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"Harper," I said sternly before giving her a firm shake. She moaned, curling her small body into me. "Fuck!"
"Doesn't look like anyone is home," Maverick said, his gaze flashing from the trailer to me.
"I'll just take her in," I said, reaching to open the door.
"No fucking way," Aiden said, gripping my arm. "If they catch you, shit will go down tonight."
"I guess I won't get caught then." I smirked, snatching my arm out of his grip. I was always up for trouble, and it wasn't like I didn't want the Villa Boys to know who dropped off their princess. I wanted them to know exactly who was consuming all her time.
"I'm coming too," Maverick said, climbing over Link, who was now passed out against the window and snoring, to get out of the back and follow me toward the house.
"What's that smell?" Maverick groaned, reaching for the front door. The smell of moldy garbage saturated in cat urine made me wish I was holding my nose, not Harper. He pushed the door open. "Fuck." He gagged at the pungent odor that got worse with the door open.
Maverick stepped inside with his hand covering his mouth and nose.
"Holy fuck!" The inside looked worse than the outside. The walls were covered in black mold and holes, the floors were caving in, and the furniture was ripped to shreds. The small living room was covered in old, moldy food and beer bottles. The even smaller kitchen had broken glass and more beer bottles and cans stacked around the counter. The broken wooden dining table had an ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts and the residue of what looked to be cocaine with hollowed-out pens as make-shift straws covering it.
"I guess they drink their calories," Maverick muttered through his hand, gesturing inside the fridge full of beer and no food.
Focusing on breathing through my mouth, I searched for even the smallest clean spot to set Harper, but it was pointless. The trailer was beyond disgusting. How could she live like this? How could her mother allow this? My jaw clenched as my blood started to simmer. This was why she didn't want Link to drop her off at her house.
"I can't leave her here," I said, unconsciously shaking my head back and forth. I didn't need to see anymore. I didn't know what Harper's room looked like, but it didn't matter. There was no way I could leave her in this filth passed out.
Maverick nodded.
Stepping away from the trailer, Maverick and I simultaneously sucked in a deep breath of fresh air.
"The fuck?" Aiden whisper-yelled, shoving my door open from the driver's side. "I thought you were leaving her here?"
"Change of plans." I slid into the SUV with her still in my arms.
"Man, she's not a puppy," Julian said. "You can't adopt her."
"No, she's not, but I wouldn't leave a puppy there either."
"Yeah, it's pretty bad," Maverick said, climbing back over Link.
"So, what now?" Aiden asked, putting the SUV in reverse and backing out.
"She can stay with us tonight." I groaned. Glancing down at Harper, still deep in sleep, I slid the loose hair from her face back. I knew Harper was from the Villas, but I would never have guessed that was where she lived. "No one says anything about us bringing her home tonight." I didn't want her to feel any different around us.
Harper started to stir once we were back in the Valley.
We pulled up to the pool house, and I slid out, setting her on her feet.
"Stand right there," I said, steadying her before I reached back into the car to grab my phone that had fallen into the seat. Harper was more unstable than I'd realized. My hand slid around her waist as she went down. I couldn't steady myself quick enough, and she took me with her, splashing into the only mud puddle in the yard.
I hated drunk girls. This was exactly why I didn't look after them, along with many other reasons like I didn't care enough and I'd never had a girl pass out in my house before.
I leaned back on my knees, and she threw her head back in a fit of laughter, flinging the mud off her hands. It was the first time I'd seen her smile or heard her laugh. It was contagious. Even covered in mud, she was beautiful.
I climbed off the ground and threw the mud-soaked drunk girl over my shoulder. She didn't fight me, only laughed harder until she hiccupped.
"You smell delicious," she slurred, and I couldn't contain my smile. I liked sober feisty Harper, but drunk Harper was fun too.
"Holy shit, what happened?" Aiden gasped when I stepped into the pool house. I didn't answer as I stomped up the stairs.
I turned the water on before stepping into the shower, fully clothed, still carrying Harper over my shoulder.
