Page 107 of Soul So Dark

Before I can respond, another voice splits the air like a lightning bolt.

“Dallas.”

I whip around to see Alex standing in the doorway to the garage. Even though he said my name, he’s staring past me at Luca with utter contempt. He jerks the door shut with a slam and slowly saunters across the kitchen.

“What’s this?” Luca asks Alex, not taking his eyes off me. “You bring me another one?”

Another one?

His tone and the unsettling way he’s looking at me makes me take a step back.

“Get the fuck out of here,” Alex says in a voice not like his.

“Why? This is my house.” Luca sounds unconcerned, and slightly amused. “Anything inside’s fair game.”

“No.” Alex steps in front of me, blocking Luca’s view. “You don’t speak to her, you don’t evenlookat her. You havenothingto say to her.”

Alex and Luca stare at one another for what seems like an hour as the tension gets thicker and heavier.

“Fine,” Luca finally responds with a bored look. “Keep your little cum dumpster. Selfish prick.”

Like the crack of a whip, Alex shoots his arm out and gives Luca a rough shove in the chest. I startle as he stumbles back with a snicker and then turns over his shoulder, disappearing back down the dark hallway.

Alex turns and grabs my hand, whisking me across the room to the front door. We flee the house with a slam of the door and as soon as we get to his SUV, he swings me around and envelopes me in a tight embrace. He backs me up against the car, holding my body firmly against his. He doesn’t say anything, just holds me like he’s afraid to let go.

I do the same, squeezing the back of his t-shirt in my fists. “What’s wrong?” I ask. “What was that?”

“I shouldn’t have brought you here. I just wanted to…” I feel Alex let out a deep breath as he trails off.

“Wanted to what?” I mumble into his shirt.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Except it does, and I want him to tell me.

But then I also remember that I was supposed to text Colson that I won’t need a ride home. I yank my phone out of my back pocket as Alex loosens his hold around me. I mutter a curse under my breath when I see that it’s 2:50, then freeze when I see a text from my mom.

MOM (2:14PM): Don’t worry, Scott went to Canaan to get Colson. I’ll be there to pick you up from school. Love you!

“What the—” I don’t know what her text means, but the last part sends me into a panic. “Mymom!She’s on her way to pick me up from school!”

As soon as I say it, Alex’s phone starts buzzing non-stop in his jeans.

“God,what?” he groans with exasperation as he digs into his pocket for his phone. He squints at the screen and straightens up. “Oh,shit…” he murmurs.

“What?” I ask, craning my neck to look at his phone.

“We have to go.” He shoves his phone back into his pocket and starts guiding me to the SUV. “I’ll take you back to school.”

“Why?” I ask, my adrenaline spiking at the seriousness of his voice.

“Because,” Alex jerks open the passenger side door, “Col’s just been arrested.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Alex

I get Dallas back to school in time to walk out the front door and meet Christy, blissfully unaware that she never even went to class. I’m still torqued up from running into Luca at my house, and the thought of going back there makes me want to eat glass.