by SM Olivier
“Why would she want you to do that?” Paxton asked. He placed a hand on my thigh and squeezed. He was always affectionate, but today, he was overly affectionate. We shared a few secret smiles, and it helped me get my mind off of Priscilla and the fact that Madison would be at our house on Sunday.
“I think they’re runners.” I looked over at Crew cautiously.
Crew still seemed to be upset over Enzo’s incompetence. I was also sure that knowing how his father’s business has managed to interfere in my life had him on edge, too. He had rejected that life.
Jana, his ex, was still embroiled in it. She tried to convince Crew that he should embrace the shady but profitable life, but he had steadfastly refused. He had helped bail her out of a tricky situation a few times and hated every minute of it.
I stared at him for a few moments as he tucked his food away. I didn’t want to talk about my mom for that very reason, but Golden was insistent on finding out what happened.
I could only imagine what kind of man Crew would be today if he were still with Jana. For a little while, they had been expecting a child. Would he have been able to separate himself from that life if she was involved in it?
“They found some new contacts,” Crew finally said, his voice raspy. “The busier they are, the more people they need running. Having some of them in lock-up is probably hurting business.”
“How do you know that?” Golden inquired.
Crew exhaled loudly before running a large hand through his shoulder-length tresses. He lifted a massive shoulder. “I still hear things,” he grumbled.
“How?” I asked as I stabbed an underripe tomato. I grimaced at its hard, bitter taste. I liked my tomatoes ripe and soft-ish. Cherry tomatoes should never be crunchy.
“I overheard Jana.” Crew leaned over the table and tucked my hair behind my ear. He gave me an apologetic look. “My dad’s back,” he explained with another casual shrug of his shoulder.
I could tell I wasn’t the only one stunned by this news. Zane, Golden, Paxton, and I exchanged glances. Crew and Zane were the closest out of the four of them, so I was surprised this disclosure seemed to have astonished him as well.
I could tell Crew was more upset by this than he’d conveyed by his actions and words.
I knew I had a lot on my plate lately, but I wished Crew would have told me about this sooner. I could tell how conflicted he was with this rumor. His dad had left him and Kyler to fend for themselves after hearing the ATF and FBI were closing in on his operations. It had been years since he’d shown up in these parts.
Rumor had it that a few of the big guys had been taken down, but somehow operations had continued. Kyler and Crew had always suspected that their dad still pulled strings behind the scenes in some undisclosed location.
I got up and, without a thought, perched myself in Crew’s lap. “Do you know this for sure?”
My physical touch seemed to calm him the most; words were never a strong communication technique between us as much as touch.
He wrapped his arm around my waist and readjusted me to a more comfortable position. He gently rubbed my back as if I needed comforting. With his free hand, he leaned forward and tore a piece of chicken off the leg quarter, dipped it in hot sauce, and placed it against my lips.
I opened my mouth, knowing he wouldn’t talk unless he knew I was eating and was taken care of. I impishly sucked his finger into my mouth, and he grunted, his eyes darkening in desire.
“Do you know this for sure?” Golden inquired with amusement in his voice.
“I’m sure Jana staged her conversation near my lockers on purpose yesterday afternoon,” Crew grunted. “She’s been making herself a nuisance lately. I should have told you, angel” He placed a hand on my cheek.
“Nuisance how?” I inquired as I leaned in to kiss his cheek.
Jana had tried to discourage me from hanging around Crew at first, but I thought she had gotten over him. She was known to be with a few guys that ran the drugs and guns. They were older, and with her looks, she didn’t lack male attention.
Honestly, she was a bombshell. I felt like a little girl beside her. She was tall, beautiful, and exotic-looking. She was sexy and drew men's attention without really trying.
“She asked me to come hang out with her a few times. She wanted my new number. She tried to convince me that the money was good right now if I wanted to ‘help’ them out. Stuff like that,” he said almost sheepishly.
