Free Battling Troy: Devil's Knights Series by Winter Travers Page B

away from saying fuck it and not work out my two weeks’ notice I had promised Gwen.
    Gravel was driving me insane. If he wasn’t ranting at me about not leaving, he was outside patrolling the house, making sure no one would be able to get in.
    “Lincoln, sit down before you have a heart attack. You ranting at Marley isn’t going to make her stay. Hell, I want to leave and you’re not even talking to me.” Ethel walked into the living room and sat in the recliner next to the couch.
    “I can’t calm down when my daughter who I haven’t seen in years finally comes to town and now she’s fucking leaving while her ex’s douche lords family is trying to kill her.” Gravel ran his fingers through his hair, pulling out the tie he had holding it back.
    “You need a haircut.” Yup, totally trying to distract Gravel. I had been attempting to talk him into cutting his hair since I had came into town and it pissed him off each time I suggested it.
    “I’ll get a goddamn haircut if you agree to stay.” Gravel crossed his arms over his chest and stared me down.
    Why didn’t anyone understand I was leaving to keep them safe? I planned on going back to California and facing Mark’s family to get everything figured out. After that, I had no idea where I was going to go. I knew I wasn’t going to stay in California. My mother and a handful of friends were the only things I had left there. I had always wanted to travel and see all fifty states, but I would have to win the lotto to make that a possibility.
    “Why can’t you hear what I’m saying? I need to go talk to Mark’s family and fix everything.” I grabbed the pillow from the end of the couch and hugged it to my chest.
    “Because they are past the point of talking, Marley! Anyone can see that. If they wanted to speak to you, they wouldn’t have sent someone to come and kill you for Christ sakes!” Gravel yelled.
    “Lincoln, go outside and calm down. Let me talk to Marley without you ranting.” Ethel raised her arm and pointed to the front door.
    “You’re not going to be able to talk sense into her any more than I am,” Gravel mumbled as he walked out the front door, the screen door slapping shut behind his retreating back.
    “Your father is going about you leaving the wrong way, but he is right, hun. It’s not safe for you to leave.” Ethel popped open the footrest on the chair and reclined back.
    “It’s not safe for me to stay either.”
    “It’s a lot safer than you think. Who’s going to stay and protect you when you leave? Your plan is to go to California, but who’s to say they won’t kill you before you get there. Your reason for wanting to leave is honorable, but it’s also stupid.”
    I leaned my head back and stared up at the ceiling. Was Ethel right? I hadn’t thought about the fact that they might hurt me before I got to California. “I couldn’t live with myself if someone got hurt because of this, Ethel. I don’t know what to do. I left because I thought that would help make things better. I was wrong.”
    “Then the only way to make it right is to stay. You didn’t know what was following you when you left California, this isn’t your fault. Money makes people do crazy and violent things sometimes.”
    “Why didn’t Gravel explain it to me like you just did?”
    “Because that’s not Gravel’s way. He’s a man who knows when he’s right and what he wants. When things don’t go the way he planned or wants, he yells. You have to know when to step back and really try to listen to what he is saying when he’s yelling. What I just said was what Gravel was trying to tell you.”
    I glanced over and saw Ethel looking at me. “I’ll stay, for now. If things get dangerous, though, I’ll leave. Even without a two-week notice to work.”
    “Good, hun. You made the right choice. If after all of this blows over and you still want to leave, I promise to hold Gravel back,” she winked at me.
    “OK. I’m good with that.”