Credence

“And now you’re eighteen,” Terrance adds. “Perfectly legal in all fifty states, just in time for the snow.”

Words lodge in my throat, and I yank my arms free of them.

“They don’t really like you,” Cici tells me. “You’re useful. Just like the rest of us who ser

vice them.” She rubs circles on my belly as her head remains on my shoulder. “And when they fuck you pregnant, they’ll control you—and your bank account—forever.”

No. They’re my home. The peak is my home.

“Stay with us,” Holcomb whispers, getting closer. “Come home with me.”

Tears pool as they sandwich me, and as Holcomb dips his mouth into my neck, I start to cry out.

No.

But just then, a hand wraps around my wrist and yanks me free of them. I gasp, stumbling off the dance floor and right into Kaleb as he pulls me into his body. He brings me in, my forehead meeting his, and I look up at him through my watery eyes.

He presses his lips hard to my forehead, and I still for a moment.

Kaleb…

Holcomb and Cici’s words swirl in my head, but as Kaleb’s warmth washes over me, everything they said starts to fade away more and more until there’s nothing but him.

I exhale, closing my eyes.

They’re not my parents. This is real. They care about me, and they want me here.

Kaleb draws back, our foreheads meeting again as he looks down into my eyes, unblinking. Swiping his thumbs under my eyes, he dries my tears.

I go to assure him that I’m okay, but before I can, he drops his hands, his gaze turning dark, and he shoves me behind him before lunging for Holcomb.

Grabbing him by the neck, he throws Terrance into the jukebox, knocking into other people on the dance floor in the process.

I wince, watching the guy hit the machine, the glass case cracking.

All hell breaks loose. Motocross guys go after Kaleb, a bottle crashes to the floor, and a group of women gets pushed into a table, the legs scraping across the floor.

“Kaleb!” I cry.

Cici takes her opportunity while he’s distracted, shoving me in the chest, and I stumble back, my eyes burning with anger. Noah grabs my hand and yanks me away, my eyes burning into hers as she disappears in the crowd.

He pulls me across the bar, and I look back at the pit of brawlers on the dance floor, not seeing Kaleb anywhere. Do they have him on the floor or something?

The bartender leaps over the bar with a baseball bat, and Jake takes me from Noah as Noah runs back for his brother.

“Are you okay?” Jake asks.

I nod quickly, too worried about the boys. I can’t even say someone else started it. Kaleb technically made the first move.

His kiss still warms my forehead.

“Get in the truck.” Jake shoves his keys at me and pushes me toward the door.

I step backward, the music stopped and bystanders watching the fight. My heart hammers in my chest, feeling like this is my fault for some reason, but I know it’s not.

If I weren’t here, though…

Jake digs through the fray, finding his sons, and I spin around, running outside and to our truck parked on the curb.