Barbie Bitch (Rejects Paradise 3)

Cora stands at the door, staring at me with distaste. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” she demands. “You just ruined my father’s gardens.”

Nic steadies his gaze on her and as if only now just realizing who it is standing at my sides, her eyes go wide with fear, remembering damn well what happened at Charles’ wake. “You got a fucking issue,” Nic growls. “You can take it up with me.”

Cora swallows back her fear as her face grows so pale that I fear she’s about to pass out, but as if remembering who she is, she stands tall and gives an award-winning huff. “I’m calling the cops to have you arrested for trespassing.”

Nic steps closer and I watch with delight as she shrinks away from him. “Go ahead and call them. Tell them that Dominic Garcia is standing on your property and you want me carted away. Watch how fast they shit their pants and tell you to deal with our own fucking problems.”

Her jaw clenches. “My brother is going to hear about this.”

Nic takes another step and her chest starts rising and falling in rapid movements. “You threatening me, girl?” he demands, snapping his arm out and curling his fingers around her throat. He presses her up against the open back door and leans into her. “Go and get him. Your brother and I have a little unfinished business.”

Shit. I’d almost forgotten about the last time the boys actually saw each other. They beat the living shit out of one another and made everything so much worse. Neither of them technically won that fight and while Colton can let it go, Nic sees it as a score that needs to be settled.

Cora’s eyes flick to mine, silently begging me for help but I let it go. Nic would never hurt her unless she was to make a physical move against me. Our petty bullshit isn’t exactly something Nic is going to bother himself with, especially knowing that I can more than handle a few school house rumors myself.

I raise a brow and prop my hip against Nic’s car, making a point that Cora is on her own here. If she’s stupid enough to provoke the leader of the Breakers Flats Black Widows, then that’s on her.

She slowly turns her gaze back to Nic and after a long, drawn-out pause, Nic smirks and then finally releases his grip on her. “Run along, princess,” he says. “Go and get that brother of yours.”

Cora’s eyes flick around our small group and being smart enough to know when to call it quits, she turns on her heel and scurries away like someone just lit a fire under her ass.

Nic turns to me with a proud grin. “Was that really necessary?” I demand, raising a brow and crossing my arms over my chest.

The hard ridges of his face begin to soften and his eyes sparkle with laughter. “Fuck yeah. Do you have any idea how much fun it is making that bitch squirm?”

I roll my eyes and peel myself off the side of Nic’s car. “Come on,” I tell him, turning towards the pool house. “Get me fixed up and then feed me. I’m starving.”

With the reminder of why we’re all here, a seriousness comes over him and he strides toward me, placing his hand at my lower back and leading me into the pool house as Sebastian grabs the doors.

Nic gets me set up on a stool while Sebastian disappears into my room. He comes out a minute later with my hair clip and gets busy curling my hair into a high bun and clipping it up so they can see what they’re dealing with.

“Why am I so surprised by your hair skills?” I ask Sebastian as Nic finds the first aid kit and places it on the counter beside me. He starts rifling through and finding everything he needs as Sebastian leans against the counter on my other side, smirking at my question.

“Trust me,” he says. “It’s in a guy’s best interest to learn how to put a woman’s hair up, especially so he can wrap his hand around it and tear her sweet head back while her ass is up in the air.”

“Okaaaaaay,” I drag out. “I shouldn’t have ask—OH, HOLY FUCK,” I screech, cutting myself off as Nic presses a cold, wet compress to the back of my neck.

“O, I have—”

The door slams open and rattles against its frame as Colton barges into the pool house. “THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN HERE?” he demands, staring down Nic and Sebastian before his eyes come flying back to mine. “Get the fuck away from her.”

“It’s okay,” I insist. “They’re not hurting me. I mean, it does fucking hurt but they’re helping. I promise.”

“Helping?” he questions, walking deeper into the pool house and ignoring the boys’ presence, hating the pain that flashes across my face. “Helping with what? What’s going on, Jade?”