I nodded. Oddly, I wasn’t that upset. Crew had a history with Jana, but I knew he never even gave her a second glance. After I caught them in the diner together, he understood where I stood with them. I didn’t expect her to stop trying to manipulate him, and I already predicted she would continue to try. However, I trusted Crew implicitly. I knew he would inform me when he felt he needed to.
“She kept on saying Butch’s name to some of her lackeys yesterday,” he continued. “I knew she was trying to get a reaction from me. She wouldn’t be dropping his name unless she needed or wanted to. Plus,” he exhaled once more, “it explains a lot of things I’ve been noticing lately. It’s as if Jana’s recruiting and she wouldn’t be unless someone told her to. She’s a greedy bitch. The more people that are distributing in an area, the more ways the money will be split. Unless she thinks she won’t lose out on her profit, she wouldn’t be searching for help. Recreational drugs have always circulated our halls, but lately…?” He shrugged as his voice trailed off.
“You think they’re going to introduce something harder here?” Zane concluded grimly.
Crew stiltedly nodded.
“Have you gone to anyone?” I asked in concern.
Crew leaned over and took a bite of his food before dipping another piece of chicken for me. “I planned to talk to Lochlann about it today. I remember watching Butch growing up. I know how he operates when he decides to dabble in a new product. If Jana’s on board, then it’s bound to be beyond the pot she’s been pushing.”
“Priscilla looked really good, too,” I added. “I don’t remember her ever looking that beautiful and put together. She looked like a businesswoman or a pampered housewife.”
My experience with drug dealers was limited to television and my previous high school. All the drug dealers I knew looked and acted like thugs.
“They groomed and trained her,” Crew grunted with a frown. “If a beautiful middle-aged woman was traveling with a large SUV, she’s less likely to get pulled over or suspected of criminal activity. They are using her looks for their benefit. That’s why Jana can get away with a lot. She’s…” his voice trailed off, and Paxton and Golden chortled with laughter.
“She’s what?” Golden ribbed him.
“Hot?” I rolled my eyes before sticking my tongue out at the guys. “We all know she’s hot.”
“Not as hot as you,” Paxton protested.
“Whatever.” I goodnaturedly rolled my eyes once more.
I knew I wasn’t physically appealing, and I was aware that the guys found me attractive. However, I wasn’t delusional. She was hands down one of the most attractive females I had ever met.
But I knew what was inside a person mattered to the guys, as it did me. Jana’s black soul would never attract them to her, especially after what she did to Crew.
I shook my head before grabbing my can of Cherry Dr. Pepper and took a sip before adding, “Jana’s look doesn’t draw the attention others may,” I surmised, “just like Priscilla. It’s smart, I admit. Mom really knows how to pick ‘em, too. She tried to convince me that she and Walter had a beautiful room waiting for me. She thinks I should move in with them and rebuild our relationship. She wants to make it up to me. She promised that Walter wouldn’t raise a hand towards me.”
Crew immediately stiffened. “She what?” he asked in a deadly quiet voice.
“She wanted me to move in with her and get to know Walter. She wanted to work on our relationship.” I frowned at the thunder rolling in his eyes.
“Tell Gran
dpa Delaney to get rid of that fucker.” Crew pointed towards the far corner of the courtyard.
Enzo was standing against the wall, looking at his phone. I didn’t expect him to be watching me. In fact, I preferred that he didn’t. However, his lackadaisical attitude grated on my nerves.
“And if you see Priscilla ever again, go the other way,” Crew added.
My frown deepened. “I already planned to tell Grandpa that Enzo won’t work, and I don’t ever want to see Priscilla ever again. Do you think she had plans for me? She didn’t just want to convince me to only talk to the police on their behalf?”
A sick feeling settled at the bottom of my stomach. I was just recovering from the last assholes that traumatized me. Now it would appear Priscilla was more than willing to put me in danger yet again. My lunch roiled in my stomach, and fear gripped me.
Crew cradled my face and placed his forehead against mine. “You’re beautiful, angel. They could easily use you somewhere. If they thought you would work for them, there’s no doubt in my mind that you could and would bring in a lot of money for them.”
