“Johnnie.” I place my hands gently on both of her shoulders. “Look at me.”
She draws in a shaky breath and lifts her eyes, staring up at me through wet lashes.
“He will pay for what he did,” I say quietly. “I’m paying him a visit.”
Her lips part slightly, but I shake my head before she can say anything.
“Don’t try to talk me out of it,” I murmur. “Please.” I lean down and press a kiss to her forehead, lingering there for half a second longer than I should before forcing myself to step away. Then I make my way downstairs.
When I hit the button in the garage, the door hums to life, slowly rolling upward as I round the front of my old white truck and climb inside. The engine roars awake beneath me.
There’s only one thing moving through my veins now. Rage.
I back out and start down the long drive, the canopy of trees overhead flickering sunlight across the windshield as leaves drift down. When I reach the end of the drive, I grab my phone before pulling out onto the road.
My fingers move quickly.
Collins:
I love you.
It only takes a second for the response to appear.
Johnnie:
I love you so much.
I push my feelings down and open another thread. My brother.
Collins:
Go to my house and make sure Johnnie is okay until I get back. Please. It’s important.
Campbell:
On my way.
I drop the phone onto the passenger seat. With no real plan, only the fire burning through me, I pull out onto the road and start heading toward my hometown.
Rage.
CHAPTER 37
johnnie
NOW
I’m sotired of crying.
I feel like I should be completely dried up, and yet the tears just keep falling.
And falling.
My thoughts are a tangled mess, every one of them pulling in a different direction, and I have no idea what the right thing to do is. Collins insisted I stay, clearly not wanting me in his way. But how am I supposed to sit here, helpless, not knowing what he’s doing?
What if he goes to Lee…and something really bad happens?
I’ve never seen Collins angry. Not like that. There was fire in his eyes, wild and unrestrained. And it was nothing like the warmth that burned there last night. That fire had been soft, consuming. This…this was something else.