A Redo (Sterling Shore 6)

I’m. Pathetic.

My phone beeps, signaling I’m getting another call.

“Gotta let you go. Getting another call. I’ll call later to talk to Angel.”

I hang up before she can say more and answer the incoming call without checking to see who it is.

“Wren Prize.”

“Hey, Wren, it’s Bella.”

I immediately tense. “Is something wrong with Allie?”

She laughs lightly. “I don’t think so. Look, I know what went down with the two of you. In fact, I know a lot of shit, including how your brother screwed your ex just before your wedding. I also know he brought her to the Christmas party.”

Confused, I purse my lips, glancing over at Corbin before I round another curve, closing the distance between us and my house.

“What does that have to do with anything?” I ask when she doesn’t continue.

She groans just as my house comes into view.

“Do you think your brother would ever try to hit on Allie just to get at you?”

Immediately my grip on the steering wheel becomes painful. Corbin looks over at me as the leather whines under my death-grip, and he sits still even as I whirl into my driveway.

“Why do you ask, Bella?” I growl, not bothering to put my car in park.

Corbin warily gets out, carefully looking back at me as he walks to his car. Bella takes for-fucking-ever to finally speak.

“Look, I don’t want to cause problems for you and your brother, but I also don’t trust him or his intentions around Allie. She’s trying so hard to make life easy on you by not causing waves in your family, but—”

“Bella, just tell me what the hell is going on!” I snap, my patience gone.

With one last hesitant breath, she finally says, “Billy just showed up over at the house. I left a few minutes ago, and he’s alone with Allie. I don’t think he’d touch her, but it’s still weird. Says he came by to—”

I cut the call before squealing tires in reverse, and slam on my brakes before charging down the road. Corbin’s lights follow me, but I punch the gas harder, pulling away because I’m going to fucking kill my brother before he can catch up and stop me.

Chapter 24

ALLIE

“Just one more album?” Billy asks, smiling over at me.

I keep scooting away, and he keeps scooting closer. What’s sad is that he doesn’t even really want to get to know me. He just wants to recruit me to piss off Wren, and he’s really underestimating my intelligence if he thinks I haven’t caught on.

I keep coming up with diplomatic responses, subtly extracting myself from his close proximity over and over. But I’ve finally shifted to the end of the sofa, and I’m out of room.

“I think two albums is plenty for tonight. But I’ll send Melanie several for you to look over.”

I stand, but he stays on the sofa.

“But Mom doesn’t know the stories behind the photos. You’re going to Aspen. I’m going to Aspen. I can get the tickets fixed so that we can ride together on the plane. You can fill me in then if you want to.”

He hasn’t done anything obvious that makes me uncomfortable. He’s subtle, but a subtle snake still carries a strong bite.

Screaming tires outside cause me to jump, and my eyes dart over to the window. Billy hops up, looking around, confused. That sounded like it was right outside.

Billy jogs over to the door to investigate, but it swings open before he reaches it, and I gasp as Wren storms in with murder in his eyes.

Oh… shit.

Billy takes a step back, eyeing Wren as he stands there looking ready to cut him in half.

“The hell is your pro—”

Billy doesn’t get to finish that statement. My breath leaves in a rush when Wren grabs his brother by the shirt, and my heartbeat thuds in my ears when he throws him outside.

Billy thuds and tumbles off the small wanna-be porch, and I run behind Wren as he stalks back outside.

“Wren! Stop!” I yell, stumbling over my own two feet in my haste, and barely stopping myself from falling.

My adrenaline pumps like fire through my veins, and my brain struggles to keep up with everything around me. Billy staggers to his feet, and a growl comes from his throat before he throws a punch.

Wren has no problem dodging it, and he retaliates by slamming his fist into Billy’s face. I’m a nurse, and still the bone crunching noise and spray of blood churns my stomach as bile rises to my throat.

“Stop!” I yell again, too smart to step into the middle of a dogfight.

Wren hates the sight of blood. He couldn’t even stand close when I sewed up Rye’s hand a few months ago. He’s told me more than once he might need help with putting a bandage on Angel’s skinned knee if it happens.