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“Derek, go,” I pleaded, grabbing his arm. “They won’t hurt me. They—they’re old childhood friends.”
“No.”
His answer had all three guys moving closer. I slid in front of Derek as my heart pounded in my ears.
“Don’t hurt him,” I demanded, keeping my voice steady as panic caught me in a chokehold.
“He had his chance to leave,” Eli said simply.
Derek attempted to pull me behind him again, but River darted forward, catching my wrist. Both guys refused to let go, and I was jerked back and forth like a damn rag doll. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw West raising his arm. My warning died in my throat when his fist collided with Derek’s face. His hold on me went slack, giving River a chance to yank me away.
“Stop,” I screamed, fighting against River’s tight hold. He pulled me into his chest before clamping his hand over my mouth. Letting go of my wrist, he wrapped his arm around my stomach.
“Don’t want your neighbors interrupting,” River muttered in my ear, backing me up until we were on the other side of the living room.
Derek was holding his own against West until Eli joined in. My muffled arguments did nothing to stop them as they got Derek on the floor. Eli pressed his shoe into Derek’s hand, applying more pressure until Derek grunted in pain.
“Your shirt tells me you play at least one sport for this school,” Eli told him as he glanced at me. “What a shame it would be if your hand ended up in a cast.”
My heart dropped as Derek grimaced when Eli put more weight on his hand. Derek played football, and he loved it. He would be devastated if he couldn’t play his last year. West crouched down and pulled Derek’s wallet from his pocket.
“Derek Briggs,” West read after he pulled out the license. He rattled off his address before tossing the wallet to the floor. “Here’s the deal. You walk out of here and keep quiet about this. Or we come back and break both of your hands.”
“Fuck you,” Derek spat out, grabbing Eli’s ankle with his free hand. He pulled, causing Eli to move his foot off Derek’s trapped hand. West didn’t move a muscle as Derek pushed himself off the floor. But before he could stand, West brought his knee up and smashed it against the side of Derek’s head. River’s hand swallowed my cry as Derek crumpled back to the floor, knocked out cold.
West moved to lock the front door while Eli set his sights on me. River slowly moved his hand from my mouth but kept his arm around my waist as if he thought I was going to bolt. I wasn’t about to run and leave Derek here with them. I already felt guilty enough.
“I thought for sure he would have left.” Eli’s gaze drifted down my body, and it wasn’t until now that I remembered I wasn’t wearing a shirt. Even though I was still wearing a bra, I felt naked under Eli’s stare. “I hope he’s not too attached to your pussy. Because he’s not seeing it again.”
Eli had been the most reserved when we were kids, so it was a shock hearing how easily those words fell from his lips. Digging my nails into River’s arm, I pinched his skin until he cursed under his breath and let me go. Walking behind the couch to keep space between me and all three of them, I crossed my arms, ignoring how all their eyes dropped from my face to my chest.
“You have no right to be here,” I hissed at all of them. “Do your parents know where you are? Because I’ll be happy to inform them.”
“We’re only here to personally give you some exciting news,” West replied with a grin. “They were going to call you tomorrow morning, but we thought you’d want a chance to think about it first.”
The hairs on my neck raised as goosebumps rushed over my body. Their smug faces made me want to throw up. Whatever they were about to say was going to fuck it all up. My plan. My freedom. Everything. I never should have gone back to Braidwood.
“What news?” I finally ground out when the silence became too much.
“You got offered a basketball scholarship.” Eli answered. “At Braidwood University.”
“Congratulations, Kit-Kat.” River’s sarcasm came out full force. “Now the four of us get to graduate together.”
I didn’t miss the glare West gave River. He wasn’t happy at all about River being back.
“Hmm.” I pretended to think about it. “No thanks. I already have a spot on the team here.”
That was how I was able to go to college somewhere I chose. A basketball scholarship. William refused to pay my way unless I came home. I wasn’t about to give it all up.
West raised an eyebrow. “But you’ve already accepted. Picked your classes and everything.”
“What?” My eyes widened. “What the hell did you do?”
“We even let this school know you declined your scholarship this year. They were sad to hear you were leaving but understood you wanted to be closer to home.”
I barely heard Eli’s words as dread smothered every thought. They couldn’t fucking do this to me. I had every detail planned so I’d never have to go back there again.
“Bullshit,” I snapped, praying this wasn’t real. “I didn’t even get a call. Or an email. The school would have called—”
