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One of which was…
No…
Asher Jackson.
He’d seemed like the sweetest guy when I’d met him before. The way he flirted was clumsy and cute. I’d given him a hard time, and he still played along. It wasn’t until Harper told me he was one of the kings of Crestview and one of Damian’s best friends that I realized he might not be as sweet and innocent as I’d believed.
And now, seeing him stand side by side with Damian, staring down at poor Chad, who was slowly sliding backwards on the floor like a scared crab, I realized she was right.
Asher was a dick. A bully.
“Please,” Chad pleaded. “I’m sorry! I didn’t know!No onewould be stupid enough to mess with you—even me! You have to believe me.”
Damian laughed, and it seemed to reverberate down the hallway. I inched my way closer, moving quietly while hoping I wouldn’t be noticed. If that kid needed help, I felt obligated to do so, but Ireallyhoped Damian would let him go.
Please, God, don’t make me do this.
“You think I’m fucking stupid?” Damian asked.
“There’s a pretty standard rule in Crestview,” Asher said. I almost shivered. His voice was so icy. It wasn’t at all the deep, warm sound that I remembered. This was cold and calculated. The voice of a predator. “You don’t fuck with our toys.”
I took another quiet step, praying Chad would say something. Thatsomeonewould say something that would tell me this was justified. Had he hurt one of their friends? Had he gotten drunk and messed with the wrong girl in the wrong way? If he’d assaulted someone, he deserved to be punished, but my gut told me that was wishful thinking.
My anxiety had really started to kick up, and I prayed whatever this was came to a head and fizzled out soon, because I wasn’t sure if I could handle much more. Feeling imminent danger… It put me right back in that church, and I could feel it trying to swallow me whole.
“Shekissedme!That wasn’t my fault! I had no idea any of you were interested in her!”
The group laughed, and another one of them stepped forward. He was shorter than the rest, but I could tell by his build that he was strong. He was very broad, and the muscles of his arms tugged at the seams just like the others.
“Interested in her? Hell no. She’s just a groupie,” he said, still smiling. He knelt and grabbed Chad by the face. “But that doesn’t mean she was yours to touch.”
“I’m sorry. I swear I won’t touch her again,” Chad pleaded.
“And I think you need a lesson to make sure you know exactly what will happen if you should forget again,” Damian said as he took a step forward. “In fact, you should just go ahead and learn now to come to us andaskif you’re allowed to be interested in someone specific. Chances are, whoever it is,isone of ours, and we don’t like to share with pathetic, bottom-feeding, pieces of shit likeyou.”
The shorter guy released Chad and stood, allowing Damian to advance.
Fuck me.
There was no way around it. This poor guy was about to get his ass handed to him by a bunch of douchebags because he hit on a perfectly single girlnoneof those guys wanted but had for some reason laid claim to.
Girls on reserve?
Gross.
I sighed as I walked forward, no longer caring if I was heard. I wasn’t about to let poor Chad get his ass beat on the first day of school for something so stupid.
“Back off,” I said. My voice came out much more confident than I’d expected. I was shaking from head to toe with adrenaline both from the anticipation of a potential fight as well as the normal anxiety I dealt with. I just hoped if something happened, I’d be able to defend myself. These guys were huge. I could probably take one of them, but if more than one came at me, I’d be straight fucked.
Looking at Asher right now though… Realizing how he’d hit on me and tried to turnmeinto one of his little fan girls on retainer… Anger settled in and steeled some of that anxiety. If he came at me, I’d teachhima lesson he wouldn’t soon forget.
Damian’s green eyes locked on mine, and I felt a chill instantly spread through me. “Well, hello new girl. You must be lost.”
Looking at him, I could see why Harper was so infatuated with him. He was incredibly sexy—but he was also the biggest dick I’d ever seen.
“Unfortunately, no. I’m not. You seem to be, though—or—at least your heart is,” I fired back.
His eyes narrowed at me as he stood straighter. “Excuse me?”