Page 79 of Shattered By the Currents

Xander and Nathaniel, entering the café.

He wasn’t sure who he wanted to hit first. The piece of shit who’d shoved Raven against the community center, or the creepwho’d been caught watching her outside the motel room last night.

Maybe he could hit both at the same time.

Connor stepped forward, only to have Joel grab his arm and whisper, “Easy.”

Xander smiled as he approached the counter. “Hi, boys. Having a good morning?”

“How did you know Raven was at the motel last night?” Connor asked.

He frowned, the confusion on his face fake as shit. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Like hell you don’t.” Connor inched forward. “Why are you watching her? Why are you even here?”

“I mean, you must know the answer to that.” He paused. “Unless…she hasn’t told you what she did?” His eyes widened. “Oh, shit. Shehasn’ttold you.” Xander looked at Nathaniel, and they both smirked.

That was it, Xander was going down first. Connor was going to hit him so hard the fucker never got up again.

Joel touched his shoulder, a silent warning.

Xander studied him. “Ask yourself why she hasn’t told you.”

“I think we both know the answer to that.”

Xander lifted a brow. “Do we?”

Connor’s phone rang, and he forced himself to step away from them. “Stay away from her.”

They just smirked again.

Connor waited until he was outside to answer the call. “Ethan.”

“Hey. You busy?”

“I’m supposed to go for a run with Joel but can push it back. Why?”

“I found something on Xander. It involves Raven. And it’s not good.”

She was late.She hadn’t even remembered she had anything to be latefor. But that was because with everything going on, she’d completely forgotten about Zumba, a session Lottie had scheduled. The one Lottie had offhandedly mentioned last week that Raven hadn’t had the energy to argue with her about.

Lottie was going to love this.

She dropped into her car and pressed her foot to the gas.

The second she was driving, her gaze went to the rearview mirror. No one was following, but that didn’t put her at ease.

Xander had been at the motel last night. Why? To watch her? Would he have done more than watch if Connor hadn’t been there? And how had he even known that she’d been staying at the motel?

A shudder rolled through her, and she drove a bit faster.

She’d been so close to telling Connor everything this morning. Shewantedto tell him. She hadn’t missed his disappointment when she hadn’t. He deserved so much more than she was giving him.

But the fear…God, it just wrapped its fingers around her throat every time the words tried to get out. Fear for so many reasons, the main one being that she’d lose everything. Connor. Her parents. Her life.

But she also couldn’t keep living like this. The PI had been her only solution to finding dirt on Xander and getting out of this situation. But Tim was dead. Xander had killed him. She knew that down to her bones. She couldn’t keep doing this alone. Plus, if last night had proved anything, it was that she also couldn’t stay away from Connor.

With a deep breath, she made the decision there and then—she’d tell him. He was former special operations. He knew how to protect himself. And maybe he and his team would help her put Xander away.