Chapter Twenty-Two

Leah

The week goes by in a blur, I’ve managed to avoid my brother and only speak to him on the phone, but I know it won’t last. I’ve managed to avoid all five of them. I hate hearing how they are worshiped and looked up to as kings. It fucking grates on my nerves more when I have practice every day and have to hear Chelsea talk about how her and Darius are meant to be. Nikki thinks Beck is going to whisk her away and treat her like the queen she thinks she is. Both these bitches are bat shit crazy. We’ve run the same counts six times because Donald can’t get the steps and it is grating on my nerves. I just want to get the hell out of here!

“Okay, listen up.” Thankful for the reprieve I place my hands on my knees and take some deep breaths as we wait for coach to speak. “I have some bad news, we won’t be dancing at the championship.” Shouts and boos erupt from around me. “Quiet!” Coach yells, then blows her whistle. “I know you are all pissed off but there isn’t a thing we can do. The school board tried but the other schools vetoed the idea and said no.” I deflate, this is like a kick in the gut. This was our one chance to showcase our skills and show everyone we are more than some dance team that teaches girls how to shake their assess.

“Why the hell are we training so hard then?” Donald calls out, a devilish smirk graces coach’s face.

“I said the school said no, I never said I agreed.” Gasps ring out. “I mean I could never condone you all going against the school as a faculty member but I mean, if I taught you a kick ass routine and you all happen to rush onto the field at halftime and do said dance, who am I to stop you?” Everyone screams in excitement. Cody, Katie and I all scream and do an awkward three way hug. This is exactly the type of news I needed. After everything with Darius, I really needed a pick me up!

“Seriously, pineapple on a pizza?” I glare across the table at Garrett, who raises his hands in surrender. The girls and I ran into him after practice. We didn’t tell him why we were happy, just that we got good news, so he insisted on taking us for pizza to celebrate. After the workout we just did, who are we to turn down free carbs?

“What’s wrong with it?” I say around a mouthful of food, causing him to laugh and a blush to raise to my cheeks.

“What’s right with it? It doesn’t belong on a pizza, it shouldn’t even be classed as a topping!” Cody and Katie both chime in with their agreement, which just earns them an eye roll from me.

“It’s great, try it,” I say as I pick up another slice and hold it out to him. His face scrunches in disgust, making me laugh. The girls join in when he recoils back into his seat as I lean over the table and hold it practically in front of his face.

“Well, what do we have here?” The smile vanishes from my face. At the sound of his voice, all the muscles in my body go rigid. Garrett sits up straighter as I slowly lower back into my seat and drop the pizza on my plate, keeping my gaze focused on it. I can feel Katie and Cody staring at me but I can’t move, what the hell is he doing here? “Don’t get all shy on me, little mouse, I drove all the way here just to see you.” When his meaty hand lands on my shoulder I flinch away. At the sound of Garrett’s chair scraping back, I snap my gaze to him and watch him stand up.

Shit!

“What the fuck are you doing here, Hayes?” I frown confused as to how he knows Gary but then it hits me, he’s on the same team as the guys, so of course he would know him.

“Just came to visit an old friend,” he says as he grips my shoulder again. This time he squeezes it so hard a whimper escapes me.

“Get your fucking hands off her now!” Garrett snarls. I peek over my shoulder to see Gary didn’t come alone. There are at least six guys with him and they look like they are ready to throw down.

“Or what? You think you can take us, on your own?” he mocks. Garrett darts his gaze to me and I plead with my eyes not to do anything stupid.

“He won’t, but I fucking will.” It’s been five days since I have heard his voice and it’s a welcome balm to my tattered nerves. Gary’s grip on my shoulder tightens the moment he feels me relax, a whimper escapes again. I hear him move toward us and tense in preparation for what is to come. He comes to a stop in front of us. I look up and find his brown eyes laser focused on Gary’s hand that is gripping my shoulder in a punishing hold. He snaps his hand out, grips Gary’s wrist and shoves him back a step. Gary rights himself quickly and gets in Darius’s face. D has a few inches on Gary and you can tell from his posture that he hates it.

