The fabric of Nic’s hoodie falls to my knees and the boys instantly take my hands and pull them over their wide shoulders before helping me out of the alleyway. My stained uniform is left in a crumpled mess on the ground and despite the scolding I’ll receive from Mom, I can’t help but be grateful for the memories and evidence of this bullshit being left behind, you know, apart from the Wolves brand mark burning into the back of my neck.
Nic’s hand curls into mine and I can’t help but wonder if it’s the need of having me close or if he’s just trying to be a gentleman by helping the damsel in distress. The old Nic would have just scooped me up and carried me out of the alley but the fact that he’s allowing me to at least attempt to help myself tells me that he’s growing. He’s taking a step back and allowing me to dictate what I want and although I’ll never say it out loud, he and I both know that I'm grateful. I need to feel this control and having the boys swoop in and tell me how it’s going to go isn’t going to help with that.
For Nic, this is a massive step in the right direction. It’s a silent message between us telling me that he’s giving me space to finally start making my own decisions and not try to step in and shit all over it.
Maybe he’s finally starting to accept that I’m moving on.
I instantly shake the thought from my head. Now isn’t the time to start decoding Nic’s actions. I could be here for years trying to figure out his motives. It’s not worth the time or the pain.
Sebastian slips out from under my arm and hurries in front of us. The car door is pulled open and just as we reach it, Nic adjusts his hold on me and all but puts me inside the car. He grabs the seatbelt and starts reaching across me to buckle it, but I take the clip out of his hands, more than capable of managing on my own.
After getting it fastened, I look up and meet Nic’s eyes to find him watching me intently. “I’m going to fucking kill him,” he promises me.
I nod, knowing damn well that the correct response is to tell him not to, to tell him to back off and leave it be. The war between the Wolves and the Widows is already at boiling point and this just tipped Nic over the edge and upped the stakes in the game. He won’t stop for anything, for anyone. When Nic is intent to do something, he keeps at it until the job is done.
Mikhail Russo will die for touching me and that’s all there is to it
“I know,” I finally whisper, feeling a pang of guilt that doesn’t sit right with me. Why should I feel guilty for knowing this man is going to die? He was my father’s leader, an evil, toxic man who has ordered more kills than I could ever imagine—kills that my father undoubtedly carried out. I should be happy, I should be jumping for fucking joy, yet I just feel cold inside.
Is this what I’m becoming? An emotionless monster? Someone who is okay with death? Maybe I’m just becoming immune to its horrors.
Nic lets out a heavy sigh, probably already putting his plan into place yet for some reason, he remains hovered in the open car door staring at me. His eyes harden and in an instant, I know exactly what he’s looking for but I can’t give it to him, not yet.
I shake my head ever so gently, holding back the cringe that desperately wants to tear out of me. “Not yet, Nic,” I murmur as Sebastian pretends that he can’t hear a damn thing that’s being said. “I’m still so mad at you. I just need some time.”
Heartbreak settles over his features but in a blink of an eye, the hard Nic is back. “Okay,” he finally says, straightening up and closing the door. He takes a step back and starts to make his way around to the driver’s side, but I hear his grumbled murmur through the open window. “Let’s get you back to your new family.”
I keep my gaze settled out the window as Nic puts the car into gear and takes off down the road, being careful to avoid any bumps. He takes a corner and the momentum from the turn has pain shooting through my burn. I suck in a sharp breath through my teeth, trying my best not to show my pain but failing miserably.
A hand falls to my shoulder and squeezes and I latch onto it with desperation, curling my fingers through Sebastian’s and appreciating every ounce of his comfort.
Every gasp, cry, and groan has Nic pushing his car faster and faster, desperate to get me off the bumpy road and into the safety of the pool house where he can help take the pain away. By the time we reach Colton’s street, his careful driving is all but forgotten as he turns into a mad man, driven by emotions.
