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His eyes shot to mine again, and I understood. He couldn’t fight them off for long. He was buying time.
I turned and ran. I made it to the tracks before Cayden caught up with me. I could hear yells and threats from behind us. They were chasing us. My feet slipped on the rubble around the tracks, and only Cayden’s hand clamping around mine kept me from falling. He didn’t let go when we cleared the tracks. He didn’t let go when we reached the quiet streets of my neighborhood.
We kept running, Cayden’s hand was warm around mine, reassuring. He had to be running slower to accommodate my pace, but he gave no sign of annoyance as we sprinted up the street. He kept glancing back.
Are they still following us?
My lungs screamed when my house came into sight. Pain cramped around my chest and I could hardly suck in enough air to continue. I was slicked with sweat, my body flashing hot and cold with fear and exertion.
“Almost there. Don’t even think about stopping,” Cayden grunted, his hand tightening around mine, like he could tell that I was on the verge of collapsing.
“I can’t make it,” I wheezed.
“You can, and you will,” he said in a resolute tone. “You don’t have a choice.”
We crested the hill just before my driveway, and I put my head down, gripping Cayden’s hand like it was a battery pack that could bring me back to life. I screamed as my legs pumped, propelling us the last feet to cross onto the property, through the gate, and behind the fence of home. Slowing, Cayden let go of my hand as I turned back and stared down the street. It was empty. They’d gone.
“Oh my God,” I muttered, my body feeling like a stranger to me. My muscles burned. Everything hurt. I straightened up, and my stomach rebelled. I’d barely turned my head to the front lawn before I started to dry heave. Retching, feeling hopeless and vulnerable as hell, bent over with my hands braced on my knees, I convulsed, struggling to bring something up.
Cayden’s huge hand clamped around my hanging hair and pulled it back sharply.
“You need to work on your fitness. You’re the coach’s daughter, for Christ’s sake,” he muttered. He held my hair in a punishing grip as he took in every second of my anguish.
This was all his fault. I’d never have run into that shitty neighborhood if I hadn’t been running from him and his stupid threats. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and stood, yanking my head out of his grip. He was too close, getting his addictive smell all in my face. I pushed at his chest and staggered away. He was barely breathing hard after that ten-minute sprint, while I felt like I was going to die.
A thousand accusations rose to my lips as I finally looked at his face, and then they died right there.
His lip was bleeding again, badly this time, and his eyebrow was cut. His left eye was already blossoming into dark-purple bruises. He was hurt. He was hurt from defending me.
We stared at each other as I caught my breath.
“You’re hurt,” I said flatly to conceal my worry. Damn, I was a pushover.
“I’ve had worse in a friendly practice,” he said and shrugged.
“I don’t feel sorry for you,” I blurted out suddenly, rebelling against the voice in my head that felt bad that he had gotten beat up for defending me.
“I didn’t ask you to.” Cayden’s expression was unreadable. “And for the record, I don’t feel sorry for you either.” He turned and strode toward the house.
I stared after him.What the hell did that mean?
Cayden
Inside the kitchen,a note on the table told us Eric had taken his wife out for a surprise dinner. Apparently, it was a pre-season ritual for them. The next few days required intense concentration. We had to win this first game. Getting beat up and running all over town after Lily hadn’t been my smartest move, but I couldn’t seem to stay the fuck away from the girl. It was becoming a problem.
The first game coincided with my eighteenth birthday, and Lily’s. I remembered Coach telling me they were only days apart. Eighteen was the age I’d been counting down the days for, with plans of telling Uncle Jack to shove it and starting a life of my own. Now, it was clear he’d never intended to let that happen.
The foster paperwork was in hand. It was a bit of a joke, joining a new family days before my eighteenth birthday, but Hade Harbor and Coach Eric Williams wanted a win this year, and I’d be damned if the whole town wasn’t conspiring to make it happen. He’d told me not to worry about it and just focus on the game. I had no problem with that. I’d never cared about anything other than the game before.
I watched Lily head out of the kitchen as I gulped down a glass of water.Well, that was a lie.I had one little problem with focusing solely on the game, and she had freckles, eyes that burned like emerald fire, a smart mouth, and a depraved mind.
Coach was out with his wife. We were alone in the house. I set the glass on the sink and stared at my reflection in the dark window opposite me. I should get some rest. I should leave Lily alone and focus on the game. I should respect Coach Eric’s rules for the team and his daughter.
I never was good at following rules.
I went after Lily silently.
She was just closing the door of the bathroom when I reached her, and I shoved out a foot to brace it open.
