“Mate, it’s her uncle or dad or something,” a blonde kid says.
“Sup, Dad.” She smiles, then giggles again with hooded eyes. Fuck, she’s stoned.
“Wait. That’s your fucking dad?” The greasy kid’s face pales.
“He sure acts like he’s my dad. So he may as well be.”
“And don’t you forget it, punk.” I snatch a small clear packet sticking out of his denim breast pocket. “What’s this shit?” I wave the bag of weed in front of his face. “You been dealing?”
“N…n…no. It’s not mine.” The punk holds his hands up, looking like he’s about to piss himself. I couldn’t care less what shit he’s pedalling, but when my girl’s involved, it becomes a problem.
Two more giggling girls come from behind a bush with a bottle in hand. They stop laughing when they see me. “Shit.” One girl spins around and walks away. The tall dark-haired goth straightens her back and walks over.
“Yaz, have you met my dad?”
Her eyes widen, glancing between us.
“In the car,” I growl.
Vi giggles again. “He’s so bossy.” She straightens when she sees Lilly behind me with folded arms and a cocked hip. “Are you my evil stepmother?”
Lilly polishes her nails against her black dress, looking uninterested in this kid’s bullshit. “Sweety, if I wanted a teenage brat, I’d have kids of my own.”
I give Lilly a shrug, silently bowing out of our little rendezvous.
“When you’ve ditched the daddy daycare, call me.” She spins on her stilettos, back through the bushes.
“Oops. Soz.” Vi hiccups with a lift in the corner of her mouth.
I grip her arm, dragging her to the Ranger. That’s the second time she’s cock-blocked me. “You’ve just embarrassed me and yourself. I should take you over my knee.”
Her breath halts. She turns around, backing up against the Ranger. “You embarrassed me. I’m eighteen. Not twelve.”
I cage her in. The stench of weed in her violet hair fills my nostrils. Her chest heaves in front of me. Her big tits pouring over her scrappy vest, confirming she is in fact a woman, but the way she acted all silly with those kids is not how I want my woman to behave. “Then fucking act like it. Instead of going all doe-eyed for that greasy punk.”
The wrinkle between her brow appears, and it’s the cutest fucking thing. “Are you jealous?”
I straighten my back and crack my neck. “In the car. Now.”
She huffs and climbs in. Her ass in my face as she hoists herself into the Ranger, tempting me to swat it. I slam her door once she’s in and stomp round to the other side. The engine roars to life as I accelerate, needing to let off some steam.
We pull out of the car park in silence with only the headlights to guide us under the dark veil of night, weaving down the country lanes back to the farmhouse.
“I’m not jealous of some punk kid, and I’m certainly not bothered who you hang out with as long as it’s not the Bennett brothers. But I am bothered about you smoking shit from people you don’t know, losing control and letting your guard down. You could end up drugged, raped, and pregnant.” The words lodge in my throat, along with a bitter taste.
“Chill out. It was just a spliff that Yaz got from a guy she knows in the band. Nobody was trying to drug me or rape me. I’m not that lucky.”
The tyres skid on the gavel as I brake sharply in front of the house. I grip her face between my finger and thumb, digging into her cheeks as I twist her head to face me. “You think being raped is a joke? You’ve never begged for your life as three guys take turns until you can’t stand, let alone walk.”
Her eyes pool, and I realise my hand is trembling. I let her go, get out of the truck, and walk into the house. With my vibrating hand, I grab a beer from the fridge. My reflection in the kitchen window stares back at me full of judgement. Perhaps that was too harsh, but she needs to know the dangers. Even someone you think you know could turn on you. While she’s in my care, I’ll protect her as best I can.
The door closes. A chair scrapes on the kitchen floor. When I turn around, she’s taking her boots off.
“I’m sorry. That was a stupid thing to say.” Her head hangs low.
“You not got the giggles anymore, then?” I sip my beer, fold my arms across my chest, and study her.
She looks up at me with her hazel eyes. “Just the munchies.” She flashes me a small smile.
