by Nicole Fox
“Abso-fucking-lutely,” he says with a cheers that sloshes beer all over our hands and the ground. “To a good fuckin’ time!”
24
Haley
J.C. is a mess. The lovable kind, though.
He talks too much and pushes everyone’s buttons, but is also the one to drunkenly demand everyone stop and play strip cornhole.
Then, he ends up running through the trees in his underwear while everyone else, still fully clothed, laughs.
Noah is quieter. Slow to laugh and slow to anger. I can see the emotion hidden deep in his eyes, but I don’t know him well enough to know what it is.
Not the way I can read Caleb, anyway.
I’m surprised throughout the day to not only realize how often I turn to find Caleb—to see what he is doing, where he is, or if he is paying attention to me—but also that the weeks we’ve spent together training, though fleeting, have accumulated into a visceral awareness of him.
I can feel when he is close to me without having to turn and check, and I can almost always guess what he is going to say before he says it.
“Take your top off,” J.C. yells through his cupped hands. He then pretends to grab the hem of his own shirt and peel it slowly over his head. “Come on, Caleb. You missed the cornhole by a mile. Time to pony up and show some skin.”
I imagine Caleb’s middle finger and sarcastic smile before he offers either.
And my eyes flash to his hand even before his fingers tighten around the beanbag and he rears his arm back to throw it at J.C.
Noah’s shoulders lift with a quick laugh as J.C. tucks tail and dodges the beanbag just in time.
It’s strange to see them all acting like normal teenagers. I imagined them brooding and endlessly partaking in crimes or street fights, so the image of them playing a backyard game and teasing one another is somewhat strange but welcome.
Especially because Caleb is finally not spending every second scowling in my direction or forcing me to go through endless rounds of exercises and defensive maneuvers.
I get to see him be a real-life, normal human.
Though, even when Caleb laughs and smiles at his friends, I can tell he is holding something back.
I just don’t know what.
When I was with John, the only thing I ever heard about was how terrible the Golden Boys were. According to every member of the Hell Princes, Caleb and his friends were evil, and I was to be wary of them at all costs.
I should have noted the irony that John wanted me to be careful of the Golden Boys, while, at the same time, leaving bruises across my body in strategic places that people wouldn’t readily notice.
Still, I feared the Golden Boys just like I thought I was supposed to.
If John was leery of them, they must be true monsters.
And I believed that up… until the moment I finally met Caleb.
I’d seen him at the fights, sure, but I never talked to him until the night he caught the tail end of one of John’s “lessons.”
I can’t even remember what I did wrong anymore. Smiled at someone too long, maybe. Or laughed too easily, or wore something too lowcut, I’m sure.
Whatever it was, John took me behind the abandoned warehouse where the fights were being held and pinned me against the wall by my neck.
He held me there until my vision went black around the edges.
Until my tongue was just a swollen lump in my mouth and my fingernails had left deep scratches across the backs of his hands while trying to get air—scratches he would yell at me about later.
When he finally let me go, I dropped to my knees on the concrete, taking a deep lungful of air.
Before he hauled me back to my feet by my arm and slapped me across the face.
He left in a hurry after that, going to answer whoever had called his name from inside.
Not even thirty seconds later, a shape emerged from the shadows around me.
A shape I recognized.
One I’d been warned against time and time again, but I couldn’t find it in myself to be scared of him.
Not when I was dating the real monster.
Caleb had stepped into the light, brow twisted in concern, and asked if I was okay.
“Haley?”
I jump at the sudden nearness of the voice and accidentally send the marshmallow at the end of my stick diving into the flames. It expands in a gooey, molten blob before disappearing into the glowing embers.
“Shit!” I pull my stick back and frown at the charred end. Noah was in charge of bringing food, but beyond stuff for s’mores, the only thing he brought with him was weed, and I’m starving.
Caleb sits down in the chair next to me and slouches down, his knees spread wide. “Don’t worry about it. I packed cheese, meat, and crackers in my cooler for later. I have learned not to trust these assholes for food. Somehow, they can survive on nothing but alcohol and marijuana for days, but I need sustenance.”
“Neither of them is as muscled as you.”
Caleb quirks his head in my direction, eyebrow raised. “All the better to pin you with.”
I roll my eyes even as my cheeks warm. I’m grateful for the nearness of the fire so I can have something to blame it on.
Caleb was right—it is way too hot out here for a fire. Noah has already filled a bucket to douse the flames once everyone is done cooking their “dinner.”
“I’m just saying I have a basic understanding of how the human metabolism works. You don’t win fights by feeding your body trash.”
His entire body stiffens for a moment as he glances around to see if anyone overheard me. It isn’t exactly a secret that he is a fighter, even outside of the underground fights, but I should still be careful what information I let slip.
He leans forward, voice low. “It’s time we separate from the group for a bit.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean,” he says, eyes widening as though I’m being deliberately slow, “I brought you here for a reason, and I think we should make it clear to everyone what reason that is.”
A moment ago, I was ravenous, but now, it feels like I’ve swallowed a boulder.
I take a deep breath to steady my voice before I speak. “You do realize I’m not actually your fuck buddy, right?”
