Page 27 of Unmask (Crew of Elmwood Public #2)

KREED

P ractice hadn’t even officially started, and already I was on edge.

I sat on the bench beside Maddox, Mason, and Nash, watching the team warm up on the field.

I didn’t want to be here. Football no longer held the importance it once did or the release.

I couldn’t stop playing last night over in my head.

The idea that someone had been lurking outside, someone who probably expected Kaylor to be alone, nagged at me the entire day.

If I’d had a clearer head, if I hadn’t indulged in so much alcohol, perhaps I would have been able to catch them before they were able to run off or hide.

“She needs security at school,” Maddox said, his helmet dangling from his fingers, sweat glistening on his forehead.

Coach yelled across the field at Dylan, one of our defensive ends, as he landed flat on his back. “What the hell are you talking about?” I asked, my mind only partly listening to Maddox.

“You weren’t here yesterday.”

My spine stiffened, and I slid my eyes to him, getting this bad feeling that I was about to get pissed off. “So?”

“Well,” Maddox continued with a shrug that was far too casual, “there was an incident. With Kaylor and a few guys from the team.”

My jaw clenched hard, muscles ticking as a slow burn crept beneath my skin. I didn’t like where this was going. “Define incident.”

“We handled it,” Mason assured, leaning forward on the bench, elbows resting on his knees as he let his helmet hit the ground.

Something was definitely up. I scanned the field, and that’s when I saw them, Bodie, Dawson, and Keenan leaning against the bleachers with bruises blooming across their jaws. The sight flipped a switch. “Is that why their faces look like roadkill?”

“They’re lucky it wasn’t worse,” Nash muttered. “If it had been you who found her?—”

My hand curled into a fist. Blood pounded in my ears. “What the fuck did they do?”

Mason toyed with the strap of his helmet. “Don’t freak out.”

Too late. “You’re telling me not to is only going to make things worse.”

“Shit,” Nash mumbled under his breath, and I sensed not a single one of them wanted to tell me what happened. If it was that bad, why hadn’t Kaylor mentioned it?

Maddox sighed. “They cornered her in the guys’ bathroom,” he said, straight to the point. “We got there before it went too far, but it scared her.”

I was up in an instant, a buzzing vibrating in my ears. “What the fuck. Why am I just now hearing about this?”

“Because,” Mason gritted out, “we handled it. The last thing she needed was you going full-blown psycho and ending up suspended. Or worse.”

“Don’t dodge. I asked for details, not damage control,” I growled, the familiar heat of anger coursing through my veins.

Mason got to his feet, leaving his helmet on the ground. “And I’m telling you—we were keeping you from going nuclear and getting suspended.”

I let out a humorless laugh. “Guess that plan failed because now I’m exactly there. I’m about to make sure none of them can walk again unless one of you starts spilling details. Or I can just ask Kaylor.”

“I’m surprised she hasn’t already told you,” Maddox said.

My fingers curled. “We haven’t had a lot of time to talk.”

Mason smirked. “Oh, I just bet. Who has time to talk when your lips are otherwise engaged?”

I didn’t even dignify that with a response. “Give me their names. All of them. Or I’ll just start picking the team off one at a time.”

Nash looked at me. “I thought we were done killing people.”

Tugging off my pads, I tossed them to the ground. “They should have considered that before laying a hand on her.”

No one said anything, and I’d run out of patience. Fine. If they weren’t going to volunteer the information, I’d take matters into my own hands. Someone was going to start talking, and I wasn’t going to wait for permission.

I shoved off the bench and stormed across the field, vision tunneled.

Dawson didn’t even see me coming. Perfect.

I launched at him with everything I had, tackling him like a battering ram straight into the turf.

His helmet tumbled off his head as he hit the ground hard, a startled gasp tearing from his throat.

The entire field stopped. My knee pinned his chest, and I grabbed the front of his jersey with one hand, the other locking around his throat. “You ever lay a hand on her again,” I snarled, my voice low, “and I’ll fucking kill you.”

“What the hell, Kreed? What is your problem?” he wheezed, fighting for air.

“You know damn well,” I seethed into his face.

He tried to speak, but I squeezed just enough for the message to land. “I figured you didn’t give a shit anymore,” he struggled, hands trying to push me off him. “You never cared in the past.”

