“Don’t you dare, kid.” He pointed at me, but even he couldn’t pull his face into a serious mask.
“Don’t I dare, what?” I continued to move backward until my back hit the edge of the table.
Brody grabbed some paper towel off the counter and dried his hands, all the while staring at me. “You act all innocent, Lola”—he raised a brow—“but I see that little devil fighting to get out.” He threw the paper towel into the trash and took two backward steps. “I kinda like her.” He winked, spun around, and walked out of the kitchen, leaving me with my mouth hanging open.
I had to admit, I was starting to like the little devil too, and she certainly liked him.
* * *
LOLA
Everyone loved the food. The afternoon sun had given way to evening, and the slight cold had set in, but that didn’t force any of us inside. Hut had found a cord to bring some of the house lamps outside, so we weren’t in complete darkness. It was a hack only people like us would think of, but it did the trick just as well.
The laughter mixed in with the low music, and people were shooting the shit and generally having a good time. It was such a contradiction to Hut’s usual parties, which was why I was still out here along with everyone else.
Brody hadn’t talked to me since he left the kitchen, but I’d felt the burn of his eyes on me several times. I didn’t want to admit that I liked it, but it was getting harder to deny. I tried to tell myself that nothing could happen between us, but maybe I was getting ahead of myself? He was sixteen years older than me and liked to remind me that I was a kid in his eyes all the time. But maybe he was trying to remind himself, too, because I hadn’t imagined the crackling air between us, I was sure of that.
I took a sip of my water and scanned the backyard, finding Brody and Ford sitting next to each other in deep conversation. Hut was having the time of his life with Jace, Ted, and Quinn, downing drinks as they played some game they’d made up on the fly. And for the first time in a while, I felt like I belonged here.
Until I heard his voice.
A voice I hadn’t heard for months. A voice that had abandoned me in every way possible.
“Oh look, both kids are in one place.” His slurred croak wasn’t how he’d always sounded. There was a time when his deep voice rang safety, but that was when I was a little girl, and he wasn’t addicted to anything he could shoot himself up with. “Having a family party without all the family, huh?”
“Told you they were up to no good, Gus,” Crystal sneered.
I closed my eyes and inhaled a deep breath, already feeling a tension headache forming. Of all nights, they had to turn up tonight.
“Maybe they both need to be taught a lesson,” my dad growled, or at least, what his version of it was. He sounded like a madman.
I opened my eyes and went to turn my head, but a hand pushing through my hair stopped me. It pulled, just enough to tell me not to move, and from the nails scratching against my scalp and the musty smell surrounding me, I could tell it was Crystal.
“You got ten seconds to get the fuck out of my house before I make you leave,” Hut threatened as he stepped forward, all five of his guys closely behind him.
“Yeah?” Dad laughed. “You can try, but then you’ll never know what happened to your stash, will you?”
“You piece of fuckin' shit!” Hut lunged forward and pulled out his gun, pointing it at my dad.
Crystal yanked harder on my hair, the force making my body move into a standing position as she used me to shield her and step in front of my dad. They knew exactly what to do to not be in the firing line.
“I wouldn't do that if I was you, son,” Crystal warned. “Not unless you want your little pet to get hurt.”
“I’m not his pet,” I spat, and yanked away from her, but her grip was too strong.
“Of course you are. He tells you to stay, and you do just that.” She pushed her face closer to mine, her rank breath fanning across my neck. “You’re still here, ain’t ya?”
She had a point, but fuck, it wasn’t because he controlled what I did, right? My gaze clashed with Brody’s, and the usual calm demeanor wasn’t evident. His eyes were wide and so dark you could barely see the beautiful brown they were.
“What do you want?” Hut asked, his voice sounding bored now, but we all knew he was affected by these two people. They’d been the only people I’d ever seen influence him and his decisions.
“Who said we want anything?” Dad asked, but the hitch in his voice told me that he wouldn’t play this game long. His high was nearly completely worn off.
“Name your terms,” Brody interjected.
Everyone was silent, not believing that he’d spoken, but he didn’t seem to give a shit as he stepped forward. Crystal’s hand tensed in my hair, and my back bowed from the force.
“Who the fuck are you?” Dad sneered, his shoulders pushing back.