“I can’t believe they stuck it out today,” she mumbles after we get into the car.
I slip the keys into the ignition and start up the engine. “I know you might not want to hear this, but eventually you’re going to have to go to school. And I’d prefer for that to be sooner than later.” I shift into reverse. “And I don’t like the idea of you being home alone if dad’s going to be burying bags in the backyard.”
She fastens her seatbelt. “What do you think was in it?”
I shrug as I steer down the road. “Drug money? Drugs? When it comes to him, nothing surprises me anymore.”
Her eyes widen. “You think dad’s doing drugs?”
Maybe, but she doesn’t need to know that.
“I’m sure he’s not,” I reply evasively. “Maybe what’s in the bag has something to do with his work?” My naïve words are more of an attempt to alleviate her worry than anything else.
She crooks a brow. “What sort of a job requires an employee to bury duffel bags in their backyard?”
“I don’t know.”
She stares at me accusingly. “You don’t know? Or you don’t want to say?”
While I have no clue what my dad is doing for work, or if he even really has a job, if he’s burying duffel bags in the backyard at three o’clock in the afternoon, I’m sure it’s not a good job. But telling her this will only make her worry and she already has her own issues she’s dealing with right now.
I internally breathe in relief when we turn into the parking lot of the school, latching on to the distraction. “Do you see them anywhere?”
She sits up and scans the parking area for our sisters. Since we’re late, most of the cars have thinned out.
“Um, Hadley?” Worry rings in Payton’s tone.
I track her gaze and quickly figure out why.
Parked near the front entrance is the Porterson’s SUV. And standing beside it is Alex and Jaxon along with Londyn and Bailey. And man, do they look pissed off.
“Shit.” I pull my car up behind their SUV, silence the engine, and hop out.
“So you’re saying what was on the flyers wasn’t true?” Alex is saying—or more like taunting—as I approach them.
“I’m pretty sure you already know it is,” Londyn bites out, stepping toward him. “Since you and your brothers are the ones who put them up.”
Alex grins. “Then why are we even talking about this? I mean, if you know we did it and the flyers are true?”
Londyn’s arms lower to her sides, her hands clenched into fists. “Because you guys shouldn’t have done it!”
Her voice echoes across the parking lot and Bailey’s eyes widen. So do mine.
Never have I seen Londyn get so upset, at least in public.
“Is there a problem?” I interrupt, strolling up and getting in Alex’s personal space, totally on purpose.
He’s tall—all of the Porterson brothers are—and even at my five foot nine, I have to angle my chin up to meet his gaze, which is annoying.
His narrowed eyes land on me. “Yeah, you’re sister here,” he nods at Londyn. “Needs to learn her place.”
I raise my brows. “And what place would that be?”
His gaze dances back and forth between us, a smile playing at his lips. But beneath the arrogance I detect the slightest bit of uncertainty. Not sure why, but I’d love to find out. Find out why these guys are so dead set on pissing me and my sisters off. Although, Jaxon doesn’t seem to be part of the battle, as he stands a ways back, his shoulders slumped, his mouth set in a deep frown. But just because he’s a bystander doesn’t make him any better.
“The place where she realizes who owns this town.” Alex slants into my face, his smirk appearing.
I refuse to cower back, holding my ground. “I’m pretty sure that’s the mayor.”
He laughs and rolls his eyes. “You’re so fucking clueless.”
“And you’re a dickless jerk.” I snap. “And a hypocrite.”
A crease forms between his brows. “How the hell am I a hypocrite?”
I inch closer to him, getting in his face like he did mine. “You and your brothers posted all those flyers around school that told everyone about mine and my sisters shady background, as if we’re these horrible criminals. And yet, your family’s track record with the police is just as shady as ours.” I point a finger at him. “In fact, yours is probably the worst.” I put on a smile, but it’s anything but friendly. “Maybe we should even the playing grounds and let everyone in school know you’re family is right up there with us.”