“You think you stand a chance alone? There are seven of us, you piece of shit!” Gary spits right in Darius’s face. Instead of backing down or rethinking his move, Darius smiles cockily.

“Who said anything about him being alone?” I look past the two guys to see Saint, Corvin, Crue and Beckett marching toward us like gods with fury written over each of their faces. They come to a stop behind Darius, the bond each of these guys shares is awe inspiring. I can kind of see why everyone worships them. “Now, unless you want us to leave tread marks all over you and your band of cheerleaders’ faces, I suggest you get the fuck out of our town.” I’ve never heard Crue sound… so serious or aggressive before.

“Take the warning and fuck off,” Darius says in a tone so low and deadly it sends a shudder through me. Gary pulls back, smiles and brushes the nonexistent wrinkles from Darius’s shoulders then turns to me. The look in his soulless blue eyes has my breath hitching. He tilts his head forward causing his brown hair to flop onto his forehead. The guy thinks he can pull off the Jax Teller hairstyle but he really can’t. His teeth are crooked and the fact he has a tongue ring with a dice on it makes me ill.

“Don’t worry, mouse, I’ll be seeing you again real, real soon.” I say nothing as he and his band of misfits push their way through Corvin and the others. The moment the restaurant door closes, I sag into my seat, ecstatic that my nightmare is gone.

My reprieve is short lived.

“What the fuck was that, Goldie?” I slowly lift my gaze to Darius’s and a whirl of emotions war in his eyes—anger, confusion, hatred but the worst of all it’s when I see betrayal that it burns me.

“I don’t know,” I say as I stand, grab my jacket and bag. The girls follow my lead and quickly gather their things, while Garrett drops some bills on the tables. I try to move past Darius and the others but they form a wall, a hulking fucking wall full of glares and accusations. “Excuse me,” I grit out.

“Answer him, Leah. What the fuck was Gary doing here?” Corvin sounds pissed and I can’t blame him, I decide to go with the truth.

“I have no idea, we came here to celebrate after practice and then he just showed up.” I hold my brother’s gaze so he can see the truth in my eyes. “I swear, Corv, we were just hanging out and then he… ruined it.” I whisper the last part. Corvin reaches out and places his hands on the top of my shoulders. I hiss and flinch away. Before I can take a full step back, Darius is in front of me ripping the sleeve of my shirt down to expose my shoulder, which I know will already be bruising. His eyes darken at the sight of it, he grips the back of my neck and pulls me into him until his forehead rests against mine.

“You are going to tell me everything, but right now, I have a quarterback’s arm to break.” He releases me and races from the restaurant with the other four following him. I take a second to gather myself before I’m following after them. I break through the door in time to see Gary and his friends peeling out of the car park in their cars, hollering out the window. “Fucking pussy ass bitches!” Darius roars as he watches their cars driveaway. When he turns back to face us, his gaze finds mine immediately. “Say goodbye to your friends, your ass is coming with us!” My mouth unhinges. I look to Corvin expecting him to stop him but the bastard just crosses his arms over his chest and quirks a brow at me, daring me to defy king broody beside him.

“I can take you back.” I turn my head to the side to see Garrett, standing there with his hands in his jeans pockets. I smile kindly, ready to accept his offer but the king asshole cuts me off.

“Accept his offer, Goldie, and see what happens.” I cut a glare to Darius, narrowing my eyes in warning as I grit out,

“You gonna tell my brother...” his eyes shoot wide, “on me?” I smirk when his face becomes a picture of annoyance. “Just so we are clear, I don’t live with you lot anymore and newsflash, assholes, I’m eighteen!” I shout. The smirk that crosses Darius’s face has the triumphant feeling inside me dwindling rapidly.

“Either Corvin throws you over his shoulder and puts your ass in the car or I do. Those are your only choices!” I look to the girls and shoot them a look that has them grinning like fools before turning to Garrett who just looks pissed off.

“Thanks for tonight,” I say.

“Don’t even think about–”

I cut Darius off before he can finish his threat. “Run!”