Page 33 of Hate So Deep (Hate #4)

NOW

Lauren

On New Year’s Eve, I pull out of my funk and get ready to party with Caro. Yeah, it’s probably stupid but I’m not about to hang out with either of my parents.

God knows what my mom is up to, but I know Dad and Celia plan to ring in the new year together.

Gag.

I mean, it is the biggest party night of the year and I’m antsy to do anything that will turn my thoughts from what happened to my brother, whether Dirk is even now away at boot camp and what my future holds.

“Hey,” Caro says when I slide into the passenger seat of her car.

“Hey.

“Super bummed school starts back up in a couple of days,” she says.

Me too. I haven’t had to see anyone since Buck passed and I know the vultures are going to circle as soon as we’re back together.

Unfortunately, Caro goes to Northside High while I’m stuck at Academy. This means I won’t have her support.

Ugh.

“There’s a party at Cory’s. Wanna go?” Caro asks and I mentally wince.

Despite everything though, my skin still tingles from Dirk’s touch and no matter how hard I try to push the images aside, I see his dark eyes looking into mine when I orgasmed every night as I try to sleep.

He may be a diabolical asshole, but he’s a sexy devil at that.

However, I can’t exactly explain it to Caro when I don’t understand the intensity of my feelings myself and instead, I silently nod as she turns left and heads for the freeway.

I know it’s pathetic but seeing him one last time wouldn't hurt my feelings.

The place is packed, no surprise when we arrive and I spot Rocket in the crowd, approaching with a smile.

If I consider it too closely, I might see that much of the stupid shit I’ve done was to mess with the woman who’s never once told me that she loves me, including leading poor Rocket on when I feel nothing but affection for him.

Since there isn’t enough money on earth to pay for the therapy, I probably need, I set that shit aside. I’ll worry about it later…or never.

“Hey, pretty girl,” he says.

“Hey,” I say, planting a kiss on his cheek.

“Get a drink and meet me outside,” he says, and I nod before pushing my way to the kitchen.

As always, I get a few weird stares but by now, most of these people are used to seeing me at these parties and for the most part, we ignore each other.

After Caro and I get our drinks, we step outside. I’m halfway to the fire when someone calls my name and despite knowing it’s not Dirk’s raspy dark voice, my heart still skips a beat as I spin on my heel and say, “Danny? What are you doing here?”

Danny is Academy. He shouldn’t be here unless he wants his ass kicked. I mean, I know I am too, but these people have grudgingly accepted me as Caro’s friend.

They won’t be so nice to Danny.

“Uh, I came with a friend,” he says. “I heard you were asking about Buck?”

“Sort of,” I mumble, and he touches my arm.

“Buck was an asshole, but they shit…brutal man.”

Nodding, I glance back at Caro and Rocket. I’m uneasy at this turn of events because Danny didn’t like Buck. They weren’t friends but competitors as was the case for most of Buck’s friends who he recruited into his group with lies and threats.

Buck didn’t know how to have friends. Besides, Danny is a creep.

Still, I’m sure what happened to Buck was a shock and this is why I remain where I am rather than walking away as he says, “Look, I, uh, heard something you might want to know.”

Like what?

“Were you there that night?” I ask and Danny runs his hand through his thick hair.

Absently, I eye his biceps, which are quite nice. Too bad they don’t match his rotten personality.

“Uh,” he says. “Not here.”

Following his gaze over my shoulder, I note a mean looking fellow with an impressive mohawk and multiple face piercings raise a brow before saying something to his equally menacing friend.

I don’t blame Danny. It’s only a matter of time before someone confronts him. I’d rather not be involved if it comes down to it because I don’t want to be lumped in with him anyway.

“Okay? Where?” I ask and he waves toward the side of the house.

A couple sitting against the wall starts moaning while they grapple at each other in a passionate embrace.

Once we’re around the side of the house, I meet the stare of a young man across the yard sitting with his friends.

“Uh, let’s go out front,” Danny says, and I follow when he leads the way.

It’s much quieter out here but the pulse of music from inside still blasts from the front door as we stop at the curb.

Turning to Danny, I raise a brow, but he gestures toward the house across the street.

“Over there.”

I think he’s being a little too paranoid and it’s really fucking cold out here, but I comply, and we make our way into a neighboring yard.

The faint roar of a car fills the silence, and I shiver once we’re beyond the light of the porch across the street, looking up when Danny mumbles, “I’m sorry.”

“For wh–” My words are cut off when someone grabs me from behind and shoves me along the side of the dark house.

Staggering forward, I turn as Danny disappears down the street, assessing the new threat.

