“What’s going on, exactly?” I planted my feet in front of Gunner. There was a definitive moment to make a decision on how to escape and we were fast passing through it.
I glanced behind me, looking at our boxing teammates and the other people we had lined up for the work we did in the factory. They didn’t only rely on us for a living, but they were depending on us to get them out of there without being arrested or harmed in any way.
I took a deep breath and nodded at each of them. “Hang in there. We’ve been through these drills. We’ll get you out of here.” I offered a reassuring smile and turned back to Gunner, waiting for his answer.
He watched me, waiting for me to give him my attention. “We don’t have very long. There was a cop poking around the cars and…” He swallowed; his eyes even wider as if he didn’t want to tell me but he knew he had to. “Look, Gray was here. She got him to give her a ride home. I’m not sure how long he’ll be. I’d say we have ten minutes at the most.”
My heart could have skipped a beat at the mention of Gray’s name. What was she doing getting mixed up in our business?
Rather than dwell too intently on the fact that Gray had put herself in danger and shouldn’t have even been there in the first place, I shook my head, raising my voice. “Listen up. You’ll get in your cars and go out the east entrance. Go around town and then come in through the mill road. It will be about five miles out of your way, but if you stop and take your time, get dinner at Curly’s and put it on my tab, you’ll be fine and still get home tonight.”
They would all do as I said as they filed out of the tunnel carefully. Thankfully, we were already pretty much finished with this latest delivery. Nothing Brock, Gunner and I couldn’t finish in less than an hour of time. We had plenty of orders for the newest batch and we all needed the money.
Gunner and I moved to the front of the tunnel, watching as each of our independent contractors climbed in their cars and calmly drove behind the tunnel, heading out of view for the east exit which wasn’t easily seen from the west side.
In moments, all of the vehicles save ours and a lone light blue Chevy LUV truck were gone – the same truck I’d seen at Gray’s house and assumed it was some guy’s.
If what Gunner was saying was true, the small blue truck was Gray’s and she was on her way home with police.
She’d left the truck and distracted a cop for what reason? After what we’d done to her? The chili powder had to have broken her – should have – but instead she’d shown up for practice, continued to her classes, acted like no one else was there in the entire school, but her.
Her tenacity was helping her and costing me.
Her dad hadn’t paired anyone up for sparring practice yet and we had a fight in less than two weeks. I couldn’t figure out if it was because he was protecting Gray or if he just wasn’t sure what to do as a coach. The man seemed like he was undecided in a lot of things.
Dominick assured me he was the best coach for what we needed, but so far, we’d only been doing cardio-based exercises. I liked working out as much as the next guy, but running sprints for an hour wasn’t my idea on how to get myself ready for the ring.
“Leave the door open.” I jerked my head toward the tunnel. The doors to get into the meeting room and the rest of the mines and factories were impenetrable. If anyone went through the double tunnel doors – open or not – they would walk through what looked like an empty shaft and reach the back which, after I’d secured it, would just appear as if it had been boarded up for years instead of locked by a Grade A security system.
Gunner nodded at my order and Brock pulled out his keys. I strode to the little blue truck, more than aware we might only have a couple minutes left. Peeking through the window, I motioned the boys on. “Meet me at Curly’s.”
She’d left her keys in the ignition. She probably hadn’t planned on doing what she did which made her decision that much more perplexing. Why would she put herself in any situation like that to give us time? It didn’t make sense.
After everything we’d done to her. Everything I’d done to her. Everything we’d made others do to her. I still didn’t know the far-reaching consequences of what we’d set in motion.
I climbed into her truck, annoyed by the sudden presence of her scent, a mix of baby powder and cucumber. I wasn’t sure why it distracted me, but it took me a second to turn on the engine.
The little motor buzzed to life and I went out the west entrance while the guys went down the east. I just wanted to see where the police were and what exactly Gray was up to. I’d meet the guys at Curly’s and we’d get the rest of our plan together. Reconnaissance was one of our strong traits.
