by Addison Jane
I felt ill, clutching to my body and trying to hold down the vomit that threatened release.
Through the blur, I saw an object come out of nowhere, connecting with the side of the asshole’s head. He crumbled to the ground, and someone else took his place towering over me. But instead of flinging venomous words, he held out his hand.
I held my sore arm against my body as I reach out with the other. Thick fingers wrapped around my small hand and pulled me to my feet. Another hand was placed on my shoulder to steady me as I swayed.
“Let me go, douche bag,” Layla screamed, the guy holding her chuckling in amusement as she kicked and fought against him.
The boys who’d attacked us were pulling themselves to their feet now, blood and bruises on all their faces.
“You think you’re cool, picking on two girls and teaming up against the one guy who was trying to protect them?” A stony-faced guy stepped out of the crowd of young men who were now standing with us, some clenched their fists like they were ready for a fight, others breathed heavily with blood already on their hands. But the boy who talked stood tall, his arms folded across his chest. His words sounded fierce but calm.
Two of the boys cowered, like losers licking their wounds, but the one who had attacked me turned his seething gaze in my direction. “Bitch couldn’t take a fucking joke.” He spat on the ground, a mixture of saliva and blood making a puddle on the concrete platform.
I bristled. “You’re the only fucking joke around here.” I attempted to step forward, but the guy holding me tightened his grip on my shoulder.
“There’s three guys here for every one of yours. How ‘bout you tell us a joke, and we see how it turns out?” His voice was deep and rich, and it made my body buzz. There was a confidence about him, the way he held himself and how he spoke. The guys that stood beside us respected him, I could feel it.
“Street brat.” The bastard glared at me before finally turning and hobbling with his buddies up the stairs to the exit.
Layla was dropped to her feet, she turned to the tall guy behind her and huffed at him, raising her middle finger in the air which only made his grin spread wider.
We both looked to Eazy at the same time, he was sitting against the wall where Layla’s guitar case was, his arms propped up on his knees and his head hanging with his hood covering his face.
Running to him, I cradled my arm against my chest and my ribs burned like they were on fire. I dropped to my knees and spoke softly, “Eazy? Are you okay?”
The boys standing around us watched on in silence as I reached out and pushed his hood back from his face. “Oh, E…” I whispered sadly, my fingers brushing the side of his face. He finally looked up. One of his eyes was already swollen shut, blood dripping from a fresh cut above it. There was more bruising and blood on his cheeks. “Let’s get you home.”
I stood up and stepped back, giving him room to stand. It was evident he was in a lot of pain. When he finally reached full height, I heard a gasp come from behind me.
His head hung again, but this time, it wasn’t because of the attack he’d just endured, he wanted to hide his face, and that’s when I realized why.
“Anton?”
“Hey Bray,” Eazy croaked, leaning back against the wall for support. The head boy stepped forward, his brow furrowed in confusion. The kid who’d helped me to my feet moved in beside him. “Girls, meet Heath and Braydon Carson.” He gestured to the two with a battered hand.
Heath’s attention flicked to me, the intensity of his eyes sent a small shock straight up my spine and through the center of my shoulder blades, causing me to shiver involuntarily before steeling myself again. Heath was the strong front man. Something about him drew me in and made me curious. My mind wandered, wondering what it would be like to see the dark, serious look drop and maybe catch a smile. His chocolate brown hair was short but spiked up sharply on his head, and seemed to match his demeanor perfectly. It was the baby blue eyes that struck a strong contrast to everything else about him.
Braydon on the other hand had a flare of fun and amusement that followed him. While he stared at Eazy in shock, a grin began to break through, and he seemed excited about the reunion. You could tell that he was obviously more laid back than his brother, his hair was a little lighter and shaggier and his body, even though still broad and strong, didn’t quite match up to that of Heath’s.
“Where the hell have you been the last few months, man?” Braydon asked sounding both astounded and elated.
E chuckled softly. “Been here, bro.”
“Living in the city?”
His tone darkened as he replied, “Something like that.”
Heath studied the interaction carefully, his eyes and ears taking in everything. As I watched, I could see his mind working, piecing together the puzzle. “You living on the streets?”
E didn’t turn his head, instead, just moving his good eye to where Heath stood, his body tense. “Yeah. Mom and Dad gave me the boot when they found out about the prescription meds I was taking.”
“They kicked you out?” Braydon growled deeply in his throat. “What the fuck?”
“Look man, thanks for your help, but I need to get the girls back home before some crazies take advantage.”
I didn’t miss the way Heath’s eyes flared, and a few of the other boys tilted their heads in confusion.
Ducking into the group, I dipped myself under his arm. “I think you forget, kid. We are the crazies.” He laughed as he leaned against me as we stepped away from the wall that was supporting him. My ribs protested in pain, and I whimpered under his heavy weight. We only made it a couple of steps before I was wrenched away.
Two guys took my place, holding E up easily. My friend didn’t look too happy about it as they walked down to the next tunnel, which led to the other side of the tracks, so we could catch the train that would take us back home.
