Yeah, fuck that. And fuck him.
“She grabbed the steering wheel,” he finally says. “I was only trying to keep us from hitting anything. She must have gotten hit when I was trying to get us under control.”
“That what happened?”
Lewis nods like a bobblehead. “Yeah, man, she went nuts. Total psycho.”
“Natalie? Abigail?”
Just their names is enough to get Nat talking. I don’t hate her for it at all, because while his story is sort of true, it’s also bullshit. And I would say something if Kooper was falling for any of it. But the guy isn’t stupid, no matter how much Lewis might think he is.
“He wouldn’t let us get out of the car.”
That’s it. One sentence, and the temperature coming off Kooper, and now Atom as he takes a step closer, rises by twenty degrees.
“You weren’t trying to kidnap the president’s daughter, were you, Lewis?” I’m not surprised Kooper knows his name. Ten to one he called it in when he first startedfollowing us. If I had to guess, half the damn club is headed this way with more information on this guy than even he knows about himself.
But poor little Lewis is dumbstruck. The pained look on his face is almost laughable. And I do in fact giggle, till Kooper’s eyes switch to me for half a second, and I clear my throat to cover up my mistake. You know, with finding joy in the fact that the club isn’t going to let this dirtbag get away. I mean, there are perks to being the club’s first unofficial princess, after all.
“No, no, sir.”
Oh, how sweet. Kooper turned Lewis into a boy with manners. I know he didn’t have any, despite me busting his nose—which is still bleeding, by the way. No one is even mentioning it, and I’m a bit hurt that I don’t get the credit I deserve.
“Good. Now get back in the fucking car and drive away.”
“What?” I step forward, my hands flaring out at my sides.
Kooper just turns his head to me and looks on as if his word is gospel or something.
Lewis and his boys look at us and then head for the car. But just as they get in, Lewis looks back and snarls at us all. “Whatever, man. She ain’t even worth it.”
Slamming the door, he drives off before I think he even had time to put on his seat belt.
I hope he crashes.
“You’re just going to let them leave? After he almost poked my eye out? It’s bleeding all over the place!” I gestureto the ground, my shirt, and the departing car. It’s too dark to see much from where I am, even though both bikes have their headlights on. But I can feel the blood dripping down my face.
“You’re not bleeding.” Kooper gives me an exaggerated headshake. “You’re crying.”
His words have my hands balling into fists of their own accord as I stand so still that I could be taken for a statue. “I don’t cry,” I seethe through my clenched teeth. Not since my mother died. I refuse to. It’s a sign of weakness, and that is one thing I never am.
“Fine, you’re leaking tears. Better?”No.“And what exactly do you want us to do? You wanted out of the car. You’re out of the car. End of story.” He turns and starts heading to his bike.
“But… but….” I look at the other three, but they just shrug as if unsure what to do or say.
“But what?” He turns back around and comes as close as he can to me. “I told you. The club is done picking up after you. I’m not about to call everyone over just to threaten a guy when you should have known it was a bad idea to get in the car in the first place.”
“Seriously?I’mto blame?” My neck twitches from the angle I put my head. He’s right on top of me but so much taller, using his height to look down on me like some kid.
“If the shoe fits, darling.” He speaks so softly, as if giving me a compliment. Asshole.
“Don’t ‘darling’ me. And the damn shoe doesn’t fit.”What am I even talking about?“I was just trying to have some fun. When he started driving crazy the first time, I wantedout. Car accident trauma, remember?” I point to my head, and his eyebrow rises. I take a deep breath and shake my head as I look away from him. “And that wasn’t my fault either.”
“If I recall from the police report, you ran yourself off the road.”
My jaw drops at his words.How dare he!“I was trying to run theothercar off the road. You know, the one with Princess’s psycho mom who was trying to kidnap her? I was helping them.” I’m yelling, and I don’t give a fuck if I wake anyone up as I do it. We’re in between town and suburbia. Close enough to get a noise complaint and yet far enough to be mixed into town life.
He takes another step closer and leans down. His boot tops touch mine, his breath fanning my face. “Just like you’re helping now, huh? What about the night I got a dislocated shoulder, or when you were giving too much money to your landlord? Were you helping then?”