“Aren’t you, though?” His brows wag suggestively. “I mean, you had me fooled the other day, that’s for sure.”
I clench my teeth so hard my molars are threatening to crack. “You asshole. You can’t just order me to go into the woods and have sex with you.”
“I could if I wanted to,” Caleb says. He rises slowly, then turns to me and extends a hand, the distant smile I’ve grown used to on his face.
Caleb shakes his hand, and I take it, letting him pull me to my feet. He holds onto my hand as he starts walking towards the trees.
“I think it’s time I gave Haley a tour of the area,” he yells over his shoulder.
“Good idea,” J.C. calls back from where he is wrestling with his tent. “Make sure you give her a very thorough tour.”
Noah shakes his head, obviously accustomed to J.C.’s sense of humor, but I have to stifle a laugh.
“Take it nice and slow,” J.C. continues. “Nothing disappoints a lady more than when a guy rushes to finish a tour. We want Haley to be satisfied with her camping experience.”
Caleb’s hand tightens on mine as he quickens our pace towards the trees. “Got it, J.C. Thanks.”
“And don’t be shy with the wildlife. There’s a lot to be scared of—you definitely have to take care to protect yourself—but there’s nothing more pleasurable than thrusting your entire hand into a bush and petting—”
Whatever innuendo J.C. had planned next is washed out in the thunderous rumble of a sudden noise.
Caleb turns around and squints in the direction of the dirt drive into the campground, but I don’t need to look to know what the sound is.
It’s the roar of motorcycle engines.
A lot of
them.
25
Caleb
J.C.’s stupid joke is washed away in a tide of rumbling engines.
The Hell Princes have got to be compensating for something with their obnoxiously loud bikes.
Haley’s hand unconsciously squeezes mine, and I step closer to her.
She isn’t mine to protect. I know that. Though, admittedly, her hand massaging my cock through my shorts definitely muddied the waters on that debate a bit.
More to the point, Haley is bad news. Where she is involved, trouble follows.
“What the fuck are the Hell Princes doing here?” J.C. barks over the roar of the engines. He and Noah are standing next to the fire, arms crossed, legs spread in defensive stances.
The headlights are casting everything behind them into deep shadow, but it looks like at least five Hell Princes have come to face off. Five versus three aren’t terrible odds when I’m in the fight.
But if they have weapons, we don’t stand a chance.
I have a gun hidden under the driver’s seat of my truck, but it’s parked too far away to reach in time. My guess is that we are all unarmed and unsuspecting.
Not ideal.
“How did they even know where we were?” Noah asks.
Good question, but not one we have time to answer. The engines cut out and the lights flick off, plunging the campsite into silence and, aside from the low campfire, darkness.
“I’m so sorry.” Haley’s voice is low, almost like she is talking to herself, but at the same time, she grabs my arm with both of her hands. “Shit. I’m so sorry.”
I shake her off. Not because I’m upset, but because I can’t think when she is holding onto me like that. “This isn’t your fault.”
“But—”
I hold out a hand and shake my head. “Stay quiet. We’ll handle this.”
I step forward to join J.C. and Noah. Our trio feels thin without Finn and Viktor rounding out the group, but we have to work with what we’ve got.
I puff out my chest, cross my arms, and decide to be the first to break the silence.
“What the fuck are you all doing here?” I call out.
“Chill,” Noah hisses under his breath. “Keep it chill.”
The five Hell Princes step forward until they are just barely inside the circle of light emanating from the firepit.
Bumper is in the lead with two brawny enforcers on either side.
Felix is standing in the back, and he lifts one shoulder in a lazy “what can you do?” kind of shrug when our eyes meet.
They are all wearing leather vests, and even from this distance, I can see the sweat beading on their foreheads. Linen really would be a better idea.
“Unfortunately, this is a BYOB party, and you all seem to be lacking,” I say. When none of them respond, I clarify. “Bring Your Own Balls.”
“You should learn to keep your mouth shut.” Bumper’s narrow face is twisted into a scowl. He looks pale in the firelight. Like an emaciated ghost.
He is not intimidating in the least. It’s why he always has muscle with him. He can’t fight to save his life.
Unless he’s fighting Haley, of course.
Guys like him are trash. The lowest of the low. He hates that he is cowardly and feeble, so he makes himself feel better by hitting a woman. It is utterly pathetic.
“And you should learn some manners,” I snap back. “Rolling up to a party you weren’t invited to is bad form.”
“I’m not here for your party,” Bumper says, glancing around the campsite with his nose wrinkled like he doesn’t live in a roach-infested apartment across town.
He leans sideways, trying to glance around me, and I hear the leaves behind me rustle.
He knows Haley is here.
“I came to reclaim what is mine.”
Jealousy grips my insides like a vise. My voice is a menacing growl. “You don’t own her.”
I feel J.C. and Noah both look at me, probably surprised by my passionate reaction.
I can’t really blame them.
I’m surprised, too.
I knew I hated Bumper, but in this moment, I don’t care about anything he has ever done to me. Instead, I keep imagining his stubby fingers around Haley’s throat.
