I swipe at the tear that escapes down my cheek. I’m not special to these guys. I’m another hole for them to fill. Somewhere along the line, I stopped believing I’m only a toy for them to use. Maybe with Caden’s constant future talk, I bought in just a little.
Fuck them. I don’t need any of them. They can use me as their pet until the end of this year, and then they’ll be out of my life forever.
CHAPTER 65
The Defiance
Caden
“She probably didn’t want you to worry.” Jack tries to convince me Harper didn’t do anything wrong. “The project just started. She might have told us if it got to be too much.”
But she knows the story. She knows how much I hate Tanner and why.
She’s not safe where he’s involved. He waited for her outside her house. He made her believe he was her friend and he could help her with us. He would have used her to get back at me.
“If he touches her, I’ll break every bone in that hand.” The words are a promise.
“She doesn’t want you to go to prison.” Jack pulls in beside Nico’s car.
Nico stands beside his car, his arms on the roof, staring into the darkness around my house.
I get out, but she isn’t here. Luke told me to let her go with Nico, but right now I need her in my arms. I need to know she’s safe. But I’m also mad as hell at her.
“Where is she?” I growl out.
Nico releases a breath and gestures toward the house.
Luke pulls up with Eli, while I walk around to the back of the houseto find my little nympho. There’s patio furniture beside the door, and I find her huddled on an Adirondack chair.
Swiping at the tears on her cheeks, she doesn’t acknowledge me. I’m not playing that game again. Fuck this shit.
I lift her and throw her over my shoulder.
“Hey!”
My hand clamps down on her ass to hold her there. Jack catches up to us and opens the door.
“Put me down, Caden.” She struggles against me, but I hold her firm.
When the others file in, Luke gives me a nod. I can run this show, or he can. It’s up to me.
Eli turns the lights on low in the rec room. Jack goes to the door to the rest of the house and makes sure it’s locked, in case any staff is still here. I’m sure my parents already know I haven’t slept at home for a while. They may be absent, but they keep tabs on my activities.
Nico and Luke sit on the couch as I lower Harper to her feet.
She immediately backs away, and her eyes dart around like she’s expecting to be attacked. She’s not wrong. I want to impress on her the seriousness of this situation.
“He can’t be trusted,” I bite out as I stalk around her.
She tips her chin up. “The teacher is there the whole time. I’m at school. He can’t do anything to me while I’m there.”
“He’s a fucking blight, Harper.” I stop in front of her and close the distance, so I’m practically surrounding her. “He’ll use any opportunity to get under your skin. To turn you against us.”
A bitter laugh erupts out of her. When I glare into her dark eyes, they sparkle with anger.
“Like you all fucking care.” She straightens to her full height and stares me in the eyes like she’s not afraid of me. “As long as he doesn’t touch me, I don’t see what the problem is. I have an assignment to do for my class. If I thought my teacher would let me change partners, I would. But she’s being strict about it.”
“He wants revenge on us, and he’s going to use you to get it.” I need to get this into her head.
