I swing the front door of the building open. I’m running so fast I can’t even begin to see my feet hitting the ground. Night is falling upon us. Luckily, the guys outside weren’t expecting me, which gives me a head start.
“Get her!” I hear one of them shout.
They’re not too far behind. The road’s empty, no cars to be seen. Haze’s building just had to be in an isolated spot. I wish I could lose them, but the way the street borders the apartments makes it impossible. I’m exposed, darting in the center of the road. There’s no escape. I try and reach for my phone in my pocket, but then I’m reminded that Ryan tossed it. I left it upstairs. I signed my own death warrant.
A car roars loudly behind me. It’s getting closer and it’s going fast. Too fast. It’s one of them, it’s got to be. What am I going to do? I can’t outrun a car. My heart is beating so rapidly it seems impossible that I haven’t had a stroke yet.
In a scene worthy of an action movie, the car passes me and loudly hits the brakes right in the middle of the road, screeching as it stops and blocks the way. I desperately search for a way out. I search and I search, but there’s nowhere for me to run.
This is it…
I’m going down.
28
Dilemmas
Tears. It’s all I can see when the door flies open and a broad-shouldered silhouette rushes out of the car. It takes me a second to recognize him, for the familiarity of his tall frame to sink into me.
Haze.
He’s here.
I don’t recognize his car. Without a word, he runs to me, his eyes telling a million stories, and goes straight for my face. He cups my cheeks with his hands and examines me obsessively. “Thank God. Are you okay? Did he touch you?”
“I’m okay. I’m okay.” I nod in distress and hold on to his jacket as if I need to make sure that he’s real.
“I’m so sorry, Winter. I’m sorry. I had no idea, I…”
In that moment, I don’t care about what he did. I don’t care that he disappeared. I cry in relief and throw myself into his arms. He holds me as tight as possible, but our reunion is short-lived when footsteps come running down behind us. We turn around.
There they are, a few feet away from us. Three guys. A redhead, a guy with black hair, and Ryan. His eyes are red, burnt. He glares me with a hatred I’d recognize anywhere. Murder lies in his gaze. He walks toward me, but Haze steps in front of me, his arm and body immediately shielding me.
“Don’t even think about it,” he says through gritted teeth, and Ryan stops dead in his tracks.
“Get out of my way, Haze.”
“You’re not touching a hair on her head.”
The tension fills any empty space it can find and renders the air toxic.
“Let me guess, Trev told on us,” Ryan says.
Haze doesn’t reply, but the answer is all over his face.
“I knew we couldn’t trust him,” Ryan says to his friends. “He’s weak. His guilty conscience always gets the best of him.”
“At least he has one,” Haze spits.
“Listen…” Ryan starts. “This doesn’t need to get messy, man. We just want the girl.”
“You’re going to have to kill me.”
I compress Haze’s bicep. He’s basically challenging them into killing him. He needs to stop.
The red-haired guy next to Ryan speaks up and steps forward. “That’s what you call not seeing her anymore? You’re a liar, Haze. This girl needs to stop being a fucking problem.”
“Really, Andrew? You too? I’d expect that coming from Ryan, the piece of shit, but you…” Haze says in disgust. “You were my friend. I trusted you.”
“I wish things were different, Haze. I really do.” Shame radiates off Andrew’s stance. “But we can’t trust you anymore. We told you what would happen if you didn’t give up on her.”
“Fine, I lied. But it doesn’t have to change anything. Having her in my life doesn’t change who I am. I’m still me, guys,” he begs.
“Still you? Please, you’re throwing fights, disappearing on us, working with the East side.”
Haze’s words leave him.
“Yeah, we know about that. Turns out the East side’s just as against your relationship as we are.”
Haze peeks at me from the corner of his eyes, waiting for me to validate their accusations. I nod and he clenches his jaw.
Damn you, Kendrick.
“Thanks for starting shit with the North side, by the way. You cost us our best alliance. All over some stupid girl.” Ryan huffs and puffs, glancing at the guys over his shoulder. He’s clearly the brain behind the operation. The other two seem to hate the situation unraveling before their eyes. “We don’t want to kill her, and we won’t have to if you agree to get her out of your life.”
“What is this? An ultimatum?”
“Maybe it should be. Choose, Haze. The girl or us.”
Haze’s face hardens, his gaze gliding from them to me. My heartbeat races when I get lost in the blue of his eyes. Finally, he smiles faintly.
“Then, it’s settled.”
He captures my hand into his.
“I’m done fighting.”
My lips part.
Wait, what?
Ryan fails to hide his joy. “Fine. I’ll lead the West side.”
“Now, we both know the only way to get the title from me is to beat me. Either you fight me, or you win the most fights. No other way to become the main. That’s the rule.”
“I don’t have to. You just quit. I don’t have to challenge the main if he’s a quitter. That’s the rule.” He spits Haze’s words back to his face.
There are so many rules I’m not even close to understanding. Maybe I should start listening to Kendrick’s speeches.
“Oh, come on, humor me. You think you have what it takes to lead? Prove it.”
Ryan tightens his fists and looks over at the guys. They nod in approval. There’s no avoiding this fight.
