Page 61 of The Sweetest Cruelty: Hudson (A Sawyer Brothers Story #1)
I clutched my chest, not comprehending what he was saying. “Your father’s business partner? What is he, a drug lord of sorts?”
“Yes. The real deal. These are dangerous people, Molly. I saw two of my father’s men talking to some of Nick’s friends at the game. They may have stirred things up. Either that or put them up to causing shit here.”
“Is that why your face is all busted up. Because the drugs were taken from your car?”
“Yes.”
“And who did that to you? You’re dad’s partner?” I said, horrified.
What he replied was worse. “No. My father, for screwing up.”
So Xander’s old man had physically assaulted him. If a man could do that to his son, God knew what he could do to Hudson and his brothers.
“When did the drugs go missing?”
“During tonight’s game.”
“But Micah was on the field, so it can’t have been him. I take it your father thinks it’s him.”
“He’s the main suspect. Dad wants to see him.”
“Hudson won’t allow it.”
“Shit, Molly, what do we do?” Harper yelled.
“I feel like I’m going to have a panic attack,” I said, banging my breastplate with my palm.
Xander placed his hand on my shoulder, the gesture one of comfort.
It was only brief, as seconds later, that comfort was ripped away as a large male arm brushed past me and shoved Xander backwards.
It happened so fast that I didn’t see the blow land, but blood sprayed down Xander’s chin, and a wave of sickness swam through my stomach.
“Touch her again and I’ll break more than your nose,” Hudson snarled as Xander fell back a step, grabbing his face and roaring in pain .
“What the fuck!”
I grabbed hold of Hudson’s bicep and twisted in front of him to block a further attack.
“Get out of my way, Molly.”
“Hudson, no. Xander came to warn us.” Although at that point, Xander was doubled over and clearly in pain.
Hudson turned on me, his face full of fury, and his broad chest heaving. I noticed the veins in his neck were throbbing. “About what? That the pussies from St Andrew’s are sore losers?” he yelled, pointing towards the group of jocks who were helping themselves to the beer stand.
Xander trailed his shirt sleeve across his bloodied nose, dragging air into his lungs before he growled. “No. I didn’t tell them to come. I’m not here for them.”
Hudson went to move around me, but I held my hand out. Not that it did any good. “I don’t give a shit.” I was petrified as Hudson was clearly on the war path.
“Please, Hudson, listen.” This time, I turned to face him and pushed my hands against his chest, my eyes meeting Harper's, which were as wide as saucers. I could see the other Sawyer brothers rushing towards us. Backup. Thank goodness. Hopefully, they could calm their impulsive brother down.
“Another two guys from St Andrew’s just decided to crash…
what the fuck are you doing here?” Micah said, coming to the side of us.
He hadn’t noticed Xander at first, who was still bent over.
“What’s going on?” he added as Xander straightened, his battered face more visible in the dark. “Fuck bro, what did you do to him?”
“I hit him once . I can’t take credit for the other colour,” Hudson snarled, taking my wrists in his hands, and moving me behind him.
“What are you doing here, Creed?” Nix then barked.
Xander felt his nose with his hand before turning towards Micah and ignoring Nix. “Micah, did you break into my car and take my shit?”
Micah looked truly affronted. “What, no?”
“What shit?” Nix chorused.
“Someone broke into my car and stole three packages. Packages that didn’t belong to me.”
“Are you telling the truth, Micah?” Reed said, coming to stand beside me and Hudson.
“I ain’t taken shit from you man,” Micah bellowed at Xander, spitting on the sand between them. His expression was mutinous.
“I take it you're talking about class A drugs?” Reed questioned .
“Yeah. Around ten large,” Xander said, looking like he wanted to be sick.
Shaking his head, Phoenix said, “Class A? You really did hit the big time. Is your mommy proud of the man you’ve become?”
I felt a twinge of pity as I knew Xander’s mother was dead.
And then Xander’s face paled as his focus shifted to somewhere behind Reed. “Shit.”
“What?” Phoenix said, scanning where Xander had looked.
“Is Nick OK?” Harper suddenly said.
“He is for now but if I don’t get the drugs back it’s both our asses.”
Shouts and laughter exploded further up the beach where the St Andrew’s boys stood. Things were getting rowdy.
