“You’re f**kin’ up, kid,” Axel said from beside me now that we were alone, and I turned to face him. He was wiping the still-pouring blood from under his nose.

Marching toward him, I pushed on his chest and snapped, “No. You’re f**kin’ up! What the hell kinda brother are you to me and Levi, huh? Wait until we’re old enough and then drop us into that crew!” I prodded at his wide chest. “So I’d say you’re the one f**kin’ up, Axe. You!”

I went to walk away, when Axel said, “I don’t give a shit what you think of me, Austin. When Pop left and Mamma got sick, I did what I had to for us to survive. I don’t expect you to understand, superstar.”

I friggin’ hated it when he called me that.

Meeting Axel’s feet with my own, I looked right into his brown eyes and said, “Lev’s out. You hear? That kid ain’t got the stomach or the heart for this life. He deserves more, more than me and you for brothers.”

Axel shook his head, but I could see by the paleness of his face that I’d gotten to him. “Lev stays in with crew, and I’m sorry, brother, but you will be coming back too. We may have beef with each other tonight, but the Kings and Mamma’s medical bills will still be piling on our heads tomorrow.”

I stared at him without saying a word, then spun on my heel and turned away.

“Aust?”

My feet ground to a halt, and I said tiredly, “What, Axe?”

“I’ll stay with the kid and Mamma tonight. I’ll protect them. No need for you to come back. I promise.”

I exhaled though my nose and commenced walking to the car. “Good. I’d prefer it if I didn’t have to bury both my mamma and my brother in the same f**kin’ year.”

A few seconds later, I heard Levi let Axel into the trailer and all five locks slam closed.

Jumping into the Prius, it didn’t take me long to skid out of the trailer park and start gunning down the highway back toward school.

The rain had begun easing off, and I looked to Lexi, who was watching me, her heavy makeup mostly gone from the heaviness of the rain.

I loved those freckles spattered on her nose. Fuck, I was beginning to just love everything about her, period.

As I clenched the steering wheel under my hand, I said, “Pix, I’m so sorry.”

Lexi didn’t say a word, and as I looked at her again, she hadn’t even changed her expression.

“Pix, please, I know you’re hurting, but I just wanna say—”

“Go to the summerhouse, Austin.”

I cast a double take at Lexi, completely confused. “I’m taking you back to your sorority hou—”

“Go to the summerhouse,” she repeated, sternly.

“Why, Pix?” I asked and held my breath, waiting for the answer.

Lexi’s tiny hand nervously stretched out over the seats and landed on my thigh. “Because I’ve never felt more safe in my life than I do with you. I want to be with you in the place you first showed me your true colors.” She looked up at me through her long lashes. “Because I’m not ready to leave you yet.”

I placed my hand down on top of hers, and she added, “Because I need you, Austin. There’s no more to it than that. I need you. That should be reason enough.”

Despite my wringing-wet clothing, the cold material sticking to my skin, all I felt was warmth as Lexi’s words flowed over my body.

“Fuck, Pix,” I said gruffly, and I gripped her fingers tighter in mine.

“Is that okay?”

“More than okay,” I said with a laugh.

“And why is that?” she asked shyly.

Bringing her fingers to my lips, I pressed a single kiss to her palm, all humor gone. “Because I damn well need you too. Too f**kin’ much to fight it anymore.”

Chapter Eighteen

Lexi

The atmosphere outside is strange after a storm, like Mother Nature takes a much-earned breather from ripping the world apart. The wind drops and the gray-black skies go completely and eerily still.

As Austin and I walked cautiously toward the summerhouse, avoiding being seen by prying eyes, there was no backing soundtrack of crickets chirping, no owls hooting; everything was calm, almost reflective in its tone. Even the voice in my head seemed to be taking a break from torturing my mind.

Looking up to the rolling twilight sky, the clouds were drifting slowly, recovering from a turbulent night. I knew how they felt. I was still reeling from Gio’s and Axel’s anger toward me, but more than that, my chest was full with respect for Austin. He’d protected me, looked after me. Chose to defend me over his older brother.

As I risked a glance at him out of the corner of my eye, I couldn’t help feeling breathless. He was staring down at our intertwined fingers with a disbelieving glint in his brown Italian eyes. Like he couldn’t believe we were here together.

Still unaware I was watching him, Austin casually lifted our joined hands to his mouth and pressed a kiss to the back of mine. Goose bumps immediately accosted my body, ones that had nothing to do with the cold breeze on my drenched skin and everything to do with being cherished and worthy enough to earn Austin’s protection.

Sighing happily, I laid my head on his thick bicep.

He made me feel so safe.

As we reached the summerhouse door, Austin checked around us to make sure no one was watching and, dropping our hands, fished the key from his sodden and muddied jean pocket and quietly opened the heavy wooden door.