Page 76 of Crave

“Silas.”

“Go away.”

“There’s a Penn Hargreaves at the door, making threats and demanding to see your sister. Do you want me to hurt him?”

Hurt him.

I cracked one eye open, finding the blurred wall of my bedroom. Hurt him. It didn’t even take me a second to find the answer. Yes. “No.”

The answer I wanted wasn’t the answer Penn Hargreaves wanted, nor was it the answer our family could afford. “Jesus fucking Christ.”

I pushed upwards, blinked then dragged one foot out of bed and followed with the other.

“I demand to see her!”The high-pitched whine found its way into my room. “You can’t keep me away! Do you hear me? You can’t keep me away!”

I snatched a shirt from the back of my chair, dragging it over my head and followed the guard to the front door. Harsh morning light made me wince. My bare feet cold against the tiled floor as I headed to the open front door and my sister’s pathetic boyfriend.

“You’re-you’re keeping her prisoner.” Penn Hargreaves stuttered, his eyes were wide, amped up on adrenaline as he stared at me.

“And what makes you say that?” I muttered, narrowing in on this idiot.

I didn’t like him. Not for any particular reason. In fact I didn’t really know the guy. But that didn’t stop me from being pissed off at his presence. I didn’t want him here, not at my home…and sure as fuck not near my goddamn sister.

“I…I demand to see her.” He straightened his spine, meeting my gaze. “And I’m not going anywhere until I do.”

“Is that right?” I stepped closer, but his gaze shifted to something behind me. His eyes widened and a look of fear moved in.

“Yes,” he whispered, looking at me once more. “That’s right.”

I didn’t need to look behind me to see who it was. The stench of alcohol and regret told me all I needed to know. “Hargreaves, what thefuckdo you want?”

Penn lifted the cell in his hand. “To see Angelica. Or the next call I make will be the police.”

A twitch came at the corner of my eye. I didn’t like threats, even empty ones.

I wanted to take that cell phone and ram it down his throat. Let’s see him call the cops then.

Theo pushed in beside me. “What makes you think she wants to see you?”

“I’m her boyfriend.”

My gut clenched with the word, even Theo snarled with the words. I wanted to throw this pathetic excuse for a man out of here. I clenched my fists. I ached for it. But one look in Hargreaves’ eyes and I knew he wasn’t bluffing. He’d call the cops, that I knew and right now, that was the last thing we needed.

“Fine.” I answered.

“Fine?” Theo wrenched that furious glare my way.

I gave a shrug, then stepped aside. Rage rippled in my brother’s glare as the kid stepped in, turning his body to the side as he skirted my brother and stepped inside our home.

“What’s going on?” Gabe strode from the hallway, still dressed in cotton boxers, his chest bare. He took one look at Penn and froze. His eyes widened. “No, she told you not to come.”

Did she just? And how did my little brother know that? Because he told her to say it. It was written all over his smitten goddamn face. I strode forward. “Looks like he didn’t get the hint, did he, little brother?”

Gabe’s eyes glinted with panic.

“You want to see our sister,” I muttered. “Fine, I’ll fucking take you.”

But before I could lead him anywhere Theo grabbed my arm, stopping me cold. There wasn’t just anger in Theo’s stare now. There was fear, and now…desperation.