Make You Beg

I enter Law’s room to find Law stripping out of a baseball shirt and his dark jeans.

“Where are you going?” Dax asks him.

“I got a text about ten minutes ago …” He opens a drawer and pulls out a clean shirt that says I have A. D. D. on it, spelling out A Delicious Dick. If the situation were any different, I would laugh. His abs tighten as he puts it on. “Scout is on the roster to fight at Death Valley tonight. So, I’m going to go get him.”

Dax runs his hands through his hair.

“I wanna go,” I chime in.

“No!” they both say in unison.

“But …” I step forward.

Law spins around to face me, pinning with me a fuck-off glare. His usually care-free baby blue eyes have hardened, and his plump lips now thin. “You’re dead, remember? I killed you,” he says flatly, then he turns away from me and opens up the bottom drawer in his nightstand. He pulls out a wad of cash and shoves it into his backpack that lies on his bed. Then he slides on a pair of light washed jeans and places a white Graveyard baseball hat on backward.

“What do you need the cash for?” Monroe asks what I’m already thinking.

“I’m going to fight in his place.” He growls. “The fucker isn’t in any shape to fight tonight.”

“Why?” I ask, looking back and forth between them. “What happened?” What all could have possibly happened while at school.

Law ignores me. Thankfully, Dax doesn’t. “Scout got in a fight with a guy today in class. I didn’t see it, but I heard it was bad.”

Law snorts.

“Did you see it?” I ask him. He grabs his keys off the counter and turns to head to the door. I jump in his way. “Hey, why the hell are you ignoring me?” I demand.

“Because I don’t have fucking time for you, little doll.” He shoves me out of the way and stomps out of his room.

“Wait up. I’ll drive,” Dax calls out, following him.

GRAYSON LAW

Monroe drives us in silence while I sit in his passenger seat. I’m not concerned about him right now. My thoughts are on Scout. He’s off his rocker. Not to mention, he’s losing his shit. I’ve got my elbow propped up on the door and my hand on top of my hat. The backpack at my feet.

“You know he’s not going to willingly let you fight in his place, right?” Monroe breaks the silence.

“I’ll make sure of it.” I’ll knock his ass out.

He chuckles. “What the hell is going on with you, Law?”

I keep my eyes on the window, ignoring him.

“This has to do with her,” he states.

I snort.

“Your guys’ ‘little doll.’” He shakes his head. “I should have guessed.”

Still, I say nothing.

“That’s why he fought Lincoln today in class, isn’t it? That’s why Scout is so pissed. He thinks you’ve taken his girl.”

I laugh at that. “She doesn’t belong to him.”

“And that’s why you’re trying to save him tonight because you feel guilty.”

Do I? I feel a lot of things, but I don’t think any of them is guilt, especially for Scout. If I’m being honest with myself, I would say I’m not even sure why I’m running to stop him from fighting. Maybe it’s just to get out of the house and away from my doll. I woke up in her bed this morning with her wrapped up in my arms. I just laid there for thirty minutes listening to her breathe. It was fucking pathetic!

“Why did you do it?” I change the subject. I haven’t had a chance to get him alone since last night. After I managed to leave Henley in bed, I got ready and went to school. It was awkward, to say the least. Dax wasn’t speaking to Rellik or me. Scout got in a fight and was sent home. Things are starting to unravel and fast.

His hands tighten on the steering wheel. “I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Henley a minute ago. I didn’t do it. The papers say how she was found, not who did it.”

I look over at him, and he’s stiff. Shoulders pulled back and spine straight. His hard eyes on the dark road. He had been sleeping with Brenda for some time. We kept that a secret when he was accused of raping and murdering her. They were actually pretty serious. He was moving fast with her. Dax never needed to force himself on someone, but maybe I was wrong. His dad had paid money to make sure the messages between them were nowhere to be found in the investigation. As far as the public knew, they had never had any contact whatsoever. “Yeah, well, the evidence seems pretty credible,” I say, looking back out the window.

“I believe her.” He sighs heavily. “After reading the police report, I know she saw something. But I just don’t know why she says it was me.” He lets go of the steering wheel with one hand and runs a hand down his face, changing the subject. “What was your plan at Death Valley?”