If he isn’t careful, I’ll kill him.
“You think this is about her?” Bumper raises a brow and then throws back his head in fake laughter. “I wouldn’t cross town for that pussy, let alone drive all the way out to the middle of nowhere. No, I’m not here for the bitch. I’m here for what she owes me.”
“Watch your tone, shithead.” J.C. steps forward and slightly in front of me. “You shouldn’t talk about the lady that way.”
I’ve heard J.C. say much worse about the girls he has slept with, but I’m not going to argue with his chivalrous act now. Especially since it is distracting enough to keep me from running forward and grabbing Bumper by the throat just to teach him what it feels like.
I don’t think that would be an effective way to deescalate the situation.
“’Lady’?” Bumper snorts, and the guys around him join in. “I’ve bent that girl over every surface of my apartment and a few public benches. You call that a ‘lady’?”
I lunge forward without thinking.
Luckily, Noah grabs me and holds me back before I can get very far.
The red in my vision leaks away slowly, but my heart is thundering in my chest and my hands are itching to hit something.
Or someone.
“Leave.” I point a shaking finger back towards the road. “Get out of here before you live to regret it.”
Felix steps forward and whispers something in Bumper’s ear, and Bumper shakes his head and waves him off dismissively.
“Give me what I want, and I’ll go,” he says.
“Then spit it out already,” Noah says in a bored voice. “What do you want?”
Bumper grins, and firelight glints off his teeth, making them look sharp. “She knows what she took. Don’t you, Haley?”
Again, I hear the rustling behind me, but I don’t turn around to look at her. Bumper doesn’t seem to have any questions about what his ex-girlfriend is doing in the company of the Golden Boys, which leads me to believe that the little rumor I started about the two of us has spread further than intended.
“Ever heard of a text?” J.C. asks. “Or a phone call if you’re feeling traditional. Hell, send a fucking postcard. No need to physically drop in. I’m sure Haley will contact you when she is ready.”
Bumper narrows his eyes at J.C., his brows casting shadows halfway down his cheeks. “Are you three her bodyguards or something?”
I open my mouth to speak, but Noah steps forward before I can. “Only if necessary.”
J.C. nods in agreement. “Is it necessary, Bumper?”
For the first time, I notice Bumper’s friends don’t look as tough as they first appeared. They are big guys, but their muscles are the kind honed with protein powder and trips to the gym. Like so many Hell Prince enforcers before them, they are strong but unskilled.
Now, I’m positive we could take them in a hand-to-hand fight. Hell, J.C. and Noah might even be able to take them on long enough for me to get to the truck and get my gun.
Bumper seems to come to the same conclusion because he takes a step back and holds up his hands, smirking cockily even as he surrenders.
“Hey, there’s no need to get physical. I just want what I’m owed.” He leans around the three of us again, searching for Haley. “Come on, Haley Bear. Don’t make this hard. You had to know I was coming for you eventually.”
Did she? Is that why she wanted me to help train her?
Was Haley expecting Bumper to show up at any moment and … what? Attack her? Kidnap her? Did she think she’d have to fight him off?
I push the questions aside and wrinkle my nose in disgust. “Haley Bear?”
Bumper smirks and shrugs his shoulders. “I’m not one for nicknames, but Haley always liked it.”
/>
I snort. “I highly doubt that.”
“Are you the guy who knows what she likes now?” Bumper tips his head to the side, studying me. “Enjoy fucking the gold digger while you can, but be smarter than me. Pull out and run before she drains you dry.”
J.C. barks out a laugh and claps his hands slowly. “Holy fuck. Those were amazing double-entendres. Really well done. I loved how you said one thing, but meant another. Clever stuff. Your English teachers must’ve loved you.”
Noah rolls his eyes and waves a hand at the bikers. “Hop on your hogs and drive away. You aren’t getting anything tonight.”
Bumper turns to him, eyes narrowed. “I think that is for me to decide. We came here to take back what is ours and you and your friends can’t—”
Before he can finish, Noah reaches into his waistband and pulls out a gun I didn’t know he had hidden there.
Clearly, the Hell Princes are surprised, too, because they all stumble back in unison, almost like the move was choreographed.
“I can do whatever I want,” Noah says, slowly taking a step towards them. “And I’d suggest you get on your bike and leave before I do something I’ve always wanted to do.”
One by one, Noah aims the gun at the five guys and mimes pulling the trigger, making tiny ka-pow noises under his breath.
Bumper’s smirk fades, and for the first time, I get a glimpse of the darkness inside of him. The insecure, vengeful monster that lives under his skin.
It’s still a far cry from intimidating, but I can understand how Haley could be so scared.
I understand why she flinches away when I grab her unexpectedly.
Why she nearly had a panic attack in my arms.
I loathe Bumper for doing that to her. I wish Noah would pull the trigger.
Who would really miss him, after all?
Bumper lifts his hands and dips his head, backing away. “We’ll go. But this isn’t over.”
“Except it is.” J.C. wags his fingers in an exaggerated wave. “Ta-ta forever.”
Bumper’s smile is back as he slips out of the shadows again. “I’ll see you soon, Haley Bear.”
