Brody leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek, and I nearly melted at the interaction. “It’s what happens when you get old.”
Her head reeled back. “How dare you.” She reached for her glass of wine. “I’m not old. I’m still in my prime.”
“That’s right, Mom, you tell him.” Asher laughed, but it soon stopped when her gaze focused on him. “Oh shit. Erm…” He stood, looking every bit like the kid who’d been told off with one single look. “I think we should get going.”
“Mm-hmm.” She took a swig of her wine and winked at me. “These Easton men need keeping in check.”
I chuckled under my breath and bit down on my bottom lip. I saw exactly where Belle got her flair for the dramatics and open attitude from, and part of me wanted a piece of it. I’d never been as outspoken as the women in this family. I’d learned to only speak when I had to. I’d been taught to act like I wasn’t even there. But these women were strong, independent, and not afraid to say exactly what they were thinking.
“You ready, sweetheart?” Asher whispered in my ear, and I nodded in reply. My stomach felt heavy as we said our goodbyes, but I promised them I’d be back next Saturday for the cookout. They’d welcomed me into their family without a second thought, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was too good to be true. Were there really people out there like this?
Brody and Lola stood by the front door as we drove away, and I waved at them, not able to wipe the smile off my face. I’d had the best day I could ever remember, and it was all thanks to Asher. He’d been worried it would be too much too soon, but it couldn’t have been further from the truth.
“That’s a sight I’ll never get tired of,” Asher murmured as he exited the street. I turned my head to give him my attention, and he grinned over at me. “The look on your face and the smile on your lips.” He winked. “Best look in the whole damn world if you ask me.”
I felt the heat of a blush work its way onto my cheeks as he stared at me, but as soon as he looked away, I wished he didn’t have to. I wanted his attention—all of his attention—because when he was focusing on me, I felt alive. I felt ready to do and be anything I wanted.
The drive back seemed to take longer than the drive here. Asher automatically drove us to my apartment, and I wasn’t sure if it was because we’d started here, or because he knew deep down that I wanted to be back in my own space for a while. Today had been great, but I couldn’t deny it had zapped my mental energy.
He pulled up next to the side door and just as I expected him to turn his engine off, his cell rang out. “Fuck.” He held the screen up to show me Jax’s name, then pressed the answer call button and placed it next to his ear. “Yeah?” His brows furrowed. “For how long? Fuck. Yeah. I…” His gaze clashed with mine. “I’ll shoot over to you, but I can’t stay long. Yeah, okay, see you in a bit.”
He ended the call and I leaned back in my seat, waiting for what he was going to say. “Al is…” He darted his attention to the windshield. “A
l is struggling. He had an episode in the clubhouse. Jax wants me to come and help.”
“Can you help him?” I asked.
“Yeah.” He pushed his hand through his hair and looked more stressed than I’d ever seen him. “That’s why I was at the club last week. He’s struggling with being back home.” He paused and stared right into my eyes, showing me everything he possibly could. Pain. Frustration. Anger.
“Go to him,” I told him, not a question in my mind. “You have a key to the apartment, so let yourself in when you get back.”
“You sure?”
“Yep.” I undid my belt and leaned over the center console. “I’ll see you in a while, okay?”
He paused, searching my eyes for something, and whatever he saw there must have satisfied him because he said, “Okay. I’ll watch you go in.”
I gave him a quick kiss, then let myself out of the truck. I didn’t know how bad Al was, but for Jax to call Asher, it had to have been something he couldn’t handle on his own, so the quicker Asher could get there, the better. I put my key in the lock, pushed the door open, and took one last look at him, then closed the door behind me.
So much had happened today, and I was ready for my bed. Maybe it was a good thing Asher would be gone for a little while. At least then I could sort through all of my thoughts.
I headed up the stairs and opened my apartment door, then switched all the lights on. The button on my jeans was digging into me thanks to all of the burgers Brody had cooked and I couldn’t turn down, so I undid it and headed toward my bedroom. But I hadn’t made it halfway there when my apartment door opened. I couldn’t help the smile on my face as I spun around. Jax must have called Asher and told him he didn’t need to come—
“Damn, that’s one big smile.”
My stomach dropped and I was sure my heart skipped a beat. What the hell was he doing here? And how the hell did he get in? Had I not locked the doors properly? Adrenaline shot through my body as I slowly turned around. “Knox?” I stammered out. “Wh-what are you doing here?”
He smirked, the same smirk he always gave me when he knew something that I didn’t. “Just wanted to check out your new place.” He stepped forward, picking up the little trinkets I’d placed around the apartment, but he wasn’t really looking at them.
I backed away, my instincts kicking in and telling me to get as far away from his as I could. “Leave. Now.”
He tilted his head to the side and frowned. “That’s not very welcoming now, is it, El?” He chuckled and dropped the candle he’d picked up. It barreled across the small table in front of my sofa and smashed as it hit the edge. “You can take the girl out of the trailer park, but you can’t take the trailer park out of the girl, huh?”
My back collided with the wall, and I slapped my palm down onto it, using it to guide me into the kitchen. There were weapons in there, weapons I could hold up to get him to leave. “I mean it, Knox. You need to leave. A-Asher will be back any minute and—”
“Asher? That his name?” He lunged forward and I squealed, but I wasn’t quick enough because his body slammed into mine and he boxed me in against the wall. “Moved on real quick, didn’t you?”
I squeezed my eyes closed at how close he was, but it was a mistake, a big mistake. I flinched as his hand trailed over my chest and made its way to my throat. I pushed at him to stop touching me, but it did nothing to deter him. His hand grasped my throat with so much force the back of my head smacked off the wall. And I knew then it wasn’t going to end well. He could contain and control his anger, but his rage? His rage was a beast in itself.