Haze makes me step back. Seconds later, Ryan runs to us, putting up a fist no one wants to be on the receiving end of. I yelp as Haze easily intercepts his attack, punching the breath out of him and pushing him to the ground. Ryan groans in pain but quickly gets back on his feet. Seconds later, Haze is twisting Ryan’s arm behind his back like it’s nothing—like he’s nothing—and shoving him back down. The other guys don’t move one bit, guilt scorching their faces. Helpless, they watch Haze destroy their future leader on repeat.
It quickly becomes clear why Haze was the main. He’s winning the fight by far, effortlessly dodging every upper cut Ryan comes up with and returning the punches to sender ten times harder.
“Really, Sutter? Using my own moves against me? In case you forgot, I fucking made you.” Haze pulls Ryan by the collar of his clothes and sends him flying with one strong and final hook. Ryan whimpers, struggling to get up, as he wipes the blood off his mouth. “That’s who you want as your leader? Be my guest,” Haze scoffs.
Haze’s fighters are speechless, which is understandable. What can you possibly say when your new leader just got their ass handed to them by the one you’re trying to kick out?
“Now, here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to go home with your excuse of a leader and never come near me or my girl ever again.”
Ryan spits more blood. “And why would we do that?”
“Because you know damn well I could ruin your lives with all the dirt I have on you.”
“We have dirt on you, too,” Ryan grunts.
“Yeah, but you won’t use it. You don’t have Daddy’s money to save your ass. I, on the other hand…”
On their faces is pure and undeniable defeat. They know he’s right. Whatever they have against him, he can find worse, and he’ll always come out unscathed on the other side. They can’t take him on. They’d most likely end up behind bars, but Haze… his parents would get him the most expensive lawyers just to save their company.
“If I find out that even just one
of you is plotting against me, I’ll have everyone’s dirty little secrets sent to the police in a heartbeat, you got it?”
No answer.
“Did you fucking get it, yes or no?” he snarls.
Frustrated, they nod.
Haze places a hand on my back, applies pressure to get me to start walking, and opens the unknown car door for me. I quickly climb onto the leather seats. Next thing I know, we’re driving down the street and watching Haze’s old life disappear in the rearview mirror.
“Please talk to me,” Haze begs, squeezing my thigh with his hand. I’m speechless from everything he’s just told me. Ryan may be a psychopath, but he wasn’t lying about Haze staying away to keep me safe. Apparently, they even sabotaged his car so that he couldn’t come to my rescue if he found out about their plan. We’re in some guy called Trevor’s car. “I wanted to tell you, I really did, but I couldn’t. I had to play perfect leader for a week to get them off my back. I thought I was protecting you. Even if it turns out the bastards knew all along. Don’t be mad.”
I inhale and take my hand to his.
“How could I be mad?”
He gave up the only thing that made him feel better after his sister’s death. He quit fighting when he’s been training his whole life. He didn’t even hesitate.
“You didn’t have to give it all up for me, you know.”
“Yes, I did,” he says. “They were basically asking me to choose between the fights and your life, Winter. That wasn’t an option.”
“You could’ve just never seen me again.”
“Like I said…” He interlaces our fingers. “Not an option.”
I flush.
He clears his throat. “I think it’s for the best anyway. I realized that maybe… I don’t want this life anymore.”
“Why not? What happened?” I say softly.
He turns to look at me at a red light.
“You happened.”
My stomach turns into a fuzzy mess.
There he goes again with his damn swoony lines. Do they come naturally to him, or does he rehearse?
“You know you could’ve just told me you couldn’t see me for a week, jerk,” I say, ignoring the heating up of my cheeks.
“It had to be believable, prude,” he teases.
“Trust me, it was. I really thought we were done.”
He starts laughing.
“What’s so funny?” I ask.
He shrugs. “Nothing, it’s just cute.”
“Cute? What’s cute?”
“How you thought I’d be stupid enough to ever let you go again.”
My heart flitters in my rib cage as I look outside the window to hide the idiotic grin on my lips. I mean, come on. Is he trying to get me to take his clothes off right here right now?
Someone give this boy a cuteness award.
When I look back at him, I squint my eyes and notice he’s bleeding. His cheek is wounded. It looks like Ryan did nudge him after all.
“You’re hurt.” I lean in.
“This? It’s nothing.”
“We need to clean you up.”
“You can play nurse all you want when we get home.”
“Home?”
“You’re sleeping at my place tonight,” he states. “I mean, unless it’s too hard for you to go back there after what happened.”
“No, don’t be ridiculous. I’m fine.”
He nods. “We’re stopping at your house so you can pick up clothes. We only have a week left. You’re staying with me.”
So he does know.
“Kendrick won’t allow it.”
“Kendrick almost got you killed tonight because he put his dirty nose where it didn’t belong, so he’ll have to deal with it. I’m not letting you out of my sight, girlfriend.”
“You are aware that the girlfriend title doesn’t give you the right to control everything I do, right?” I ask.
“Yes, of course. We’re just making decisions as a couple. So we’re going to make the decision together to have you stay with me.”