Everyone else on the field knew better than to interfere unless they wanted to end up on their asses. I didn’t have to think twice about watching my back because my crew would. “My personal business is mine. And even if I had lost interest, she’s off-limits.”

His eyes widened as I squeezed, just enough for him to understand I meant it.

“That goes for all of you,” I added, projecting the threat loud and clear over the field. “One hand. One word. One fucking breath in her direction, and I’ll bury every one of you.”

A shrill whistle tore through the tension. “Break it up!” Coach roared from the sideline, storming toward us.

I released Dawson and stood slowly, breathing hard but steady. My gaze flicked to the rest of the team, who looked like they had just seen death walk across the field.

I didn’t say another word.

I didn’t need to.

I turned and stomped off the field, fire in my blood and one singular vow in my head: They would never touch her again.

Practice had just wrapped up, and a light dusting of snow began to fall, frosting the field in a thin white sheet. My breath fogged in the cold air as I headed toward the bleachers, slinging my gym bag over my shoulder.

That was when I saw her.

Kaylor sat in one of the middle rows, scowling down at her phone as if it had personally offended her. She was breathtaking, fat flakes of snow drifting slowly around her, giving her this frozen princess aura.

My lips curved downward, and I slowed my steps, drawn to her like gravity. “What’s got you frowning so deeply?” I asked, dropping down onto the bench beside her, her nearness and scent expelling some of the fury churning within me.

She startled, her shoulders jerking. It took her a second to orient herself, blinking up at me like she forgot where she was for a second. Cute. She shook her head. “What?” She finally glanced up, her eyes landing on me. “Oh, it’s you.”

I wavered between amused and annoyed. “Who were you expecting?”

“Anyone but you ,” she replied, glancing out over the field at the snow.

“Liar.” Little white flakes stuck to her long lashes, and I stared at them, my lips twitching. “You never answered the question. Who’s making you frown, little raven?”

She sighed heavily. “It’s Rusty.”

My entire body bristled at the name. I didn’t even try to hide the way my eyes narrowed. “What does he want?”

She shrugged, peering back down at the screen. “Just checking up. Making sure I’m okay. Telling me again what a mistake this is. Same shit. Different day.”

I bit back a curse, my fists curling against my thighs.

I didn’t trust Rusty. Never had. Something about the guy rubbed me the wrong way, something slick beneath the surface he tried to hide, and it was more than him being the rival.

“How very parental of him,” I grumbled, settling my bag on the bench at my feet.

She rolled her eyes. “It’s no secret he didn’t agree with me coming back here,” she added, a trace of guilt in her voice. “He’d rather have me tucked away in some cabin in the middle of nowhere, and he is doing his damn hardest to convince me.”

I grunted. “That’s not concern. That’s control. Creepy as fuck, little raven.”

Before she could answer, a noise snapped through the stillness, a crunch of boots on fresh snow.

My head whipped toward the sound instinctively, my senses flaring to life.

Without thinking, I reached for her hand and pulled her up from the bench.

“We need to go.” Those texts from Rusty were more than just checking in.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was confirming where she was.

She might believe his concern was friendly, but my instincts pointed to somewhere else.

He’d gone to such lengths to take her from us. He’d do so again.

She noticed the tension in my body, but smart girl that she was, she didn’t question it.

She followed my lead as I quickly walked, but not suspiciously, toward the school building.

As we neared the side entrance, I leaned down, my mouth brushing her ear.

“Someone’s watching us. Don’t react. Just keep moving. ”

Her body tightened against mine, but she didn’t so much as flinch. Fucking proud of her for that.

We approached the maintenance building, and I spotted our opportunity, yanking her behind it and pressing her back against the freezing brick wall.

Her eyes widened, about to complain, no doubt, but I shook my head and put a finger to her lips.

Silent. Stay still. I tried to convey both with my eyes.

Two shadows appeared at the perimeter of the field, moving purposefully. I recognized the tattoos on the side of their necks immediately. Vipers. Fucking Rusty.

My heart hammered, instincts screaming to act. I could fight. I could take them, but it wasn’t just me. I had Kaylor to think about, and if one of them even touched her, even for a second, I’d never forgive myself. It’s what I would do if I were them… Use a distraction to grab the prize.

I needed a different play.

Voices echoed from the side of the building as a group of students spilled out, laughing and shoving each other, heading toward the parking lot.

Perfect.