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“That’s not a good idea,” I jump in.
“You said you didn’t want any part in this,” she hisses at me. “Go to your fucking room and let the adults handle it.”
Narrowing my eyes at her, I swallow the fact that she just threw my own words in my face and stride back to my room.
At nine p.m. on the dot, I am parked on the street, just opposite Sawyer’s house. Caden was right; no one bothered me. Some guys looked a little too closely for my taste when I was stopped at a traffic light, but they backed away as soon as they saw it was me. I guess I’m more or less safe from the Kings. As long as Caden decides so. Still, it’s fucking terrifying to be here when I know what he did to Crook not even twenty-four hours ago.
My phone beeps at 9:01.
Caden: I guess you didn’t take my threat seriously. I said not one minute late.
I speed-type to reply as quickly as I can.
Billie: I’m right outside!
Caden: Come in. We’re in the kitchen.
Great. He doesn’t even bother coming to me. Walking to Sawyer’s house feels the same as heading to a death sentence. My hand trembles when I knock on the door, and I force myself to calm down. This is going to be okay. I just need to do a drive for him. I don’t even have to look at what’s in the trunk.
I slip two fingers beneath the chain around my neck and rub it to bring me peace.
You’re going to be okay.
No one answers, so I push the door open and walk right into their living room. My stomach tightens with fear when I remember the last time I was here. I hurry, walking straight into the kitchen, and face the people in front of me.
Sawyer, whom I know from the many times he had fights with my stepbrothers, is leaning against the kitchen counter, sharpening a knife, and staring at me as I placate myself against the door I just closed. He watches me as my eyes stay stuck on the knife.
“I’m about to cut some meat,” he says with a voice that makes me wonder if I’m the meat.
Caden is sitting at one end of the table, and his older sister Kay is across from him.
Fucking. Kay.
She cocks an eyebrow at me as she gets up from her chair and walks to me. To say we have a complicated history would be the understatement of the year.
When I was thirteen, and she was seventeen, Kay and her girls found me after school and forced me to go to their side of the town. Once we were away from everyone, they beat the shit out of me, leaving me for dead. I was in the hospital for weeks, bleeding my dad’s money dry. I still have a long scar on my left forearm from the surgery after she broke my arm and one just below my right ear from when she beat me repeatedly with a knuckle duster.
That wasn’t even the worst part. They did it because of some guy my sister, Emma, and her were fighting over. It wasn’t even something I was involved in or that I could have controlled. I was barely a teen, small and defenseless, and there were three of them. I loathe this woman more than any other.
The only good thing that came out of it was that I started boxing after that, promising myself I would never be weak again. Now Iwishshe’d try and find me when I’m alone. Just to beat the shit out of her and leaveherfor dead. Just to give her a taste of what it’s like to be the girl who can’t defend herself.
I’m terrified of every single person in this room, but I’ll die before letting Kayla King think she can intimidate me ever again in my life.
I push away from the door and meet her before she gets to me. She’s pretty tall compared to me, yet I glare up at her with all the hate I have for her. I cross my arms at my chest, attempting to make myself more threatening, and wait for her to say something.
She puts a hand on her hip and tilts her head, her hair flowing to the side. It’s black like Caden’s.
“Isn’t it so comical that you will be working for the Kings? I bet I’m the person you hate the most in this town.” She bends down slightly, her hands on her knees, pretending she’s talking to a child. “I bet you can still taste blood from that time we kicked your skinny ass. Now look at you, doing jobs for me.”
I can’t control myself. Despite knowing I shouldn’t fight outside of the gym, that I shouldn’t risk hurting myself and especially my hands, I shove her hard. She’s forced to take a few steps back and before she can react, I swing. My fist connects with her cheek in a loud smack of flesh upon flesh, and she falls to the floor with a loud grunt.
Sawyer and Caden are on us the next second. The former helps Kay get back up as she screams something about me being a cunt, and Caden grabs me by the waist in a bear-like hold, lifting me until my feet can’t touch the floor.
I fight in his hold, scratching his forearms. “Bitch, talk to me again!” I scream at her. “I dare you. Open your fucking mouth so I can end you.” I wriggle in Caden’s arms. He’s laughing behind me, making fun of my outburst. “Let me go!” I rage. “I ain’t doing shit for you!”
“You’re a real tiger, little Scott, aren’t you?” he keeps teasing.
“You’re fucking dead,” Kay shouts at me. She spits blood on the floor then comes for me. Sawyer lets her, an amused smile plastered to his face.