Two assholes stand before me and when the one on the left licks his lip, his tongue twirling around the ring there, I suppress a shiver.

Why am I here? Why would Danny lead me here ?

The guy to my right with a tattoo of a star under his eye looks me up and down and raises a brow. “We been looking for you, sweetness.”

“Yay,” I say briskly and attempt to step around them.

Righty laughs, his dark eyes squinty and grabs my arm. “Not so fast. We got a little message for you.”

“Not interested,” I say, and he pulls me around before shoving me to my knees.

I drop with a gasp and clench my fist. I admit that despite all my bravado, I’ve never actually been in a fight.

I should’ve thought of that when I started crashing parties across the proverbial tracks though because shit like this is a given in this neighborhood and there’s two of them and one of me. The odds are not in my favor.

“Back off,” I hiss and Lefty laughs, tapping my head with his bony finger. “Or what?”

Of the two, Lefty is thinner, almost too thin and this is why I target his nads because I refuse to be beaten or worse raped by two goth fuckers with too much time on their skinny ass hands.

My pointy elbow does the trick and when he groans, and grabs his junk, I feel a trickle of satisfaction until Righty slams his boot into my stomach and I roll away, moaning, “Stop.”

He follows up with a kick to my face, hissing, “I ain’t stopping bitch. So shut the fuck up.”

Absently I touch my nose, noting the blood on my fingers before I attempt to crawl away on my hands and knees again, but he grabs my hair and wrenches me back.

Although I try to kick out with my feet, it's futile and I drop to the grass in a daze while he nails me in the stomach once more.

Am I going to die?

Inexplicably, visions of Buck's broken and bruised body in the hospital pass over my vision and I close my eyes. Please just leave .

Despair rolls through me heavily as I pray to whoever might be listening and when a car passes on the street, followed by another, the asshole standing over me pauses.

They’re driving fast, racing maybe and I bite back a whimper when Righty says, “Shit, Toro. We gotta go.”

Lefty…or Toro, I guess, sits up with a whimper, eyes me and says, “This is your only warning, bitch. Stop asking about your brother if you know what’s good for you.”

Fuck you , I snarl, but wisely keep my mouth shut and once they’re gone, I drop to the grass and cry.

When my phone buzzes against my ass, I roll to my back and stare at the sky.

I’m assuming if someone is willing to beat me up in order to scare me off from asking about that night and my brother, that I can safely set aside any concerns about my possible involvement in his death.

Score one for me, I guess.

My ribs protest when I raise my phone and read Caro’s message.

Where u at?

Everything hurts as I push to my knees and drop against the side of the house.

Walking anywhere is not an option, but I can’t stay here. For all I know those fuckers might come back.

After dialing her number, I close my eyes and try to take stock of my injuries.

My ribs ache, competing with a dull throb in my skull and when I touch my cheek, I confirm there’s a sizable lump forming beneath my skin.

“Yo, where’d you go, bitch?” Caro says and I whimper before tears fill my eyes.

“C-Caro, I need you to come get me. Bring Rocket.”

“Are you okay? What happened? Where are you?” she asks, and I shake my head even though she can’t see me.

I’m not okay.

“I’m across the street. Hurry.”

She shouts something I can’t hear, and I drop the phone to my lap even though she continues to speak to me, the words now garbled.

After a few moments, I look up when I hear footsteps, but they pause as a vehicle approaches and I look around frantically, hoping the two assholes aren’t back for another round.

While shouts break out from the street, I crawl into the bush beside me and collapse to my side, immune when the thorny branches tear at my clothes and face.

As soon as I hear the footsteps, closer now, I tense and suck in a breath only to exhale on a sob when Dirk says, “Where the fuck is she?”

“D-Dirk,” I say and the bushes part above me.

I’ve never been so happy to see him in my life, and I raise my arm as he says, his dark eyes wide, “What happened, baby girl?”

“Th-They…” I whisper as he grabs for my hand.

“C’mon,” he says.

“They jumped me,” I sob. “Danny. Buck. They might come back. Hurry .”

Dirk’s brow darkens and I shrink away as he glances around, his lips pulled back in a snarl.

After a tense moment, he drops to his knees and says, “Okay, let’s get you out of there.”

“Okay,” I whimper but when he grabs my arm to help me sit up, I cry out and he drops back, his dark pupils expanding as he takes me in.

His eyes roll over my face before stopping on my arm wrapped around my ribs and he rasps, “Fuck, baby girl. Who did this to you?”

Forcing my body to move, I crawl from the bushes and into his arms. “Please. Get me out of here.”