The Drift (Preacher Brothers 3)

God, yes. There it was, sweet and clean, like a hint of cotton candy with clean laundry.

I said nothing. I couldn’t even find any words in this moment.

I was speechless as I stared into her bright blue eyes. I could tell she was nervous, could feel the tension as she held my hand. I found myself stroking my thumb back and forth over her skin. She was so soft.

I finally snapped out of whatever trance I was in, cleared my throat, and reluctantly pulled my hand from her so I could brace my palms on the mattress and push myself up a bit. The motion jarred my body, and I hissed, clenching my teeth but finally getting myself propped up against the headboard.

Zoey had this concerned expression on her face, her eyes wide as she worried her bottom lip with her straight white teeth. I could see her hands were outstretched slightly, as if she meant to help me or maybe stop me.

“Please be careful,” she said with so much genuine concern it had my gut twisting. “I really should get someone.”

I shook my head slowly and placed my hand on her forearm. She was so tense under my touch, and I hated it. “In a minute.” She nodded after a second and visibly relaxed but only marginally. “Who are you? Where’d you come from?” I finally asked, my voice so fucking hoarse from not speaking for… however long I’d been out. I had a lot of fucking questions, but nothing was more important than finding out more about Zoey. “Are you and Frankie…?” I trailed off, because saying the words was like acid on my tongue. And even then, I had to grit those four words out through clenched teeth.

I loved my brother—my twin—but the very thought of him and Zoey together… not gonna happen.

She shook her head then glanced at her lap for a second before drawing her eyes back up to mine. I saw a flash of anger in her blue eyes, and instantly I wanted to beat whoever’s ass had put it there. “I was in the alley the night you got shot.” She swallowed, and I saw that anger dissipate a little. “I saw you get shot… and your twin saw me.”

Shit. I knew where this was going before she even finished. “He took you, didn’t he?” She knitted her brows as if confused that I already figured it out. But she didn’t know my brothers. She’d seen too much, and that meant she was a liability. And on top of it, I’d been shot, probably bleeding the fuck out, and Frankie most likely wigged out. He was as easygoing as they came and sure as shit didn’t hurt or kidnap women. But under pressure?

Fuck.

I straightened, my muscles tightening. “He didn’t… he didn’t hurt you, right?”

She furrowed her brows again and slowly shook her head. “No. I would have done some damage if he tried.”

I couldn’t help but smile at that. This girl had fire in her veins.

Mine.

That one word bounced around in my head, and as fucking insane as it was to claim ownership of a female, especially one I literally just met, it still seemed pretty fucking right.

“So Frankie kidnapped you, and he’s keeping you here against your will?” Just my fucking luck that this woman—this angel— was here against her will. Yet despite no doubt hating everyone in this fucking house, here she sat beside me on the bed, letting me touch her hand, memories of her singing to me, of her comforting me, so damn real it tightened my chest.

“Yeah, but—” My throat tightened as I saw the apprehensive look cross her face. I felt like she had more to say, but she let her lips tightly press together.

I wanted her to tell me all her secrets, all her hopes and dreams, all her fears and worries. I wanted to protect her, to keep her safe. I wanted to make sure no one made her feel less than, not even my brothers, not even my twin who had taken her. He may not have physically hurt her, but the pain he caused her by his actions was just as bad.

“They say they won’t hurt me, that once you’re better, I can go.” She looked back at me, her blue eyes big, her expression vulnerable. “I don’t know if that’s the truth—”

“No one will fucking hurt you. No one.” Even I heard how certain those words were as they came out of me forcefully. They came out so sharp and hard that Zoey’s eyes widened marginally. Before I could say anything else, the bedroom door opened, and in strode everyone in the whole house. Dom and Amelia, Cullen and a Kimber, and then there was Frankie.

Zoey let go of me instantly and moved back as far as she could go, the wall at the opposite end of the wall stopping her retreat. I already missed her presence, her scent and touch, her warmth and the sound of her voice.