Page 40 of The Fence Between Us

Dash and Delcan glowered, the disgust evident in their eyes, and Max backed away another step, putting his ostentatious leather executive chair between them.

“Where is Skye?” Rabble growled low in his throat.

That barely contained fury spilled through his clenched jaw. It wouldn’t be long until Rabble lunged for the man. As if he could sense Rabble’s hold on his control slipping, Declan moved to block him and encouraged Dash to continue. They needed answers quickly. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, Rabble knew if he attacked Max, any chance of finding Skye would drastically decrease. He breathed deeply and reined in his rage, coiling it tightly in his chest, right next to his heart.

“I haven’t seen her!” Max shouted. “Gayle said she spoke with her, that Skye was beginning to see the merit of marrying Dylan. She said Skye had big news to share with us at the house later tonight.”

“Dylan?” Declan frowned, then used his most confident voice to lie in the hope of tricking Max into revealing something, anything, that would help them. “I wasn’t under the impression marriage was on the table, based on what she told us about him. From my understanding, that relationship was over before it even started.”

Max tugged at his shirt collar, loosening the tie that reminded Rabble of a noose. “Yes, well, Dylan never really took her seriously. He insisted she was simply playing hard to get. Women are like that. He’s considered her his fiancé since college. His father and I, well, we just sort of encouraged him to continue pursuing her. I knew she’d come around eventually.”

Rabble’s stomach rolled again. He might truly throw up all over the man.

Dash crossed the space between them, cornering the mayor against a bookshelf behind his desk. He leaned down, face mere inches away from the mayor’s sweaty face, and growled, “She is ahuman being, you sick son of a bitch.”

Declan joined his brother, his usual easy-going nature nowhere to be found. Together, they created an impenetrable wall.

“Sounds to me like you have a real hard time letting your grown daughter make her own choices. Makes me wonder how far you’d go to get her back under your thumb.”

“There better not be a single hair on her head out of place,” Rabble said.

For a moment, his mouth fell open, and Max blanched. “She’s my daughter. Why would I hurt her?”

Rabble snorted. The fact that Max couldn’t see how his actions broke his daughter’s heart every day for twenty-six years made Rabble realize it didn’t matter what he said; Max would deflect it. He refused to take responsibility and would never be at fault for anything, ever.

Declan shook his head in disbelief, his mouth opening to tell the mayor exactly what he thought of him, but Rabble stopped him with a quick shake of his head.

Rabble’s tone came out firm and flat, “We’re done here.”

As one, Rabble & Bros. Security team turned away from the revolting man, if he could even be considered a man, and not a ruthless snake.

They waited to speak until they stood before their trucks. Declan clapped Rabble on the shoulder. “I don’t like what we heard about this Dylan. If he still thinks he has a chance with her, he’s at the top of my list. Unrequited love is such a bitch. Tends to bring out the crazy in people.”

A drifting cloud momentarily blotted out the moon and Rabble shook his head.

“Maybe, but Max gave himself away. Skyeloathedthat house. If she has such big news to share tonight, my bet is that’s where we’ll find her. And based on what we saw at the cottage, she didn’t go there willingly.”

Dash unlocked his truck. “Let’s go get Skye.”

Dash’s hazel eyes met Rabble’s, and the promise that shone in those depths settled Rabble’s heart just a little. No matter whathappened next, there were no other men he’d rather have with him than the two walking beside him.

Rabble nodded. “Let’s go get my woman.”

Chapter 24

Skye

Skye sat on the pink floral comforter adorning the twin bed, and stared into nothing longer than she should have. She had the surreal sensation that this was all some elaborate prank and someone would soon to let her in on the joke. Though she had no difficulty believing Dylan and her stepmother were capable of this, something so vile and repulsive that it turned her stomach. Her instincts warred with each other, freeze or flight.

Either way, she had to find a way out of the house and warn Rabble. They’d already drugged her once. She had no doubt they would do it again, and whatever shady officiant Gayle paid off for this farce of a wedding, Skye didn’t trust they would care whether she gave verbal consent to be married.

Her eyes drifted to the vibrant pink garment bag hanging on the closet door. She had worked with Elyza long enough to recognize the long, protective bag for formal gowns. A bad feeling engulfed her. Driven by morbid curiosity, Skye took light steps to the closet and slowly, cautiously, pulled down the gaudy golden zipper. She sucked in a sharp breath as inch byinch she exposed horrible heaping layers of taffeta and chiffon. The monstrosity of long yards of fabric came together in sharp corners and puffy sleeves. Light-headedness overcame her as she struggled to pull air into her lungs. She wanted to scream and rage against the hideous creation, to burn the damn thing.

Skye slowly backed away from the dress as if it could grow fangs and rip into her. The window began looking more and more like a viable option, heronlyreal option. She fantasized ripping the white gown into strips, tying them together, and using the makeshift rope to repel down the two-story drop. The beginning of an insane plan began to form in her mind and she shoved it to the back of her brain to mull-over.

Terror and years of obedience, to a fault, warred with her desire for freedom and her knowledge that none of this was okay. Worry gnawed at her, and her teeth tore nervously at her bottom lip. She had never been the type of person to choose fight or even flight. No, she always froze. Just like now.

“Think, Skye,” she muttered to herself as she paced, keeping to the opposite side of the room and far away from that hideous dress as possible.

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