Aiden (A Next Generation Carter Brother Novel Book 2)

by Lisa Helen Gray

  Seeing the last part—the maze—I quickly step through the inflatable tyre rings, and at the last second, shove Luke with all my strength, falling in the process.

  “You dickhead,” Reid yells from the side-lines, running over help his brother. I get up, shrugging, and move through the maze.

  “Go!” Jaxon yells.

  I laugh, hearing Maddox yell, “Run, Forest, run.”

  “You’re a fucking knob,” Luke growls behind me. I push forward, laughing hysterically now, and jump out of the maze, signalling for Hayden to go. She’s off, and seconds later, Luke rushes out, winded and signalling for Reid to go.

  Luke pushes me, his face red. “Why the fuck did you push me?”

  I push him back, my own anger spiking. “You fucking pushed me first.”

  “Now, girls, calm down,” Maddox says, chuckling.

  “Luke,” Jaxon snaps. Luke stares at me for a beat longer.

  I don’t even blink, staring right back. “Run along.”

  He shoots forward, but Jaxon steps in, grabbing him around the waist. “That’s enough, both of you,” he snaps. “There are children here.” He looks to Landon. “Sort your cousin out, Landon, or I will.”

  “Don’t threaten me,” Landon warns, his tone deadly.

  “You won,” is screamed behind me, and I turn, just in time to catch Bailey in my arms. I smirk down at her. “Did you have any doubt?”

  She shakes her head, laughing. “No.”

  “Come on; let’s watch Hayden kick some arse,” I say giddily, a rush of adrenaline shooting through me.

  I can’t wait to get back home and fuck my girlfriend.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  BAILEY

  Who knew Family of the Year could be so competitive. After watching Mark race off on his bike, Lily and I left, leaving them with the next challenges. We browsed the little stalls set up, selling handcraft items, and we popped in to say hello to Teagan, Madison, and Sunday. We didn’t stay long as they were busy, so leaving them behind, we go to see Charlotte.

  “I think she’s forgotten she’s surrounded by people,” I murmur to Lily.

  She giggles, linking her arm through mine. “She probably has. She loves baking, and although that cake will look like a masterpiece by the end of it, it will be disastrous to eat. It’s one of her favourite hobbies.”

  “Her favourite?” I ask, whilst watching in amazement as she places tiny iced flowers on a three-tiered cake.

  “She likes animals too, but they don’t last long in her house, which is why Faith stopped giving them to her. Landon thought giving her something simple would ease her into it, but her goldfish died a few weeks ago.”

  “How long did she have it?”

  Lily sucks in her bottom lip while she thinks about it. “I think she had it that morning, or the morning before.”

  I chuckle. “She’s amazing.”

  “She is. You know, she got bullied like you and me,” Lily says quietly.

  I turn to face her. When I don’t see any pity, I relax. “She told me about you the night I went out with them to the bar. She didn’t say anything about being bullied herself.”

  She sighs. “She wouldn’t. Charlotte only sees the good in people. Half the time, I don’t think she realised she was being bullied. She had Maddox and Imogen at school with her though. Imogen is our cousin, who was a year above those two.”

  I start to see Charlotte in a new light. To be laughed at behind your back… or not understanding that they’re not simply teasing… I don’t know if that’s worse than being confronted or not.

  “I’m glad she had them,” I whisper.

  “Me too.”

  “I wonder what the boys are up to,” I say.

  She giggles. “I need to go the toilet, but after, we’ll go and find them.”

  “Come on, then. I saw some Portaloo’s near the back.”

  She pulls on my arm to go the other way. “They have a toilet block this way. I’d rather use those. I don’t like being in those confined spaces.”

  “That’s fine with me. Lead the way; I’ve never been here,” I tell her.

  I can see the toilet block she was talking about a few minutes later. Lily startles me suddenly when she calls out, “Paisley, is that you?”

  The girl a few feet in front us turns around. She’s beautiful, even in the baggy jeans and long-sleeved T-shirt she’s wearing that looks too big for her. I glance down at her feet, seeing dirty trainers. And even with all that, she still works her outfit. She makes it look trendy.

