Page 44 of From the Wreckage

Everett

I drive downtown, my mind preoccupied with the thought of seeing Brielle again. Quite honestly, I’m surprised she wasn’t at my door as soon as her dad left for work.

I waited and waited, but she never showed. And my phone is still stubbornly silent. No calls or texts.

Unable to stand it any longer, I decided to go to town to get groceries. I’ll make her a meal. I can get steaks, potatoes, and her favorite veggies. Maybe a six-pack of beer and a bottle of wine.

My eyes land on Grayson’s truck, parked in front of The Pine & Page . My heart beats faster, knowing it wouldn’t be him at the bookstore.

Slowing to a crawl, I spot a glimpse of Bri through the wide window.

My chest tightens. She doesn’t see me, but even so, I can’t just drive past. The urge to see her is too strong.

I park, step out, and push through the glass door. The little bell jingles overhead, and the scent of coffee and old books hits me like a memory.

My brows lower when I spot the empty seat. She was there minutes ago.

My pulse kicks up as I wander the aisles, scanning shelves, each step becoming sharper and faster as I search for her.

Then I hear her voice. It’s sharp and defiant, yet trembling at the edges. “There is no us. There hasn’t been for a long time. Leave me alone.”

My blood runs cold, and I freeze. What the hell?

“You’re mine, Brielle. I’m not letting you go.”

Heat fills me, molten and merciless, when another voice answers. One I can’t fucking stand. Joey.

Something snaps loose in me. My boots are silent against the floor, years of muscle memory kicking in, the same stealth that once let me weave through defensive lines. My body coils, ready and lethal.

I round the corner, and there they are.

His hands grip her forearms. He has her pinned against the shelf, fear flashing in her eyes.

Rage detonates inside me.

In two strides, I’m behind him, my hand clamping onto the back of his shirt. I yank hard, ripping him off her and shoving him back a few feet. He stumbles, then whirls around, his eyes wide with shock.

I plant myself between them, my chest heaving, my hands clenched into fists at my side. My body is a wall of fury shielding her.

“Keep your fucking hands off her,” I snarl, my voice low and deadly.

Joey’s mouth twists into a smirk, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Well, well, well. Guess I was right. It is about you.”

“You don’t want to test me.” My voice vibrates with the kind of anger that promises violence. “If I ever see you touch her again?—”

“What?” he snaps, stepping forward like he thinks he can puff his chest and measure up. “You gonna play hero? You think you can just swoop in and take what’s mine?”

“She’s not yours,” I bite out. My fists curl so tight my nails cut into my palms. “She never was. And if you don’t walk out of here right now, I’ll make damn sure you regret it.”

His face reddens, pride bristling. He glances over my shoulder at Bri, like he’s hoping she’ll intervene and ask him to stay. But all I hear is her shaky breath as she steps closer, gripping the back of my shirt.

I look at her over my shoulder, keeping Joey in my peripheral vision. The faint red marks on her arms where he grabbed her make me gnash my teeth together.

It’s enough to make me want to break him.

Joey shifts, drawing my eyes back to him. He sneers at me, wiping at the front of his shirt where I yanked him. “What’s the matter, old man? Afraid people are gonna find out you’ve been sniffing around Grayson’s little girl? Doesn’t exactly scream upstanding family friend , does it?”

My jaw locks. “Watch your mouth.”

But he doesn’t. He steps closer, his chin tilted in mock bravado, trying to look bigger than he is.

“She’s a college girl, Everett. I’ve had her.

I know how she tastes, how she moans. You think you’re the first one to put your hands on her?

” His laugh is sharp and ugly. “Brielle’s mine.

Always has been.” He smirks. “And she’ll come crawling back to me soon enough. ”

The world narrows to red. I don’t think. I just move.

My hand fists in his shirt, and I slam him back against the nearest shelf hard enough to rattle books down around us. One topples to the floor with a heavy thud that echoes in the quiet.

“You don’t get to speak her name.” My voice is lethal, shaking with the promise of violence. “Not after the way you treated her. Not after what you did.”

Joey wheezes against the pressure, but that smug grin doesn’t fade. “You think she’ll choose you? You’re broken. Washed up. And when her dad finds out, he’ll put a bullet between your eyes.”

I shove harder, my face inches from his, fury pouring off me in waves. “Listen to me, you little bastard. I don’t care what you think you know. She’s not yours. She will never be yours again. If you so much as breathe near her after this moment, I’ll end you. And I won’t lose a minute of sleep.”

His smirk falters. It’s just a flicker, but I see it.

Behind me, Bri whispers, “Everett…” Her voice is shaky and small. The sound only fuels me more.

I lean in closer, my words venomous. “You think you’ve seen me angry, Joey? You haven’t seen anything. I will burn the world to protect her. My angel. Do you understand me?”

Joey’s Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows.

I release him with a final shove, and he stumbles, nearly tripping over the scattered books. He straightens, trying to salvage what pride he has left, but his glare falters under the weight of mine.

“Get. Out.”

For once, he listens.

He throws one last look at Bri—reminding me of an angry, wounded, and desperate animal—before storming off down the aisle and out the door.

My chest heaves, every muscle taut, my fists still aching to destroy him.

Silence hangs heavy between us, broken only by the faint hum of the overhead lights and my own ragged breathing. Joey’s footsteps fade, leaving nothing but the scattered books and the echo of his venom still ringing in my ears.

Bri releases my shirt and steps back. When I turn around to face her, she’s pale, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. Her chest rises and falls too fast, her hazel eyes wide, darting between the doorway Joey vanished through and me.

Guilt twists in my gut. Did I just terrify her as much as I scared him?

I take a step toward her, forcing my voice steady, even though I’m still shaking with rage. “Are you okay, angel?”

Her lips part, trembling. For a moment, she looks like she might bolt—or crumble. My heart stops.

Then she moves.

In two quick strides, she’s in my arms, burying herself against my chest like she needs to crawl inside me to feel safe. Her body shakes, but her fists clutch my shirt, holding me like I’m the only thing keeping her upright.

I exhale hard, my hand sliding to the back of her head, cradling her close. “I’ve got you,” I whisper into her hair, my voice raw. “No one’s ever gonna hurt you again. Not while I’m breathing.”

Her answer isn’t in the form of words. It’s the way she presses closer, her face tucked against my neck, her tears hot against my skin. And I know, in this moment, she’s not scared of me. She’s clinging to me. Choosing me.

And God help me, I’ll burn everything down before I let her regret it.