Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.
Still. Nothing. Except the damn voicemail.
“Safe. Gone. Not secure. 4-9-19-2-5.” Then the line cuts out with a bunch of static.
Is he playing some goddamn joke right now?
Huffing, I push my way back into the precinct, my eyes staying firmly on my phone. At that moment, the door that leads into the back of the police station opens, and my heart swells when I see a weary Callum make his way from the back.
I stuff my phone in my pocket and race toward him, flinging myself into his arms. Thankfully, he doesn’t disappoint. He wraps his arms around me, pushing his face into my hair. He inhales deeply, arms tightening as a shudder races through his tall, muscular frame.
“Are you okay?” I whisper.
He nods, placing a light kiss against the skin of my neck. “I am now; thanks to you.”
I soak up his warmth, reveling in the feel of him against me. But all too soon, he pulls away and looks at everyone around us. A slight smile graces his lips. It’s the smile of freedom and exhaustion. That is, until he sees we’re missing someone, then it falls just as fast as it appeared.
“Where’s Ash?”
“He went to get some paperwork for me—no, don’t look at me like that, it’s important. Anyway, he went to get some paperwork that proves some crazy shit is going down, but he hasn’t checked-in in the last few hours.”
“He lives fifteen minutes away?” he counters.
I nod. “My point exactly.”
Glancing behind him, he pulls me off to the side. Quinn and Ellis follow as we all huddle into the corner. “Did anyone even try to call him?”
“I did!” I whisper-hiss. “That’s where I just was. But—”
Callum’s mask slips. “But what, little mouse?”
I think about the cryptic voicemail. About how Asher always answers my calls. It doesn’t matter if he’s right in the middle of beating his meat, he always fucking answers.
“There were a bunch of numbers, and this weird, cryptic three phrase thing.”
All three guys jerk to attention. “What numbers?” Quinn crowds me.
“What phrases?” Ellis urges, grabbing my arms.
I’m taken aback by their questions. Shouldn’t they be more worried that Asher is playing a game with us? It makes little sense why they would focus on something like numbers and phrases.
“What does that have to do—”
Callum crowds me. “Jess, baby, please. What were the numbers and phrases?”
“Safe. Gone. Not secure. 4-9-19-2-5.”
Callum rips across the police station, determination lining every step. I’m thrown into Ellis’ arms by his action. Shock encompasses me as I watch him all but run toward his father, then grab his lapels like some toddler to take him off to the side.
Whatever he’s speaking in low tones about, Callum’s father looks positively livid. His nostrils flare in anger, his eyes darken, then his gaze sweeps over to mine. I don’t expect the harshness of his observation as his eyes trail up and down my body. It’s like a flip has switched inside him, and it would take an idiot not to know something’s happened.
Callum’s father has never looked at me with anything other and acceptance and open heartedness. There’s never been this glint of destruction and menace in his eye before, and honestly, I hope it’s directed at the situation and not at me. I did nothing wrong. I’m just as stuck in the middle of this as everyone else.
My life is one messed up bag of shit. It’s like those kids that collect dog poop, put it in a brown paper bag, set it on someone’s porch, then they light it on fire, and after knocking, they run away.
I’m the person who opens the door and tries to stomp it out. Just like I’m trying to stomp out all the bad shit in my life right now. Only, I feel like I’m getting pulled into more; dragged into something that isn’t even my fight.
I didn’t ask for any of this. All I want to do is go to school, graduate, then go to college. Softball is no longer in the works for me, not since I got my injuries. Bummer, but it’s a sad reality. However, that doesn’t mean I can’t go to college. I know I’ll be taking over for my father when he retires, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do what I want now.
“How much worse can my freaking life get?”
A loud bout of husky laughter is my first sign. My heart stalls in my chest, and my knees feel like rubber.
I spoke way too soon.
Because within the next moment, Coach Rice is led through the door by a policeman. This time, he isn’t fighting them, isn’t even trying to throw down and curse them. He’s pleasant, with a small smile on his face when he sees all of us standing before him.
