The assholes start making their way over. Tariq swings Clare behind him, pushing her back so she’s against the railings. And Amelia tenses under my touch. This is going to be a shit show with them in tow but there’s no way we’ll be the first to back off. That’s not how it works with us.
Jermaine steps forward, knowing I’m going to protect Amelia first before jumping in.
“If this goes down, you take Clare and go jump on another ride. I’ll come find you.”
“You’re on the wrong side of town, dickheads,” one of the pricks calls out, coming to a stop ten feet from us.
“No one owns this territory. Unless you wanna claim it now, I’d run along if we were you.”
Jermaine begins laughing and when I look to him, I see our boys sauntering toward us. The three assholes back off and when they reach the food stall, they disappear.
Fucking pussies.
Amelia steps out from under my arm and her chest heaves with a deep breath.
“Does that happen a lot?” she asks.
“Not really, we mainly stay on our turf.”
I can see how this looks to someone like her, but to me, this was nothing. It could’ve turned out much differently, but it didn’t. I don’t run the largest gang in Dog City to be taken down at a funfair.
“I think I’m going to go home, it’s getting late, my dad will be wondering where I am.”
She’s full of shit but she wants an out and I’m not going to force her to stay. She holds a hushed conversation with Clare and storms off without her.
I don’t know what I expected to happen with her tonight, but it ending like this isn’t sitting well with me.
“Watch my back,” I instruct Jermaine and set off to catch Amelia up.
I fall into step beside her as she passes the haunted house and her frown as she looks up at me is cute as fuck.
“What are you doing now?” she asks.
“Walking you to your car.”
“Why? I’m more than capable.”
She looks over her shoulder and whether it’s intended or not, she moves closer to my side.
“Are you expecting someone to follow me or something?”
She’s not as naive as her friend.
“No, I wanted to make sure you got to your car safely. Gang members aren’t the only dangerous people lurking around.”
Her frown softens. “We got here pretty late, I’m parked on the other side of the parking lot.”
“It’s no bother.”
We walk in silence, and I keep my eyes open to any 2-Guns moving in.
“You don’t have to run home just because we showed up.”
“I have school tomorrow and my dad will be expecting me.”
Her car is not only on the farthest side of the lot, it’s in the darkest corner. I wasn’t lying when I told her gang members weren’t the only danger she should look out for, it would be so easy for someone to lie low and wait for a victim without any witnesses around and the music from the fair drowning out any screams.
We reach her car, and I shake my head. She’s a beacon in this Porsche to be robbed and at her waif-like size, she couldn’t fight a fly off.