  Her hair is a dark brown towards the top, but falls into a lighter brown towards the bottom, ending midway down her back. Her bright hazel eyes have flecks of gold in them, her long black lashes making them pop. Rosy cheeks and pink, full lips stand out on her pale-skinned face.

  Seeming wobbly on her feet, Lily and I both rush forward. Lily takes her arm, steadying her. “Paisley, are you okay?”

  “Hi, Lily,” she says, her voice shaky. She forces a smile as she glances at us. “I’m good. I just need to use the bathroom.”

  Lily doesn’t look convinced; me neither. The girl is lying. She looks ready to pass out. “We’re heading that way too. We’ll walk with you.”

  “I didn’t see you at the egg and spoon race.”

  Lily winces. “How badly did it end?”

  Paisley giggles. “It ended up in an egging match. Both Maddox and Eli are covered.”

  I laugh. “I can’t believe we missed that. What is it with them and eggs?” I say, then look to Paisley when she glances my way. “I’m Bailey, by the way. I’m Aiden’s girlfriend.”

  Her lips twist in thought. “Ah, I think Jaxon mentioned something about you.”

  “Well, looky fucking here,” a voice from my nightmares bites out.

  Everything around me stops. I stop hearing kids laughing and screaming, stop hearing parents chatting or shouting, stop hearing the noise of the crowd nearby. Instead, I focus on the girls and guy in front of me.

  All four are dressed like they’re ready to burgle a house, opting for black clothing with a hooded jumper. If I wasn’t so petrified, I would laugh and ask if they had their names on the back too.

  My stomach drops as Marie, the ring leader, steps forward, her hands hung loose beside her, but I know that means nothing. She’s here to hurt me. Like she’s done a thousand times before. I can see it in the curl of her lip, the feral look in her eyes.

  “We don’t want any trouble,” Lily says gently, taking my arm. Her hand is cold and trembling, and I hate that I’ve put her in this situation. They can’t hurt her too. Something I’ve seen in Lily’s eyes time and time again tells me she’s been hurt one too many times before. She understands the meaning of pure pain.

  “What’s this?” the guy says, looking down at Marie warily.

  Her expression turns fake as she glances up at him, fluttering her eyelashes. “I told you, Jasper. Payback.”

  “Aiden isn’t here,” he says, looking around.

  She runs her finger down his chest. “I said you could get payback. These little bitches are payback. That one,” she says, pointing to me. “Is his girlfriend. Fuck her and it will destroy him.” My stomach sinks at her cruel words, then her top lip curls when she eyes Lily. “And that freak is his sister. They’re protective of her. But it’s Bailey you want to hurt. Lily is just a bonus.”

  “Um…” Paisley says shakily, looking at the other three girls as they begin to surround us.

  “What are you doing, Marie?” I ask, trying to remain calm.

  She glares at me. “Shut the fuck up, you little slag.”

  I take a step back, but stop when I see Naomi move closer, shaking her head.

  “I didn’t sign up for this. He fucked my mum. I wanted to punch him, not fuck his girlfriend, who, by the way, wouldn’t be willing,” Jasper growls out. He’s skinny and extremely tall, but looks like he’s barely out of high school.

  “Does it matter?” she asks sweetly, but I
can see the hardness behind her eyes.

  He looks down at her with disgust. “Yeah, it fucking does. And not being funny, but I go to school with Colton and Theo Hayes. I don’t want them as enemies. Fuck this, I’m out.”

  He goes to walk off, but she stops him, pulling on his arm. “But what about the promise we made you?”

  He shakes her arm off, scoffing. “Yeah, no fucking orgy is worth doing what you want me to do. You lied to me about this whole thing. You said if I turned up with you on my arm, Aiden would get pissed. I wanted him to pay for fucking my mum and breaking up their marriage, not rape someone.”

  “Fucking pussy,” she sneers, shoving him away. He walks off but stops to look backward. “If you knew what was good for you, you’d run. You don’t want to mess with those families. I’ve heard of the Carter’s; they don’t care about anyone but family. They rip people like you apart. And the Hayes? They’ll bury you alive for messing with their sister.”

