Page 81 of Mustang Summer

The guy with her must be the cheating ex.Where was her dad and the Shelby?Which one had taken his car?

Brock assumed his involvement would mess up the investigation into the stolen car.He didn’t care.Once he ensured Josie’s safety, he’d work out the rest.If she stole from him, he’d walk away.If not, he’d get answers.He needed answers.There weren’t enough Mustangs on the planet for him to work on while the questions ate away at him.

He knocked again.

More shouting from inside about answering the door.

“Josie,” he called.

Abrupt silence.

Crashes sounded from inside and Brock tugged at the handle.The door was locked.He evaluated the old wooden door.It was solid and sturdy.

“Brock!”At Josie’s muffled shout, he pushed the screen open wide and stepped back.

More scuffles sounded and with grim determination he cocked his knee and kicked at the doorknob.The door shook and groaned, but held firm.Brock’s hope lay in shattering the doorjamb.

Another kick, and another, and the door vibrated open, raining down splinters from the frame.Long cracks rent through the door.

A tall man with wide eyes and a look Brock could guess was panic restrained Josie.

Brock braced himself for her reaction.Would she panic like her ex?Was he still her ex?Had he really been her ex?

Her lips were pulled back in fury, hair falling over her face, and she struggled hard.The man’s fingers dug into her biceps.She tried to slam her heel onto the bridge of her captor’s foot, but he managed to dance his feet out of the way.

“Get the fuck out,” the man snarled.

Brock closed the distance between them, but before he reached her, Josie abruptly changed her fight tactics and flung her head back.The top caught the man’s jaw.He released her and stumbled back.Bending over, he covered his bleeding mouth and cussed a storm.

She jumped into Brock’s arms.He staggered back, more from shock than her slight weight.“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.I had no idea they’d take it.Please believe me.”

He blinked at the sensory assault of her pleading words and Gage’s furious cries of pain.Brock snaked his arms around her waist.The weight of her warm body tucked into his soothed him.

The man dropped his hand.“You broke in here.Get out.”

Brock kept his gaze on Josie’s flushed cheeks.“Are you okay?”

“No,” she said and glared over her shoulder.“Gage and Bill—my dad—planned to take the car to Detroit, but it’s still in town.”

Blood ran down Gage’s chin.He must’ve bitten his lip when Josie head butted him.He stabbed a finger at them.“You stay out of it.”

Josie spun around, but stayed pressed close to Brock.“It’s over, Gage.Brock knows who stole his car.I’m going to tell the police everything.You and Bill are going to have to deal with your own mess.If you guys care so little about my welfare, I refuse to care about yours.”She turned back.“Can you get me out of here?I just need to grab a few things before we go get your car.I understand if you don’t want me staying with you, but I need to leave.”

Brock’s brain reeled over the assault of information and the accusations being flung around.

“Good luck finding it,” Gage scoffed.“Bill has the keys to my truck, so good lucktakingit.”

In Brock’s arms, Josie shook with rage.He glanced between her and the ex.

Gage stalked toward them and Josie pressed into Brock like she was trying to get away from him.

She was scared of this man.That thought ranked higher than any other in Brock’s mind.He settled Josie behind him and steadied his breathing.His cousins had run interference for him his entire life, but he was more than capable of taking care of himself.And thanks to his cousins and their childhood rowdiness, he knew how.

Gage raised his fist to slam it into his face.Brock ducked and punched Gage in the stomach so hard the man’s breath whooshed out and he dropped to his knees.Brock nailed him in the face.Gage’s head flung backward and he tumbled to the floor, knocked out.

“Holy shit,” Josie darted around Brock.“I’ve been dreaming of doing exactly that to the arrogant bastard.”

She knelt down and rested her fingers against Gage’s neck.“Let me make sure he’ll live before I grab my things.”She paused with her head cocked like she could hear the blood pumping.“Yep, the idiot’s alive.Good enough.Be right back.”She sprinted out of the room.

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