Page 42 of Clashing

Of course, Danny told Diana. I understood he had to.

But a distraught Scarlett had to call her back and sit there in the bar, exhausted and reliving the entire night.

All while Danny fussed and hovered. I couldn’t blame any of them, but she was so fucking drained.

She needed a minute to breathe. She was keeping it together because she was herself, but it was too much to put on someone.

Then, because it couldn’t possibly get worse, fucking Collin showed up.

He asked a thousand questions, and I wanted to punch him even more than I had that day he came downstairs in his underwear. Scarlett told him she couldn’t talk about it anymore and he backed off, but the police returned.

How many times do they plan to make her relive this traumatic experience before she gets some fucking rest to process it?

“For fuck’s sake,” I muttered, walking over to Scarlett. “You don’t have to do this now. They’ll understand. We’ll tell them you need a day.”

“It’s fine.”

Fine. It wasn’t fucking fine.

We returned to the police station with an even bigger group, thanks to Collin’s presence. Scarlett sat there with a blank stare until they called her back. Her shoulders slumped hours later when she exited the interrogation room. That usual fire in her eyes was reduced to a barely there ember.

“Ryker Harding?” one of the officers said, looking up from a paper.

“Yeah?”

“Can we talk to you again about what happened last night?”

If she could do it, I could do it. “Sure.”

I was taken back, and I retold the story for what seemed like the fifth time.

Kept the details the same, both at the police station and at the bar when they finally let us go.

Danny was so relieved I’d shown up for Scarlett, he hadn’t asked why I was the one she called, but he did eye me skeptically when I explained the shot that killed Todd was self-defense.

On the other hand, Collin gaped when he heard me explain that Scarlett called me because I’d been with her and seen her at the bar, which meant I was close.

I was sure he’d ask her about it, and while I understood, I also wanted to tell him to fuck off. She didn’t owe anyone explanations right now. It was out of hand already. I snapped when Tammy and the new guy showed up and wanted to know what happened.

Enough is enough. Scarlett murmured she needed the bathroom, and I waited until the door closed before I confronted the room. It was my boys, Tammy, the new guy, Danny, and Collin. Scarlett was probably suffocating under the amount of people.

“All right.” I crossed my arms. “When she gets back, we need to send her to bed and not ask any more questions. This is too much. She’s barely slept. Stop bombarding her and let her have a moment.”

“You’re right.” Danny’s chin wobbled. “I need to get some things from the store. Things that help her relax.”

“I’ll run to the store for you, but for fuck’s sake, no more questions. She needs to breathe.”

My gaze pointedly landed on Collin. He didn’t say anything, but I could tell he wasn’t happy with me calling the shots. Too fucking bad. It wasn’t about me or him. It was about her.

Scarlett shuffled toward us and Danny smiled lightly, though no one believed that smile.

“Hey, honey. How about we go back to the house, and you get some rest?”

“I am tired.” She yawned.

Danny rolled his wheelchair toward her. “Let’s go.”

Her gaze drifted to Collin. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Take your time. Whenever you’re rested and feeling up to it.” Collin squeezed her arm. “Let me know if you need anything, and I’ll be here.”

She thanked the guys for their help, then walked out with Danny. I almost wondered if Collin would say something to me, but he didn’t. He left the moment she was out of the building.

“You should probably sleep too,” Francis said.

“Not yet. I have things to do first.”

I’d asked Danny for years to set up an alarm system. Now he couldn’t argue. Not with Scarlett living here. When I dropped off what he wanted from the store, I told him I was installing one. He agreed without argument.

After calling around, I found a place to fix the window that day. Next, I went to the hardware store and inspected about a hundred locks and doors before I was satisfied. The door was bigger, so I’d have to adjust her frame size, but it wouldn’t be that difficult.

I called buddies who did cabling to set up the security cameras and the alarm system. They all owed me favors and rushed to get it done before sunset.

I couldn’t work on her door until forensics took the tape down, so I left the supplies in the hall. The new locks were stronger and the door itself more solid. Since I had to get a wider frame anyway, I made sure it was sturdier with long screws to hold it in.

Without being able to actually install the door, I ran out of excuses to linger. I packed up to go home since I was a fucking zombie by then, but my phone rang. Danny’s name flashed across the screen, and I answered.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah. She slept. We’re ordering dinner.

She’s a little jumpy. I thought maybe if you stayed here, it might help.

You know, a guy in a wheelchair isn’t very intimidating.

” He laughed, one laced in something he didn’t have to explain because I understood.

It frustrated the hell out of him he couldn’t do more. “I need her to feel safe, Ryker.”

“I’ll stay. I’m at the bar, so I’ll be right there.”

“We’ll order dinner for you. Thanks, Ryker. For everything.”

“Anything for you, Danny.”

Anything for her.

It took me less than five minutes to get to his place and find them on the couch. Scarlett sat next to Dan with her head on his shoulder, her feet up on the cushions, tucked in close so the space beside her was open. She gave me a small smile that confirmed my suspicions.

She wasn’t okay. That wasn’t her smile. She was trying to be strong, like always. I sat next to her, thankful she was in the middle and there was nowhere else for me to be except beside her.

Danny mouthed thanks over her head before resting his against it. From this angle, Danny couldn’t see her feet and legs. I wanted to hold her hand but that was too visible, so I adjusted and set my hand on her calf, caressing circles with my thumb.

Expression unreadable, her gaze flicked to me.

Those eyes drooped every several seconds but snapped open like she was afraid to keep them closed too long.

If it weren’t for Danny, I’d pull her into my chest and run my fingers through her hair until she fell asleep.

Anytime I did that, she passed out within minutes.

I didn’t get why she found it so comforting until Fourth of July when she’d done it to me.

For now, I’d have to settle for touching her at all.

She stretched, her hand drifting down and hooking around her leg. Then, after a few minutes, her fingers reached for mine.

Our fingers laced together, and for the first time since that panicked phone call, I could breathe.