I glared at Heath, tearing my hand from his tight grip. He seemed unfazed by my act of rebellion.
“You all right?” The deepness in his voice seemed almost unnatural for a guy who I knew couldn’t have been much older than myself. It was almost soothing like you felt as though he was in control. And you know what? It was nice to let someone else be in control for once.
I nodded. “Yeah, just a little sore.”
His hand brushed around my waist, his fingers skimming across the delicate skin of my stomach where my shirt bared a sliver of my midriff. Just one simple touch sent everything in my head flying in different directions. Part of me begged for him to pull me against his body just so I had an excuse to touch him. Another part screamed at me to run, knowing that if Eazy knew these guys from back home, just what kind of lifestyle they had.
A light pressure on my back pulled me from my thoughts as Health guided me forward.
“You smashed my guitar over that guy’s head,” Layla protested loudly, I could hear the pain in her voice, though.
Braydon stepped toward her laughing. “Sorry, had a rock star moment. I’ll get you a new one.” He bent down and helped her pack the broken guitar back into its case, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that the money we’d earned was still inside.
The guys in the group all followed us, some whispering quietly among themselves as we climbed in the train. Heath sat next to me, staring out the window as the train took off and the tunnel walls began to flash by in a rainbow of graffiti.
“What’s your name?” he asked, without even turning to me.
“Fable.”
I caught his eyebrows raise, but it was only a momentary show of emotion because his face relaxed back into its seriousness. “Interesting name.”
Smirking, I replied happily, “Thanks, picked it myself.”
“That why you call him Eazy?” he asked as he finally turned his body to mine and met my eyes.
“It’s a street name.”
He didn’t miss a beat. “And what exactly is a street name?”
I sighed, wondering if
this was something I really wanted to talk about with a guy I’d barely just met. Just because he made me feel safe, didn’t mean that I could trust him. I’d learned a long time ago how deceptive people could be, and how easily they hid behind a persona that they portrayed. Like an actor on television or a performer in a play, they were who they needed to be in order to get what they wanted.
“A street name gives us protection. Helps us to leave all the bullshit we dealt with before, and start something new,” E explained from across the aisle.
“Why can’t you just go home?” someone asked with a touch of sadness in their tone. “Surely your mom and dad have cooled off by now?”
“Why would he want to go home?” I fired back.
Braydon sat forward in his seat, bracing his elbows on his knees. “It’s where his parents are, his family.” He spoke like that was the obvious choice.
“Let me tell you a story…” I started, frustration settling in.
“Fay, please don’t,” Eazy whispered, pleading with me through one good eye.
I shook my head. “His parents kicked him out in the depths of winter, with nowhere to fucking go. Do you know what it’s like to have no one? To know that there’s no place for you to escape from the cold. To have no one hold your hand as you go through withdrawals.”
For the first time, I saw a part of Heath flash in Braydon’s eyes. He was angry, but unlike his older brother, he was barely able to contain it. His hands shook, and his chest began to inhale more deeply as if he was trying to calm himself.
“We found him on the streets, shaking and barely aware of what was going on around him. He was coming down off an addiction to prescription pain meds, and his parents had kicked him to the curb when they’d discovered his little secret, letting him suffer alone. They’d never even offered him the chance to get clean, even though they had the money to afford any kind of resources that he needed.” My voice rose accusingly even at these boys, who I could tell from being in their presence for this short time, were kids that would have offered him a place to stay, had he asked for it.
But E was too proud for that. Feeling like just because of a mistake, he had let everyone down that he cared about.
“A son with a problem was not good enough to be a part of their family,” I whispered in disgust. “So now he’s a part of mine, and I will never give up on him.”
I could see my words seeping into their minds. Their eyes danced with curiosity and confusion, but Eazy just looked away.
“I love you, E,” I whispered, my voice breaking.
He didn’t turn to me, but I heard the quiet reply, “You too, Fay.”
A voice came over the carriage, warning us that the next stop was coming up.
“I’ll get off and go and find the others, tell them that we’re heading back,” Layla offered, passing her guitar case to me and moving for the doors.
I caught a gentle flick of a head, and suddenly two guys were out of their seats and stepping up behind her. One was the tall boy who’d restrained her. She looked over at me warily before he thrust his hand out to her. “I’m Lucas, this is Sam, we’ll be your bodyguards for the evening.” The train pulled to a stop and the doors slid open. Lucas stepped out first, holding his hand out to Layla. “If you’ll please come this way—”
She snorted, sidestepping around him, and taking off down the platform. Lucas smirked and gave me a cute wink before he and Sam took off after her.
“You have your boys trained well,” I commented quietly to Heath as the train started up again and the other boys began to chat with E.
Heath relaxed back in his seat, the tenseness of his body seeming to have calmed a little and allowed him to relax. “I don’t tell them to do anything, but they respect me and trust me enough to know that in situations like these, I know what to do.” He turned his head to look at me, and once again I was stunned by the depths of his eyes. The color calmed me. It was like staring into the soft waves of an ocean. “We also have morals. And I’m not gonna let anyone beat on a couple girls, and take on a guy when the fight isn’t fair. Not if I can help it.”
