Page 12 of Freestyle (Boys of Frampton U #2)

Gray appears beside me and pulls me away from the men as the fight ensues.

“Nix, stop!” I yell, making him turn to face me.

“No bitch is worth this,” Drake sputters as his blood hits the floor. That was the wrong thing to say around these two because Gray joins in and they both continue pounding away.

I try to scream but my voice is caught in my throat as I watch the guys beat Drake to a bloody pulp.

The scene is brutal and savage. Red spatters the floor and walls, and the air is thick with the smell of violence.

Party guests move out of the way and watch in stunned silence.

When it’s over, Phoenix and Gray are panting, their faces and fists smeared with blood.

Drake lies motionless on the ground, barely breathing.

“Everyone out!” Gray barks, wiping the blood off his knuckles with his shirt. He grabs my hand, pulling me away from the chaos. Nix follows behind us.

“I’m sorry you had to see that, sunshine,” he says, his voice laced with regret as he brushes a few strands of hair from my face.

I don’t know how to feel. Part of me is horrified, but another part is relieved. They protected me, but at what cost? I nod, too stunned to speak.

“What the fuck was that, Nix!” Lyndsy shouts, rushing from the hallway.

“What did you think was gonna happen, sis?” Gray sneers. “You brought her to a party wearing that skimpy dress and expected us to do nothing?”

“You didn’t have to beat the shit out of him. What did he even do?” she snaps, glaring at him.

“He put his slimy hands on her,” Nix seethes.

“Yeah? And you were what? Trying to be a hero? You fuck and dump faster than I change my underwear.” Lyndsy rolls her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest .

“Gray, get your sister under control please,” Nix urges.

“Oh yeah, please do, big brother. You’re no better. You’re the biggest predator here. We hear how you treat girls.”

Gray growls, stepping closer to Lyndsy. “Stay the fuck out of my business, Lyndsy. This is between us and her.”

“What the hell are you talking about? This has nothing to do with Rowyn!” Lyndsy argues, her voice rising in anger. “You’re just a jerk who gets off on hurting people!”

Gray’s face darkens, his expression hardening. “Don’t test me, sis. You know what I’m capable of.”

Lyndsy takes a step back. “What the hell is wrong with you, Gray?”

Gray’s eyes narrow and his jaw clenches. “Don’t push me, Lyndsy. Don’t test my patience.”

“You don’t have any patience,” Lyndsy retorts, her eyes flashing with anger. “You’re a heartless bastard.”

“Enough!” Gray growls, his patience wearing thin. “I won’t tolerate this. I’m your older brother, and you will respect me.”

Lyndsy scoffs, “Respect? You have no respect for anyone, least of all women. You treat them like toys, and I’m not going to stand by and watch my best friend get hurt.”

My face pales. She must have put all the clues together. Does she know what already happened ?

Gray smirks, his eyes glinting with malice. “You think you can protect her from me, little sister?”

Gray takes a step closer, his body tense and coiled, ready to strike. The atmosphere crackles with tension, the air heavy with anticipation. I feel like my whole world is about to collapse, the ground beneath my feet threatening to crumble.

“Rowyn wouldn’t want you in a million years!”

Phoenix steps in and pulls Gray away from us. “That’s enough. Both of you, just calm down.” He tries to diffuse the situation, but the tension is still thick in the air. Lyndsy’s face is red with anger, and she’s not backing down.

“You can’t keep doing this to everyone, Gray,” she spits out, her eyes blazing with fury. “You’re a bully and a manipulator. You’re just like our father.”

The words seem to hit Gray like a punch to the gut. He recoils, his expression shifting from anger to pain. He’s silent for a moment before he speaks. “Don’t ever compare me to him,” he says, his voice low and filled with a mix of anger and hurt.

“If the shoe fits…” she shrugs. Gray lunges, but Nix grabs him by the arm and forces him back.

“Come on. We’re leaving.” They both look at me, and my heart pounds in my chest. I know that there’s something between me and the two men, something I can’t deny. But I also know that I can’t let myself fall for them, not when everything I’ve built is at risk.

Gray grabs my hand and pulls me along after them. “Wait! Rowyn isn’t going with you!” Lyndsy shouts, but his firm only grows tighter.

“Yes the fuck she is. End of discussion.”

