SARAH Perfect. This was definitely not on my to-do list for today. Luke HawkThorne takes further steps away from his pick up truck. There’s a glint in his eyes that makes me feel like the rabbit spotting the wolf. I know he’s not their father, still he seems to have the same aura they do. The one that keeps you glued to the spot even when you know you should run for your dearest fucking life. What is he doing here anyway? When I do not answer him, his smile broadens. “Sarah,” he drawls, making my stomach turn. His gaze shifts to the car behind me, as if assessing the situation. “Car trouble?” I fold my arms, partly to keep my hands from shaking. I can’t let him see that I am actually very afraid of him. From the little I know, he is the kind of man who would feed off my fear and eat me alive for it. My hands fold across my chest as I glare at him. “Would you believe me if I said no? Just felt like standing on the side of the road. It’s one of my hobbies, you know.” His smile tugs at one corner of his mouth, and there’s nothing kind in it. “Smart mouth. I can see why my boys like you so much.” “They’re not your boys,” I fire back at him. He shrugs. I search for hurt or pain in his eyes, any kind of remorse for the things he did to them, for killing their mother and abandoning them when they needed him the most, for leaving them to their fate for fifteen years, only to return when he believed he could get something out of them. I find none. Nothing. No remorse, and certainly no shame. “I raised them. And even after I was gone, my money took care of them.” My stomach tightens, but my face stays flat. “You mean their mother’s money?” Silent, his gaze flicks toward the smoke, then back to me. “You’re not going anywhere in that heap. Hop in. I’ll give you a lift.” I glance at the truck. Big, black, smells faintly of something metallic even from here. I’m not a fool. I know what the brothers think of him, and it’s not because of his sparkling personality. He can definitely not be trusted. “Generous offer,” I say lightly, “but I’m good. I’ll walk back and get a ride if I have to.” His laugh is low, like I’ve amused him. “Unless you plan on walking in the dark, sweetheart, you’re getting in the truck. Road’s not as safe as you think it is.” My left brow arches in query. “And you're supposed to be the safe option?” He tilts his head. “Safer than some.” It’s that kind of answer that makes me hesitate. I look away from him and turn to the road behind me. The road ahead is pitch-black, the estate’s gates are at least a twenty-minute walk, and my car’s officially a corpse. There’s another long walk to their home from their estate gate. I’m certain my car won’t be stolen, but I’m not certain I can walk that distance. It was definitely not a good idea to embark on this journey without dinner. I exhale through my nose. “Fine.” Luke climbs into the driver’s seat and opens the door from the inside, his eyes steady on mine. “Come in.” I hiss and climb into the truck. He doesn’t offer to help. Good, because I wouldn’t accept it if he did. The truck smells like old leather, motor oil, and something else I can’t quite place my finger on. I keep my expression blank as I click the seatbelt into place. We roll forward, the hum of the engine filling the silence. I keep my gaze on the road, but I can feel him looking at me. What is he going to see the boys for? Was he behind me all this while? How come I never saw him? “So,” he says finally, “they treat you well, my boys?” I flinch again. “I don’t see why that matters to you.” His jaw clenches once, hard. “You seem close to them.” “That’s not your business.”He laughs under his breath. “Everything’s my business. Especially when it involves them.” Without a second thought, I snap. If they’ve kept him quiet after what he did because they feel obligated to forgive him, I have no such sentiments. “You know, that’s rich coming from someone who disappeared from their lives for fifteen years and left them to fend for themselves.” I do not make any effort to hide the venom in my tone or the anger in my eyes. Someone has to hold him responsible. “It wasn’t my choice.” I scoff. “Are you serious? You ran away when they needed you the most! You couldn’t face the fact that you were a monster who killed their mother, and you ran away.” Luke HawkThorne bursts into a bitter laughter that leaves me blinking…in shock. “I ran away?” He looks away from the road and turns to me. “Is that what they told you?” I part my lips to speak, but I can barely say a word before he laughs again. “You know what? I take that back. You’re far more foolish than I thought.” My hands roll into fists. The only reason he’s not on the ground is because I can’t drive a truck this size myself. “You’re a pathetic liar.” I spit out. He chuckles in response. “That must be where they get it from then.” My eyes narrow into slits. Is he saying they lied to me? Nope. Absolutely not. I look away from him and fix my gaze on the road. I am not taking the word of an abusive liar over the words of men who mean the world to me. We drive in silence for another minute. I start counting the seconds in my head until we hit the familiar turn for the estate. Except… we don’t. The truck slows, then steers right, away from where I know the gates are.My eyes widen as I turn to him. What the fuck is he thinking now? “You missed your turn,” I say, my voice is too sharp to pass for casual. He doesn’t look at me. “I thought we’d take a little chat somewhere quieter.” “We don’t have anything to talk about.” He doesn’t answer. My pulse picks up, my heart starts racing at an alarming rate. “Turn the truck around, Luke.” I try to hide it; the dread that curls up in my throat. He glances at me, and the corner of his mouth curves. “Relax. You’ll be fine.” “Whatever you’re thinking, you’re going to regret it.” The laugh this time is almost genuine. “You’ve got spirit. I like that.” “Fuck this.” I’m seething. My left hand inches toward the seatbelt latch. My right hovers near the door handle. He notices. “If you jump, you’ll break your legs before you make it to the gates.” I flash him a deadly glare. “Guess we’ll find out.” I unclick the belt and shove the door open. The gravel leaps up to meet me faster than I thought. it knocks the breath out of me as I hit with my knees slamming against it, and palms scraping raw earth. Pain spikes hot through my legs, but I roll and scramble up before my brain can catch up. The gravel feels rough under my thin flat slippers. The estate lights are far, maybe a hundred yards, but it doesn’t stop me. I run. The sound of heavy boots against the ground gets louder and louder behind me. I do not dare to look back. He’s catching up, and he’s catching up fast. “Sarah,” his voice calls, “you’re making this harder than it has to be.”I pant heavily, forcing my legs to go further even though my lungs want nothing more than for me to stop. The gravel shifts treacherously under my feet. My ankle twists, and pain shoots white hot up my calf. I bite down on a cry, but it slows me just enough to feel him closing in. Branches claw at my arms as I veer off the path, trying to cut through the edge of the trees. My heart is a wild, erratic drum in my chest. My lungs burn. Every step feels louder than the last. I hit a rut in the dirt I don’t see until it’s too late. My toe catches, and I go flying forward. The ground punches the air out of me. My cheek smacks into cold earth, the taste of copper flooding my mouth. I push up on shaking arms. The estate’s security lights flicker in my peripheral vision, close enough to feel like a cruel joke. My ankle screams when I try to stand, but I stagger forward anyway. Something—someone—catches my hair from behind, yanking me back. My scream tears out before I can stop it, and then his arm hooks around my throat from behind. Panic claws in my chest as my feet leave the ground. His breath is hot against my ear. “You and I,” he says softly, squeezing just enough to make black spots spark at the edges of my vision, “are going to have a long talk about my sons.”