Especially on someone we couldn’t stop thinking about.
***
Gray
I had the police officer drop me off five houses down from mine, assuring him my parents would be home soon and thanking him for helping me.
He wasn’t going to leave until it looked like I got inside or did something. I could just barely see my house from where I stood. I waved at him and thought please, oh please, oh please, be open. I rounded the side of the house and pushed the gate open and waved again, closing it behind me.
I stood there a full five minutes before I heard him drive away.
Turning back toward the front, I sighed in relief and left the backyard. I had no idea how I was going to get my truck back. The mines were at least a ten-minute drive from the center of town. I was looking at twenty from my house. Maybe I’d have to walk it. That might be three miles or so. I couldn’t ask my dad for a ride. He’d never understand why my truck was out there, abandoned. I couldn’t explain it to myself.
Why had I ditched my truck? I didn’t care if Stryker and the guys got in trouble. Part of me really wanted that. But a bigger part of me just wanted them to back off and leave me alone. That’s not why I did what I did, though. I’d probably say they wouldn’t stop no matter what I did, which was fine. I didn’t care. Not anymore.
What I didn’t want was to find out my team was in jail. If we went to a match and didn’t have enough fighters, the entire team – me included – would be forfeited which meant I wouldn’t be able to fight.
That just wasn’t going to work for me.
I made my way home, groaning as I realized I left my bag with my money, clothes, homework, and phone in the truck. I’d probably have to sneak out that night and get over to the mines. Maybe Sara would go with me. I couldn’t tell if she was at the house already or not.
We were already burning ourselves out at both ends. I couldn’t imagine she’d want to cut into her sleep to walk clear to the mines to grab a truck I’d abandoned for guys who she knew nothing about. If she did find out who and what they meant to me, she’d probably walk to their house and beat the ever-loving crap out of them.
The thought of her sticking up for me brought a much-needed smile to my lips and I picked up my knees a little more as I closed the distance to my house.
My arms were chilled and the sun had begun its descent for an early fall evening.
Right in that moment, what I wouldn’t give for a sweatshirt and a cup of anything hot. Literally, anything.
I swear the cop didn’t believe in heating his car. My fingers were chilled.
I climbed the steps to the front stoop and turned the knob, testing to see if anyone had gotten home before me. It opened easily and I sighed as a wall of warmth hit me and I walked inside. For a brief moment, I closed my eyes and then shut the door behind me.
“Hey, Gray, I thought for sure you’d be home sooner. Your dad said there wasn’t practice. He let me in before he ditched out of here.” Sara chattered as she walked into the hallway, towel drying her hair. She paused when she saw me. “Hey, are you okay?”
I shook my head, the adrenaline from the last hour or so catching up to me and spreading throughout my limbs. Hands shaking, I sank into the couch beside me and stared at the ceiling. “I’m fine?” I asked it as a question
because I honestly had no idea if I was or not.
I still had no idea if they got out of there in time. I wasn’t sure if I was able to warn them in time. I had no idea what was going to happen or if I helped at all.
Would they impound my truck? We couldn’t have had it long enough for the title to transfer. They wouldn’t know who owned it. My short-lived vehicle ownership had been good and I was going to regret losing it. If I had a chance to go back in time and do everything different, I wouldn’t change a thing. Not one thing.
“Where’s your truck?” Glancing out the window, Sara sank onto the couch beside me, the towel draped over her shoulder and her tangled damp hair hung around her face. She didn’t wait for my answer about my truck and instead let her worry pour out of her verbally. “What is going on, Gray? Something isn’t right. You can’t hide it. Not from me.” She tilted her head and stared at me, as if she could somehow figure out all the mysteries of the universe.
Tears ran unbidden down my cheeks and I wiped them with the back of my hand. Half-shaking my head, I swallowed and kind of laughed. “It’s stupid, really. I mean, I fit in so well at Timbercreek. Everyone there was great about me and boxing and all of the…” I scoffed. “Well, you know. I mean, we weren’t hurting for friends, you know?”
