Free Saving Ever After (Ever After #4) by Stephanie Hoffman McManus

even if it meant throwing her
over my shoulder and getting her the hell out of there, but the honking of a
car horn behind me, stopped me. Katrina was in my car waiting for me at the
entrance to the parking lot. I knew she was growing impatient. As much as I
hated the idea of letting Mia go with them, I couldn’t exactly lock her up. She
wasn’t my responsibility and I had no way to stop her, short of locking her up,
so I forced myself to turn around, leaving her in the hands of her friends. I stalked
away angrily
    “What was
all that?” Katrina asked, climbing out of the car and moving over the
passenger’s side so I could climb into the driver’s seat.
    “Mia’s
friends. They wanted her to go party some more. I tried to tell her she
shouldn’t go, but she wouldn’t listen. Girl is so damn stubborn!” I slammed my
hand against the wheel in frustration.
    “Whatever,
it’s not your problem. She seems like a spoiled little brat that only thinks
about herself.” I couldn’t blame her for thinking that. This was the first time
she’d ever met Mia, and it wasn’t exactly one of Mia’s shining moments, but
still I found myself defending her, not even sure why I was, or why I was
letting Mia get me so worked up.
    “You don’t
know her.”
    Katrina’s
eyes on me turned assessing. “And you do? Is that why you’re making her your
problem?”
    I spared one
more glance for Mia, who was climbing into a car with that guy. Something more
than just frustration churned in my gut. I didn’t know exactly what it was,
only that it had everything to do with me not wanting to leave Mia in the hands
of that fucker. I wanted to slam my hand down on the steering wheel again, or
hit something, but I forced myself to let out a deep breath and I kept my hands
firmly on the wheel, putting the car in drive and getting us out of there.
    “I know she’s
not my problem, and I know Mia didn’t make a good impression tonight. Maybe she
is a little bit selfish and spoiled, but she’s not a brat. If you knew how she
was raised, what her parents are like . . . Mia’s got a lot of growing up to
do, but it’s not all her fault. She’s only eighteen and trying to figure out
her place and how to deal with the shit going on in her life. Don’t judge her
too harshly for it.”
    “You seem to
care an awful lot what I think about her,” Katrina commented. “You sure you’re
not trying to make her your problem?”
    “It’s not
like that. I can just relate to some of what she’s going through and I don’t
like seeing what it’s doing to her. She’s Ace’s family now, which makes her
family. Period. That means I give a shit.” Only I knew I’d give a shit whether
she was going to be Ace’s family or not. It wasn’t her relationship to anyone
else that brought it out in me. It was her. Just her.
    “So that’s
why you were watching her all night, because she’s family.” She said
skeptically. I didn’t like what her tone implied, but I couldn’t tell if there
was an accusation in her observation or not.
    “Katrina, if
you’re trying to say something, just say it, or if you have a question, just
ask me.”
    She sighed
wearily, “No, I don’t know what I was saying. I guess I just didn’t like having
to share your attention with that girl tonight, but I know that you’re trying
to look out for her. I think it’s sweet and admirable, even if I don’t get it.”
I took my eyes off the road briefly to turn and look at her. She was looking
back at me with a soft expression. “You’re a good guy, Chris.”
    “Thanks,
babe, and you’ve got nothing to worry about. Mia’s not a threat to you or us.
I’m all yours.” I took her hand and brought it to my lips, placing a kiss on
the back of her fingers. Whatever pull I felt that made me want to help Mia,
and do shit like punch that joker back there in the face, I needed to tamp it
down. It didn’t mean anything, but more than that, it couldn’t.
    “Did you at
least