‘You owe me, Mila. You think you can tease me and just walk away?’ Justin’s voice is a vicious growl that agitates my nerves and leaves my insides quaking with fear.JASEA cry from Mila’s room has me dropping the plate of pizza and breaking out into a run. I burst through the door and don’t see her immediately. Moving forward, I catch sight of her cowering body, where she’s sitting in a small ball next to the dressing table.
“Mila,” her name explodes over my lips, and I go to crouch by her. “What happened?”
Her eyes are wild with fear, and I suppress my first instinct to hold her. I sink to my knees and move a little closer. “Mila?”
Her eyes dart over me, and it takes longer than usual before recognition washes over her face. She scrambles to her knees and darts forward, slamming into me. My arms wrap around her, and I hold her tightly as she begins to cry while rambling, “I… remember. He… called. I… remember when he… dragged me to… the dumpsters.”
“Shhh… you’re safe now,” I say, trying to comfort her as best I can.
Mila pulls back and shakes her head, then points to something behind me and says, “He called. He left a voicemail.”
I glance over my shoulder, and seeing the phone on the carpet, realization hits. I reach for it and unlocking the device, I go to the voicemails and press the phone to my ear.
“Mila. I know I’m not supposed to contact you, but I just want to say how sorry I am.”
Hearing the fucker’s voice makes rage explode through me. It’s more intense than any anger I’ve felt before.
“I’m going to fucking kill him,” I growl as I get up and shove the phone into my pocket before I rush to the door.
Mila hurries after me and grabs hold of my arm. “Don’t, Jase!”
I pull free from her and stalk toward the kitchen. I grab my car keys from the counter, and it has Hunter getting up from the couch in the living room. “Where are you going?”
“To kill Justin Green. The fucker called Mila,” I shout, enraged that he dared to fucking say he’s sorry.
He’s fucking sorry?
Before I can take another step, Hunter darts in front of me and grabs hold of my shoulders. “You can’t go beat him up, Jase.”
I shove Hunter away from me and shout, “That’s the second time you’ve stopped me instead of fucking helping me kill that fucker.”
Hunter doesn’t get out of my way but instead steps right up to me and roars, “You need to fucking calm down.” He points to behind me. “Look at Mila!”
My head jerks around, and seeing the panic on Mila’s face while Jade holds her makes the anger take a backseat as worry for Mila washes over me.
I stalk back to her and framing her face with my hands, I press my forehead against hers and say, “I’m sorry.” I suck in a deep breath of air and lay a kiss on her temple. Wrapping my arms around her, I pull her away from Jade. “I’m calm. I’m sorry.”
I’m so fucking far from calm.
Mila’s arms wrap around me, and she clings to me. “Please don’t do anything.”
My heart is beating out of my chest, and it’s the hardest thing I’ve been asked. I want Justin Green six feet under, but what I want doesn’t matter. Nodding, I say, “I’m sorry I lost my shit.”
Keeping my arm around Mila, I glance at our friends and see that Hana picked up the pizza and broken plate from the floor. “Thanks, Hana.”
“No problem.” She goes to stand by Fallon.
Noticing the worried looks on all their faces has me saying, “I’m sorry I exploded.”
My eyes meet Hunter’s, and it has him saying, “You know I’ll have your back with everything, but I won’t stand by and watch you land your ass in jail. We need you here.”
“I understand.” I smile at my friends, hoping to put them at ease, then say, “We’re going to take a nap.” Keeping Mila close to me, I steer us back to my room.
Once I have the door shut behind us, I wrap my arms around her and press a kiss to the side of her head. “Sorry for reacting like that.”
Mila shakes her head, and pulling a little back, her eyes search over my face. “But you’re okay now, right?”
I smile down at her and nod. “How about you?”
“You kinda scared me out of the panic attack I was having.” She even smiles a little, but it only makes me feel like shit. Knowing I just made that call all about me and not about her eats at my worn gut.
Mila pulls back and glances at the bed. “I’m not ready for another nap, though.”
That makes two of us, but it was the only excuse I could come up with, so I could get Mila alone in my room.