  “Fuck you. You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she yells back, but I can see a little bit of doubt behind her eyes.

  He laughs like he’s humouring her. “Yeah, you tell yourself that. But watch your back. I heard the Hayes attack when you least expect it.”

  Once he’s gone, her sneer turns my way and she takes a step closer. “You’ve been a pain in my arse for years.”

  “I’ve never done anything to you, Marie, ever. You made it your mission to bully me,” I snap, finding courage.

  She grins. “You still don’t know, do you?”

  My face scrunches up. “Know what?”

  The other two beside me are quiet, but I can feel the fear coming from them in waves. I know the feeling well, accustomed to it all throughout school.

  “Your granddad fired my dad. He lost his job. We nearly lost our home.”

  “What?”

  My grandparents would have said something to me. She laughs like she heard the funniest joke in the world. “Yeah, my dad worked for your granddad at some firm. If he hadn’t had fired him after the first time we hit you, we’d have stopped. We wouldn’t have carried on. But you had to fuck it up. We nearly lost our home.”

  I gulp, my nails digging into my palms until I can feel blood. “Are you telling me you did all that stuff because your dad lost his job?”

  She screams. “My mum left him! She left us! After she found out he didn’t have any money, she left.”

  I take a step back. “I didn’t know. I had nothing to do with that.”

  “Yeah? Then what about now? My dad started over, started his own business using the contacts he made working for your granddad, and now he’s been arrested. Your fucking boyfriend called the dogs on him. They’ve frozen all his accounts—my accounts. We have nothing.”

  I hold my hands up, not understanding a word of what she’s saying. “I didn’t do anything.”

  “I’m going to fucking ruin you,” she sneers.

  I see movement to the side of me, next to where Lily is standing, and watch as Eva grabs her. Lily’s eyes flash, and the look in them will haunt me forever. She screams, and the sound tears through me like a shard of glass. She screams again, this time falling to her knees, sounding desperate—terrified. I take a step towards her, watching the blood drain from her face. Paisley goes to do the same, but Amy grabs me by my arms, pulling them behind me.

  “Let me go. I have to help her!” I scream, kicking my legs out. She grunts, holding me tighter.

  “We won’t stop this time,” Amy whispers in my ear, and dread sears through me.

  She drags me backwards as I scream for help, more for Lily than myself. Seeing her broken on the floor, writhing in pure agony as she clutches her head, is heart breaking. It’s like she’s reliving some kind of nightmare.

  Eva pushes Paisley to the floor, kicking her in the stomach before moving towards me. I’m dragged into the toilets, the smell of urine and dirt hitting my nostrils, and just as the three other girls step in front of me, I’m comforted by Paisley crawling over to Lily, pulling her head into her lap. The last thing I see is her looking up at me, terror shining in her eyes.

  Lily will be okay; Paisley will get help.

  The door closes shut behind the three girls, and Amy drops my arms. I stagger to the side, my stomach plummeting when they all circle around me.

  “Stop this!” I yell, holding my hands up.

  “No, this is payback, you fucking slut,” Marie yells, stepping closer. I scan the room, finding no way out other than the door they just locked. I glance at it, and with only a second to spare, I duck under Eva’s arm, diving for the lock. My hand reaches for it, but as the tips of my fingers touch the lock, I’m pulled back by my hair. My scalp burns as I’m thrown backwards, landing against the row of sinks.

  One grabs for my T-shirt, pulling me towards them, and in doing so, they rip the fabric and I lose my footing, falling into them.

  “Please, stop,” I beg, knowing I won’t survive this time. I can read it in their expressions. They are going to beat me to death this time.

  “Please, stop,” Marie mimics, her voice mockingly high-pitched. She punches me in the face as Eva holds me. I cry out, grabbing my cheek.

  Everything comes flooding back to me.

  The spit in my hair.

  My head thrown into a toilet.

  The kicks.

  The taunts.

  Owen.

  My family.

