“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 youbelievethat 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.
