Page 15 of Blood (A Killer’s Love #4)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Kaleb

My head shoots up when I hear the front door open.

Ripping the tape off with my teeth, I seal the bandage that covers the sole of my foot and hobble out of the bathroom just in time to see our parents storm in.

“Kids! Kids!” My mom’s frantic cries pull at my heart. Her worry doesn’t leave even when she spots Sam and Shelby on the sofa. “Girls!”

Rushing forward, Mom wraps Sam in a bear hug.

How did they know? I open my mouth to ask the question aloud, but I’m cut off when Dad sidesteps the hugging women and chokes me with his own hug. I groan. My body aches now that my adrenaline has left.

“You’re hurt.” Dad’s face is horrified.

Holding my shoulders, he pulls back to look me over.

“Mom,” Sam groans, trying to escape the barrage of kisses being planted all over her face. Shelby chuckles but quickly pales and sits back down.

She really does have a weak stomach.

“How did you find out?” I ask Dad.

He tilts his head, his eyes tracing me as if he can see the damage under my T-shirt. “McCallister called and told us everything. We got back as quickly as we could.”

“Stop hogging all the hugs. It’s my turn.” a voice complains behind my dad.

Michael playfully shoulders our dad out of the way, but the concern on his face is obvious.

“Come here, baby brother. You did good.”

I smile into his shoulder, and my own eyes tear for a second. This means more than he can ever know. Michael hates to be touched. An issue that’s gotten better since he met his wife last year, but even with Lara’s help, his past still dominates him.

This is the first hug I’ve shared with my brother.

“You did good,” he repeats, slapping my back. When he pulls away, we share a look.

“You did good, Lube,” Lara, my sister-in-law agrees, replacing her husband and giving me her own hug.

“Got to stop calling me that.” I shake my head.

“Never,” she whispers.

I hug her tighter.

“I can’t believe those animals tried to hurt my babies,” Mom frets, still framing Sam’s face.

“I’m okay, too,” I declare loudly, holding up my hand. “What are you two doing here? What about Charlie?” I ask my brother and his wife.

“She and baby . . .”

Mom clears her throat, cutting him off. She knows the name. I squint at her.

“Charlie and the baby,” Michael says carefully, “are doing great. Momma is catching up on sleep, and Daniel has Belle in the hospital room with them. Lara and I will head back tomorrow to stay until they’re ready to come home, probably next week.”

“Daniel didn’t mind you coming back?”

Michael’s head rears back as if I slapped him. “Kaleb, your house was broken into while you were in it. Daniel helped me pack everyone’s bags.”

I frown, my pride taking a punch. “I had everything covered. No one was getting near Sam or Shelby.”

“I wasn’t worried about Sam or Shelby. I knew you had them covered. I was worried about you.”

Oh.

My cheeks flush, and my heart swells. With how close Michael and Daniel are, sometimes it’s easy to forget how much they love me too.

“And it looks like I was right to be.” He motions to my feet. “Any other injuries?”

Uncomfortable with the attention of the room, I shrug nonchalantly. “My ribs and back took a knock, but nothing a hot bath and rest won’t fix.”

I roll my head on my shoulders. Sleep and another good fuck too, I silently add.

My eyes find Sam, but she’s still happily bathing in our mother’s attention.

“How are you doing, Shelby?” Dad asks, making his way over to her.

Shelby gives a small smile and a hum to show she’s okay. The color is finally returning to her cheeks.

“Tonight could have ended so differently,” Dad whispers. “We could have lost three of our kids.”

Shelby blushes at his words. She’s family, and it’s good for her to hear it. Her earlier words repeat in my head.

The front door opens again. Michael and I step forward, putting ourselves in front of the family. Sheriff McCallister walks in, following a frantic-looking Dr. Leonard Moore.

“Is everyone okay?” Doc rushes.

“Come on in,” Dad says dryly.

Leo slows his steps. Reaching up, he straightens his black-rimmed glasses. “My apologies. I heard what happened, and Jeff said a doctor was needed.” He thumbs back to the sheriff, his eyes finding Shelby on the sofa.

“Still, probably shouldn’t enter a home without knocking tonight.” Michael glares.

“So I hear.”

“I need to take everyone’s statement,” McCallister adds.

“That can’t wait?” Dad asks.

“Umm,” McCallister mumbles, desperate not to piss off the man who funds his re-election campaigns.

The town’s doctor slices the tense atmosphere by walking across the room straight to where Sam and Shelby sit.

“You girls okay?”

Sam nods.

“Sweetheart?” he asks Shelby, kneeling at her feet.

My brows shoot high on my forehead. Sweetheart?

Her cheeks flame even more. Definitely getting her color back.

“You’re very flushed,” he tuts, the back of his fingers brushing her cheek. “Did anyone hurt you? Touch you?”

Shelby shakes her head, looking at the older man through her lashes.

When the fuck did this happen?

I watch the two interact while my parents move over to deal with the sheriff. Michael and Lara head to the porch, Michael’s phone already to his ear. He’s probably calling Daniel.

“Open,” Leo orders, pulling my attention away from my family.

Shelby closes her mouth around a thermometer without complaint. He must feel me staring because he glances at me before turning to Sam.

“How are you? Any injuries you need me to look at.” He reaches up to feel her forehead.

“I’m okay. Shook up but okay,” Sam answers loud enough for our parents to hear.

“You should have stayed at mine,” Leo tells Shelby, checking her temperature.

I raise a brow, silently asking her why she’d be doing that.

Shelby rolls her eyes at me.

“Don’t be disrespectful,” Doc snaps, the tip of his ears turning red.

Oh shit. It’s like that, huh?