I closed my eyes and inwardly cursed my mother. Why had she chosen to keep me if her lifelong mission was only to hurt me?
The bell rang, and I reluctantly stood.
“Come on, beautiful. I’ll take you to class,” Zane beckoned me with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes and stretched out his hand.
“We’ll pick you up after dance tonight.” Crew cast a glare in Enzo’s oblivious direction. “We can all go to Grandpa Delaney’s together.”
“Do you think the football team and cheerleaders will mind extra hands?” Golden inquired.
He hadn’t been able to go last night due to two crucial exams today he’d had to study for. Some of his teachers allowed him to make up the work he had missed. Others hadn’t. It was important that he excelled in those classes and passed his exams. From what he told us before we started talking about Priscilla, he was confident he had aced them.
“We have to pick up the kids tonight,” Paxton reminded him. “Lochlann has that staff meeting, and Kyler already warned us he was working on his flips out of town.”
Golden’s face fell. I could tell he wanted to spend more time with me. Now that we were back in school, we had to figure out a way to balance our time together again.
“We can pick them up and then head out together,” Paxton suggested. “Maisie wants to see Grandpa Delaney, and maybe it’s time the children were introduced to each other.”
I nodded. “That’s a good idea. David already told us he’d be feeding us all week, and if the kids are going to be around for the foreseeable future, might as well get it over with.”
I still struggled with seeing the kids, but after a few of them “visited” me last night, I couldn’t hold my grudge against Ava, couldn’t let it affect my feelings towards them. They were all good children and desperately needed the socialization they hadn’t received at the cabin in the woods.
“Okay,” Golden said with a broad smile. “I’ll see you in English.” He kissed my cheek and headed off to his next class.
“I can’t stop thinking about you,” Paxton murmured in my ear.
I felt my face redden. “Ditto,” I admitted.
Paxton gave me a vast, satisfied smile before he kissed my forehead and strolled off.
The second bell rang just then, breaking me from my lust-filled daze, and I hurried off to math class.
●
“Peyton, can I see you for a moment?” Mr. Hutchins, my Calculus teacher, asked as the bell rang.
Zane cast me a curious look, and I shrugged in confusion. I had no clue what he would want to talk to me about.
I reached down for my bag and tried to avoid the other curious gazes sent my way. Day two of my return to school was going much better than day one. I figured the novelty of my arrival was starting to wear off. Most of them seemed to empathize with my situation and probably realized their stares and whispers weren’t necessary. Only a handful of people seemed to want to dissect me further.
I stood, and Zane immediately took my bag from me. He carried it for me to all my classes, despite my protest. It was clear, though, when I reached the front of the room that Mr. Hutchins wouldn’t speak to me in front of Zane.
I heard Zane sigh. “I’ll be right outside, Peyton,” he murmured.
I nodded and smiled as he stepped out the door, then I looked at Mr. Hutchins. “Yes, sir?” I inquired.
“How are you doing?” he asked without preamble.
“Good,” I said concisely.
My distrust of “strange” men had grown since my abduction. Coach Carson had been an unassuming male role model in our community. I had to admit he had helped hundreds of young men. He had left a legacy through his mentoring and genuine care.
No one would have suspected that he was capable of kidnapping and child molestation. Some were still in shock that he was involved with Claire's and my abduction. Even if Claire had been willing, it was still rape. She was just a child.
I didn’t know if I could ever trust a strange male ever again because of Principal Boyd’s and Coach Carson’s behavior. Sure, Mr. Hutchins seemed nice before my abduction. He never gave me the creeps. I also knew he had helped in the call center after school with his wife and older son. However, I was forever damaged after finding out all the good that Coach had done before Claire and I were abducted.
“Good.” He gave me a slight nod. “I’m sorry if I’m making you feel uncomfortable,” he said shrewdly, retreating several steps back. I visibly relaxed slightly. “I just wanted to see how you were doing and ask you if you would like to make up some of your quizzes in my presence or your counselors? I have a free period during your lunch, or we can arrange a more convenient time with Mrs. White.”
