Always (Next Generation The Skulls 1)

“You heard me. You’re scum. Nothing but a fat, ugly cat. It’s pathetic.”

Tabby smiled. “Oh, you seem to mistake me for someone who gives a shit.”

“Simon’s mine. He and I are together.”

“In your dreams,” Simon said.

“You’re so cute, but it’s time for you to run along with your little whores.”

“Do you have any idea who you’re speaking to?” Amber asked, arms folded.

No one stood up to Amber, at least none of the girls Simon knew of.

Tabby got into Amber’s face. “Do you know who you’re dealing with? You may rule this school, but, girl, I’m not a coward. You and your little girls mean nothing to me. I’ve gone up against guys that are twice your size and they’ve gone squealing to mommy. Back off before I break your face and give your parents something they do need to spend their money on.”

She took a step back and Simon thought he was going to have to protect her as Amber lashed out, but Tabby saw it coming. As Amber went to claw at her, one punch to the face, and she was down, blood everywhere.

****

“What the fuck did I say?” Devil asked, slamming into the house. He couldn’t believe on her first day of school he had to go and pick her up.

“You told me to not start fights. I didn’t. She came at me. If you don’t want me to defend myself, give me the update.”

“Watch your lip, girl.”

“You’re not my dad. Seriously, if this was your daughter and she was about to get attacked, would you tell her to wait? What if this Amber had a good hit, or a disease, and she goes around scratching people? I don’t care what she said to the principal, she was going to hit me.”

“She was, Dad,” Simon said.

“Enough, the both of you. You are both more than capable of handling shit without getting into a fight.”

“Devil?” Lexie asked, coming out of the sitting room.

“It’s fine, honey.”

“No, it’s not.”

“I’m not having her here causing trouble.”

“I know of this Amber girl. She’s bad news. You and I both heard what she tried to threaten Simon with.”

Devil gritted his teeth. Simon had come to them straight away with the recording of her voice and threats. He’d taken the device, gone to the girl’s father, to make sure nothing came of it. It was a good thing he had. When he arrived at the house, Amber was acting like a victim, and the cops had already been there.

Nothing had come of it, not when he played the cell phone for Amber and her parents to hear.

What he didn’t want right now was trouble. Every other day he could handle it, but not right now. Not with chemo around the corner, the possible operation, and all the medication. Not when he held his wife and knew there was a chance he was holding a ticking time bomb.

“Get out of my sight,” he said.

Tabitha and Simon disappeared.

“You’re both grounded!”

“You can’t ground me.”

“I can. Your father gave me plenty of permission and while you’re under my roof, you will do as you’re told.”

He glared at both of them until they were out of his sight.

“That’s not like you,” Lexie said.

“They need to learn to do as they’re told.”

“I get that, I do, but come on, Devil, even you know that you’ve sometimes got to hit first. Tabitha is a Skull. I know from her mother that high school is not the easiest of places.”

“They can’t be starting shit. Not now.”

“You mean because of me?” she asked.

He went to his wife. “I love you, Lexie. I don’t want you to be under any more stress than you already are.”

“You need to learn to relax, Devil. This isn’t you. Don’t push this. I trust Tabitha and Simon.”

He pulled her close, breathing her in. Sinking his fingers into her hair, he allowed the silence to calm him.

“I’m here.”

“I know.”

“I’m going to keep fighting,” she said. “And we’re going to beat this thing.”

“I know.”

“Do you?”

He looked up and saw the tears in Lexie’s eyes.

“When you asked me to trust you all these years, I have. You’ve been strong for me. Let me do this.”

“This isn’t some guy with a gun, Lexie. This is inside your body and I can’t, I can’t fucking kill it for you. I can’t do anything.” He gritted his teeth. Fuck! He wouldn’t cry. Not now, he wouldn’t allow himself to fucking cry. She needed him strong.

Lexie cupped his face.

He didn’t know if it was in his mind or if her strength was disappearing. She felt weaker to him.

“I’ve got this, Devil. You make me strong. Every single day, you give me a reason to fight.”

“It’s not supposed to end like this. Not for us.”

“It’s not over. It will never be over, not with us. If I end up going first, then I expect you to pick up the pieces. To bring our kids up.”