Page 218 of Rogue Riders Duet

It’s messy, but it’s not wrong. Not if it’s honest.

Toulouse stirs, snuffling as he stretches, one paw catching the edge of my ear. He’s been out cold for hours, curled inside my hood like a pocket-size heater. I lift him gently and set him on the bed, thinking he might curl up in the blanket or nosedive into the pillows. But no. He pads straight up to Alaina, headbutts her cheek once, and settles in by her face as close as he can get.

I let out a quiet huff of a laugh because, of course, he does.

My stomach growls loudly, and I wince at the sound. I haven’t eaten since yesterday, and my body is starting to revolt. Easing carefully up from the mattress, not wanting to wake them, I move fast, but she doesn’t stir, neither of them do, not even when I make it to the door and glance back.

Toulouse is still tucked in like a little sentinel beside her, and Alaina’s brow is smooth now, like she finally found some sense of peace. Her lips are parted, and my chest aches just looking at her beautiful face.

Fuck, I want her.

And more than that, I want her to be okay.

I slip out the door and pull it softly shut behind me, before heading toward the kitchen, but when I’m farther down the hallway, I hear raised voices.

“Dane, please,” my maman pleads.

What the fuck? Is Greer back?

“No! I won’t let this happen,” Dane snaps.

I quicken my pace, entering the kitchen to find Dane, Piper, Otis, and my mother all standing in a tense standoff with Alaina’s father.

Perfect.

As if this day wasn’t already bad enough.

Piper is holding onto Dane’s arm again, trying to calm him, but he looks even worse than earlier today with Finn. Maman is standing between Dane and his father, her hands raised in a soothing gesture.

“What the hell is going on?” I snap, stepping fully into the room. I hate the way my mother is planted between them, playing shield while their eyes throw fire at each other.

Dane turns to me. “Our dad thinks he can just barge in here and take Alaina with him.”

I cross my arms over my chest, glaring at Ambrose. “Essaie, vieux con.”

Try it, old man.

His eyes narrow. Maybe he understood me.

Good.

Ambrose straightens his spine and squares his shoulders. “She’s my daughter.”

“That does not make her yours to control,” I snap back.

Dane steps forward, but Piper tightens her grip on his arm. “Don’t, you’ll make it worse.”

“Let’s all take a breath.” My mother places a hand on Dane’s shoulder, but I’m done breathing, and I’m so done standing by while everyone puts more shit on my girl, so I step up next to Dane, siding with him.

I’m done letting people hurt her.

Dane’s dad scoffs when he sees us forming a line of defense. “You’re all being unreasonable. She has broken fingers! She needs to be seen in a proper hospital, not kept in some backwoods cabin with a bunch of overgrown children playing bodyguards. And after that, she needs recovery and physio, not more races and this nonsense. This farce needs to stop before it all explodes in her face.”

So, Dane told him why she’s doing this.

Somehow, it bugs me that he knows before I do, but at the same time, it wasn’t Alaina telling him, which helps. I want to hear it from her.

“Now is the time to pull out,” Ambrose adds. “Before there are any real repercussions.”