“Noa—quit it.” Copperhead had greater success than me. He wrapped his arms around Noa’s middle and pulled him off Axel. Not that it stopped Noa from kicking and thrashing in the air. “Stop, Noa!”
“No!” Noa shouted. “Let me go, Reese! I’m not done!”
Acting on instinct, I planted my foot on Axel’s shoulder when he tried to get up.
“Stay down,” I snapped.
Mister Colt came running too, and the second car didn’t stop in the driveway. Whoever it was drove onto the lawn and didn’t slow down until they were mere feet away. By now, Ash and James had left the truck and were jogging over as well.
I exhaled shakily and racked my brain, trying to think ahead, and my stare landed on Axel again.
“You should fucking ban him,” he growled. “You better believe I’m pressing charges.”
Oh no, you won’t.
I pulled out my phone hurriedly and took a few photos of him. The last one—he glared murderously in the picture.
“Or you start acting nicer,” I said. Copperhead was busy trying to calm Noa, so I bent down and spoke for only Axel to hear. “Plenty of people know about your bullying, andyoustarted this fight.” As I talked, I quickly sent the photos to my email before I deleted them from my phone. “If you keep this up, maybe everyone will find out how someone small and defenseless beat you to a bloody pulp.”
By then, it was a party. Mister Colt arrived on the scene when Mister Ash and James did, and James hauled me into his arms. A man with a limp hurried from his car to get to Noa. Mister KC, I presumed.
“What the hell happened?” James demanded.
I swallowed dryly, watching Colt help Axel to his feet.
“I reckon we have some talkin’ to do in the office,” he told Axel.
“It better involve calling the police,” Axel rasped, touching his face gingerly. He had a cut in his eyebrow, his lip was busted, and his cheeks and jaw were red.
“We’ll talk first,” Colt replied firmly. “Let’s go.”
Copperhead and KC ushered a rabid Noa inside, followed by Colt and Axel.
Wait, wait, wait!
“Mister Colt!” I called.
He looked over his shoulder.
“Noa didn’t start this,” I said. “Axel has been bullying people—and he shoved Noa twice before he defended himself.”
“That’s bullshit,” Axel growled.
“We have proof, asshole,” I snapped.
“That’s enough, baby,” James cautioned me quietly.
Colt glanced between Ash, James, and me. “Maybe y’all stick around for a minute. We might wanna hear from you too.”
“Yes, Sir,” I replied.
James gripped my chin and made me face him. “Spill.”
So. Damn. Bossy.
I narrowed my eyes. “Can I breathe first? Practice some patience—like I did when you didn’t answer your phone.”
He cocked a brow. “I was workin’, Jordan.”