“We haven’t got your shit, man,” Nix said. He had come to stand by Harper, who was on the verge of tears.
Xander kept looking into the distance, towards a BMW with blacked-out windows in the car park next to the beach.
I dragged my gaze back. “Who are they?”
Scrunching his eyes closed and then opening them, Xander replied. “I have to go.”
A scream broke out into the air, drawing all our attention to the boys from St Andrew’s. Three of them were still in their football jerseys. They were now harassing a couple of the girls, and one of the bigger guys had stolen a cap from a younger lad. He was one of ours.
Hudson saw what was happening and wasn’t happy. “Fuck is that happening on my watch.”
Hudson turned away to grab his T-shirt off the back of one of the camping chairs behind us.
He would have words, which meant a possible fight and someone getting hurt.
Maybe the boys from St Andrew’s broke into Xander’s car.
I was about to suggest that, but got distracted as I could see the situation with the uninvited jocks was worsening.
Nash Straker had two guys on him, and one shoved him in the chest. The girl Miranda, who was with him, glanced towards us, clearly anxious.
Hudon’s attitude and actions showed he was preparing for something big, and I felt another wave of dread.
All the Sawyer brothers snapped to it and were then on alert as they pulled their clothing over their bare chests.
“You said you need to leave, so do one before I stop being polite,” Hudson said, shoving Xander by the shoulder.
“Yeah, we don’t have anything of yours here, so fuck off,” Micah shot out, flexing his neck. “Nash needs us, bro. ”
Backing away whilst shaking his head, Xander said words that would haunt me for the rest of the night. “Molly, here’s my number,” he began, handing me a business card. “If you find out anything about the packages, please call me.”
“Night night,” Micah said with a smirk.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Xander said before walking away.
“Good fucking riddance,” Micah said, spitting onto the sand.
After Xander had left, we all turned to face each other.
The boys were dressed, and Phoenix had pulled on what looked like his hoodie over Harper’s body.
Fuck, she was only fifteen and shouldn’t have been there.
She was shaking, her eyes still moist from tears, and her face bright red.
I wanted to hug her and reassure her it would be OK. But I didn’t know that.
“Come on, baby girl, you’re OK. I got you,” Phoenix was whispering as he tugged the sleeves down over her arms. He was in full-on protective mode.
“Can you believe that Pablo Escobarwannabee, motherfucker? I didn’t take any drugs from his car, Hudson. I swear,” Micah blustered, pacing, and dragging his hands through his dreads.
We all glanced back at Xander as he walked towards the car park. The black BMW was gone. I wondered if his father’s cronies were out there, watching us. Nervous tension knotted my neck.
“Give me the card, Molly,” Hudson said, and I handed it to him. I watched as he pushed it into his pocket.
“Hud, do you believe me?” Micah hissed again, clearly paranoid. His face was still partly bruised from the night Hudson gave him a hiding, before scaling the walls of my house.
“Yes, I believe you,” Hudson said, his aura much calmer. He washed a hand down his face, and I noticed his skinned knuckles. Seeing him hurt was like a physical pain in the pit of my stomach, irrespective of it being self-inflicted via Xander’s face.
Reed added. “What makes you so sure that Micah didn’t take Creed’s shit?”
And then he delivered the words that shocked us all. “Because I did.”
Everyone reacted with varying levels of shock and horror. “What the fuck man?” Micah said.
“Shit,” Reed huffed.
“Why?” Phoenix added as he started rubbing Harper’s shoulders .
“We don’t have time for that. Everyone needs to relax. Act normal. Watch each other’s backs. Let’s see what’s going on with Nash.”
Nash and Josh Sanderson were now squaring up against four other guys.
“Can’t we just go home?” I blurted, terrified of anyone getting hurt.
“Why don’t you go and get in the truck?” he explained, turning me to face him.
“But I feel safer with you,” I replied, clinging to his neck. He drew my hands down and pushed me gently in Harper’s direction.
“Harper needs you. Look after her. Please.”
I glanced towards Harper, who looked on the brink of a breakdown, even with Phoenix’s arm around her.
I went to stand by her, and we both watched the boys leave in the direction of the brewing trouble.
The St Andrew’s guys were there to cause shit as one started squirting people with the beer hose. They may have started it, but I was certain the Sawyer boys would finish it.
At least, I prayed they would.