Cold As Stone

Chapter 20

The beginnings of a scream bubble up through my throat and escape my mouth, but one hand fastens over my mouth while the other arm clamps around my torso, holding my arms to my body. I scream through the warm hand and kick at the guy's shin. He curses and it sounds familiar, but I'm too far into panic to recognize where from. 

   I throw my head back, but he sees it coming and is able to pull back enough so I just clip his chin. His hand had loosened slightly trying to avoid my head butt, so I twist my head slightly and bite down on the meaty area just below his thumb. 

   "Fuck, Myra!" I shriek and am pushed onto the bed. My fear spikes. Feet thunder up the steps and I scramble around to face my attacker just in time to see all the Stone brothers bust through my door, breaking the lock. Scratch that, not all of them. Ryder was already standing in the middle of my room, glaring at me and clutching his bleeding hand. 

   "What the fuck?" is all I can think to say. 

I'm sitting on the living room couch, waiting for Zane to finish up fixing my door after he'd ran to the hardware store to pick up a replacement. Here's to hoping my parents don't notice an entirely new door nob. Not quite sure how I'd explain that one. 

   I'd finished cleaning and bandaging Ryder's hand and he's glaring at me from the other side of the room, hands shoved firmly into his pockets. Not much had been said, Jett didn't want to start without Zane, so other than the short fight between Ryder and I over who's fault that he got hurt it was, we've been silent. 

   Jett's phone starts ringing and he glances down before making a frustrated noise and leaving the room.

   "You didn't have to bite me," Ryder grumbles slightly, bringing the argument back up. "What are you? A dog? Am I going to get rabies or something?"

   Anger boils in my chest and I rocket to my feet. "Don't you dare put any of this on me, Ryder Stone. You broke into my house and were waiting in my room! That is not normal! Yes, I bit you! You're stronger than me. What was I supposed to do? Flip you over my shoulder onto the nice and comfy bed? Yeah right! If you don't want to get bit, don't lie in wait in a girl's room. Creep."

   "I wouldn't have been there if you'd just fucking talk to one of us!" he growls. "Instead, you run away like a little girl every time you catch even a glimpse of us."

   "That's enough!" Jett barks, having come back in. We both fall silent, glaring daggers at each other. We're locked in a staring battle and I will not lose. 

   Jett and Finn walk into the corner of the room and talk a bit. I catches snippets of it, something about someone being missing. Someone named Nathan. Where had I heard that name before. 

   "All done. Good as new, Myra," Zane says, coming back into the room. I don't break eye contact with Ryder and he doesn't look away either. "Uh, am I missing something?"

   "Just our jackass brother getting owned by the the lovely Myra," Calum says, the smile in his voice evident. 

   "What the fuck, man?" Ryder heads jerks in Calum's direction and he immediately realizes his mistake. 

   "Ha!" I exclaim, pointing at Ryder in triumph. 

   "Whatever," he grumbles, leaning against the wall. 

   "Now, we're all here," Jett says and my body goes cold. Shit. "Speak."

   "I thought I already established that I am, in fact, not a dog," I say in response. 

   "Myra," he warns and I huff, falling back on the couch and crossing my arms and legs. I don't look at any of them, instead choosing to stare at a spot on the wall where the paint is messed up.