We reach the gate and I hastily tell him the code and watch as frustration claims him when it slowly peels back. The gate has hardly opened the whole way before Nic shoots past it and races down the drive, narrowly avoiding knocking off his side mirror.
He doesn’t stop where normal people stop, but drives around the side of the mansion, over Charles’ manicured lawns and only just avoiding taking out archways that Enrique, the gardener, has spent years molding.
His car pulls up right outside the pool house and I look across at Nic as he swings his door wide. “Door to door service, huh?”
“I might have a habit of making shitty decisions but you can never claim that I wasn’t thorough and didn’t look after you.”
I roll my eyes as he smirks to himself and climbs out of his car. Sebastian appears at my door and opens it wide before offering me his hand. I take it gingerly and as he helps me out of Nic’s car, the back door of the mega-mansion swings wide, slamming against the wall with such a loud bang that both of the boys flinch for their guns.
Cora stands at the door, staring at me with distaste. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” she demands. “You just ruined my father’s gardens.”
Nic steadies his gaze on her and as if only now just realizing who it is standing at my sides, her eyes go wide with fear, remembering damn well what happened at Charles’ wake. “You got a fucking issue,” Nic growls. “You can take it up with me.”
Cora swallows back her fear as her face grows so pale that I fear she’s about to pass out, but as if remembering who she is, she stands tall and gives an award-winning huff. “I’m calling the cops to have you arrested for trespassing.”
Nic steps closer and I watch with delight as she shrinks away from him. “Go ahead and call them. Tell them that Dominic Garcia is standing on your property and you want me carted away. Watch how fast they shit their pants and tell you to deal with our own fucking problems.”
Her jaw clenches. “My brother is going to hear about this.”
Nic takes another step and her chest starts rising and falling in rapid movements. “You threatening me, girl?” he demands, snapping his arm out and curling his fingers around her throat. He presses her up against the open back door and leans into her. “Go and get him. Your brother and I have a little unfinished business.”
Shit. I’d almost forgotten about the last time the boys actually saw each other. They beat the living shit out of one another and made everything so much worse. Neither of them technically won that fight and while Colton can let it go, Nic sees it as a score that needs to be settled.
Cora’s eyes flick to mine, silently begging me for help but I let it go. Nic would never hurt her unless she was to make a physical move against me. Our petty bullshit isn’t exactly something Nic is going to bother himself with, especially knowing that I can more than handle a few school house rumors myself.
I raise a brow and prop my hip against Nic’s car, making a point that Cora is on her own here. If she’s stupid enough to provoke the leader of the Breakers Flats Black Widows, then that’s on her.
She slowly turns her gaze back to Nic and after a long, drawn-out pause, Nic smirks and then finally releases his grip on her. “Run along, princess,” he says. “Go and get that brother of yours.”
Cora’s eyes flick around our small group and being smart enough to know when to call it quits, she turns on her heel and scurries away like someone just lit a fire under her ass.
Nic turns to me with a proud grin. “Was that really necessary?” I demand, raising a brow and crossing my arms over
my chest.
The hard ridges of his face begin to soften and his eyes sparkle with laughter. “Fuck yeah. Do you have any idea how much fun it is making that bitch squirm?”
I roll my eyes and peel myself off the side of Nic’s car. “Come on,” I tell him, turning towards the pool house. “Get me fixed up and then feed me. I’m starving.”
With the reminder of why we’re all here, a seriousness comes over him and he strides toward me, placing his hand at my lower back and leading me into the pool house as Sebastian grabs the doors.
Nic gets me set up on a stool while Sebastian disappears into my room. He comes out a minute later with my hair clip and gets busy curling my hair into a high bun and clipping it up so they can see what they’re dealing with.
“Why am I so surprised by your hair skills?” I ask Sebastian as Nic finds the first aid kit and places it on the counter beside me. He starts rifling through and finding everything he needs as Sebastian leans against the counter on my other side, smirking at my question.
“Trust me,” he says. “It’s in a guy’s best interest to learn how to put a woman’s hair up, especially so he can wrap his hand around it and tear her sweet head back while her ass is up in the air.”
