeep lurched forward again, the sound of tires grinding on asphalt, and the smell of burning rubber assaulting my senses.

  “The SUV behind me is deliberately running into us. The driver is trying to run us off the road.” And if we hadn’t been in a sturdy, durable, well-made Jeep, they would have succeeded. If I were in my Audi, I would’ve ended up in a ditch by now. Not to mention Kody was rock solid behind the wheel. Her knuckles were white, and her mouth was set in a grim line, but she kept the Jeep moving forward and straightened out after every violent bump and the grind of metal on metal.

  I wanted to ask if there was anything I could do, but I didn’t want to distract her. I fished my new cell phone out of my pocket and snapped a couple of pictures of the dark blue SUV trying to push us off the road.

  Kody swore long and loud after a particularly hard tap. The wheels of the Jeep screamed, and the big, heavy vehicle skipped across the lines on the highway into oncoming traffic. We both let out ear-piercing screams, but by some act of god, Kody managed to wrestle the Jeep back into the right lane of traffic. Only, the SUV didn’t stop racing toward us.

  I reached out a hand and squeezed Kody’s thigh. Case was going to do more than burst a blood vessel if I end up getting his little sister killed. He was also going to more than hate me if anything happened to her, and this time he would be justified in feeling that way.

  A roar louder than the Jeep’s engine and the rush of blood between my ears suddenly thundered along the highway. Between one blink and the next, a swarm of chrome and black motorcycles was between the bumper of the SUV and the back of the Jeep. There had to be at least twenty of them, and every time the SUV tried to lurch around them, or jumped ahead of them, the agile two-wheeled beasts blocked him.

  Eventually, the SUV pulled back, careening around and darting off down the road in the opposite direction.

  Breathing hard, Kody pulled the Jeep off to the side of the road and gave me a wide-eyed look. “Holy shit.”

  Kody’s Jeep was immediately surrounded by the swarm of motorcycles.

  “What’s going on?” I would bet good money I looked as bewildered as I felt.

  Kody banged her head on the steering wheel. “The cavalry is here.”

  “Who?” I was completely lost, and my heart was lodged firmly in my throat.

  She sighed and turned to look at me. “The Sons of Sorrow. Your not-so-friendly outlaw motorcycle club. Why am I not surprised you have no clue who they are? I sometimes do business with the guy in charge of the club. Case is going to lose his mind for real when he hears about this.”

  A tall man wearing mirrored sunglasses and a black baseball hat approached Kody’s window. He had a bandanna with a grinning skeleton jaw on it wrapped around the lower half of his face, giving him a creepy appearance. He knocked a knuckle on Kody’s window, and I noticed he had a heavy silver ring on almost every single finger. He pulled the bandanna down when Kody opened the window, and took his sunglasses off. He flashed a fierce frown at the blonde sitting next to me, and if I’d been in her seat I would’ve melted to the floorboards under the intensity of his dark-eyed glare.

  Kody blew out a breath and quietly greeted, “Hey, Shot. Long time no see.”

  I lifted my eyebrows at the nickname and tried not to flinch when his dark eyes moved in my direction.

  “What kind of trouble you in now?” The guy’s voice was deep and missing the soft drawl most born-and-bred Texans couldn’t hide.

  She shook her head and hooked a finger in my direction. “Not my trouble this time. It’
s hers. I was just along for the ride.”

  He shifted his gaze between the two of us and turned to look down the long stretch of road we’d just raced for our lives on. “Saw the SUV driving erratically back down the road. Didn’t seem right, so we followed along. We put a call in to your brother already. Sending some of my boys to see if they can run down the SUV.” He cocked his head and leaned a little closer to the side of the Jeep, eyes raking over me where I was quivering on the passenger seat. “Hey, I think your old man represented me once in court.”

  I cleared my throat nervously. “We’re separated.” Stupid, but it was the first thing that popped into my mind.

  The biker snorted. “He sucked. I ended up serving three months on a jacked-up charge. A public defender could’ve got me off.”

  I sniffed. “I’m sorry.”

  The biker shrugged. “Not your fault.” He reached a hand inside the open window and tugged on a piece of Kody’s wild hair. “Told you to holler if you got into trouble again. Next time listen before you end up as real-life bumper cars on the highway.” Kody nodded mutely as the scary, leather-clad man moved away from the car. “Tell your brother to keep a closer eye on his shit. I don’t have time to do his job for him.”

  Sirens shrieked in the distance, and all the bikers fired up their engines at once. The ground rumbled and shook as they disappeared in a cloud of dust as quickly as they appeared.

  Shivering, I turned to Kody and whispered, “You have some very scary friends.”

  She laughed, but it quickly turned into a groan as she once again banged her head on the steering wheel. “Tell me about it.” She closed her eyes and warned, “But Shot doesn’t hold a candle to Case when he’s pissed. No one does. So, brace yourself, because things are about to get very ugly.”