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I didn't say a word on the short ride back to my house. I couldn't. It wouldn't come out as words but instead as fire. I used the silence to steady my breathing and bring the boiling in my blood to a simmer.
Shoving the truck into park, I hopped out and pulled her out behind me. I drug her into the house, into the light, where I could see the full extent of the damage. Her lip was split, and her jawline was bruised along the opposite side of her deep purple cheekbone.
"I can walk by myself," she fumed, jerking her arm out of my grasp, and that was when I noticed that trail of purple markings peeking out from under her shirt.
"Take off your shirt," I demanded, grabbing at it. I needed to see how badly she had been beaten.
"What?" She narrowed her eyes, swatting my hands away. "No."
"Who did this to you?" I hissed, pointing to her face.
"I told yo—"
"The truth, Harper," I demanded. "I know you weren't in a fight at school."
She sighed as her shoulders sank. "Christian," she whispered as her eyes softened.
"Who put their fucking hands on you? Was it Levi?" She shook her head. "Who?" Swallowing hard, she stared at me as her eyes filled with tears. "Harper."
"Noah," she said, dropping her head.
He was dead! "Take off the shirt." She shook her head. "Take it off, or I'll rip it off," I growled. Her eyes swelled with tears, but she turned away from me and lifted her shirt. Her entire back was covered in deep purple and green bruises. He was so fucking dead!
"What happened?" I asked, as my gaze trailed over what he'd done to her. She shrugged it off, pulling her shirt back down. "It's time for the truth Harper."
"You want the truth?" she cried. I nodded. "Are you sure? Because the truth is ugly compared to your perfect life."
"Harper, please," I begged, trying to push the anger aside because I needed to know what had happened.
"Noah was mad that you guys came to the house," she said, her voice trembling. "He told me to steal the Escalade. And if I didn't." She held her hand up to her face before wiping the tears away with the back of her hand.
She took that beating because of me. My head spun, my chest clenched, and my stomach churned.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Christian, you can't save me. I was born in the Villas, and I'll die in the Villas. I came to terms a long time ago with my fate. You should too."
Fuck that! I was going to kill every Villa Boy that ever touched her. "Your month will be over soon, and it will be back to normal."
"Stay here," I demanded, ripping my keys from the counter and storming toward the front door.
"What? Christian, no," she begged, chasing after me. "You'll only make this worse for me. Please!"
I stopped. Even though she was never going back to that house, she was right. I couldn't do anything until I could make sure she was safe.
"Christian!" I turned to face her. My gaze met her pleading eyes. "Please promise me you won't do anything. That you'll leave this alone."
There was no way I was leaving this alone, but she didn't need to know that, and I wouldn't do anything until I knew they couldn't get to her.
"Fine," I groaned, dropping my keys back onto the counter.
"You promise?"
"I promise," I muttered, my tone laced with anger and irritation. I reached out for Harper, pulling her into me. Wrapping my arms around her, she buried her face in my chest. "How many times has this happened because of me or the guys?"
"Christian," she whispered, pushing against my chest. "Don't do this to yourself."
"How many, Harper?"
