Chapter 24
Ican’t feel my legs as I follow Michael into the cabin. The loud meow is the only sound besides our footsteps.
He doesn’t remove his shoes, and neither do I. I refuse to put myself at a disadvantage if I have to run.
The fact I have to even consider that as an option is sad.
He lifts his head and scans the room, releasing a frustrated grunt before saying, “What’re you doing out here, Ayden?”
I swallow down my fear and let out a quiet breath. “What do you mean? I’m living here.”
He scoffs. “In a piece of shit like this?”
It isn’t that at all. Could it use some renovations? Sure. But it’s not a piece of shit. And even if it were, I’d still prefer a cell in Hell over setting foot anywhere near him again. Now that I know freedom—how it feels to breathe—I’ll never willingly go back to suffocating.
When he turns, I stay planted a few feet from the front door. I’m not going any farther inside—not with him here.
“I’m happy here,” I say steadily.
He tilts his head, his left eye twitching. “Who’re you living with?”
He already knows I’m not alone; he made that clear before stepping inside, so the question doesn’t surprise me.
“Is he here?” His head jerks as he scans the room.
“No. He isn’t here… he’s my stepbrother, Michael. That’s it.” If we were anything other than that, I’d still classify him as that. The last thing I want to do is cause trouble for Keoni.
He scoffs. “You hold hands with your stepbrother?”
I goddamn knew it. “You were having me followed!”
“You fucking him, too?!” He raises his voice above mine. “Huh?!”
Shaking my head, I glare at him as though he’s lost his damn mind. “I can’t believe you… Why’re you here? How are you here?”
He throws his hands up and paces further into the cabin. “Get away from the door, Ayden. Stop being such a scared bitch.”
For the briefest moment, I consider snapping back—raising my voice and calling him the psychotic, narcissistic asshole he is, someone who desperately needs psychiatric help. But escalating won’t end this conversation any faster.
It may look like I don’t have a backbone when it comes to Mike, and suppose I don’t, but I’ve been here before. I’ve fought back, and it only ever ended with me broken, mentally and physically.
I step a little farther into the cabin, just as Clover comes padding down the stairs toward me. Michael notices her but doesn’t comment, instead scoffs at me.
“How’d you enjoy the silent treatment?” His attitude remains the same; a storm of anger and bitterness battling for dominance.
“I hadn’t really noticed. It was for the best.”
“For you!” He turns quickly, causing my shoulders to jump. “See? You’re so selfish. All you think about is yourself!”
Blaming me. Surprise, surprise.
“You’re right,” I say while nodding. “I am, and from now on, I’ll only think about myself.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. It’s what’s best for me.”
I’m not surprised when he kicks the coffee table, sending it crashing into the fireplace. Clover hisses and scurries back upstairs. Good, I don’t want her down here, especially around him.
“You have no idea what’s best for you, Ayden.” He takes an aggressive step toward me. “Need I remind you of what I did for you no longer than a year ago? I saved your fucking ass and you’re going to just drop me for your stepbrother's cock?!”
I fight the urge to box myself in and force my arms to my sides. “I’m not fucking him, but even if I were, it wouldn’t be any of your business. We aren’t together.”
“Like hell we aren’t.”
“Michael…” This argument won’t get us anywhere, so I pivot. “How did you know where I was?”
I just want confirmation that he used his connections to find out where I’ve been living.
At least then I could reach out to Travis and see if he’d help me sue whatever department was involved.
I’m already planning to report those officers.
The fact that Michael knew Keoni had grabbed my hand in the parking lot confirms those two were spying on me.
His jaw flexes, the muscle ticking, and I swallow hard.
Seconds drag into what feels like eternity as silence stretches between us.
Then—like a switch flipping—everything changes. His dark eyes soften, and his lips curl into a meek smile. It’s terrifying how easily he does this, and it’s exactly why none of my so-called friends in San Francisco ever saw the real him.
“Ayden, babe, you know all I want to do is protect you. You think I can just let you go anywhere without knowing where you are?” His hands raise, gesturing for me to come to him. “I’m sorry, look, I’m just jealous. You know how I can get.”
“You aren’t answering my question.” I shake my head and glance over my shoulder, peering through the window beside the front door, hoping to see Keoni’s truck. Nothing. Even if he’d taken a sports bike, he’d still not be here by now.
When I turn back, he’s edged closer. Instinctively, I shuffle back, circling away from him as best I can. The wall behind me is lined with windows, all of them open to the lake outside.
“Were you on a date on Saturday night?”
I hate him.
“No.”
“Are you sure? That restaurant you went to—or just sat outside of for fifteen minutes—seemed pretty fancy. A bit too much for dinner with your stepbrother, don’t you think?” he patronizes. “Just tell me.”
“Wait… how do you know that?”
“We can move past it. I can, if you’re honest with me.”
I run through every possibility and come up empty. How could he have known where I was? I can connect him to pulling my address from some database, but the restaurant? And those officers he clearly sent to—wait.
It’s like a lightbulb sputters to life above my head.
“Michael. Are you tracking my phone?!”
He clicks his tongue against his teeth. “There ya go. You aren’t as dumb as you play to be.”
I suddenly feel violently sick. “Are you fucking kidding me?! You’re actually insane!”
All he does is shrug his shoulders.
Shaking my head, I point at the door. “Get out.”
The amused smile that crosses his face has every feeling I’ve had up until this point, shifting to rage.
“No.”
“I said get out!” This time, I raise my voice. I wish it startled him, threw him off—but it only makes him laugh.
“Fine. I’ll call the goddamn police.” I reach for my phone, but he rushes at me before I can pull it out.
“Oh please,” he says, grabbing me as I try to sidestep. “I’ll just tell them you had one of those exaggerated panic attacks of yours and took it out on me. You did invite me over… remember? No forced entry. Pfft, no one would beli—”
I drive my knee up hard, connecting square between his thighs. His breath bursts out in a ragged gasp, and I shove him with everything I have.
“Fuck you.”
He doesn’t let go of my wrist. Instead, he yanks me forward a few steps and, using the momentum, hurls me behind him. I catch the back of the couch before I can go sprawling.
The moment I turn, hot pain explodes across my face. My right eye floods with black dots, vision scattering as I stumble backward and drop onto the very cushion I’d fought not to fall on. Being down with him looming above me is the last position I should be in.
“Act like a bitch, get slapped like one.”
I raise my hand, touching my temple and feeling liquid on my fingertips. His ring cut me with that hit.
“Get out!” I shout, lifting my chin and trying to stand.
He hovers over me, pressing me back down. His hand pins me, his thumb digging sharply into the space under my collarbone.
“The only way I’m leaving,” he grits through his teeth, “is with you, Ayden. If you don’t want to work this out here, I’ll drag your ass back to California.”
I hear a hiss, then the door swings open, slamming hard against the wall.
Michael doesn’t hesitate to release me. He stands upright, turning and blocking me from seeing the front door. But I don’t need to see to know who just barged in.
“Who the fuck are you?!” Keoni’s voice isn’t just angry, it’s pure beast. “Ayden?”
“Looks like you have a type, but at least I’m not his fucking family,” Michael seethes.
The moment he shifts a fraction to the right, Keoni’s eyes lock on me. I swear the color drains from his face; his amber eyes darken as if a shadow has passed over them. Anger and raw adrenaline consume him.
He doesn’t ask what happened. He doesn’t hesitate. He closes the distance between himself and Michael and punches him square in the face.