To the Stars (Thatch #2)(87)

I glanced to Deacon and Graham, and took in their worried but determined expressions, and wondered just how much the three of them had done while I’d slept last night. While looking at them, I noticed it was still somewhat dark behind the closed blinds in the kitchen, and looked around the kitchen until I found a clock.

“Six fifteen? Why are you guys awake—how long have you been awake? And how did you get all this food?”

Deacon shrugged. “We had things to do, and Mama’s Café opens at six, but we have connections.”

“He has connections,” Graham corrected.

Once again, Deacon shrugged. “My grandma is ‘Mama.’”

“Oh.” I felt my cheeks burn. I hadn’t had anyone go through this much trouble for me ever, and didn’t know how to respond to it. “Thank you.”

“Just eat,” Graham prompted. “Like Knox said, we’ll talk after.”

From his tone, I knew they had plenty to talk about.

I was able to finish part of a sausage patty, two bites of biscuit and gravy, one bite of hash browns, and the entire center of the cinnamon roll. I smiled to myself and placed a hand on my stomach as I wondered when the last time was that I’d been full, but my smile fell when I looked up to see Graham and Deacon with twin looks of sympathy.

They were trying to look understanding, but it was obvious they wished I’d eaten more. And since the three of them were able to polish the rest of the food off, I was willing to bet it wasn’t because they were worried about any of it being wasted.

Graham’s eyes drifted over to Knox and quickly hit the table, then Deacon did the same. I didn’t know what Knox’s expression looked like, but I figured I didn’t want to and was glad for the interruption from Graham and Deacon.

The forks hadn’t hit the plates before they’d all started talking at the same time.

“So what’d you see?” Knox asked.

“There’s a weird car on our street,” Graham whispered in a rush.

“Here’s what I think you should do,” Deacon said as he dropped his elbows onto the table.

They all sat back and looked at each other. Knox was the first to speak again. “What do you mean weird car. What kind of car?”

“Like, a car that doesn’t belong here,” Graham answered. “I can’t be sure, but I’m almost positive it was there last night when we left to get Harlow the outfit, but I hadn’t been looking then. But it was definitely there when I left to check the house, it was there when I came back, and it was there this morning when Deacon left to get the food.”

“What kind of car?” Knox asked again.

“Dark, some BMW,” Graham said immediately, and I felt Knox stop breathing at the same time my body began shaking.

“Wait, you think this is Collin?”

All the guys looked at me for a few seconds before Deacon asked slowly, “Yeah, what’d you think we were talking about?”

“Not Collin! I thought this was normal, nosy neighborhood talk. Why would you think he’d know where to find me? I’m not even sure if he does know about Knox, and he doesn’t know about either of you. I’ve never even mentioned knowing anyone in Thatch.”

“Because he has cops working for him, and if he’s found you running away before, he can find you now,” Knox explained.

“But I was driving my car that time. This time I walked, and took different cars, and . . .” I trailed off as dread spread through my stomach. “And it was too easy.” My head snapped up and I held Knox’s worried stare. “I told you it didn’t make sense that he’d just not be there, or that I’d be able to leave. It didn’t make sense; he could’ve followed me. Oh my God. I can’t stay here, I can’t put you in danger like this.”

Knox squeezed my hand reassuringly and glanced at Graham for a second. “Do you have any idea what kind of BM—”

“One of the X’s,” Graham said with a snap. “The SUV ones.”

I exhaled so quickly, it sounded like I was in pain.

“Is it his?”

“No,” Knox answered Graham so I wouldn’t have to. “But he does have a dark BMW.” Knox bent close to me. “What kind of cars do his parents have?”

“The exact same, just different colors.”

Knox rolled his eyes, because I also had the same car in another color as well. “Isn’t that cute,” he sneered.

I took a calming breath and asked, “How would you know a car doesn’t belong here?”

This time Deacon answered. “Thatch is small. Everyone here knows everyone and their business. During the summer we have visitors out by the lake, or the center of town, but it’s rare when you don’t know a car in one of the neighborhoods—especially your own neighborhood. We know everyone who lives around us, know their cars, and know the cars that are usually there visiting. It’s hard not to when we’ve all grown up together. So when there’s a different car on a street, people start talking.” He shrugged and grinned widely. “People don’t think twice about random cars here, because too many girls come in and out of—” He broke off quickly when Knox and Graham shot him a look, and my stomach fell. “Regardless, we don’t know that car, and it caught enough attention that a woman down the street asked if it I knew whose it was when I saw her walking her dog this morning.”