“Are you okay?” Lyndsy asks, her voice filled with concern.

I just nod, trying to push down my emotions and process everything that just happened. “I’m fine.”

Everyone from the party piled out of the house as soon as Drake’s body hit the floor. The air is still thick with the scent of blood and sweat.

“You know those assholes are nothing but trouble,” Lyndsy continues. “They’ll use you and throw you away like a piece of trash.”

“I’m just going to make sure they calm down. I’ll see you in the morning,” I reply as Gray forcefully pulls me up the stairs. We get to his room and his dark scented cologne envelops me.

“Where’s your little Fishnette that you brought up here?” I ask, looking around, half expecting to find her sitting there waiting on them.

“Jealous much?” Nix chuckles as he grabs a towel and wipes the blood from his face .

“More like concerned for any diseases I may come in contact with,” I retort.

“Oh, our sunshine has her claws out tonight, Gray.” Niz throws the towel over his shoulder and pulls me into his chest. His spicy bourbon scent surrounds me, clouding my judgement.

“We told Brittany to get the hell out. We just wanted to see your reaction.” As the words sink in, I shove away from Phoenix. Damn them.

“What the hell is wrong with you? Does that even sound remotely sane to your twisted ears?” I shout, backing away toward the door.

“Showed your true feelings, didn’t it? I’d say it worked.”

“Go. To. Hell.” I spit out as I turn and run through the door, straight to the bathroom. I lean over and puke in the toilet.

Lyndsy rushes in behind me and pulls my hair back from my face. “What did they do now?”

“Nothing, just drank too much,” I mumble, not wanting to tell her the truth of what’s been going on behind her back.

“Okay...” Her voice is laced with skepticism. She helps me to my feet, and I wobble, still feeling woozy. From the sight of all the blood to the heady scent of Gray and Nix, I feel like I might be sick again. “Are you okay, Row?”

“I will be,” I say, trying to reassure her. “I just need to go back to my room and rest. ”

Lyndsy helps me out of the bathroom and down the hall to my room. Once we’re inside, she helps me into bed and tucks me in.

“Do you want me to stay?” she asks, concern evident in her eyes.

“No, I’ll be fine,” I insist. “Oh! What about Drake?” I shoot up from the bed, recalling the passed out man downstairs.

“I’ll have my dad handle it. You just get some rest,” Lyndsy reassures me.

“I don’t think your dad needs to see that, Lyns. It’s bad enough I had to,” I reply. “I’m sure we can figure something out.”

“No, it’s fine,” she replies as she pulls her phone out. “My dad is the person to handle situations like this.”

“What do you mean, situations like this?”

“Nothing. Forget I said anything.” Her voice is tense, her eyes darting around nervously as she types out a text.

I sit there awkwardly, not sure what to do or say. Lyndsy finishes her text and slips her phone back into her pocket.

“Dad’s sending someone,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “He’ll be here in a few minutes. He knows how to take care of things like this.”

I frown, not understanding what she means. “Things like this?” I repeat, my tone laced with confusion. “What things? ”

Lyndsy looks at me, her eyes filled with sadness. “My dad has connections, Rowyn. He can make sure no one finds out about this. He’ll protect us.”

I nod, still not fully grasping the gravity of the situation.

“He’ll make sure everything is taken care of. You’ll see,” she says.

I can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right. The way she talks is precise and calculated, like she’s done this before. I turn to Lyndsy, searching her face for any sign of concern. But she just stands there, her expression unreadable.

“What exactly does your father do?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady. “I mean, it’s just weird that he knows someone like this.”

Lyndsy hesitates for a moment. I can see the wheels turning in her head, as if she’s deciding how much to reveal to me.

Finally, she speaks. “My dad is in a special line of work. He helps people resolve problems. This guy is one of his associates.” She speaks quickly, her words rushed and hushed.

It’s clear she doesn’t want to give me too much information.

I decide to drop it for now, sensing that Lyndsy doesn’t want to discuss her family’s shady activities any further. We sit there in silence for a few moments before we hear someone come through the front door .

“That’s probably Eli. Get some sleep. I’ll take care of this.” She’s out of the room before I can say anything else. I can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right, and I can’t help but wonder what else this family is capable of.

What have I gotten myself into?