Into the Fading Twilight (Starlight Grove, #2) (40)

“Murdering your father.”

I shoved the memory down, putting it back into that box I never took out and never examined. Back into a place that held all the memories that came after: Maverick clinging to life in the hospital, Dex traumatized with nightmares, Wylder stealing whiskey from Dad’s collection. Orion coming out of the police station and never speaking again.

I hadn’t been there. Not when they needed me most. And I wasn’t about to let that happen again.

My truck hit the turn onto Briarwood Lane so fast my tires spat gravel. Tenants’ cars sat in front of cabins one and three. That was good. More people around meant less likelihood for someone to make a move on Nova.

Brae’s SUV sat in front of cabin two, but I remembered that Dex was picking her and Owen up for dinner. Which meant Nova might be here alone. My gut twisted as I slammed on the brakes.

I was out of my truck and up the walkway in a matter of seconds. My knuckles rapped on the door, and it took everything I had not to bang my fist against the wood.

No answer.

Anxiety clawed at me, and I knocked a little harder.

“I’m coming. Don’t get your knickers in a twist,” Nova grumbled from the other side of the door.

Relief swept through me at the sound of her voice and the cranky annoyance in it. The hint of fire.

The door swung open, and surprise lit Nova’s features as she took me in. “Kol. What are you doing here?”

“I’m helping you pack.”





CHAPTER FOURTEEN


Nova




KOL HAD THAT AVENGING-ANGEL THING GOING FOR HIM again. Or maybe it was some sort of shadow demon. I was mostly into reading monster romance, but I dipped into fantasy every now and again. And in this moment, I fully believed Kol could command the shadows around him at will.

I shook my head as if trying to clear it. “Helping me pack?”

Kol shoved by me, careful not to make contact. “Yes.”

My brows pulled together. “I’m gonna need a little more to go on, Boss.”

He scowled in my direction. Those hazel eyes that were normally a mix of light and dark were now nearly black.

Shadow daddy, indeed.

“Mav showed me what was left on your car.”

My jaw went slack. “That little traitor.” I mentally began plotting my revenge, but first, I needed to deal with the alpha-male protector having a freak-out in the entryway. “It was that asshole reporter, that’s all. Or maybe some teen boy who thought it would be hilarious to spook the girl who was held captive for a year.”

“Phoenix.” The fury in Kol vibrated my nickname. “You need to take this shit seriously.”

“That someone’s an asshole? I’ll always take that seriously. And I’ll be happy to kick his ass if I see him again.”

Kol’s long, thick fingers fisted so tightly, his knuckles bleached white. “I mean it.”

I saw it then. Something beneath the anger. Fear.

The annoyance burning through me was snuffed out in a single moment, transforming into empathy. I studied Kol, trying to put the pieces together. “This really freaked you out.”

Kol’s jaw worked back and forth. “I don’t like that someone followed you there.”

A shiver ran down my spine. Because I knew he was right. Reese had already proven he wasn’t above tailing me. But I couldn’t help wondering if he was tracking my movements some other way, too.

That, I wasn’t exactly a fan of.

Kol tracked the shiver that spread through me in a wave. One hand unfurled, and for a moment, I thought he might touch me. Take my hand. Pull me into a hug. Something.

But then his arm dropped to his side. Disappointment and relief swept through me in equal measure.

Kol’s eyes flashed, those specks of gold burning brighter. “I’m going to make sure you’re safe.”

A different sort of war waged in me then. Because as nice as it was to hear that, it wasn’t what I wanted. “I’m going to make sure I’m safe.” That was what I wanted more than anything. To protect myself. To know that I could defend myself if needed. That I could take care of myself.

Kol studied me for a long moment, taking in more than just my words. “Yes. You are.”

I arched a brow in question.

“The first step is moving into the apartment at my house. The ranch is more protected than these cabins. It’s the smart thing to do.”

Annoyance lit again as I glared at him.

“Why are you scowling at me?” he asked.

“Because it’s annoying when you’re right,” I clipped.

One corner of Kol’s mouth kicked up, and it sent a different sort of shiver through me. The kind that spoke of an awareness I’d thought might be dead forever. Kol had certainly proven that wrong.

He started toward my bedroom. “Can you pack while annoyed?”

I had the urge to pinch his side. “Yes. But I’d watch your back because I am retaliatory.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s Mav who needs to watch his back,” Kol shot back.

“It’s both of you.”

He stepped into my room, his gaze sweeping over the walls and items. I suddenly felt exposed. Brae had decorated it with everything from my old room in Oakland, but none of that felt like it fit anymore. It wasn’t wrong exactly, but it wasn’t me either.