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HEMINGWAY

A s I pull up to Trevor’s house, I spot the other car in the driveway. I glance at the people, and my heart stops. It can’t be. I can only see her from the back, but my heart knows her. She shakes her head. Her blond hair is loose around her shoulders. I open the door, and Moose barks, knowing the residence because he can play with Trevor’s dog, Bane. As I step out of the truck, I hear her name yelled, and she squats down.

Hartley knows her. He’s been around her. She’s seen him. All these years, she’s been in contact with Oliver and Hartley.

The anger is instant and all-consuming. Moose senses the change in my mood and tries to calm me down by pressing his body close to mine, but it doesn’t work.

“Blythe.” Her name breaks free from my throat, and her beautiful blue eyes flare wide when she turns and sees me. I watch as her hand rises to her full lips, and she gasps. Even in the dim light, I can make out some changes to her face. I don’t know if that’s from age or surgery.

“Hem, why are you here?” Wayne asks, but I ignore him and move toward her.

“Reed.” Her voice is scratchy, husky. That’s not her voice, but it’s definitely her. I watch as her body sways and her eyes roll back. I dive for her as she starts to fall, but Trevor catches her first. Hartley is yelling for her, and Wayne is already by her side. I move faster and yank her from Trevor’s arms.

“Mine,” I growl at him, and he nods, not wanting to fight me.

I hear their voices around me, but I only look down at her. Trevor’s girlfriend, Emersyn, is asking if she can check her over. Wayne is telling me to hand her over, but I won’t give her up.

The woman I loathe and love at the same time is in my arms again for the first time in nine years. I take in the subtle differences in her face up close. Her nose has been broken and reconstructed. I can make out the faint scars at her hairline where she had reconstructive surgery. Her jawline is slightly altered from the beautiful teenager I proposed to. Not that she isn’t still stunningly beautiful, but this woman isn’t the same as the girl I was in love with.

This woman has a dimple in her chin that I want to suck on and bite. Her darker brows, which made girls think she lightened her hair when she never did, are sculpted. She’s breathtaking.

I pull her into me and realize she still smells the same. Her honeysuckle scent blossoms through my body, and my cock presses into my zipper, marking it. I want her still. That thought pisses me off, because I know she’ll just leave me again.

Moose whimpers next to me as he presses his body in close to both of us, trying to calm my raging nerves and be closer to her. Even my dog wants to be near her.

“Auntie Bly.” Hartley’s voice breaks me from my daydream of taking her on the hood of Wayne’s car while she’s unconscious. It’s sick and perverted, but I need her. Bly has always made me irrational, but the need to get into her tight body has me reacting in a way I never thought I would.

She’s fucking unconscious, asshole.

That’s when I notice the feel of her body against mine. She’s got more muscles than she used to. She’s trim but almost too thin. Her breasts are a handful and press into my chest. They’re slightly bigger than they were before. Boob job, I wonder. I can feel her erect nipples through her bra and blouse. The wind blows across her delicate skin, and she shivers in her unconsciousness. A thin dusting of goose flesh pops up.

Her leg, partially exposed from the slit in her skirt, shifts as I hold her close to my body. This woman is dressed in a way my Blythe never would have. She’s in a tailored, pressed outfit, like a sexy librarian. This isn’t the sexy grunge look she used to wear. She now leaves it to the imagination of the viewer what they think they are seeing, instead of showing some of it. This woman is all professional, and a grease monkey like me doesn’t belong in her world.

She starts to stir, and when her beautiful eyes open, I see the love before it’s quickly covered up with fear. She pulls away from me, and I hold her steady for a moment before I step back. I lock my jaw, wanting to demand where she’s been. Why she left me. What she’s doing here. I want her back in my arms again.

“You had contact with him?” I point to Hartley.

I’m about to lose it, so I brush my hand through my hair, trying to calm myself. She watches me like a hawk. I can’t tell if she’s afraid of me or afraid for me. Doesn’t matter. I’m going to walk away from her.

She looks to Wayne and then down to Hartley, who has a hold of her hand. From the looks of it, he’s not going to let her go.

“Yes.”

She doesn’t offer me any more information, and just as she’s about to say more, red and blue lights flash across the yard. I watch the sheriff’s vehicle pull up behind my truck. I’m officially blocked in by this asshole.

“Chief Evander, I told you we would set up a time soon for you to question my client. She’s traveled a long way, and it’s late.”

“I see you already know Mr. Kantor, Ms. Hawksley,” Chief Evander says as he walks up, his gaze locked on her. But when I hear the name, I realize she moved on without me. She’s not mine anymore. She not only broke my heart but she also broke the vow that we would always be each other’s.