A smile.
On his face.
I can’t remember the last time I saw Coach Rice grin, let alone show emotion period.
And another thing, why the hell are they letting him out of his cuffs.
My eyes round into the size of saucers.
Why is he walking over to my father?
Why in the hell are they doing some sort of bro-hug?
My mouth falls open in shock. “What. The. Fuck?”
CHAPTER 24
No one is telling me what’s going on. They’re not even giving me the time of day, while trying to figure out where Asher went. He wasn’t at home in all this time. Not even when we left the precinct a few days ago. We check every single day, and sometimes, multiple times a day. But to no avail, he’s never there.
While all four of us have been going to school, pretending everything is okay, he could be hurt, or worse. I’d hate to think it’s anything worse than him just up and leaving. Because I don’t believe my heart could take something like that. Asher, just like the rest of my guys, have gotten under my skin, and I want nothing bad to happen to them.
Honestly, I don’t even want to think about it. My stomach clenches in pain every time I do.
But then again, it’s all I can think about. No matter how Callum, Quinn, and Ellis treat me—no matter how much they touch me, love me, and try to kiss it better—I still find myself stuck in this ball of chaotic emotion just waiting to burst. I need Asher now. With me. It’s where he belongs, and I wish he’d just come home.
“Is someone going to tell me what’s going on today?” I meekly ask.
Callum throws his arm around my shoulder, sighing. “Not today, little mouse.”
It’s been the same answer every goddamn day, and I’m almost sick of it. If it didn’t feel like my tear ducts are glued together from crying so much, I’m sure I’d be a sniveling mess in front of the entire school. And the worst part is—I know the guys are keeping something from me for my own good. They’re not doing it to hurt me, and I kind of can’t fault them for that. They don’t have to voice it; I can tell by their mannerisms.
Oh, and everyone else is like a freaking nightmare.
The students, they all look at me as if I’m some whore, a tramp. It’s gotten around that Mr. Thompson and I have been together. Didn’t expect for it to be a secret when I ratted him out in his office, but I didn’t anticipate everyone to take his side when it all blew up.
They don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground, but they all like to have an opinion of what they think happened. They know nothing. All they know is what they’re told, then they twist their version of truth, blending it with drips of lies that still make it seem believable.
I’ve been pregnant, I can’t tell you how many times.
Married.
Adopted.
Pregnant again, this time with a child that could have the potential of having five different fathers.
In a nutshell: Hell. That’s what I’ve been living.
The bullying, it’s gotten much more conniving and worse. Not physical, but mentally and emotionally. They all catch me when I don’t have any of the guys around, like when I’m in the restroom or when we’re not in a class together. If they see me without them, they think it’s a free for all.
I’ve been called murderer, liar, slut, whore, skank, trash, daddy fucker—yes, that’s a goddamn thing, apparently. I’ve been through so much shit, and with Asher not here, I’m at the end of my rope.
I can’t do this.
The human body isn’t made for this type of torment.
Yes, it’s torture. May not be physical, but it is psychologically exhausting. My mental strings are strung so tight, I can feel as each individual strand frays and breaks. It computes as an actual feeling, an emotion within me.
Tears burn against the back of my eyes as everything bombards me. Callum protectively wraps his arm around my waist and guides me through the hallways. I want to break. To shatter into millions of pieces all over the floor. Not because of their incessant bullying, but because of everything going on in my life.
Still, my pride shines above all else, even in a situation like this. I refuse to allow those tears plaguing me to fall. I’ve shown too much emotion over the last few months and I need to get myself in check again. To be the hard bitch that everyone knows I am.
I can’t blame it on the guys, either. It’s all me. I’m the one becoming weak. I’m the one allowing everything to get to me. I need that hard shell encasing me once more. That way, even if they try to get to me, I won’t give them the satisfaction of doing any damage.
