“Wait in the hallway, Ax.”
Instead of listening to his brother, Axel stomped to a seat and glowered at Ryder. “I want my slingshot.”
Sighing, Ryder turned to Harley. “CJ’s at school.”
“I saw him.” From a distance. She felt dirty. Too much so to approach him and taint him.
“Harley?” Nardo sneered, holding up one video of her touching herself. Once again, bruises from his fists peppered her body. “How about Harlot?”
“Is Nardo mean to you?” Ryder asked, the question making her flinch.
Mean was an understatement, but Harley had always been taught that you reaped what you sowed. For months, she’d been nothing but a bratty bitch to those she loved. Nardo was her karma, and her actions meant she had no one to turn to, and no one to blame but herself.
“No more than what I deserve,” she whispered, hating how her voice cracked.
“I’m telling CJ,” Axel announced.
“No, please! It isn’t that bad. Trust me.”
She didn’t want the situation to get any more out of hand. Should she drag anyone else into her drama, all hell might break loose.
Ryder cocked his head to the side. “I can tell Uncle Mort, Lolly, or Dad.”
No, Nardo would expose her video. He’d only seen one, when there were dozens. She couldn’t bear the humiliation. “No. I can handle this,” she insisted, her insides quaking.
Nardo groaned.
Calm, Ryder walked and picked up his rock, waiting until Nardo opened his eyes to aim it at his head.
“Listen up, Nardo. If you ever look at Axel wrong, I will put full force in that sling and fuckingkillyou. And if we find out you’re hurting Harley, there’s nowhere you’ll be able to hide. She’s one of us and we take care of our own.”
Nodding, Nardo turned to his side and closed his eyes.
Axel held up his cell phone. “Diesel said to go get the nurse for fuckbag.”
“Come on then.” Ryder looked at Harley. “You, too.”
“Ms. Mendez—”
“Diesel’s calling her,” Axel said. “He knows her personally.”
“Okay.”
Ryder and Axel waited until she gathered her knapsack and the forgotten script before they escorted her outside where Ransom was waiting.
“No one came near the auditorium,” he announced.
“Diesel said to take Harley to the cafeteria, so she can eat,” Axel said.
She wasn’t hungry, but if it saved her from class where she would have to face Nardo in most of them, then she was all for it.
“My good man, that motherfucker was going to break me.” Outrage punctuated Axel’s words. “We need to gather the rest of our bomb making supplies. Next time Nardo tries anything, we’ll be ready.”
“Can’t make a bomb without a stabilizer,” Ryder said. “Motherfucker will blow up when it shouldn’t.”
“We’ll get more of Hogzilla’s shit tonight.”
“No! You shouldn’t make a bomb at all,” Harley said.
