Dread fills my veins that he’s done something really fucking dumb. But is he really stupid enough to do something during a school day? I’d like to think not but he’s proving himself to be more and more unstable as every day passes.
I might not know the details of what he’s done seeing as Poppy refuses to give them up, but I see the fear getting worse and worse in her eyes.
Climbing from the car, I jog around the buildings until I can look over the field where the guys are training.
Coach is nowhere to be seen as Jake runs the drills.
My eyes dart over each team member before they fall on Preston running up and down along with the others.
I narrow my eyes at him in the hope I’ll get a clue somehow that he’s behind this, but I see nothing.
I slip back into the shadows before I’m caught. The last thing I need is for my suspension to be extended because I couldn’t follow a couple of simple rules.
Hoping that she just had second thoughts about me getting her, I climb back into my car and head for her house.
As I pull into the driveway, I find it sitting quiet. I look in the windows as I walk around and don’t see anything untoward, although I can’t shift the feeling deep down that something is wrong, very wrong here.
I try both the front and back doors, but they’re both locked. Retrieving the ladder that I moved a couple of nights ago, I prop it up against the wall Poppy’s balcony sits on and make quick work of climbing up.
Those doors are locked and her room looks like it did when we walked out last night.
“Where the hell are you?” I mutter as I climb down the ladder and once again hide it away.
I call her again the second I get into the car, but just like every other time I’ve tried this afternoon, it goes straight to voicemail.
“Motherfucker.”
I sit in my car, my head spinning, trying to second guess that prick and what he might do with her. Anger burns in my belly. I know I promised her that I wouldn’t take matters into my own hands again, but what the hell am I supposed to do now?
A little voice in the back of my head tells me that she’s probably fine, that I’m jumping off the deep end right now thinking that he’s done something. But I just can’t shift the ball of dread in my stomach that’s growing larger by the second.
My eyes flick to the clock. Jake’s session is over. They’ll be heading for Aces.
I slam the car in drive before I even really think about it.
In minutes I’m pulling my car up next to Ethan’s and jumping out.
“Ah look, did mommy let you out, you bad, bad boy,” one of the guys announces to the entire diner as I approach the team’s table.
To my surprise, I find Jake, Mason, Ethan, and Shane all sitting with the rest of the team. Jake must see my shock because without me saying anything he replies with, “The girls have gone to the mall.”
“O-okay. G-great. Could we… could we have a word?”
His brows draw together but he nods, sliding from the booth. I nod over my shoulder and he follows me out, but not before I lock eyes with Preston, who’s sitting at the other end of the table.
The asshole smiles at me. Actually. Fucking. Smiles.
My fists curl with my need to beat whatever he’s done to my girl out of him, but I can’t. Not yet. It’s going to fucking happen though. I’ll just be smarter about it next time.
“What’s up?” Jake asks when I come to a stop by the railing that stops us from walking directly down onto the beach.
“Er…” I hesitate, lifting my hand to rub the back of my neck.
“Zayn?” Concern covers his face, pulling his brows together and forming crease lines on his forehead.
Blowing out a breath, I just go for it. I deserve the beating for touching her anyway. “Have you spoken to Poppy today?”
“Uh… no, why?”
“Shit.” I scrub at my jaw. “Things with Preston are bad, Jake. Like, really fucking bad. I don’t know the details but he’s after her. He thinks by using her, he can get to you and then you’ll hand over captaincy to him or some bullshit.”
He takes a step closer, listening to every word. “Go on.”
“I was supposed to pick her up after school… a favor for Harley,” I tag on, hoping it might make this just a little better. “She never showed.”
“She probably just decided it was better than being in a car with you. She hates you, Hunter.”
“Yeah.” I squirm under his stare a little. “I know. But something’s not right, man. She won’t answer her calls, she’s not even reading her messages. Her house is silent. She’s just… gone.”
He’s silent for a moment. “You’re really worried, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. And I think you need to be too. He’s got a fucking screw loose, I’m telling you.”
“This why you beat the shit out of him, because you found all this out?”
I don’t need to say the words, he can read them on my face.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“She didn’t want me to.”
“Leading me to my next question, how the fuck do you know about all of this?” he quizzes, making guilt swirl around me like an angry storm.
“I overheard Harley on the phone with her, something sounded off so I started digging, asking questions. She’s refusing to do anything about it… because of you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, she knows you’ll fly at him for hurting her, and she’s trying to protect you.”
“Jesus, fuck,” he says, running his hands through his hair and resting his back against the railing.
I follow his lead, my eyes moving to the diner window and locking directly onto a set I never want to look at again.
“He’s a smug motherfucker. He knows.”
“We need to be careful. Poppy has refused to go to Hartmann or the police, she knows that Hellburn’s dad owns this place. He’ll get any misdemeanors swept under the rug. If we want to get him, we need to be smart.”
“What exactly are you suggesting?” he asks, glancing at me.
“I have no fucking idea, but we’re going to destroy him.”
25
Poppy
I barely get a wink of sleep. I spend the whole night tossing and turning, my imagination running wild about what could happen to us now, what my future might be like. Will my aunt and uncle keep us? Or is this just a stopgap to entering the system and Christ knows what will happen after that. We’ve all read the horror stories from those situations.
The sun is just waking up, but the kids are still asleep.
I heard movement not so long ago, which I assume was Uncle Evan going to work, but other than that, the house is silent.
I blow out a long breath and wipe my eyes. They’re so sore from crying most of the night. Now the morning is here, I need to be stronger. This isn’t just about me and my ruined life, it’s about the kids. I need to be strong for them. Show them that there’s nothing to be afraid of.
Feeling like I need to talk to someone, to hear a familiar voice, one who always makes me feel safe, I reach for my purse.