He laughs hollowly. “Like I give a shit. Everyone already knows anyway. And even if it was new information, no one would dare do anything to us. People respect us too much around here.”
I lift a brow. “Do they respect you? Or are they afraid of you?”
His lips span to a smirk. “Isn’t fear and respect the same thing?”
What a misconstrued logic he has. “If you really believe that, then I kind of pity you.”
Irritation flashes in his eyes and I realize I hit a sore subject. Good. I hope he’s annoyed. Frustrated beyond belief.
His voice descends a notch. “Maybe you need to learn your place in this town too.”
“I already know it,” I smart back. “It’s right here, handing your ass to you, dude.”
A muscle in his jaw spasms as his lips part. Who knows what foul words he would’ve thrown in my face if Rhyland and Blaise didn’t walk up at that precise moment.
“What’s going on?” Blaise halts to the side of us, his gaze shifting back and forth between Alex and me.
This situation probably seems a bit odd, considering we’re standing almost close enough to kiss.
“Oh, nothing.” I put a drop of space between Alex and me. “Your brother was just trying to tell me what my place is in this town. I didn’t realize Honeyton was so old-school.”
“It’s not.” Blaise blasts Alex with a hard look, but Alex only shrugs. Grinding his teeth from side to side, Blaise fixes his gaze on me.
Before he can utter a word, though, I hold up my hand. “Look, I don’t want to argue anymore, okay? It’s not my MO.”
Blaise’s lips twitch. “For some reason, I have a hard time believing that.”
“Don’t pretend like you have any insight to me just because you dug up mine and my sisters’ criminal history.” I turn to face him, crossing my arms. “You know nothing about us or our pasts and you had no right to put up those flyers around the school.”
Blaise mulls over something. “Maybe you’re right, but we still did it.”
Rhyland shakes his head with severe annoyance. “Don’t drag me into this shit.” He locks gazes with me. “Hadley, I had nothing to do with the flyers and I hope you won’t hold it against me.”
“I didn’t either,” Jaxon chimes in, reclining against the side of the SUV.
Alex rolls his eyes while Blaise pinches the brim of his nose. I take their silence as a guilty admittance, minus the guilt.
“I don’t really care which one of you did it,” I declare. “I just want all of you to leave me and my sisters alone.” I pause, hoping to God Scarlett wasn’t pulling my leg when she told me about the duel thing. “So I’m declaring a drag racing duel.”
“What the hell is that?” Londyn mumbles from behind me.
“I have no idea,” Bailey whispers. “But it sounds intriguing.”
Blaise’s hand falls to his side, his eyes sparkling with a hint of surprise. “How did you find out about that?”
“Because I’m pretty sure no one talked to you the entire day,” Alex adds, staring me down hard.
“Now why would I out my only friend.” I smile as their puzzlement grows. “So, do you accept the challenge or not?”
Blaise studies me closely. “Which one of us are you challenging?”
While kicking Alex’s ass in a race does sound appealing, Blaise has pissed me off more.
I offer him the same smirk he’s thrown a
t me time and time again. “Why you, of course, sweetheart.”
His intense gaze bores into me, the corners of his lips twitching, threatening to turn upward. But he manages to keep his smile restrained as he leans closer.
“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into,” he whispers. “You should back out now before you get in too deep.”
“Is that a threat,” I whisper back hotly.
“No, a warning.” His finger skims along my wrist, causing me to jolt and my heart to skip a beat.
Why the hell did he touch me like that? To mess with my head probably.
I lift my hand to shove him away, but he steps back on his own. “If you want to duel then we can duel, but I’m warning you, you’re not going to win.” His gaze strays to my car. “Not in that.”
All I do is shrug. Why my car looks like a piece of shit on the outside, it runs pretty smoothly and if he knew anything about cars, he should know that already, especially if he helped disassemble the carburetor. Seeing as that he doesn’t seem aware of what’s hidden underneath that hood, my guess is he’s pretty clueless about cars and that he doesn’t spend a whole lot of time drag racing.