Her Shelter (Angels Halo MC Next Gen Book 6) by Terri Browning (book suggestions .txt) 📕

From the vibrations against my back, I could tell she was screaming, but still, Raven didn’t react. She stood there, not even blinking at my aunt, her focus only on me and trying to reassure me that it was all going to be okay with just her eyes.

The inability to hear had never been more frustrating than in that moment. I had no idea what my aunt was saying. With my back to her and the gun to my head, I was powerless to know what was happening behind me and was completely unaware of what might happen next. But I forced myself to keep my eyes on Raven, to take my cues from her just in case.

A flicker of her lashes. It was barely a movement at all and one I was still questioning, but that was the only warning I had before I was suddenly propelled forward.

Breathing hard, I turned to find Kelli standing over Aunt June, who was facedown on the floor with a butcher knife sticking out of her back. Another knife was still in Kelli’s hands as she glared down at the woman who was supposed to take care of me for the past eight years.

Raven was already picking up the gun my aunt had dropped. Rushing forward, she kicked Aunt June in the ribs, but the woman didn’t move. Bending, Raven checked for a pulse then shook her head as she stood.

Oddly enough, I wasn’t the least bit sad that my dad’s sister was dead. If anything, the knot of anxiety that had lingered since the night before unraveled, and I was finally able to take a deep breath.

Kelli stepped over Aunt June’s body like she was nothing more than unpleasant trash. Cupping my face, she spoke slowly. “Are you okay, honey?”

I gave a ready nod. “Th-thank you,” I spoke aloud.

Her tense face softened. “No thanks needed, sweetheart. The bitch had it coming.” Her arms wrapped around me in a tight hug just as the door filled up with Bash and Reid. But they were both pushed aside when I spotted Max’s head over Kelli’s shoulder.

His chest rose and fell in rapid, hard breaths. That wild, feral look was back in his eyes, but it didn’t scare me. If anything, it calmed the fear that was still through me like a runaway train. Smartly, Kelli stepped back before he reached me only seconds later, and he lifted me into his arms. His entire body seemed to tremble as he molded my body to his own, his hands running over me in an attempt to reassure himself that I was unharmed.

Pulling back, he cupped each side of my face. “Are you okay?” he demanded, so upset he couldn’t sign, but I read his lips easily.

I nodded, the rest of my fear fading away completely now that I was in his arms.

His thumbs tucked under my chin, making sure I was looking right at him, but there was no need. All I saw was him. “I love you,” he spoke each word slowly, making sure I understood each one of them, while his wild eyes stared into mine. “I love you, treasure. So fucking much.”

“I-I love you too,” I whispered—or at least I thought I did. But no matter how loud I spoke, I knew by the flare of his nostrils and the way his eyes darkened that he heard me.

Max pulled my head to his chest, kissing my hair, the side of my face, and down to my neck over and over again. I could feel how hard his heart was pounding against his ribs, and I pressed my palm into it, wanting to soothe the poor organ and wipe away his fear.

He hadn’t even been like this the night before. He’d killed three men like it was nothing. But I’d learned afterward that he’d had the whole thing under control even though he hadn’t been there at first. There had been men and guns on Lexa’s house the entire time, and I’d realized I wasn’t in nearly as much danger as I’d first thought.

But this time, Aunt June had come out of nowhere. There was no warning, no plan of action. If Kelli hadn’t come over when she did, I didn’t even know what might have happened.

Max and I stood like that for the longest time before his attention was pulled to everyone else in the room. Keeping one arm around me, he shifted us so we were facing the others. No one was signing, so I knew they didn’t want me to know what was going on, but I could read their lips for the most part and got the gist of what they were talking about.

They debated whether to call Ben and decided against it. Bash and Reid assured the others they would take care of the body, and then Reid and Max would clean up and replace the carpet themselves to hide the proof of Aunt June ever being there. The entire time, it felt like they were discussing her like she was nothing more than extra trash that needed to be cleaned up in the mess that was our apartment, like the ruined mattress that was leaning against the wall to be hauled away.

I honestly didn’t want to know how they were going to get rid of her body, any more than I cared about them hiding everything from the sheriff. I wasn’t going to tell anyone a single thing about what had transpired there that day. For one, I wanted to forget all about the nightmare of both Uncle Tony and Aunt June. For another, I didn’t want to chance anyone getting in trouble, especially not Kelli, who had saved me.

Raven and Kelli tugged me away from Max and into the living room. Reluctantly, he allowed me to leave him, telling me for the second time he loved me. Raven suggested we get something sweet to eat to combat the