It All Started With Hate

lock | part 1 (e)

My rambles of concern were nothing to him. He ignored them until we were in front of our bedroom door.

As soon as we were in, he locked it behind us, then pushed the dresser, which was right next to the door, in front of it with ease.

He jerked around, and made his way to me, quickly. Gentle hands cradled my face in them.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" he rushed out, eyes wild as they searched me over. At the blood from my nose, and the bruise I was sure was forming on my jaw, rage made his expression shift into a dark promise. "I'm gonna fucking kill him." A hand stroked the side of my head as he let the rage settle for me. "I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry, Maggie. I had no idea. I tried to get here as quick—"

My hands lowered to his shirt, which was stained with red. It wasn't much, but it was still enough to make my concern hit the roof.

"Are you okay?" I tried to lift his shirt, but he wouldn't let me. "Luke—"

"It was just a graze, baby. I'm fine." His hands lowered to my cheeks, eyes latched onto. A million messages were sent through that alone. "We'll have time for this part, later on, yeah?"

I nodded, hurriedly. As badly as we wanted to make our reintroductions after a long, tortuous month apart, this was the worst possible time to do so.

Luke pressed a quick kiss to my forehead, my lips, then my forehead, again. They were shaky, but so effective, too. Despite the past couple of minutes, that alone did me more comfort than anything else.

Determination concreted him over, again. Nodding to himself, he released me to turn to his dresser, where his guns were.

While I loaded mine, I could hear Luke getting his ready to an impressive pace. There were thumps against the door as they attempted to get into the room, then curses when they couldn't, but that was it.

I looked to Luke. "How did you find out?"

"My dad," he muttered as he shoved another magazine into the pistol. As soon as he had it, he placed it on top of the dresser to look at me. "He gave yours my address, and a key. Xander and Quinn helped trace you, too. They've all been working together the entire time." His next words were dark, "The check. The attacks. All of it. It was all their planning."

I had to stop my jaw from dropping. My father had told me himself that they were working together, but now I knew it run much deeper than that. I shouldn't even be shocked, though, but hearing that, as well as Xander and Quinn's involvement in this did it for me.

"He's taken care of, though, and Xander and Quinn will be too," Luke added in a mumble as he moved toward the door to move the dresser. "Just like the rest of them. My dad told me there's eight, plus your dad. I snuck up on one on the outside in order to get in, and the one inside."

"Seven left. Okay..." I grabbed my gun; there were enough bullets between us to end it. "Let's go."

"No."

My movements stilled.

I raised my gaze to Luke. "What?"

"You're staying here." He motioned to the bed with a head flick. "Stay in our room, keep away from the windows and the doors, and let me handle it."

My eyes nearly bulged out of my head. "What? No—"

Turning, he shook his head with a mumbled, "I'm not arguing about this with you, Maggie."

Disbelief swiveled in with my anger at his stubbornness. "No, Luke." I marched toward him, and jerked him around by his arm. "I'm helping you do this. It'll be easier."