“What the fuck is happening?” Carter booms.
A flurry of footsteps sounds above us. Five seconds and the girls spill down the stairs like a wave, their voices rising in a chorus of confusion. Bianca elbows past everyone in the room, a flicker of fear crossing her face.
Her gaze locks onto mine, steps quickening. “Ryder—”
I catch her hand, pulling her into me. “It’s okay, baby,” I whisper in her ear, even though nothing is okay.
Not even close.
“Explain,” Carter snaps at Koby, his shoulders squaring back. “Why is she with you?”
“I took her.” He shifts, planting himself in front of Leilani. “I need a safe house.”
Leilani shrinks further behind him, her face almost obscured by her dark, straight hair.
“Youtookher? You fucking kidnapped her? What the hell were you thinking? She’s Jax’s girl!”
Hailey moves, eyes flashing with anger. “Stop it!” she snaps at Carter. “Watch your tone. You’re scaring her.”
He inhales and exhales, getting his bearings before he speaks again, with a touch less menace. “I want answers. Now.”
Koby reaches back, catches Leilani’s arm, and gently pulls her forward. “It’s okay. Just... let them see.” He reaches up, brushing her hair aside to reveal her swollen cheek, the dark purple bruise like a beacon.
My grip on Bianca tightens as the girls let out a collective gasp while I heave a sharp “Fuck” in time with Broadway.
“I need a safe house,” Koby repeats, zeroing in on Carter, then adds a word I heard him use maybe once before. “Please.”
Carter looks about ready to explode. He said Leilani was his sister’s friend... I wonder whether he’s remembering better times or wondering what he’d do if this was Aalyiah here, scared, tearful, and beaten.
Bianca tugs at my hand, summoning my attention, her voice soft and quiet. “What happens now?”
I glance down at her, then at Koby, who stands like a fortress in front of Leilani.
“Now... now it gets messy.”
