Page 134 of Of Flesh & Bone

"Adam.Wake up."She'sshaking me."Adam."

"What?What happened?"

"There's a man outside."Her voice is quiet as though she doesn't want anyone else to hear her.

There's a man outside?I bolt out of the bed."Where is he?"

"Backyard.He's just standing out there watching the house."

I run to the window to look out.Our window looks out over the backyard and part of the pool.He's there.A man is standing there in the dark, unmoving.He's looking toward the house but it's too dark to make out any of his features.I turn and grab Eve by the arms."Stay here.Lock the door and call the guys.Tell them to get over here."

She's shaking her head vigorously."No way.We go together."

"The hell we will.You stay right here and call them.Do what I fucking say, Eve."

She looks at me with nothing but defiance and determination."We go together."

"He's going to get away if you don't listen to me, damn it."

"He's going to get away if you don't realize that you aren't going anywhere without me."

"Fuck, Eve!Fine.Call them."I know that when I turn to leave this room, she'll be right behind me.She's so close to me that I hear Cal's voice when he answers the phone.

"Eve, what's wrong?"His voice is wary and thick with sleep.

Eve speaks quietly in the same way she did to me in the bedroom.Does she think someone is inside the house?The alarm would've gone off.

"There's a man in the backyard.I think he threw a lounger into the pool to get our attention."

I hear rustling on the other end of the phone."Where's Adam?"Pounding footsteps and "Get up!There's a man outside Adam's house."

"He's here with me.We're going back downstairs to see where he is."

"No, Eve.Go up to your room right fucking now!Tell Adam to wait for us."

"We don't want him to get away.I'm not letting Adam go alone."

A door slams and more footsteps pound on the ground.Car doors shut and tires squeal."Eve, I swear to hell if you get yourself hurt, I'm going to fucking skin you."Cal's voice is angry and shaky.He's scared.He hates to feel out of control.It's something that the three of us have felt before and we didn't like the experience.

"We'll be okay.I have a bat and Adam."

I turn quickly to look at her and see that she does in fact, have a bat.Was she holding that the whole time?Where did she even get it from?Damn.My girl is so fucking brave.I'm equal parts proud and pissed the hell off.She wouldn't listen to me.That could get her hurt one day.That day won't be today.I have the rest of our lives to teach her to obey me but deep down, I know...she's too strong to bend.

We reach the double back doors and look out into the yard.There's no one.He's gone.Fuck!I look to Eve and she's still scanning the yard.She looks...confused."You saw him, right?"

I narrow my eyes, wondering what she's really asking."Yes.I saw him from the window.Why?"

"Just making sure."

She turns her attention back to the phone."He's gone.There's no one there."

"Don't go outside.We're almost there.Wait for us.He could still be out there."One of them ends the call and Eve turns her attention back to the glass doors.

I'm confused by her words, but I need to know if he's still out there.I move away from the door and go into my office.As I open the gun safe, I feel Eve's presence in the room.Without turning to face her, I ask "Do you know how to use one of these?"

"Yeah."

I turn to look at her.I'm surprised by her admission."It's not like a paintball gun.This is more powerful, harder to aim."

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