King of Harts

53

Emory

"Where the hell have you been? Dani damn near sent a search party for you!" Charles' voice booms as soon as I walk in and when he catches sight of me, he goes all soft again.

"Where does the bastard live? You know what, doesn't matter, I'll find him" he grits and then, my eyes widen when he pulls a shotgun from under the counter and cocks it.

"Charles!" I yell and stand in front of him with my hands up between us.

"You can't just keep that under the counter! Are you crazy?"

"Like hell I can't! I'll do whatever I damn please in my own shop with my own gun!" He snaps and I keep my hands up to make sure he keeps that death trap pointed up at the ceiling.

"Charles, I know very well you do not have that damn thing out in the open after I told you to keep it at home!" Dani suddenly screeches and Charles hides the way his eyes widen at the sound of her voice.

We both turn to find her standing by the counter with her arms folded and her eyes narrowed at her husband.

"And what if someone breaks in and holds us at gunpoint Danielle? Then what?"

"Til death do us part" she growls and Charles' eyes go wide again, only this time it's like he's falling in love with her all over again.

"Put. It. Away." She says in that tone that would make anyone shudder and Charles is on his way.

In a matter of seconds, gone is the scary woman and back is the sweet lady that owns the book shop.

I don't have time to greet her before Dani rushes me and crushes me in hug.

"Want to talk about it?" She asks and I sag in her arms, wrapping my own around her middle.

"My siblings know" I mumble and we part so that she can look at me, those eyes of her going softer in that motherly way that makes anyone want to hug her and cry in her arms.

"And how's that going?" She asks carefully, my heart twisting at the question.

"Xander and Adrian have been breathing down my neck every second of every day since Grayson found out and kicked Adrian's ass. Addie won't answer any of my calls or texts and no one has seen Grayson since the day he found out which was almost a week ago and even though I know where he is, I don't have the courage to face him because the disappointment in his eyes when he looked at me made me want to take Charles' shotgun an-"

"Alright! Don't even go there, babe" Dani cuts me off, engulfing me in her arms again.

"I just...I don't know. I don't even know what I want or what I need!" I groan and when we part again, I walk over to the sofa in the little reading area and plop onto it.

"I also give it 5 minutes before they find me" I sigh, Dani raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Scratch that, 2 minutes" I change my mind and just as Dani opens her mouth to say something, her eyes catch something outside of the shop.

"Charles! Door!" She yells and I watch in amusement as the man rushes the entrance, locking it right as Adrian and Xander run right into it.