But I didn't make it more than a step before Anthony grabbed me. Ty caught Tanner, and a few others moved in to help. Jake joined Ty, trying to keep their hands on my boyfriend, because he was a crazy fucker. Was why I loved him.
Anthony just picked me up. My fucking feet left the ground. He had my arms pinned to my sides. I couldn't fucking getfree, so I did the one thing I could. I screamed like a damned madman.
"You did this! You knew he attacked her, and you ignored it. You're trying to chase her out, and I ain't gonna make it easy. You can't hurt her! You! Cannot! Hurt!Her!"
"Shut. Up!" Anthony hissed against my ear.
But I wasn't the only one yelling. Everyone in the room was. Jackson, and the other Jaxon too. Kaleb, Sonny, Wes, all the damned Brazilians, and more. Men were thrusting their hands out, pointing like they were proving something. Others were braced between us and the president, but they didn't look none to happy neither.
And Anthony kept going. "Don't play his game, J.D. If you hurt him, you're out too. That's what hewants, and you're smarter than that!"
I wasn't. Naw, I was just pissed right now, but Anthony was on our side. He was a good one. I needed to trust him, but I sure didn't wanna, so I looked back to Cody. Sitting in that chair, with her hand over her mouth, her eyes too big, and her jaw too clenched? Yeah, fuck what I wanted.
"Babe?" I asked, patting Anthony's arm.
"He can't do that," she said.
But Mr. Merrill didn't give a shit about us. The man raised his voice. "Closing Ceremony starts in five minutes! Anyone who isn't out there is suspended!"
"Fuck you!" Jackson told him.
"No," Cody said, but no one heard her, because they were still going
"Shut the fuck up!" I yelled - and the room fell silent.
"Go," Cody said with her weak and broken voice. "Guys, we won."
"But he can't do that to you," Jackson said.
She shrugged. "I have other things to live for. Go."
"Not fucking right," Kaleb grumbled, but he turned, making his way to the door.
Like it was some kind of tide, the others did the same. All except Jake. He simply stood there, staring at Mr. Merrill until we were the only ones left.
"This?" He stepped closer. "You know that truce we had? Yeah, you just broke it. So when the shit hits the fan, just remember that Iamyour son, so you'd best start covering your ass now." Then he stormed past the man, making his way to the door too.
"Boy!" Mr. Merrill called after him.
Jake didn't stop. He simply lifted his middle finger over his shoulder and kept going.
But Cody caught Ty's pinky finger. It was all she could reach. "You too," she said.
"Yeah," he breathed. "C'mon, Mr. Merrill. Looks like you're getting your win."
But the moment they were out of the room, Cody turned to Anthony. "Documenteverything."
Chapter 86
I would not letthat man ruin anything else in my life.
I might pretend to be calm, but suspending Cody? No, that was a step too far. With me, he was just trying to protect himself, and I understood that. But with her? This shit he was pulling with J.D. and Tanner? That wasallbullshit.
So it was time for him to see what it felt like.
My father hated being backed into a corner, but he sure liked doing it to everyone else. Too bad for him, I was good at that too. I'd learned a lot from him in the last few years. How to keep secrets for one, but also how to use them. How to slowly gather favors I could later turn into power. And the biggest thing of all?
How to use all that power.
