SWNOVELS Runner: Chapter 38
I walked quietly into the kitchen from the hall, studying Mili as she stared at the wall, clearly deep in thought. It had been days since Caleb left, and she’d been sulking almost the entire time. I’d overheard a few conversations when she called him, and she was just as pissed with him as she was with us. Not being able to leave on her own was driving her crazy. But right now, there was something else troubling her.
“What’s on your mind, Rebel?” I asked, making my presence known.
She startled, her head turning toward me. “Where’s Kade?”
“Business meeting.”
She nodded, going back into her head until I plopped down on the bed next to her. She scowled but made no move to scoot away from me.
“What are you thinking about?” I murmured, my eyes going to her bruises. They’d gotten even darker now, and it made my blood boil knowing what she’d gone through.
She hesitated. “Did you or Kade tell anyone I was working with you?”
I frowned. “No.”
“Did Vic or Juan?”
“No.” Not that I was aware of anyway. But from the worried tone she had, maybe Kade and I should find out for sure.
“The people after me. They knew I was working with someone,” she muttered. “I thought you and Kade gave me up.”
She kept my stare, and I realized that was the reason she’d been so petrified when we found her.
“We wouldn’t do that,” I said in a low voice.
“I’m figuring that out now. If they knew I was working with your crew, they’d already be tearing up Ridgewood looking for me.” She settled back against her pillow. “Don’t worry, I’ll be long gone before they realize I’m here.”
“I think we’ve made it pretty clear that we want you to stay.”
“Your necklace proved the opposite,” she said bitterly.
“Hey.” I gently put my fingers under her chin, turning her face until she was looking at me. “I’m sorry. We did that to push you over the edge and get you to leave town. You were keeping secrets. Juan and Vic didn’t trust you. We didn’t trust you. It was better for everyone that you left. We didn’t realize how badly we fucked up until we saw your face after we did it. And I’m sorry.”
Her body was tense as she searched my eyes. “I’m still keeping secrets. That hasn’t changed.”
“For now.”
“For forever,” she snapped before her voice softened. “I’m not staying here, Gray. The second I can fucking walk, I’m going after Caleb.”
“Well, until then, you’re stuck here, so stop complaining.”
She grumbled under her breath as I climbed off the couch and walked to my huge shelf of DVDs.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“We’re watching a movie,” I answered, pulling out the one I was looking for.
“I don’t want to watch a movie.”
“Too bad.”
I slid the disk into the game console and strode into the kitchen while the previews played. I grabbed snacks and drinks before going back to the bed and dropping them next to her. I took my spot next to her on the mattress, and I could feel her heated glare on the side of my face as I grabbed the remote.
“Give me my crutches,” she demanded.
I glanced at them where they were propped against the wall. “Why?”
“Because I’d rather limp around and dig into your lives than watch this with you.”
I shot her a grin. “You can do that after the movie.”
“Are you enjoying having me at your mercy?” she asked, her voice turning sweet.
I met her gaze. “Maybe.”
She raised her hand, dragging her thumb across my lips, making my dick twitch. “Enjoy it then, Gray. But remember—I won’t be laid up forever.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, amused. “You’ll pay us back?”
“Maybe.”
“To do that, you’ll have to stay in town,” I told her, my smile wide.
She rolled her eyes. “What movie is this?”
“The Breakfast Club. Have you seen it?”
“No. I’ve looked at your movie collection.” She snagged a chocolate bar from the snack pile. “All the movies are older than me.”
“I like classics. Movies. Music.” I started the movie. “This is one of my favorites.”
I settled next to her, not liking how my stomach was twisting. I was sharing a piece of myself with her and wasn’t sure if she’d like it. As the theme song came on, I snuck a glance at her, surprising myself at how much I wanted her to enjoy this with me. She was looking at the screen, so that was something.
She curled up closer to me as the movie played, and I suppressed my grin, seeing that she was watching it intently. Her body relaxed as time went on, and she giggled at a scene before catching herself. The next time she laughed, she didn’t even try to hide it. I watched her more than I did the screen. Her laugh was different from the one I’d heard before. It was carefree. Happy. Like she was being herself instead of hiding behind the mask she always wore.
