“Just leave it be,” she orders. “I’ve got it handled.”
Her phone buzzes again. I snatch it from her.
Unknown Number: If you’re fucking him, you’re going to regret it, baby.
“I’m going to kill him,” I growl.
She takes the phone back and then blocks the number. “There. Problem solved. Can we drop it?”
“No,” I snarl. “We can’t just drop it.”
“I need a shower. I can’t deal with this right now. Go, Cal. I’ve had enough of you today.”
“Oh come the fuck on.” I throw my hands up in the air. “I’m supposed to stand around and let this psycho terrorize my fucking girl?”
“Maybe your fucking girl doesn’t want to talk about it!”
“Too damn bad!”
We’re both glowering at each other, breathing heavily when someone walks up behind me.
“You should go,” Penny says. “Go cool off. I’ll take Charlotte home.”
I want to argue, but I’m too pissed.
“Call me when you’re done acting like this, parasite,” I toss out at her, fury dripping from my words.
Charlotte gives me an exaggerated thumbs-up that pisses me right the fuck off before she storms back into the gym. I start forward and Penny pats my chest, shaking her head.
“Bye, Hoodlum. She’ll call you later.”
Charlotte
I blame my period for the messy emotions.
Ever since Monday when I got pissed at Cal and conveniently started menstruating, I haven’t been able to let it go. He was a total dick about Loden and then went all caveman over Ryan. We’re both pretty good at being stubborn brats, because neither of us has made the move to apologize. He overreacted, but so did I. I miss him, but I’m hormonal and feel like raging any time I consider being the first to apologize.
So, instead, I stew.
My legs feel like jelly and every muscle screams in pain. Coach Jenner has been pushing us every day after school. You’d think after three practices in, I’d be used to it. Each day is harder than the last, though.
After a shower, I change into some pajamas, ignoring the fact it’s not even six in the evening, and head to the kitchen to figure something out to eat. It’s then I notice the presence at the kitchen table.
Jace and Samantha.
I flash them my fake cheerleader smile. “Hey.”
Jace’s gaze flits over me, assessing me from head to toe, before landing back on my face. “Hey, cheerleader.”
“I swear you have ADD,” Samantha grumbles. “I need you to look over this paperwork and sign it. Stop getting distracted by teenage boobs.”
Sure, my tank top is tight and sure I’m not wearing a bra because I forgot he freaking lives here now, but at least my boobs aren’t spilling out of the top like hers are.
Jace lets his eyes linger on me a second longer—not because he’s checking me out, but because he’s trying to figure me out—before he turns back to Samantha. I rummage around in the kitchen until I find the ingredients for an omelet.
“Call me if this job doesn’t pan out. I’ll help you find a new one,” Samantha says, rising from the table. “Be a good boy, Jace.” She pats him on the head and then leaves without a word of goodbye to me.
I ignore her to chop up some green onions when a fiery, imposing presence pulsates into me from behind. His nearness makes me shiver. Whirling around, I hold the chopping knife between us, forcing a glare.
“What are you doing?” I demand.
His head cocks to the side as he studies me. “Just trying to figure you out, cheerleader.”
“There’s nothing to figure out.”
“You’re afraid of me. You won’t think twice about stabbing me if I step closer. I’m bigger and scarier than your boyfriend ever was, yet you feel empowered right now. Like you could defend yourself if you needed to.”
“It’s called PMS. Beware of a bitch on the rag.”
His handsome mouth curls into a grin. “Good excuse. However, we both know it’s more than that. Why did you let that boy hurt you?”
I cringe at his words. “I didn’t let him do anything. He just took what he wanted. I won’t let him take from me ever again. Or anyone else for that matter.”
“Good girl,” he says, patting the top of my head. “And if he does, I’ll make sure he gets it twice as bad.”
“He belongs in jail,” I huff, hating how my skin crawls just thinking of him.
“I know people in prison.” His amber eyes flicker like flames. “Ask Kayden and Juno.”
I stiffen, finally lowering the knife to go back to chopping. “What’s with Kayden and Juno?”
Roux told me the whole story. Of Renaldo and his gang. The way they hurt her and Jordy. How they tried to burn them alive. Kayden tossed the match. He can burn in hell for all I care because my best friend could have died that night.
Jace stands behind me, peering over my shoulder, watching me as I prepare the vegetables. His breath is hot and tickles my hair.
“They’re paying for their sins not only with time,” he growls, “but with their flesh too.”
“You orchestrated this? Are you going to have them killed?”
“Nah,” he murmurs. “Too easy. Whenever I get pissed, thinking all over again what they did to Jordy and Roux, I just put in the word for them to be punished. It’ll hurt. Juno’s in the infirmary as we speak. Kayden has another ass kicking coming to him soon.”
“Are you the godfather of prison?”
He tugs playfully at my hair. “Just a guy who won’t sit around and let injustice prevail.”
“An ex-con vigilante mobster then?”
“Just a dad. Like yours. He’s a little more civilized in his approach. You think I’m the godfather? Your old man has been busy rubbing elbows with every influential person in Hood River. When he gets ready to call in favors, the whole town will yield to him like he’s king. I guess that makes you the