She nodded, concern creasing the skin between her eyebrows. “Yeah, I know. Is that not the case at Jameson?”
I sighed and shook my head. “Not at all. There’re these guys… They run the school. It’s awful. Get this, their last name is Jameson.” I nodded at her wide eyes. “You have no idea how ridiculous this is. So, they say jump and the entire school jumps – teachers, too. It’s…” My voice caught and I swallowed again.
“Ridiculous. Yeah.” She leaned her elbows on her knees and studied me. “Is this like when we were growing up and a boy pushed us and our parents told us that they actually liked us?”
“No. This is nothing like that. I got ghost peppered this last week. They have the whole school out to get me. Not just taunts and name calling, Sara. They are seriously out to get me. The peppering was just one incident. I’m not afraid of them at all, you know? I’m just… I’m just tired of being hated for something I have no idea how to change. I don’t even know what is causing it.”
Sara leaned back, resting her arm across the rear of the couch and watched me for a minute. She licked her lips. “You know what? I think you need to be direct. Ask whoever the ring leader is what you did. I mean, what’s the worst thing that can happen? Would he hit you? Hit back. You’re almost a pro at that.” She winked and then glanced out the window, pausing as she blinked and then looked at me with a grin. “I don’t think you’re as hated as you think.”
I cocked my head to the side, my lips pressed into a thin line. “Sara, I’m not making this up. It’s not in my head or whatever psychobabble crap you’re going to spout at me.”
She chuckled and pointed past my shoulder. “I didn’t think you did make it up. Gray, sometimes you’re too sensitive.”
I slowly followed the direction she pointed, turning to look at what she saw. My jaw dropped at the sight of my blue truck parked on the side of the road, windows rolled up, and everything intact.
My truck. How had it gotten there? Could Gunner have been the one to return it? He’d been the only one to see me.
Maybe he and I had more of a connection than I thought. It wouldn’t be such a bad thing to have someone return the attraction. As it was, I just felt like I was floundering all of the time.
With the truck back, I had to rethink what had happened and how I was supposed to approach everyone the next day. Was I supposed to talk to Gunner about what had happened? Or did I act like nothing had gone down and we were all still part of a huge feud with them on one side and me on the other?
I turned back to Sara and gave her a tight-lipped smile. “I only have to get through Friday. We partying this weekend?”
Sara’s eyes grew bigger and she bit her lower lip. “I want to, but my parents will be back tomorrow night. They want me home. Dad isn’t happy I left the house.”
“Did you tell him what happened?” Aghast at how naïve and stupid her parents were, I shook my head. “You’re welcome here as long as you need to stay.” If I was honest with her, I’d admit that I wanted her to move in with me and Dad, change schools and never leave me alone.
But a huge part of me recognized the fact that I didn’t want to be alone because I was always alone. I’d been abandoned by my mom and my dad wasn’t exactly the model parent. If anything, he could be more like a kid than I was.
Sara twisted her lips to the side. “Trust me, Gray, if I could move here with you, I would. I have to be home tomorrow after school.” It was like she’d read my mind. We were two peas in a pod, but the world wanted to keep us apart.
I had to keep in mind that the world wasn’t going to be in charge for long. I grinned as I reached forward and pulled her in for a hug. “I have a card tomorrow night. You can meet me there and maybe we can go out after.” I would need a chance to calm down after the fight. My adrenaline was always pounding after a fight at The Pike. The referee didn’t always do a good job at watching for illegal moves.
Just thinking about the chance to unleash had me curling my fingers into my palms. It was going to be an easy win, but I’d still get to pound on someone.
Wasn’t that what it was all about?
A thought flashed unbidden to my mind. What if Stryker could see me fight? Maybe he’d respect me more. Maybe he would see me as a valuable team member.
Maybe he would see me the way I saw him – as someone I craved with an insatiable hunger. Or maybe it was Gunner I needed to set my eyes on. One way or the other, getting one of the Jameson cousins on my side might be the only way to survive the last chunk of high school I had left to endure.
