“Shit!” Grayson pushes Tania and me toward Pap. “Walter, get them out of here, now.”

I clasp his arm before he can take off. “Wait, where are you going?”

“To help.”

I shake my head, my chest squeezing in fear. “No, Grayson, please come with us. Don’t stay here. I’m scared for you.”

“Liv, they need me, they don’t have enough officers out there.”

“But—”

“I’ll be okay, I promise. I’ll come by after.” With a quick kiss he’s gone, running into a ring of hatred, and leaving me with an overwhelming fear for him, for us, and for our once peaceful town.

God, what is happening?

CHAPTER 17

Grayson

Adrenaline rushes through me hot and fast as I shove through the barrage of reporters to the center of the storm, hating that I had to leave Liv, but I have no choice, they need me.

It’s a sea of hate filled with white on one side and raging, dark waters on the other. The words being shouted back and forth are filled with venom, striking each side with equal fervor. I spot Terrell in the middle of it all, trying to keep the peace, but there are just too many people and not enough men to hold them all back. Before I can get to him, anarchy ensues, and a group of the masked motherfuckers are on him.

I push myself faster and fight my way through, knocking several people out of my way. One asshole really gets a good lick in, punching me square in the mouth. I slug him back, dropping him to the ground before continuing to push my way to Terrell. Even with three-on-one he puts up a good fight, but not good enough. Fear rushes through me, as I see him getting pummeled.

In the near distance I spot Prichard as he stands in the mass of hatred, catching sight of what’s happening to Terrell. I wait for him to come help, hoping for the extra support but the son of a bitch turns his head and goes in the other direction.

Fury propels me forward. I reach Terrell with my fists swinging, sending blow after blow to the bastards. One of them manages to strike me in the face with some sort of object he had hidden under his robe. Whatever the hell it is, it makes my head ring and has a metallic taste filling my mouth. It also pushes me past my breaking point, and I strike out harder than I thought possible. I don’t give up until the three of them are on the ground unconscious, my arms heavy and limp.

Draping Terrell’s left arm over my shoulder, I manage to get us through the madness quickly and back up the steps and into the courthouse, leaving the destruction behind us.

I deposit him down on a nearby bench. “Hey, buddy, look here,” I instruct, taking in his battered face that’s still swelling. His lip is busted, with blood oozing from the wound, and his right eye is damn near swollen shut. “You okay?”

He nods, pulling in some deep breaths. “The motherfuckers.” He grunts. “Where the hell did they come from?”

I shake my head, swiping an arm across my mouth to wipe away my own blood. “I have no idea, brother. No fucking idea.”

Since when the fuck has there ever been any Klan around here?

He wheezes out, still trying to catch his breath. “Jesus Christ, Taylor, the bastards just started a war out there.”

We sit in silence, mulling it all over, both of us having no words for what just went down.

Prichard comes storming through the door a few minutes later, and that white-hot fury boiling beneath my skin comes rushing back with a vengeance. “Backup’s here. We managed to clear most of them out.” He pants, trying to catch his breath. He looks at the two of us, taking in Terrell’s state. “You okay, Johnson? Did you get caught up in shit out there?”

His cavalier attitude pushes me right over the edge and sends my fist to connect with the side of his jaw.

“What the fuck?” He staggers back, completely caught off guard.

“Holy shit, Taylor, what the hell are you doing?” Terrell asks from behind me, shocked by my response.

I don’t answer him. Instead, I grab Prichard, my fingers curling around the collar of his uniform shirt as I slam him against the wall. He stares back at me with wide eyes. “You’re a fucking liar,” I grit, my face only inches from his. “You turned your back on him. You saw he needed help and you fucking left him there.”

“I didn’t see shit! I was busy trying to do damage control. I nearly got my own ass kicked out there.”

“You’re lying.” He shakes his head, denying it again, but I won’t let him. “I fucking saw you. I watched you turn your back on him.”

Silence surrounds us as he stares back at me, his face twisting with anger.

“C’mon, Grayson,” Terrell says, placing a hand on my shoulder. “He’s not worth it, man.”

Leaning in closer, I keep my voice low but no less threatening. “I’m on to you, Prichard. This isn’t over. Not by a fucking long shot.”

I shove myself away from him, and he takes the opportunity to straighten up and fix his shirt. “You’ve got it wrong, but I don’t have to prove shit to you. You’re not even on the fucking job anymore, Taylor. Remember that the next time you assault an officer,” he replies arrogantly, before walking out the door.

As soon as he’s out of sight, I punch the wall next to me, wishing it were his face again. “Fuck!” I immediately regret it as a sharp pain shoots up my arm.

“It’s all right, Taylor,” Terrell says. He looks a hell of a lot calmer than I feel. “Maybe he’s telling the truth? Maybe he didn’t see me.” By the look on his face I know he wants to believe that, but I know what I saw. “Thanks for having my back, man.”

I shake my head, hating he feels the need to even say it. “You don’t have to thank me. I always have your back. You know that.”

“Yeah, I do,” he says, blowing out a weary breath. “Look, I better get back out there and assess the damage. You comin’?”

Since it’s under control now, I decide against it. If I go out there and see that bastard I’ll lose my cool again.

Terrell nods in understanding and claps me on the back. “Go see Liv. I’ll keep in touch and fill you in when I know what’s happening.” He walks out the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

As much as I want to see Liv right now, I can’t. The anger pumping through my blood is overwhelming, something I don’t want her to see. I need to be alone to collect my thoughts. Pulling my phone out I shoot her a quick text, letting her know I’m okay and that I’ll be by later.

I manage to escape the reporters and everyone else as I make it to my truck. Driving toward Clover Hill, I think about everything that went down, and try to figure out what the hell is going on. I spend the next several hours processing it all, and while I’m still not sure about what to do next, one thing remains certain…

There’s an overpowering presence of hate in this town, simmering just below the surface, hidden in a place I never thought to look—in the faces of everyone I thought I knew.

CHAPTER 18

Olivia

Pacing the front porch, I clutch my cell phone tightly, wondering where Grayson could be. The knot in my stomach hasn’t loosened since leaving him this afternoon. It’s only gotten worse since nightfall.

I just need to know he’s okay.

I take a seat on the swing, bouncing my right foot up and down as I check my phone again.

Nothing.

I sent Tania home after supper. She’d been worried about Terrell and anxious to check on him. I still haven’t heard from her either. The waiting is driving me crazy.

Pap went to bed an hour ago since he needs to be up early in the morning. He tried to get me to come inside but I can’t, not until I see for myself that Grayson is okay. He texted hours ago and said he would come by. Surely if he changed his mind he would have let me know. I’ve been debating on texting him but I don’t want to bother him if he’s busy. I nearly give in to the urge but then see headlights in the distance. Jumping to my feet, I rush down the steps as he parks the truck. He barely shuts the door before I throw myself into his open arms.