Page 134 of The Temptation of Truth

“If you leave this house, you’re taking Red,” Sav says, and Brady finally releases me from his glare to look at her.

“Who?”

“Me.”

I whip my eyes to the voice and find Red with his giant, tree trunk arms folded across his barrel of a chest. I don’t know whenhe got here, or how long he’s been standing right behind Brady, but he eases my tension just a tiny amount.

“That’s Sav’s security guard,” Callie says, and I turn around to find both her and Claire standing behind me. “He’s trained in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jui Jitsu.”

“And you should know that he also used to be a cage fighter,” Claire adds with a smirk. “Just in case you try to get a little too big for your breeches.”

“I’d send someone closer to your weight class, but my twelve-year-old is surfing with sharks.”

Goddamn it, Sav.

She has no self-preservation.Brady is going to lose it if I don’t get him out of here. I slide out from under her arm and inch my way to the stairs.

“I’m going to go get my shoes, and then we can go to the beach, okay? Please.”

Brady tries to walk with me, but Red steps in his path. “She can go alone.”

“I’ll be right back,” I say with a fake smile, and then I turn and sprint up the stairs.

I’m in my room for all of two seconds before Mabel comes rushing in behind me.

“Are you okay?” She pulls me in for a hug, and I inhale gardenia. “God, he’s such a fucking prick. I texted Ham. He’s on his way, and then we can get rid of that asshole.”

I step back and let her arms fall away. “You texted my uncle?”

“Yeah. I figured we’d need?—”

“You shouldn’t have done that.” I shake my head as I tug off yesterday’s clothes and dig through my suitcase for a sundress. “I don’t want Uncle Wade to get involved.”

“Aurora, you’re going to need his help if you’re—wait, what are you doing?” I look over my shoulder and find her staring atme in disbelief. “You’re not actually going to go anywhere with that asshole.”

“I have to. I have to get him out of here before Sav starts something.”

“BeforeSavstarts something? Are you kidding?”

“You know what I mean. She’s deliberately pushing his buttons.”

“Yeah. Good. He could stand to be knocked off his fucking high horse.”

I sigh and pull my dress over my head quickly. “You don’t understand.”

“So, tell me. Help me understand.”

I shake my head, but I stay quiet. I have one goal, and that’s to get Brady out of this house as soon as I can.

“Aurora. You can’t go with him. What if he hurts you?”

“Red will be there. It’s fine.” I drop to the floor and start looking for my sandals.

“It’s not fine, Roar. Nothing about this is fine.”

I find Mabel’s boots under my bed, but not my shoes. Then see her jacket on the floor by the door, so I crawl quickly over there to see if my sandals are underneath it.

“I know you’re worried, but you have to trust me.”