Gritting my teeth, I climb back on my bike. I’m even more worried about it than I am about myself. Logan might be able to scare the kids off at school to keep them from stealing it, but I doubt that protection extends to the slums.
I force myself to push my anxiety aside. Lia Cabello is not a scaredy-cat.
Nonetheless, I’m not feeling all that brave as I pedal down one street then another, going further into the depths of Oakley. There are no sidewalks here, only rough streets riddled with potholes, covered in broken glass and old syringes. Groups of men hang around, eyeing me, some with curiosity, others with… I’m not sure what.
I shiver, resolutely keeping my eyes fixed straight ahead, because these guys are really starting to creep me out.
So I don’t even notice the hand before it’s clamping down around my arm, lifting me off my bike, and dragging me to the ground.
“Hey!” I cry out.
Or at least I try to, but not a sound comes out. Still, when I see the guy grab my bike, I struggle up, and latch onto his arm.
There’s just no way he’s taking my bike. No way!
I desperately hold onto him, even clawing at his skin, but he merely tosses me to the ground again as if I weigh nothing, then lifts the bike higher, turning from me and preparing to take it away.
Never!
A moment later I’m back up, climbing on his back andtwisting my arms around his neck. He tries to force me off him, but desperation has me holding on tight. I even start squeezing my arms, and he stumbles around, swearing loudly, before his strength overtakes mine, and he’s shoving me to the ground again.
When he turns to look at me, I can tell he’s furious.
Oops.
“You little bitch,” he growls. “I’m gonna fucking teach you a lesson!”
He grabs the bike again, but this time it’s not to take it away. This time, he holds it over his head threateningly, and my eyes widen as I wonder if he really means to… throw it down on me?
The muscles in his arms and neck are bulging, and he definitely means to do something.
“Stop!” I gasp. “My dad is going to kill you if you hurt me!”
He snorts. “I’m gonna crush your fucking dad like a fucking insect. Right after I snap his baby girl in two.”
My heart thundering, I squeeze my eyes shut, waiting for what feels like the inevitable impact of the bike against my body.
No one’s ever raised a hand on me before. I wonder what it feels like?
It takes a moment for me to realize that nothing is happening. If he was going to beat me… wouldn’t he have started already?
Gulping nervously, I pop open an eye tentatively. My would-be attacker has turned around, facing away from me. Now that fear isn’t making the blood pump in my ears, I can hear his voice. He’s talking to someone.
I scramble up, unwilling for anyone to see me in this state, then gasp when I realize the person he’s talking to is… Logan.
What the heck?
I just have time to see two twenty-dollar bills exchange hands, before Logan grabs the bike then stalks over to me,roughly pulling me to him with his free arm.
“Hey! What are you doing?”
I try to toss off his arm, angry that he’s holding me like this, as if he owns me. But he merely tightens his grip.
“Start walking,” he hisses.
“Don’t tell me what to—ow!”
Did he really just smack my butt? I struggle out of his hold, ready to give him a piece of my mind. Who the heck does he think he is? He can’t just spank me! No one’s ever done that, not even my dad!
