Page 188 of Wicked Little Darling

And then Dakota was there.

Gentle hands were cradling me against a warm body.

Dakota.

“Reese. Hey, I got you. It’s okay. Come here. Breathe, baby. You’re okay. You’re?—”

Everett was shouting again. “But he attacked me first! I told you he was violent! I told you but you didn’t listen and now look?—”

Dakota’s hands disappeared, and everything was blurred through my tears. I heard him say, “You lying fuck, he wouldn’t do that! You were fuckingstranglinghim! I’ll kill you, Everett, I swear I’ll?—”

“Enough!” Albert’s voice boomed through the room.

Everett was too far gone. “So quick to defend him, huh? Do you even know what he’s been doing behind your back? Do you? I eventold youwhat he was doing, and you’re still hanging around him. Pathetic.”

No.

I whipped my head around, then winced when the pain seemed to spear directly into my brain. With my eyes on Everett, I slid my hand up the wall to steady myself so I could stand.

That awful, cruel tone was back in Everett’s voice. “Did you not believe me? That he’s been reporting your every move back to Dad? Or did you actually think someone could like you, Dakota?” Everett’s laugh was full of pity and something darker.

“Shut up, Everett. Shut your fucking mouth right now.”

“And you’re still defending him! Wow, what loyalty?—”

“That’senough!” Albert’s voice thundered around us. He grabbed Everett’s arm and started dragging him out of the room.

Albert looked capable of murder, honestly.

My gaze slid to Dakota’s back as he watched his family fall apart.

A roaring in my ears drowned out everything around me until all the voices sounded muffled and distant.

“Dakota,” I whispered.

All I saw was Dakota’s heaving shoulders, and he wasn’t turning around, he wouldn’t look at me…

This couldn’t be real. This wasn’t happening. I was going to tell him, I was going to…Iwas, I was going to tell him, just…

“Not today,” I whispered, pushing to my feet. My legs were shaky, my entire body was trembling, and all I could hear was an ear-splitting ringing in my head.

I wiped the pitiful tears off my face, and the blood that kept dripping down my left eye.

I pulled my hand away, looking at all that red, and then Dakota was in front of me, gentle fingers under my chin tipping my head back, dark eyes full of heavy concern taking in my face.

I didn’t deserve any of it.

And now he knew. Now he knew, and?—

I had to leave.

I had to get out of here, to get away from him, to go back to Ashbrook, pack my things, and get thefuckout of here.

I should have left before. Why had I stayed? Why hadn’t I just fuckingleft?

I shoved off the wall and sprinted past all of them, hoping I didn’t get lost in this fucking house as I burst out of the door.

“Reese!”