“Okaaaaaay,” I drag out. “I shouldn’t have ask—OH, HOLY FUCK,” I screech, cutting myself off as Nic presses a cold, wet compress to the back of my neck.
“O, I have—”
The door slams open and rattles against its frame as Colton barges into the pool house. “THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN HERE?” he demands, staring down Nic and Sebastian before his eyes come flying back to mine. “Get the fuck away from her.”
“It’s okay,” I insist. “They’re not hurting me. I mean, it does fucking hurt but they’re helping. I promise.”
“Helping?” he questions, walking deeper into the pool house and ignoring the boys’ presence, hating the pain that flashes across my face. “Helping with what? What’s going on, Jade?”
Nic scoffs from behind me and I resist slamming my elbow back into his ribs. “I … shit,” I look away, unable to meet his eyes as I feel shame for being so weak ripping through me. “I was walking home from school and ran into a few … friends.”
“Ocean,” Nic warns, not liking me discussing gang-related business with outsiders, but who the fuck is he to tell me what I can and can not say?
I shoot an icy glare toward Nic. “After the bullshit lies and secrets you kept from me, you're really in no position to be telling me to keep my mouth shut. Unlike you, I don’t keep secrets from the person I’m sharing my life with.”
Sebastian looks away, again pretending that he doesn’t hear a damn thing that’s going on while Nic clenches his jaw. He stares at me for a long moment and then finally looks back at my neck and presses the cold compress against my burn again.
I suck in another sharp breath that has Colton at my side in a heartbeat. “Ocean, what’s going on?” he demands, raking his eyes over the first aid kit on the counter and the small cuts and bruises on my face from when Russo’s men pressed me up against the brick wall. “Who the fuck touched you?”
I slide my hand across the counter and latch onto his and he takes it instantly. I don’t miss the way Sebastian and Nic eye our hold and see the clear need we have for one another. “Mikhail Russo,” I whisper. “He’s the leader of the West Side Wolves in Blaxlands Grove.”
“The gang your dad was a part of? The one who shot up ...” his gaze sweeps up to Nic and I nod, knowing he’s referring to the night Kian was murdered and everything changed.
“Yeah, that’s them,” I confirm. “Russo had his men corner me on the street today and lead me into an alley where Russo was waiting for me. He said that he wants me in his ranks to take Dad’s spot. He seems to think that he has some kind of claim over me because my father was part of their bullshit family. He didn’t like it when I turned him down and he didn’t like it more when I mentioned that I’m loyal to Nic. He says he’ll be watching me until the end of high school and then I’m his.” I turn to face the brooding guy behind me as Colton’s hand tightens in mine. “He wants me to get to you. He thinks I’m going to give up everything I know about you guys.”
Nic scoffs. “That’ll never happen.”
“Never.”
“Jade,” Colton says, drawing my attention back to him. “What happened?”
I look down at our joined hand. “He had me branded like fucking cattle.”
“What?”
I nod and turn my head, indicating to the back of my neck. His brows furrow and he steps around me, getting dangerously close to Nic but more than willing to take the risk for me. He sucks in a gasp and despite not being able to see him, I feel the rage burning out of him.
Sebastian watches the two over my shoulder, his eyes flicking between them as Colton looks up at Nic. “I want in. Whatever the fuck you have planned for these bastards, I’m in.”
Nic laughs. “No fucking way. You’re a little rich kid with deep pockets. That’s all you’re fucking good for.”
“Nic,” I warn, swiveling in my chair to see them better. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. Trust me, you want him on your side.”
Nic narrows his gaze at me, able to tell when I’m holding back. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
I glance at Colton and he gives me a small nod, knowing exactly what it is that I need to say. “Colton is the reason that the fucking DeCarlo brothers are getting picked off one by one. He’s the one righting—”
I cut myself off before I have the chance to admit in front of Colton that Nic is the reason Maryne is gone but from the look on Nic’s face, he understands exactly what I was about to say—he’s the one righting your wrongs.