With them, it’s all about the outer appearance. Thirsty bloodhounds will dig and dig and dig when they get the scent of blood. It makes no difference if their prey deserves it or not. All that matters to them is they mete out their own sense of poetic justice, even if their belief is skewed.
Coming to a stop at my last class, Callum hugs me to his side and kisses the top of my head. It barely causes a flutter of emotion to rise into my stomach. Quinn and Ellis give me soft smiles before they all turn and walk off.
Here, in school, they want to be around me twenty-four seven. But I told them no when we came back the day after we left the precinct. I’m already Mr. Thompson’s goddamn target, and I won’t allow my life to change simply because some asshole tried to take everything away from me.
Yes, I’m terrified. But I’m petrified for Asher’s safety, not mine.
For myself? I don’t give a goddamn if Mr. Thompson takes me, hits me, kills me—if he could, and wasn’t in SCPD’s station right now—I’d let him. It doesn’t matter. I would allow him to do whatever he wants to me as long as Asher returns to Quinn, Callum, and Ellis.
From what little they’ve told me in our stolen moments, it’s been the four of them since forever. They’d tell me how, during the summer, they’d vacation together. They grew up, knowing each other as brothers. When the Lockridge family moved closer to them two years ago, they got even tighter. They share something that no blood bond could ever rival.
They have this bond with each other they do not have with me. Yes, we are physically involved, and my heart may beat for them, but that means little in the long scheme of things.
I’m the outsider.
I’m the one that doesn’t belong.
Pushing out a sigh, I run my fingers through my hair. I try centering myself before shoving through the door. But no matter how ready I think I am; I couldn’t possibly be for something like this.
Alessandra is there, in all her caked-on makeup glory, smiling devilishly toward me. She looks menacing with all the cuts and bruises marring her flesh. Even through the power of makeup, she couldn’t cover what I did to her.
If I wasn’t so worried about Asher—even though the guys couldn't care less—I’d take pride in seeing her face as marred up as it is. She deserves every fucking thing I gave her, and even more. You can only push someone so much before they turn on you like a rabid animal. And that’s what she made me—a rabid animal. I want to clamp my teeth down around her neck, rip her throat out, and watch the blood pool under her on the ground.
“Well, well, well,” she taunts, looking around the room. “Looks like no one is here to save you this time.”
That’s when I notice there is no teacher in the room. I also observe no one is here except her posse, and they all look at me like they want blood.
Well, so do I. Stupid bitch doesn’t know how vindictive I can be.
“If you think this scares me, you have another thing coming, Lennox.” I roll my eyes, making for the teacher's seat. “You have always been the type of person to have people fight your battles for you. What?” I glance back at her. “Are you scared?”
The first thing you should do when you find yourself in a situation that’s less than savory is pretend. Play it off like it is nothing. Because if anyone sees the weakness in the curve of your spine, they’ll latch onto it and make it hurt deep when they sink their teeth in.
Dropping my bag by the teacher’s desk, I flop down into the seat and recline back, plopping my feet on top as I cross my legs at the ankle. Aloof is my middle name, even when my insides feel like they’re zipping all over the place.
“You got lucky,” she sneers, jerking up from her seat. My eyes flick down to her clenched hands, then back up toward her face. I cock an uninterested brow.
“Lucky?” I chuckle dryly. “If you call beating your ass lucky, then,” I hold out my hands, smiling, “I guess I’m fucking Buddha or something, because I’m getting all the blessings.”
“Stupid cunt!” she growls, taking a step toward me. Her fight instincts have all the other queen bees standing up directly behind her.
Gia, stupid little bitch, waves with a taunting grin on her face.
Bree, she looks as bored as can be as she files her fingernails. Yeah, that’s a total cliché if I’ve ever fucking seen one.
Brittani, she’s glaring at me like I just shit in her Cheerios. Her and I haven’t gotten into a spat in quite some time, but you’d think the last time we did, she would be a little smarter about steering clear of me.
