Page 191 of Wicked Little Darling

I pulled my phone out and called Val, who was still resting in his room and probably hadn’t heard anything that happened.

Good.

I could explain it to him later.

It rang twice, and then he picked up. “Hey.”

“Val, stay in your room and lock the door, okay? Everett just attacked Reese and has officially lost it. I think the cops are coming. Or an ambulance, I dunno, I heard sirens. But please just lock your door and don’t let anyone in. Not Everett, not Albert, not Evelyn, no one. Okay? Please? I’m sorry I can’t be there but I have to take care of Reese.”

There was silence, and then a soft, incredulous, “What?”

“Just stay there.”

“What…I don’t understand, everything was—was—” His breath hitched. “I don’t understand. This was supposed to be a good day.”

Fuck, the devastation in his voice was gut-wrenching. This was going to hit him the hardest, and I wished I could be there for him right now, but I couldn’t be two places at once. “Val, I’m sorry. I love you. I have to?—”

“Just go get him,” Reese whispered. “I’ll wait here.”

I searched his eyes. “But you need?—”

“Dakota, please just go get him, I’ll be fine.”

I was afraid if I let go of him, he’d dart away and disappear.

“I’ll wait right here,” he said, wiping his face with the sleeves of his sweater. “I promise.”

“Val,” I said into the phone, “Change of plans. I’m gonna come get you, okay? You think you can make the walk back to campus with us?”

“Y-yeah,” he whispered.

“Stay there, keep the door locked. I’ll be there soon.”

I walked to one of the oaks lining the drive and set Reese down by the trunk. “You stay here. I’ll be right back.”

He nodded.

“Don’t you dare move, Reese Walker. I will fucking hunt you down.”

He stared up at me with his busted lip, cut brow, eye that was starting to swell and blacken, and smiled.

Then he winced when that made the split in his lip worse. “Fuck.” Irritation flickered in his eyes. “Just hurry up, okay? I’ll be here.”

I pressed a light kiss to his cheek, then drew back and held his gaze in mine. “I will hunt. You. Down,” I said softly.

“Good,” he whispered, those eyes of his pure green.

I kissed him again, then ran toward the house.

Guests were making their way out of the manor, climbing into their cars and speeding down the drive.

People were leaving en masse, and it was like trying to swim against the current to get back inside. Once I busted through the crowd, I had a clear path to Val’s room.

Getting Val out was more difficult than I anticipated because he was begging me to take him to Albert and Evelyn. He was terrified something bad would happen, that Everett would do something to them. I was able to convince him they would be fine, and we moved with the exiting crowd out of the manor and back to Reese.

He was still there, sitting against the tree with his head tipped back, eyes closed. Like there wasn’t chaos unfolding around him.

I knelt at his side, and he opened his eyes. “Hey, baby. Ready to go?”