Dane nods. “I was just telling Sadie we can turn around and go home, but she’s pretty insistent we stay.”
“Because she’s a pain in my ass.”
“She is standing right here.” I jab Rhett in the ribs. His eyes darken, dropping to my mouth. Dane clears his throat with a chuckle.
“You two might want to tone down the bedroom eyes.”
“Asshole,” Rhett grumbles.
I like this. It’s nice—normal.
Well, as normal as it can get for a girl tangled up with not one, but three guys. A girl who a rival MC wants to use as leverage.
I suppress a shudder but I’m not quick enough, and they both notice.
“Sadie, girl?” Dane tilts his head, studying me.
“I’m fine.” I brush him off, heading for the club’s truck. River and Quinn pile out and Jax joins us.
“Pitbull,” Rhett says. “You know the score?”
“On it, Rhett.” He lingers like he’s about to say something to River, but he thinks better of it and goes around to climb back in the truck. Backing into a parking spot on the edge of the lot, he cuts the engine.
“Seriously, he isn’t going to sit there all day, is he?”
“Sure is.”
“Rhett, that’s just—”
“Necessary.” His eyes flare again.
Just then, Wes arrives. I go to greet him, but Dane snags my wrist.
“Let him come to you,” he whispers.
“Stop being so weird. We’re at school. Nothing is going to happen here.” They have security. CCTV. It’s a school campus, for God’s sake.
“Bad things happen all the time at high schools,” River says, and I widen my eyes at her.
Ducking her head, she mutters, “Sorry.”
“Hey.” Wes strolls up to us and I immediately notice the dark circles under his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I reach for his hand, surprised when no one—mainly Rhett and Dane—stops me.
“I’m okay.” His eyes hold mine, saying everything he can’t. Or won’t. “We should probably get to class,” he adds. “We’re drawing a crowd.”
He’s right.
Kids linger, watching us. Watching Wes with us.
A line has been drawn today.
But something settles deep inside me knowing I have the three of them on my side.
19
Wes
My skin tingles with what feels like the attention of the entire school as I make my way toward the entrance alongside Sadie, Dane, Rhett, River, and Quinn.
It’s surreal. All of it.
Everything that’s happened since going to meet Evan Friday night has been like a dream.
I want to say a nightmare, but I can’t call it that, because amongst all the pain and violence there has been Sadie making everything that little bit better, allowing me to feel something other than the desperation and helplessness I usually do.
Swallowing down my unease, I keep my head held high, my grip on Sadie’s hand tightening. I know I should let go, that by allowing others to see our connection I’m only going to bring more attention to myself, to her. But I can’t bring myself to do it.
Her touch alone makes breathing that little bit easier.
School has always been my safe haven. A place I’ve been able to live my life without constantly looking over my shoulder, waiting for whatever blow Dad is going to land on us next.
Okay, so I might have had to deal with Evan and his unique brand of assholeness, but I always thought he was a puppy compared to my father. Turns out I probably should have been a little more concerned about his intentions when it came to Sadie. I always thought he was all talk. Clearly, I didn’t know him as well as I thought I did.
More eyes turn to us as we step into the hallway, but it’s nothing compared to when the team looks our way.
Sadie squeezes my hand and tucks herself into my side. “It’s going to be okay,” she whispers. “You’ve got us, remember?”
“I know. We need to get to class.”
Stopping at each of our lockers in turn, we then split up, Quinn and I heading for the science department, while Sadie, River and their bodyguards head for English.
I walk away with a heavy heart, wanting nothing more than to pull her into my body and kiss her. But I guess that’s a step too far when the entire school is watching our every move.
“If you need me, call me,” she whispers before reluctantly releasing my hand and letting me go.
“You too.”
With my head lowered, not wanting to invite anyone to join me, I make my way outside, once more a few steps behind Quinn, who took off while I was talking to Sadie.
“Yo, Noble, wait up,” a familiar voice calls, and when I glance to my side, I find Jamie stepping up next to me. “What the fuck is going on, man? First Evan gets jumped on Friday night, and then you turn up and walk straight into the club whore’s arms.”
I’ve moved before my brain has caught up with my body and I pin him to the wall with my forearm pressing against his throat. His eyes widen as he stares back at me.
“You wanna say that again?”
His lips part, and I almost expect him to repeat his words. He never was the fucking smartest. But when he does speak, different words come out.
“I-I’m sorry. It was just a joke.”
I press against Jamie harder, making his eyes widen in panic. “If I ever hear you call her that again, you’ll be lucky if you don’t end up in a worse state than Henley is in now,” I growl.
“T-that was you?”
“No, it wasn’t fucking me. We were jumped on the way to meet you guys Friday night. Stupid fucker mouthed off at them and when I came to, he was gone.” The well-rehearsed lie rolls off my tongue.
“Well, you were lucky. They’ve done a real number on him.”
I want to say good, the asshole deserved it. But I fear that I may have already said too much, connected myself and the club to his cuts and bruises. Even if he did bring it on himself.
Releasing him, he sucks in a heaving breath. “You’ve lost your mind, you know that, right?”
“Just keep your opinions to yourself, Beckworth, and we’ll be good.”
He looks over at me, confusion written all over his face.
I know that I never really stopped Evan being a dick to Sadie, but I never fucking agreed with it either. I probably should have stood up for her a little—hell, a lot—more. But between my dad and Evan, I knew it was a battle I’d never win. So I just decided to keep my mouth shut and watch her from a distance, knowing that I’d never get a shot with her anyway.
Well, everything has changed now, and I don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks about Sadie and the club. I’ll be standing right beside them. My dad can go fuck himself if he thinks I’m going to bend to his wishes. I’m going to do the complete opposite. I’m going to find a way to make Mom leave him, and we’re going to get the hell away from his vicious insults and brutal punches before he kills one of us. If he’s really unlucky, I’ll set the club on him for beating a woman, and he’ll wish the only thing he lost was his family.
I’ve only seen a glimpse of what Rhett and Dane are capable of. And there are plenty more where they come from. If I tell them to make it hurt, I have no doubt they will.