I had been able to make up a lot of my work during my convalescence. However, both Mrs. Baker, my English Literature teacher, and Mr. Hutchins advised me that all tests and quizzes would have to be completed on my return.
I looked towards the classroom door, then back at him. I didn’t like the hold Coach Carson still had on me, but I also realized that I had to take baby steps with some things.
“Can I do it with Mrs. White?” I finally inquired. I cleared my throat, realizing my throat was too dry.
He nodded with understanding. “Absolutely. I’ll let Mrs. White know to expect you. Can you drop in to see her sometime today?”
“I can, thank you.”
I turned to walk a few steps when he said, “Peyton, I’m glad you’re back.”
There was a sheen of tears in his eyes. I was confused by them for a second. “Thank you,” I responded awkwardly, opening the door.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Zane right outside, no sign of Enzo. I shook my head. I should text Grandpa soon.
“Everything okay?” Zane asked.
I nodded. “Mr. Hutchins just wanted to see how I wanted to make-up my quizzes and the test. He gave me the option of having him watch me, or if I rather it be with Mrs. White.”
Zane pulled me into the curve of the body as we weaved in and out of the crowded hallway. “And?” he gently prodded.
“And I can’t sit in a room alone with a man I don’t know,” I admitted quietly, looking up at him.
He closed his eyes briefly and kissed the top of my head. “No one blames you, Peyton,” he said near my ear.
I nodded with a jerk of my head. “I hate the hold they still have on me,” I admitted as my voice broke in anger and desolation.
“It won’t always be like this,” Zane reassured me in a soothing voice. “Some obstacles may seem huge, but you’ll always have us by your side, cheering you on and knowing you can and will beat them.”
I smiled at his kind words and stood on my tiptoes to graze his jawline with my lips. “Thank you.”
There was a considerable commotion up ahead, and I realized there must be a fight. A large circle of people were surrounding two guys in the
middle, which struck me as slightly odd. My last school was huge, and a fight was expected on a daily basis.
Since I started here, I had only witnessed or heard of two fights. Almost everyone seemed to keep their physical altercations off of school grounds. I wouldn’t even call the first one a skirmish. It had been just Dylan and some of his meatheaded friends bullying Raymond, a younger freshman. The second one involved Dylan and Leah when they had their buddy tackle me, and Crew had attacked him in my defense.
Zane tried to skirt us around the growing crowd, and I could feel bodies begin to bump into me. My anxiety rose, panic swimming in my chest. I gripped Zane’s hand tightly, digging my nails into his hand.
I saw his eyes widen in understanding. The crowd surged back as some of the teachers attempted to jump in to intervene. All of a sudden, my hand was forcefully ripped out of Zane's tight grasp. I let out a cry of distress as I heard Zane yell my name.
I watched as people separated Zane further from me. I tried to make my way back to him. I could see him wildly swinging at people to make his way towards me.
The alarm truly set in as someone stepped on my foot, and a pair of strong hands grabbed me from behind. I threw an elbow and kicked back, but the person barely moved. I realized in a growing panic that another pair of arms was now tightening around my waist. Other hands grabbed my feet. I felt five pairs of hands and arms in total surrounding me and attempting to carry me off.
“Help!” I screamed as shrill alarms sounded above.
The fire alarms were resounding in my head, and bright lights flashed on the stark white wall. I realized the group of people that had lifted me was heading in the opposite direction of the fight and crowded hallway.
The crowd surged and chaos ensued.
I attempted to throw my head back to head butt the person behind me, but my hair was brutally yanked back.
“Knock it off, bitch,” an unrecognizable voice growled.
“Put her in here,” a vaguely familiar feminine voice ordered.
A hood was thrown over my head as I continued to scream. I knew it was pointless. My voice was still recovering, so it was hoarse anyway, and with the shouting from the crowd and fire alarms, no one would hear me. Why didn’t anyone see me getting carried away?