Chapter 19
Gray
“You coming with me this weekend, Ice Princess?” Double entendre clear, Johnson walked by me in the hallway outside of my statistics class, his gaze roving all over the length of my body, leaving behind a greasy feel I would probably never be able to rinse off.
Suddenly Stryker was there, blocking Johnson from moving forward. The football jock bumped into Stryker’s chest while still checking me out. He started, turning back to Stryker whose flanks were backed by Brock and Gunner. The anger faded from Johnson’s face and he held up his hands at chest level. “Sorry, man, I wasn’t looking where I was going.”
Thunderous fury tightened Stryker’s features and I clutched the strap of my backpack tighter in my fist, keeping my face neutral. Now what?
Stryker didn’t look at me, leaning down to meet Johnson’s gaze. It struck me how different they were in height with Stryker a good three inches taller.
Johnson nodded, jerking back and staring at Stryker like he’d told him to do something atrocious.
All I could think was now what? Now what did I have to deal with? I wasn’t sure what Stryker had told Johnson, but I had no doubt it didn’t bode well for me.
Stryker shifted his gaze to me, his eyes sparking as he took inventory. He could have been running his fingers over every centimeter of my body. His eyes hovered at my hips and then again at my waist. Heat flooded my skin, starting at my feet and rushing toward my head with the speed of a lightning bolt.
The people between us parted like a sea and I couldn’t drag in a full breath. Why wasn’t he moving? What did they want?
Standing there doing nothing wasn’t my style. I licked my lips and took a deep breath, hiking my bag higher on my shoulder. It was as good a time as any to try to change the course of things.
Moving toward the Jameson boys with a steady stride, I fought to hide my nerves. I held Stryker’s gaze as I got closer and closer. They didn’t move. Stryker with his dark hair and sultry silver gaze, Brock with his auburn locks poking from underneath his baseball cap and setting off his enigmatic green eyes, and Gunner with his blond hair cut close on the sides but wavy across
his forehead.
I didn’t want to admit that Stryker’s gaze made me hold my breath or that I could feel him like a wall of heat even from where I was. I shifted my gaze, taking in Gunner’s questioning expression as I got closer.
The hallway was emptying of students as they rushed off to their classes. No one the wiser to what had transpired or what was about to. No one caring.
Maybe I was becoming stale fun, something they were bored with. I could handle that and yet something inside me wanted to refuse the fact that I could be pushed to the side so easily.
None of that mattered as I got closer and closer to the cousins.
Stryker watched me as if he expected me to kneel before him. I wanted to scoff and point out that would never happen. For one, I wasn’t a meek person and for two, there was no way I would ever put myself beneath anyone. That would only validate my inner struggles against the worry that I really might not be good enough.
I stopped in front of Gunner, my gaze on the collar of his t-shirt. I took yet another steadying breath with him so close and Stryker and Brock moving into position around me. The heat from their bodies could have been comforting, if they weren’t so intimidating. I struggled to keep my boldness about me. Part of me wanted to turn and run the other way.
Since I wanted to do that, since a part of me was afraid, I decided to up my game. I had to put more of myself out there. I raised my gaze, taking in the shape of his jawline – strong like the other two – and the fulness of his lips which were quirked in just such a way, the slight bend to his nose at the bridge which suggested he’d broken it in a fight, a scar beneath his eye that hooked at the end, and then the dark brown of his irises as he narrowed his gaze at me.
Stryker pushed his chest against my upper arm and shoulder. I glanced sharply at him, inhaling tightly at the look in his eyes. He could have been telling me to turn around with the rejection in his gaze. I wanted to turn and wrap my fingers around his neck and yank his lips to mine, but that wasn’t why I was there. I wasn’t going to reward a guy who had sicced the rest of the school on me. No, I was there to express my gratitude to the guy who had saved my butt with my truck the night before.
Her Challengers: A high school bully romance (Bad Boys of Jameson High Book 1) Page 16