  Everything they’ve ever done floods back in like a tidal wave, hitting me full force. Months ago, I wouldn’t have had anything to lose. My grandparents were untouchable. My granddad was basically a celebrity in the business world. These girls, they were nothing. They’d be a spider he squashed under his shoe, and I think they know that. I think it’s why they’ve never gone after them. Why they targeted me.

  They’ve taken so much from me. At one time, I believed they took my spirit, my soul, but they didn’t. I know that now because Aiden owns it. He holds it in the palm of his hand and cherishes it.

  And for him, I won’t go down without a fight.

  I underestimated the lengths they would go to when they killed my family. I never thought they’d go that far. I wasn’t prepared. I am now.

  They just didn’t count on Aiden—on my love for him. And for him, I will fight. He’s given me so much to fight for.

  With no more thinking, I push Eva out of the way. I get a split second to read their surprise faces before I rush into a toilet.

  I try to slam the door shut behind me, but it’s pushed open and smacks me in the face.

  “Get here, you silly bitch,” Naomi shouts, Marie and Amy standing behind her. As she grabs for me, I push her, but she’s expecting it. She dodges my outstretched arms and digs her fingers into them, pulling me out of the stall. I fall forward, lose my balance, and land once again against the sinks with a thud.

  I turn my head, still bent over, and kick out at Marie, who is coming for me. She grunts when I hit her. I shiver at the dangerous glint in her eyes just before she charges at me.

  I cry out when she grabs me, my T-shirt tearing again, showing off my pale pink bra. She throws me to the floor, and I can’t even think of the shit I’ve fallen in as wetness soaks into my jeans. I try to push to my feet when my eyes land on the door, hearing banging on the other side.

  Hope.

  I’m dragged backwards roughly when they hear it.

  “Come on; we need to get this done,” Marie snaps, and I can hear the panic in her voice.

  “We shouldn’t have left those two outside,” Amy says as she helps turn me, a sneer of her face.

  “Let me go!” I scream, still fighting, clawing at her face when they all start hitting me, their punches winding and choking me.

  I turn, struggling to get free as the hits keep coming, and manage to twist my body back so I’m lying on my stomach, when something hard hits my back. I cry out, my spine arching at the force, feeling like a bat has been taken to me.

  “Get it done,”
Marie screeches.

  They don’t stop punching me, even though my body is weak and tired. I’m scared to let myself feel everything. I’m afraid that if I let the pain in, then they will have won. And as long as I’m conscious, I’m going to fight.

  I see Marie’s feet in my vision. My fingers twitch, wanting to fight back, but everything hurts and is starting to go hazy.

  Her foot rises, and I know it’s going to be bad. I cry out a little when I try to move, to avoid what is about to happen.

  They kick me. They don’t even take turns like they did back in the day. Instead, they kick me all at once; my hips, my ribs, my face and jaw. My hands move, clutching my head to try and ward off their attack. I knock out my ear piece and everything becomes silent.

  I don’t hear their taunts, their threats, or their promises to kill me. I don’t hear Marie laughing, telling them to kick me harder.

  I can’t fight them. I never could.

  The silence is welcome as I fight to stay awake, jolting every few seconds when one of them kicks me. The pain is crippling. No matter how hard I try to shut it out, I can feel it. I can feel it so badly, I beg for them to kill me.

  I see muddy footprints all over the floor, toilet paper balled up and scattered, or unravelled from the holder.

  And this is how I’m going to die. In a dirty bathroom, lying in piss and dirt.

  I close my eyes and shut it out. Instead, I picture Aiden and Sunday. I imagine them sitting in bed with me, Aiden bouncing her on his lap.

  I smile at the sound of her laughter.

  Her smile is the last thing I see before darkness overcomes me.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  JAXON

  (Yes, you read that right)

  I shake my head as I watch Wyatt argue back and forth with Ashton Carter. They’re putting elastic bands across a watermelon; the one with the most bands before it bursts, wins. But the way they’re acting, you’d think they were defusing a bomb.

  The entire competition is stupid, and not something we’d compete in if it weren’t for the Carter’s. Anything to stick it to them, though.

  For as long as I can remember we’ve had a war with them. Everything somehow turning into a competition.