“In other words, you’re choosing.”
“Yep.” He grins and I laugh.
Haze sighs when I grip his arm and drag him to the bathroom against his will. He says he doesn’t need me to clean his wounds, that he’s fine, but I don’t hear a word he’s saying. I haven’t been able to stop looking at his cut since we got to his place.
“What are we doing? Please say taking a shower.” He circles my waist with his arm from behind.
“You wish. I’m cleaning your wound.”
“I told you I’m fine. I’m starving. Let’s order a bunch of food instead.”
“Sit!” I motion to the corner of the bathtub. He obeys but makes sure to complain while I get alcohol out of the bathroom cabinet. “This is going to hurt.”
“No, it won’t.”
I press the cloth to his wound.
“Ouch!” He winces.
I suppress a laugh.
“Shut up.” He smiles and gets up to tickle me.
I accidentally drop the cloth into the bathtub when I try to move away from him and bend down to get it.
“Winter…” I feel him shift closer behind me.
“What?” I say, still trying to get the cloth.
“You might want to stop doing that in front of me.”
I freeze, suddenly very aware of the position we’re in.
My ass is barely two inches away from him. I didn’t even think of that. We haven’t seen each other in four days, and considering how long it’s been since the last time we had sex, I’m not surprised the stupidest little things turn him on.
“Or what?” I get up. He’s so close that his torso crashes against my back. His hands creep under my shirt, and chills scamper down my spine. His mouth stops next to my ear.
“Keep doing that and you’ll find out.”
I let out a soft gasp when his lips find my neck. He knows exactly how to drive me insane.
“Haze…”
“Something wrong?” His breath bounces on my skin, and I know I won’t be able to survive the usual teasing. We keep getting interrupted lately, and it’s been so long. Too long.
I jolt around, bringing his face forward as my lips close over his. We’re both eager, starving. Our tongues converge and he groans when I suck his lower lip between my teeth. He pulls me up and wraps both my legs around his waist, his mouth never once leaving mine as he carries me out of the bathroom. We’re both so busy making out that I only realize we’re in the kitchen when he drops me on the stone-cold table. Wait, the table?
“Why the table?” I giggle in between kisses.
He smirks and goes back to kissing my neck like he spent his entire life studying my sweet spots. I bite my lip when he sucks on the skin just under my collarbone.
Then, he takes on my earlobe and whispers in my ear, “Because I’m having you for dinner.”
Goodbye, world. It was nice knowing you.
I laugh again and take his T-shirt off. I toss it across the living room as his hands tug at my tank top, pulling the fabric up…
“I’m guessing this is a bad time.”
We both jump, staring at the wide-open door.
I can’t believe who’s standing in Haze’s kitchen.
29
Troublemakers
“What the hell are you doing here?” Haze spits, getting off the table and pulling me along with him. His brother hasn’t changed one bit, his face still unreadable, cold… lifeless. Haze steps in front of me like he expects him to pounce, but Tanner doesn’t move a muscle, his gaze straying between Haze and me numerous times before he speaks again.
“Don’t worry. I’m not here for her. Not this time.”
“What do you want? How did you even get in?”
“You seem to forget who taught you everything you know on picking locks, brother,” he says, the smile creeping on his lips enough to give me nightmares. How long has he been standing there? “Look, I’m not here to sta
rt a fight. I’m here to end one.”
Everything he says sounds like a lie. Haze doesn’t bother replying and raises a suspicious eyebrow at him.
“This has been going on for too long. Clearly I can’t keep you away from the East side ch—” He stops. “From Winter,” he corrects himself. “I don’t care anymore. I want my brother back.”
Haze crows, “Right, well you should’ve thought about that before you kidnapped my girlfriend and almost murdered her.”
“I was a fool. I thought this was the only way to get you back, but I was wrong. I’m sorry. If you’re going to believe anything I say, believe that.”
“Okay, let me spell it out for you. If you’re here for forgiveness, you’re not going to get it.”
He doesn’t reply for a good five seconds, and I can tell Haze is close to losing his temper.
“I heard you’re done fighting,” Tanner says after a while. “Rumor has it your guys kicked you out.”
How does he know that? It’s only been a few hours.
“Word travels fast,” he adds like he’s reading both our minds.
“What’s it to you?” Haze asks.
“Word on the street’s that someone’s been asking around the community about you since you skipped town. They’ve been very discreet; even I couldn’t trace them.”
“So what? You came here to warn me?” Haze raises an eyebrow.
“Yes, I did. Someone’s after you, brother. It’s not the North side, it’s not your guys. It’s not even the West side. Can you think of anyone you pissed off lately?”
I repress a snort.
I mean, has he met Haze? The list goes on and on.
“Thanks for the brotherly concern, but I’m good.” Haze walks to the door and swings it open, beckoning him to leave.
“No, you’re not. Even if I’m wrong about the psycho after you, you just became the number one target to all your enemies, can’t you see that? By tomorrow, the entire world’s going to know that you’re on your own. That makes you vulnerable. You’ll be dodging attacks left and right.”
“What’s your point, Tanner?”
Unspoken Rules Page 27