It’s like a bucket of ice-cold water over my body. I shudder, pushing everything I feel for her back down. I turn toward him to clarify.

“I used to know Mrs. Hawksley. I’m here to take my nephew with me.” I’m not letting Blythe take Hartley from here. She and her husband aren’t going to play house with my nephew.

“Yes, Reed and I know each other. But you know that already, Castor.” Blythe answers in that husky voice that isn’t right. Her voice used to be sweet, soft, and of a medium pitch. This one sounds too rough for her. She clears her throat and guides Hartley to the back door of Wayne’s car. “As for Hartley, it’s already been cleared with Child Services. He’ll be going with me until Thursday.” She helps him into the back seat, and I move toward her. All of us are crowding around her, and I watch as she starts trembling.

“As Blythe and Hartley’s attorney, I’ve cleared up everything with the state, Chief. Hem, let’s not dispute this. He’ll be more comfortable with Blythe for a couple of days.” Wayne steps between us, pushing us all back from surrounding her.

“Wayne, I told you I needed to speak to her immediately. I figured you’d have her flown in under protection, but I didn’t expect the private jet treatment.”

“Now is not the time for your theories, Chief. My daughter deserves to get some rest and time to process everything that has happened.” There is an undercurrent of tension between Evander and Wayne that I’m picking up on, but my attention shift as Trevor hands Blythe a suitcase, which she places in the back seat with Hartley. I don’t miss the “daughter” comment, but I ignore it for now, deciding I’m going to get my nephew before she takes off again. Private jet? What the fuck? Castor? She calls him by his first name. None of this is making sense, and it’s frustrating me.

“I’m not letting you take him out of state. This is his home. Don’t think that just because you’re all happy and married that I don’t have grounds to keep him here with me,” I bark at her, and Moose pushes his muzzle into my clenched fist.

“I don’t want to move. My friends are here.” Hartley starts to fight her.

“Don’t worry, buddy, I’ll get us a place, and you’ll stay here with me,” I offer. I know I’m instigating the situation, but if this is the only way I can keep him, I’ll fight dirty.

“I’m in a condo nearby, where he can stay with me until everything is figured out. I’ll take him to school after winter break,” Blythe says.

Of course, she’s in a condo. I look up and down her body. She’s changed a lot. Private planes, expensive clothes, condos, and a husband.

“I’m not letting you take him from his home.” I cross my arms over my chest and square off against her.

She stands up, placing herself between me and Hartley, who has calmed down a bit. I watch as she pulls her shoulders back and lifts her chin. She’s sexy as fuck right now, but I need to stay focused and ignore my traitorous body that is obviously attracted to a married woman. Fucker.

“I didn’t say I was taking him from Eastport yet. I still need to figure out everything.” Her new voice is starting to wear on me. I want to hear her talk dirty to me.

“That doesn’t mean you won’t move him. Tell the boy the truth. Oh wait, truth is hard for you, Blythe.” I lean toward her and watch as her body trembles slightly. I still affect her. Interesting. Marriage must not be working for her. “You going to run off on him like you did after Sam?”

Her hand flies out and cracks against my cheek. Everyone jumps toward us. I’d never hurt her, but I press her into the car.

“That’s the only freebie you get, Bee. I hit back now.” I step back and turn away from her. My eyes remain on her, so I can’t dodge the fist when it comes at me.

“Leave my daughter alone, asshole.”

I turn to the chief and smile as I wipe the blood from my nose. Blythe is crying as Wayne helps her into the passenger seat. He shuts all the doors before moving back to me.

“You going to let him get away with that, Chief?” I ask before Wayne is standing in front of me.

“Take this.” He throws a key at me and slaps a folder into my chest. “Figure out your shit before I help her sue you for full custody and you really fuck everything up.” He then turns to the chief. “I told you to give me time to talk to her. You can wait.” He climbs into his car and slowly backs out, avoiding the two vehicles behind him.

“Don’t ever threaten her again,” the chief says as he turns away from me.

“What? Is she fucking all of you?” I storm toward my truck.

“No, asshole, but you are going to ruin everything she’s done for you,” he says cryptically before getting into his SUV. I stand there in shock as he leaves, not sure what the fuck is going on.

“If I were you, I’d take a chill pill or a shot of whiskey, sit down with that folder, and figure out what we aren’t telling you,” Trevor says as he leads his girlfriend back to the house.

Does everyone know shit that I don’t?

I decide to head back to the clubhouse and take some of Trevor’s advice.