“I believe it was meant for me, Doc,” I explain, giving her an out.

“Still, it’s rude,” he mutters, catching her eye.

“Sorry.”

“If it wasn’t meant for me, it’s not me you should be apologizing to,” he tells her.

“Sorry, Kaleb.”

“No problem, sis.” I wink. She’s not in trouble with me; her neighbor, however, might be. “You stay over at Doc’s house often?”

“No,” Shelby rushes.

“But I am her neighbor. She should have come to me if she was afraid.”

“Afraid?”

“It’s October thirty-first. Shelby always gets antsy around Halloween.”

News to me.

“You don’t like Halloween?” I ask, confused.

Shelby shrugs flippantly, but I see the way she swallows hard.

The doctor is right; she is afraid, and it’s not just the burglaries.

I think back, but nothing from today stands out.

She’d been okay. Tired and restful. Maybe she felt better being in someone else’s house. Not that it turned out great.

“You can stay with me for a few more days. It’s no problem.” I frown.

“It’s okay.” Shelby smiles. “I’m okay, now. It’s just the night of Halloween. The past few have been”—she pauses, looking for the right word—“weird.”

I frown. The past few Halloweens have been weird for this family too. Last year, Michael met his wife. The year before that, my brothers’ annual hunt didn’t happen, and the Halloween before that was the year that Daniel met Charlie.

“Yeah.” I chuckle. “Mine too.” My eyes trail Sam. “But this year has been by far the most interesting.”

“Interesting? Well, that’s one word for it,” Dad chimes in, the other four returning sans McCallister.

I jut my chin. “He gone?”

“Yeah.” Michael nods.

“You kids will have to go down to the station tomorrow to give your statements, but he’s going to let you rest for tonight,” Dad explains.

“Rest sounds good.” Sam yawns.

“Uh-huh.” Shelby nods, quickly catching Samantha’s yawn.

“I’ll drive you home. You can stay at mine. Riley will love waking up to you there,” Doc tells her.

Shelby bites her lip.

“I think the girls are best staying together for now. They’ve been through a lot,” I interject.

The doctor doesn’t look happy but doesn’t argue. I eye the hand he lays on her knee.

“Do you need me to take a look at those feet?” Leonard asks.

“No.” I shake my head. “My new bestie got the debris out for me.” I grin at Shelby, grateful that she helped despite her hate for blood. “I cleaned the cuts. A few needed paper stitches, but I think they’re okay. A couple of painkillers and I’m as good as new.”

“Kaleb, don’t be stubborn. Let Leonard look while he’s here,” Mom insists.

Too tired to argue, I drop down onto one of the sofas with a groan.

“What’s the longest anyone has ever slept? I think I’m going to break it.” I yawn.

I flinch as my feet are unwrapped.

“It’s not as bad as I thought it would be.” Doc smiles. “You need this one stitched, though. I’ll do it now, then come into my office in a few days for a checkup.”

Leaning my head back, I nod, closing my eyes.

“Want me to numb it?”

“No,” I whisper, losing the fight to stay awake.

A sharp pain jolts me.

Now, I’m awake.

“A home invasion at Kaleb’s,” Mom mutters, shaking her head.

“Lucky,” Michael sulks aloud. Lara hits the side of his thigh. “Lucky that Kaleb was there and able to protect everyone,” he fumbles, his eyes flitting the room.

I grin knowingly, throwing my arm along the back of the couch. “Yeah, lucky.” I nod at him.

“Boys, this isn’t something to be smiling about. Two men died,” Dad reprimands.

“Good,” Mom blurts. “I’m sorry,” she says, holding her hands up and looking anything but sorry. “Those thugs broke into that house wanting to do God knows what, to God knows who. My children are safe, and that’s all that matters.”

“Hear, hear.” Doc nods.

“Daddy, can I sleep in with you and Mom?” Sam asks, her face shrouded in exhaustion. There go my plans for the rest of the night.

“No,” Shelby rushes, answering for her. “I want to sleep in your room with you.”

“You can stay in with me, Shelbs,” I offer.

“No!” Sam snaps. “She’s my friend, get your own.” For the first time since our family came home, Samantha meets my eyes.

“I do. You,” I taunt. I shouldn’t, I know that, but she can’t avoid me forever. Pain stabs the sole of my foot. “Easy, Doc,” I hiss.

“Perhaps, Shelby,” he says, stressing her full name, “should leave with me if your sister wants to sleep with your parents.”

“Shelby is my sister too. She can sleep wherever the fuck she wants.”

Today is not the day to test me. Our gaze holds, a challenge he’s not ready for.

“How are his feet, Doc?” Michael asks.

All harshness leaves Leonard’s face, his feature softening into a false smile. “All sorted. I’ll just bandage them and head out. Keep them dry,” he orders.

I give him the same fake politeness back. “Of course. And I’ll make an appointment in a few days.”

Shelby isn’t his, and whether she carries the Cromwell name or not, she’s family. He needs to watch himself.

“Okay, babies,” Mom calls, grabbing everyone’s attention. “Let’s start heading to bed, please. Lara, I’ll make some muffins for you guys to take back with you tomorrow or later today, I guess.” She frowns, looking at the clock.

The heat from the wood fire isn’t helping me in my fight to stay awake.

“Thank you. We’ll FaceTime you as soon as we get there. It’ll be like you’re with us.”

The room relaxes with my mother’s laughter.

Exhausted, I follow the ladies up the stairs while Michael and our dad lock up the house.

Leaning forward, I draw in the smell of vanilla. “Happy Halloween,” I whisper next to Sam’s ear.

She flinches.

Walking past her, I head to my room without a look back, a smirk firmly planted on my lips.

And what a good Halloween it was.