He looks across at Colton with a curious gaze. “You have that kind of pull?”
“I can guarantee that I have a bigger fucking pull than you could even dream about.”
Nic takes a deep breath and turns back to me. He doesn’t confirm whether Colton will be included in his little revenge plan or not, but he doesn’t need to. We all know he will, and if he isn’t, Colton is more than capable of stepping in and taking the job right off Nic’s tainted hands.
“Come on,” Nic says, pushing me back around on the chair. “Let me get you cleaned up.”
Half an hour later, I stand outside the pool house with Colton by my side and the boys standing at Nic’s car and while I’m still so pissed with Nic about everything that’s gone down, I can’t help but feel grateful for his help today.
He looks back at me as he opens his car door. “From now on, you don’t go anywhere without that gun, got it? It’s non-negotiable.”
I nod, not prepared to fight him on this. “Yeah, I got it.”
“Good. Now, keep that neck clean. I’ll come back in a few days to check on you.”
“You don’t need to do that, Nic. I’ll call if I need anything.”
Sebastian groans. “Don’t start this bullshit, babe. We’ll come back either way and you know it.”
I roll my eyes and watch as the two Widows drop down into Nic’s car and disappear around the corner of the Carrington mansion. As I watch them go, I quickly realize that every time I watch them drive away, the sting hurts just a little less.
“Are you okay?” Colton murmurs, curling his arm around my waist and pulling me into his warm chest, right where I belong.
“I, umm … I don’t know. I’m still processing.”
“How can I make it better?”
I shrug my shoulders and tip my head up to brush my lips over his. “Cheap Chinese takeout and a movie night on your big ass couch will go a long way to helping me forget that a gang leader wants to drag me into an insane gang war and use me as his personal rat.”
“Okay,” he promises, slipping his hand down to cup my ass. I feel his smile against my lips. “Anything you want, Jade, is yours.”
Chapter 21
The bandage sits heavy at the back of my neck and I�
�m more aware of it than anything I’ve ever been aware of before. It’s a constant reminder of what went down, a reminder of my future, of what’s going to happen.
Every slight move I make, every soft brush of my hair, every tiny little thing has my stomach turning. I’ve never felt pain like this. My skin burns and I feel as though I’m in a constant sweat which is just another reminder that my whole future has been taken away.
I didn’t sleep one bit, despite the boys’ reassurances that they’ll take care of it. Somehow, I feel it’s an impossible task. Especially when it comes to a man like Mikhail Russo. What he wants, he gets. It’s that simple and it’s not humanly possible to have someone watching over me every second of my life. Eventually, a back is going to be turned and when that happens, I’ll be snatched away like the last pair of black pumps during a half-off sale.
Colton stayed with me all night, holding me as I dreamt of being branded over and over again. I felt the hot sting of Russo’s ring pressing against my skin, I could feel the powerful burn, smell my flesh singe while being held down with no way out. My dreams were so realistic. It was as though I was living it over and over again every time I closed my eyes.
I walk out of the Carrington mansion and start making my way down the sixty-six steps.
It’s been a long morning. Getting dressed and doing my hair was an absolute pain. I’ve never noticed just how many times I touch the back of my neck. I had to come clean to Mom and let her know what happened so she’s been fussing over me, wanting to make sure that I'm alright. She helped me redress it after my shower this morning and I’m sure she’ll be there waiting with a new bandage in hand when I get back this afternoon.
The news of what happened nearly killed her. It’s one thing to learn her husband was a killer in a gang, but to learn that her daughter is only a few short months away from being dragged into that same world couldn’t have been easy.
I don’t know what I’m going to do. I trust Nic, the boys, and Colton to come through. I won’t be joining the Wolves despite their mark on my neck, but there’s always the chance that something can go wrong.
Barbie B*tch: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Rejects Paradise Book 3) Page 20