“Hey, Brit, how are the veneers my father paid for holding up?” I leer toward her, smugly smiling on the inside as I see her tongue run along the inside of her top lip.
“Okay.” I clear my throat. “So, it’s four against one—” I stop speaking when I see a flash of curls peek out from behind Alessandra. A genuine smile blankets my face as I take in Danika, smirking right along with me. However, it’s not a twisted smirk like her half-sister, it’s one I’d know from anywhere.
It’s not one against four. It’s two.
“Hey, Dani!” I toss a little wave her way.
“Sup, Jess.” She nods her head in greeting.
Alessandra catches the formalities rather quickly. Turning toward her sister, she scowls down at her. “How the fuck do you know that piece of trash?”
Danika, ever the rebellious one, shrugs her shoulder. “We have a mutual understanding.”
“Mind telling me what that is before I beat it out of you?”
A fire enters Danika’s eyes that even leaves me rattled. It’s hard to knock me off guard nowadays, but she has. In spades. “You’re a bitch. She’s not.”
“You stupid little cunt.” Alessandra stalks forward and slaps Danika across the face before I can even get out of my chair. By the time I’m up, running around the desk, and in Alessandra’s face, pushing her away from Danika, the damage is already done.
I watch, unable to help her, as Danika holds a hand to the side of her face and tears fill her eyes. It burns me up inside, knowing this is the way she’s probably always been treated by her so-called family.
“She told me, you know.” I narrow my eyes, stalking Alessandra. I’d give anything to punch her in the face. Again. “Danika told me how you got her to put Molly in Callum’s drink. How fucking pathetic do you have to be to drug someone into wanting you?”
Shock falls over her features momentarily before she rights herself. “Drug someone? Why the hell would I have to do that?” She flips her hair, and I have to say, I get a little pleasure out of seeing her wince. “Callum wants me.”
“So, that’s why he’s with me then?” I laugh
. I peer around her at Danika with a comical expression. “Do you hear this, Dani? He’s with me because he secretly wants her?”
She chokes on a laugh, but it appears more of a grimace.
When I bring my attention back to Alessandra, my face shifts into an emotionless mask. I step forward until we’re chest to chest, physically vibrating with rage. “Let’s get something straight. I don’t care what you think, what you do, or who you try to get to screw me over—Callum is with me. He will continue to be with me, even if his mother wants him to be with a lowlife like you.
“You’ve been cynical toward me since middle school, and you know what, I think it’s because you’re jealous. What, did your mom and dad not love you enough when you were a child? Do you have to act out to gain their attention? Well, get the fuck over it, Alessandra. You were insignificant then, now, and you will be in the future. No one gives a fuck what you do, and they never will.”
She pushes up against me, trying to shove her weight around. “You have no idea what you’re talking about, bitch. I will ruin you.”
I smirk, before stepping away from her and giving her my back. “See, that’s where you’re wrong.” When I get to the teacher’s desk, I calmly pick up my bag, signaling to Danika to follow me. She does without a hint of hesitance. Peering back toward Alessandra, I shoot a saccharine grin, one that leans more toward a sneer, before saying, “To ruin someone, you must first be significant in their life. Since you are of no importance to me, you—hmm, what does that mean, Danika?”
Danika sidles up next to me, slapping me on the back good naturedly. “It means she’s blowing smoke up your ass.”
I release a bark of laughter. “You are no longer the queen of this school, Lennox. You are nothing more than a pleb pretending to be a queen. And if you don’t want your secret about drugging Callum out in the open, then I suggest you fall into place and cower in the corner. If not,” I discharge a bout of mirth, “we can do it the hard way. Your choice.”
Danika steps through the door, and I go to move right along behind her. Whispers ensue behind us, but right until the last second, I pay no attention to them. I can’t even hear what they’re saying, but I know it can’t be something good.
Love Me, Baby: A High School Bully Romance (Silver Creek High Book 3) Page 18