“What makes you think I needed your help?”
He turned away once again. “How are those ribs holding up?” It could have been my imagination, but I thought I saw a smirk quirk in the corner of his mouth.
I frowned, daring him in my mind to look back at me so he could feel the glare I was hitting him with. “Touché, asshole.”
We climbed off the train at the next stop, and I checked around for security before we got to the exit gates. Braydon held onto Eazy, slipping them both through the rolling bar together. I climbed over after them, cringing as I bent at my waist to lift my legs over.
Heath looked like he wanted to reach out and help me, but I narrowed my eyes at him, and he kept his distance. The walk home was slow as the boys took turns basically carrying Eazy down the street. The handful of people that passed us stared, and not in the way that they were concerned about what had happened to him. But more like we were a group of kids out causing trouble and he’d gotten what he deserved.
It didn’t bother me, though. A while ago I would have tried to hide my face, ashamed of what people thought of me. But now, I just didn’t give a fuck. Judging others was a natural human instinct. Whether I was living on the street or working some great job, people would always look at me and assume what they wanted. What I’d learned was, it didn’t matter what they thought because they didn’t know me or know the truth about my life. And to be honest, that’s the way I preferred it.
The others followed as I led the way down Bayward Street, my body finally relaxing as I spotted the silhouettes of a couple of people standing around the fire barrel.
“This is home?” Heath questioned quietly. I looked up at him, the streetlights shadowing his face as he examined the small shanty town of tents.
“Christ,” Braydon cursed behind me as he spotted where we were heading. “You can’t be serious.”
“As serious as a beating in a subway station, bro,” Eazy laughed darkly.
When we reached the fence, I let out a loud whistle. I could see Kyle and Lee more clearly now. They both stood straighter, turning toward us. “We need help, boys.”
They dropped their stuff and jumped through the tents, sprinting over to us.
Lee’s eyes grew wide as he squeezed through the space in the wires and spotted Eazy. “Fucking hell, what happened?”
Kyle came through next, stretching his body to full height and eyeing the group of guys around us. Kyle was the most protective of everyone. He felt it his responsibility to keep us all safe and fed. I could see the anger fueling inside him.
“Fay, go inside,” he ordered sternly.
I stepped forward, noticing that Heath followed with me. “Kyle, it’s okay. They helped us. They know Eazy.” Lee maneuvered through us, and Braydon helped transfer Eazy over to him.
Braydon looked at him with concern. “Shouldn’t you go to the hospital, man?”
“We can’t…” I answered simply, “…they’d call child protective services and try to take him away.”
“Fable…” Kyle warned as he held the fence so Lee could help E through.
Braydon scrubbed at his hair, his eyes sweeping over our home where two others stood and watched the interaction from a distance. “Would that really be so bad?”
I heard footsteps and Andre, Coop, and Daisy swept past us, shooting through the fence and rushing over to where Lee was dragging E into a tent.
Layla squeezed through the boys to stand beside me. Braydon followed her, his eyes watching her constantly.
“Inside girls, now,” Kyle ordered.
Lay raised her eyebrow at his sharp tone before turning and pointing to Braydon. “You owe me a fucking guitar.”
He grinned at her. “No worries. You’ll get one.”
I passed her the guitar case, and she gave a quick wave before disappearing. Calling over her shoulder, “Soon, rich boy.”
“Get out of the way…” Kyle growled, his voice darker than I’d ever heard, “...you don’t belong here. Go back to your own fucking world and leave my family alone.”
I finally gathered my wits, realizing that it was Heath standing in front of me, blocking my body from Kyle. Braydon had moved up next to him, their bodies creating a powerful wall that would be intimidating to anyone.
Reaching out and wrapping my hand around Heath’s arm, I pulled him to the side. I could feel the muscles in his arm tensing like he was ready to throw a punch at any second. It took all the strength I had left to move him, and even then his eyes stayed glued to Kyle. They sized each other up with their eyes, the atmosphere around them crackling like a sparkler in the darkness of the street.
Finally away from the group, I forced Heath to face me. “Go home,” I told him softly. “Thank you for helping us. I don’t know what would have happened if you guys hadn’t been there. But this is not your place, you need to leave.”
“You should be seeing a doctor.” I knew he was angry, but he did well hiding it behind the stone mask.
“I’ll be fine,” I assured him. “Just take your boys and go home. Kyle will not back down, and if this continues to escalate, someone’s gonna end up calling the cops. And we cannot have the cops here.”
I stared at him for a long moment, searching for some kind of understanding in his eyes, even as the shadows covered them.
“Bray, let’s go.” Braydon looked over at us in confusion, but when his eyes met his brother’s he nodded and began to herd his friends away.
Heath reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. Flipping it open, he slipped out a card and held it out to me.
I laughed softly. “What? You already have cards prepared to give to girls?” I plucked it from his fingers, surprised when I saw it wasn’t his name on the card.
