Libby and Einstein immediately stopped talking to watch Johnny and me walk toward where they stood in their kitchen. Something was off about the way they were staring at us. They were worried. I could practically feel it. If I hadn’t been so focused on keeping Johnny calm, my steps might have faltered.
But as it was, I was focused on keeping Johnny calm.
I’d passed out sometime early this morning once my adrenaline had finally died down and woken up not long ago. By then, my rage had faded enough for me to realize what Johnny had done last night . . . what Einstein had tried to warn us both of.
I’d watched as he wrecked that guesthouse on the Holloway Estate and hadn’t once tried to stop him. They would know it had been us, and we hadn’t even gotten Lily O’Sullivan out of it.
Now because he’d fucked up, I had to make sure my family was safe—had to keep them safe—and I needed to make sure Johnny never once felt my anger or fear. If he did, if he knew I was truly afraid for our family, for Einstein, and it had been his fault . . . he’d be uncontrollable.
“Morning,” I said with a practiced grin.
Libby scoffed. “I hear last night was a bust. I could’ve told you it was going to be. Oh, wait, I did tell you.”
Einstein cut her a look before quickly dropping her stare to the floor. I tried to study her face and hands, but Johnny blocked my view of her when he slipped up to kiss the top of her head, quietly talking to her as he did.
I looked back at Libby, but she was staring at her nails.
Typical of her, but it was obvious in how tense she was holding herself that she was deliberately avoiding looking at me now.
Their unease was making me edgy, but I wondered if the girls had come to the same conclusion I had this morning. Maybe they already knew Johnny needed to remain calm.
Einstein didn’t know him as well as I did, but she knew him well enough . . . and she’d been there last night for the destruction.
Trying to ignore the way their worry magnified my own, I clapped my hands and kept my voice light. “All right. Time to pack.”
Libby finally looked at me, but her eyes darted twice to Einstein before holding mine. “For what?”
“Well, if you heard about the bust, then you heard that this dumbass destroyed the house.” I sent Johnny a grin when he looked over his shoulder to glare at me. “Don’t act like you didn’t. Anyway, we have to take precautions now. Need everyone in one place in case they want to know why we were on their property destroying their shit.”
“I told you they would know,” Einstein said softly. Too soft. Too anxious.
I couldn’t remember a time in all the years I’d known her that she’d shown nerves.
Johnny tensed and took a shuddering breath.
Shit.
“If they know, then they know. If they decide to do something, that’s on them. That’s why we take precautions.” I shrugged then drummed my hands on the counter. “So pack and do it fast. Twins are already headed that way, and I’m starving.”
Johnny had his head dropped low so he could whisper to Einstein, and then he was leading her out of the kitchen toward her room. My sister started following after them, but I gripped her arm and held her there until they’d gone down the hall.
“Tell me what’s going on,” I demanded in a low tone as I turned her to face me. Her blank stare shifted to something in the kitchen to avoid looking at me.
She huffed, but there was a slight hitch in it. “Well, I would’ve thought that was obvious. You’re making us pack so we can all have a stupid camp out at the house, clearly I’m annoyed.”
“Don’t lie to me, Libby. I could see it when we walked in . . . I could feel it.” I paused when Johnny started walking back down the hall, and lowered my voice when he ducked into the bathroom. “Neither of you would look at me once I came into the kitchen, and you’re still refusing to look at me. Tell me what’s going on.”
“Nothing. I’m just going to pack and meet you at the house.”
“No. You’re driving with me. Johnny’s driving with Einstein.”
She sighed and finally met my stare. “Dare—”
“Don’t,” I warned, cutting her off. I opened my mouth to continue just as a loud thump came from the bathroom. I started to look in that direction, but stopped when I noticed Libby.
Mouth set in a tight line, an anxious look in her now wide eyes.
Exactly how she’d been when we’d walked in.
“Libby . . . what’s wrong?”
She was already shaking her head before I’d finished asking, and when she responded, the snarky tone she usually dealt held a hint of panic. “This is bullshit. Not only do you not give us the option of staying in our place, you and Johnny came in here, forcing us to pack while you breathe down our necks. Some space would be appreciated.”
I lifted my shoulders in an apologetic shrug. “That’s not going to happen.”
“All of this is pointless, and you’re overreacting because you made a bad call last night.”
“You and I both know what Johnny did puts everyone in danger,” I said in a grave tone. “Einstein knew that last night, and he still did it. And I’m not letting you, or any member of the family, wait around for a Holloway to decide to return the favor. If they do, they’ll find us all together and waiting for them.”
“Where’s Johnny?”
I glanced up to where Einstein was standing halfway down the hall, and jerked my head in the direction of the door just feet from where she was standing. “Bathroom.”
A look of dread covered her face. “Shit . . . shit.” Her voice started as a whisper and ended with a yell as she ran for the bathroom door, pounding her fists against it when it didn’t open. “Johnny!”
Libby’s hand shot out to grip at my arm. “Johnny’s in there?” she asked, her voice rising with panic.
“Yeah, what’s—”
“Oh God . . . Elle.” Libby whirled around, her expression morphing into horror as she rushed toward the bathroom with me behind her.
“Who the fuck is Elle?”
“Open the door,” Einstein pled as Libby yelled, “Johnny, he’ll kill you.”
“I told you,” Einstein cried out between pleas and banging on the door. “I told you, Libby. She shouldn’t be here.”
I was already trying to push the girls away from the door when Einstein’s voice—her tears—cut through all the chaos, stunning me.
Einstein never cried.
I knew in that second I’d had it all wrong. The girls hadn’t been worried about keeping Johnny calm after last night. They’d been worried about him finding whoever they were hiding in this bathroom.
And now two of the strongest girls I knew were crying because he had.
There was a deep yell from inside the bathroom, quickly followed by Johnny cursing.
“Dare, stop him,” Libby screamed as she grabbed for my arm again. “It’s the—”
But I was already pushing her from me and yelling, “Fucking move, Einstein.”
As soon as she was away from the door I charged into it with my shoulder, slamming all my weight into it and stumbling into the bathroom when the door gave.
I looked up as I fought to gain my footing and found Johnny pressing someone up against the wall, his large frame engulfing the other person and blocking my view. Their arms were outstretched, a knife between their clenched hands where Johnny had them pinned to the wall . . . blood dripping down their arms.
I glanced in the mirror, and my world stopped turning.
Ice surged through my veins when I saw my firefly struggling with a man who was so close to losing control.