Page 86 of Claiming Lily

Gage chuckles. “I think I might’ve aged ten years.”

“I knew a storm was coming,” I say, but my voice shakes slightly. Right when I thought I could rest easy, there’s a whole new reason to be on edge. Will more of Matt’s premeditated actions slowly come to light? How long will his decisions torture me?

Hudson squeezes my shoulder. “Maybe we should put on a movie. Something low stakes like comedy. Try to relax.”

“Good idea.” Cole nods. “Something stupid and funny is just my speed.”

“At least you’re self-aware,” Gage says, dodging Cole’s fist. “Hey, I’m only stating the obvious.”

“Screw you.” Cole heads into the living room, not really upset, and we all follow.

After ordering from the Italian place that has great dairy-free pasta options, Hudson finds some ridiculous comedy special on Netflix. For a few minutes, it almost works. Almost, but not quite.

Every rumble of thunder has the hairs on the back of my neck standing on edge. I don’t miss how the guys’ hands are balled into fists either. Or how every creak of the house has us glancing toward the windows or searching the shadows for attackers.

“This is ridiculous,” I mutter during a particularly loud crack of thunder that makes Gage practically jump off the couch.

“We’re all ridiculous,” Hudson agrees, but his arm tightens around me protectively.

The storm outside mirrors the chaos in my head perfectly. Dark, unpredictable, and impossible to control. But I’m safe. Protected by three men. Matt’s already in jail.

Nothing bad is going to happen.

Chapter Twenty-Five

LILY

The doorbell almost has a scream tearing out of my throat. Luckily, I manage to stifle it. It would’ve been really embarrassing and revealed to the guys how deeply rattled I am. I’ve been trying to put on a brave face for them because they’re already worried about me.

I pause the movie while the guys grab the food. Breathing in to calm myself, I head to the kitchen to grab utensils and napkins while they pay and tip the driver. I refuse to let my fear consume me. I’m stronger than that.

Together, we spread out the takeout on the dining room table, but before we can open the containers, a loud BOOM sounds from outside followed by the blaring of a horn, long and loud. The sound carries through the panes of glass between rumbling thunder and the patter of rain.

“What was that?”

“Sounds like a crash,” Hudson says with a frown.

We all get to our feet and look out of the windows. Through the streaks of water, I can barely make out the taillights of two cars. It’s too dark out to tell exactly what happened, though judging by the sound and the horn, it’s not good.

“Is that the delivery driver?” I stare at the red lights which are blurry through the water streaked glass.

“Looks like it.” Hudson turns to Gage and Cole. “We should make sure they’re okay. Cole, stay with Lily?”

He nods. “I’ll call 911.”

Hudson and Gage throw on the closest pair of shoes—too worried to grab the rain gear. When they open the door, the sound of rain pummeling the ground, deafening like a waterfall after a hard rain, rushes to greet us. They’re going to be soaked. Neither of them seem to care though as they head into the night.

Lightning illuminates the darkened sky again. An ominous warning. I press my hand against the window, trying to squint to see them rush out into the night, but it’s impossible to see. Hopefully both drivers and any passengers are okay.

The guys will know exactly what to do.

Chapter Twenty-Six

GAGE

Rain slams into me, the wind whipping it sideways. Fucking hell. I’m already drenched. My socks soak up the water from the puddles rapidly forming on the driveway. Hudson and I jog toward the end of the lane to where the delivery driver crashed. The curving road to our house can be rough, and with the rain coming down as hard as it is, if he couldn’t see and another car was coming. . . it’s a recipe for disaster.

I grimace and pick up the pace, hoping no one is hurt.