“Alex, you need to be careful.”
I shrug. “What can they do to me that they haven’t already done?”
“Probably a lot.” She pauses, chewing worriedly on her lower lip. “They’ve already shown you what they’re capable of doing.”
“Lev isn’t going to protect me. He even asked about…” I shake my head, trying to forget the way he looked at my future stepfather. “He doesn’t care. Not in any substantial way.”
She nods.
“And Tomas,” I say with a bitter tone. “He wasn’t around to protect me from crazy Parker, so he’s out too. I can’t trust him.” No matter how good it feels to hold him. I blink rapidly, choking back betrayed tears. “Neither of them were at the boathouse yesterday. Can’t imagine why.”
Evelyn gives me a sympathetic look. She hasn’t said anything else. The way she listens to me makes me feel valid and seen, the kind of things that I wish Lev would do. And Tomas, too.
I swipe my hand over my eyes. “Obviously, Parker is fucking psychotic, and Soren has no interest in me beyond what I can provide with my mouth. Lev and Tomas lied to get what they wanted sexually.” A shaky sigh escapes me. “They all lie to me.”
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Alex.” She taps her knee thoughtfully. “Which means that they won’t likely change either. In the future. You’re basically picking your poison here if you go through with any of those marriages.”
“Not to mention one of them probably killed my father.”
The gravity of that statement hangs heavy in the air between us.
“Alex,” she whispers, as if she’s afraid someone will hear us. “If you think that, then it’s even more important that you find a way out.”
I look at her, noticing the concern in her gaze and the terror in her stance. “I will,” I swear. “Maybe if they’re busy fighting each other, they’ll take each other out.” My brows rise with interest. “And then they’ll leave me alone.”
“How do you think you’ll do that?”
“The same as I have been.” I sit up straight and pluck the hairband from my hair, releasing my dark tresses around my shoulders. “Make them jealous. Make them fight over me. It’s all the power I have.”
“Just be careful. I care about you.”
I give her a weak smile. “I care about you too.” After a moment, I shrug. “Besides, why do I even need them? I don’t want the life my father left for me. I don’t want anything to do with this town.”
Water tickles the balls of my feet, inviting me to glance down. Shadowy fish shapes swarm beneath the cloudy silt, where none of this bullshit exists. There’s no constant planning and adjusting. The fish just naturally know what to do. They swim, they eat, they fuck, they shit, and then they die. Simple living.
Why can’t I have something like that?
“Thank you,” I croak, emotions gripping my heart like a vise. “For listening. I didn’t have to dump all that shit on you.”
“I’m here for it.” Her hand appears over mine, making me feel warm. “Want to go for a ride? Get your mind off it?”
I nod and take her hand, letting her lift me from the dock. The flesh where the wood bit into my thighs is sore, but I ignore it, welcoming a pain that hasn’t been caused by somebody’s hand or mouth. It’s the kind of reminder that makes me realize how much I love this body and how badly I want to cling to it.
No matter what happens, I’ll avenge my father’s death. I’ll protect myself. I’ll keep Evelyn from facing harm, too.
And it all starts with the alpha pricks who started this whole mess.