Kade walked in halfway through the movie, and he looked surprised that Mili wasn’t throwing a fit about me lying on the bed with her. She barely paid him any attention as she watched the movie. I wasn’t sure if she realized she was leaning her weight on me or not, but I stayed still, knowing if I moved, it might jolt her out of the peace she was in. Kade silently sank into the leather chair next to the couch and finished the rest of the movie with us.
When the credits started rolling, she stretched her arms before staring at me.
“For an eighties movie, I guess it wasn’t bad,” she mumbled.
“Don’t lie. You liked it.” I grabbed a small bag of chips and opened them.
“Who were you two in high school?” she asked, looking at Kade for the first time since he came home. “You don’t strike me as jock types.”
“Who do you think?” Kade asked, looking curious.
“Out of the choices in that movie?” She paused, as if having to think about it. “The criminal.”
I laughed. “Criminal is such a strong word. I like rebels better.”
Her eyes widened when she realized where her nickname had come from. “You think I was a rebel in high school?”
“Were you?” I asked, wondering if she’d open up to us.
She frowned, her stare going past us as she thought of the past. My heart thudded, wondering exactly when her life had turned to hell.
“I used to be the perfect student. Straight As. Played sports. Never even had detention.” Her voice became monotone. “Until I met Joel when I was sixteen.”
“He went to high school with you?” Kade asked, his eyes darkening.
“He was older than me.”
I wanted to ask how much older but had a feeling she’d start shutting down if we pushed too much. Instead, I kept my mouth shut, waiting to see if she’d keep talking.
She cleared her throat. “After that, I dropped out. Got my GED. Under a fake name, but I still count it.”
“Where did you grow up?” Kade asked, clearly not on the same page as I was about not pushing her into answering questions.
She stiffened. “The East Coast.”
“Your family still there?” My question slipped out before I could stop it. I wanted to know everything about her, and this was the first time she’d ever given us an opening.
“They’re dead. My parents. My brothers.” Her chin trembled for a split second before she locked it away. “He killed them—Joel did.”
Jesus Christ. I bit my tongue to keep calm as Kade sat at the edge of the chair, his elbows on his knees. His hands were clenched into fists, and he opened his mouth before closing it again. Mili scooted to the edge of the bed, staring at the soft cast the crew doctor had put on her ankle. I didn’t bother to tell her to stop when she attempted to put weight on it. She winced, cursing under her breath.
“I’m going to need a car when I leave here,” she mumbled, telling us the conversation about her past was done.
“Where’s your Corvette?” Kade asked gruffly.
“Probably got towed after staying in the hotel parking lot this long. At least I didn’t bring it on the job because that car got blown up.” Pursing her lips, her gaze darted between us. “Hm, maybe too soon to bring that subject up.”
The image of our cars burning flashed in my mind, and I waited for Kade to make some smart remark. But he didn’t. He just got up and strode into the kitchen and began pulling pots out. Mili watched him with interest as he pulled an armful of ingredients from the fridge.
“You cook?” she asked, surprise filtering in her voice.
“If he’s not in a car, then he’s in the kitchen. Cooking is his next favorite thing,” I said, earning a glare from Kade.
“I need to shower,” she mumbled, looking at me. “Can I have my crutches now?”
My eyes danced in amusement, and I pressed my luck. “If you say please.”
“How about I don’t stab you for keeping me locked in here?”
I chuckled. “Good enough.”
Rolling off the bed, I grabbed the crutches. “Don’t forget you can’t get your cast wet.”
“I know.”
The second the crutches were under her arms, she hobbled down the hall to the bathroom. The door slammed shut, and I joined Kade in the kitchen.
“Vic wanted to know where you were today,” Kade said as he dumped pasta into the boiling water.
“We need to find out if they told anyone we were working with her,” I replied quietly. “She says the people who went after her knew she was partnering with someone.”
Kade glanced at me. “I doubt they told anyone.”
“Yeah, well, let’s make sure before we tell them she’s back.”
“I don’t think we should tell them anything. She made it clear she’s running the second she’s able to.”
“Maybe she’ll change her mind,” I said, looking down the hall at the bathroom door.
“Doubtful.”