All-day long I'm on fucking edge. Lexi's plan is risky as hell but it's more than that.
I've never been painted as a guy who would intentionally hurt a woman, and even though I know Lexi doesn't actually see our mark of passion as anything negative, just the idea that she has to present it that way makes me feel sick. The painful fucking churning in my gut alone is enough to have me considering taking it easy next time we're alone.
"Ayo, earth to Jace!" Wild's shouting catches my attention.
Leaning on my bike with my elbows propped on the passenger seat, I crane my neck back to see the guys walking my way. Eddie breezes ahead of the group, arms wide as he turns in a complete circle.
Smiling wide, he hooks a thumb over his shoulder. "Check it, hermano, I'm all official and shit now."
The Guardians' emblem, a knight's shield with two swords crossing behind it and a helmet balanced on top, is displayed loud and proud on the back of his new black leather jacket. But instead of the traditional "Guardians" curved around the top and "West County" curved at the bottom, Eddie's jacket simply says "Guardians Prospect" beneath the shield. The design looks good and the jacket even has the sweatshirt style hood that the official members' jackets do. It's definitely a hell of a lot better than the worn-out plain leathers we were given as prospects.
"Ain't this some shit?" Wilder asks once they reach me, his jaw hanging open with fake shock. "The newbies are getting way nicer leathers than we did when we joined up."
Kade playfully slaps Wild in the back of the head. "Quit complaining. Your jacket's brand new and fully patched."
"I know." Wild rubs his head and glares at Kade. "My shits way nicer now. I'm talking about before."
My cousin rolls his eyes at the nutcase and tips his head in my direction. "What'dya think?"
"Looks good." I nod, sitting up. "But why the new gear for the prospects? What you got planned, cus? Why are we here?"
There's no reason for us to be anywhere other than the West Side and yet here we fucking are, meeting in the parking lot of a mini-mart two blocks from the school. Knowing that Lexi is just a two-minute drive away keeps me from complaining, but I know my cousin. He wouldn't bring us here without a reason.
"Show of power." Kade grins like a fucking cartoon villain, only to have the look wasted when Travis speaks next.
"At the mini-mart?"
Wilder snorts and even Eddie turns away to chuckle, but Kade shoots Travis a look that asks, 'are you fucking serious?'
Travis rolls his eyes, his mouth pinching to the side with irritation. "Don't. I'm functioning on less than an hour of sleep right now."
"What's your excuse every other day?" Wild quips but bites back his laughter when Kade shoots him a pointed look too.
Same shit, different day, but at least these nut jobs keep shit entertaining.
Shaking my head at the two of them, I raise a brow at Kade, waiting for some kind of explanation.
He slips a pair of sunglasses on and flips his hood up to cover his dark messy hair. "We need to let Derek and whoever has his back know that we aren't backing down. Just 'cause we can't be in school, doesn't mean we can't wait for our people across the road."
"You think our presence alone will send a message," I add without question, picking up on my cousin's train of thought.
Travis narrows his eyes though, looking unconvinced. "That'll be enough?"
"How about you see what happens when those fucking doors open and then tell if you think it's enough," Kade suggests with a knowing smirk before he heads back towards his bike. "Let's go. Bell rings in ten."
I don't know all the details but unlike Travis, I don't need to. Kade's clearly got something up his sleeve and I trust him enough not to question it. It's not like we have anything to lose at this point.
Slipping my helmet on, I start up my bike. The sound of the engine coming to life blends with the roar from the others' bikes as I turn around to follow their lead out of the parking lot. The drive to the school is quick and our destination becomes obvious as we turn the last corner.
Sitting across the street from the student parking lot with plenty of room to pull over in front is Roman's gold Yamaha and Raegan's white Kawasaki Ninja. Once we all park and remove our helmets to wait, Kade nods over to the bikes that were waiting for us.
"Told Ro and Rae to save us a spot."
"Good thinking." Eddie nods, walking over to his brother's bike and giving it once over. "How about Marcel and Jo. How did they get here this morning?"
Kade fights to hold back a grin. "Had Marcel ride bitch with Rae."
All of us chuckle at that except for Travis who looks like he's ready to punch someone. That is until a sly smirk slips across his face.
"Does that mean Josie rode with Roman?" Travis tips his head at Kade questioningly. "Bet he enjoyed that."
Kade doesn't even twitch at the comment, keeping his face completely blank and hidden behind his shades. But even without the facial cues, we can all fucking feel the sudden tension rolling off of him. Drawing in a deep breath so carefully that no one would know unless they were paying close attention, Kade's mouth thins into a straight line and he turns away from us to lean against his bike. He keeps his head facing the school, waiting, and thankfully Travis takes the hint not to open his mouth again.
Dumbass.
T's our brother, but when he's in a mood he's got a bad habit of lashing out and pissing someone off. Can't entirely blame him this time though. He's protective of his sister. Kade should understand that since we're the same fucking way with Cass.
No one speaks another word as we watch and wait. I lean against my bike and cross my arms, my foot tapping impatiently as the minutes tick by so slow it feels like time's been suspended.
When the loud ass bell finally rings, indicating the end of the school day, my eyes zero in on the front doors. Scanning each face that emerges, I wait to see my girl but once I do, every single muscle in my fucking body tightens.
I push off my bike, a growl dragging from low in my chest as my hands ball into fists at my sides.
"Down, boy," Kade instructs, carefully watching me from behind his glasses.
But I can barely process his words or the warning in his tone, not when that prick has his arm around my girl.
Lexi walks stiffly next to Derek, semi leaning away from him as he obliviously talks to his buddies. But it's his arm that has my attention, wrapped around her waist and possessively trying to keep her at his side.
My lip curls back, baring my teeth as I crack my knuckles, and take another step forward. I'm seconds away from rushing across the road and slamming my fists into the fucker's jaw when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look back to see Wilder right behind me, his eyes blazing with the same burning intensity I feel in the pit of my stomach.
You bleed, I bleed.
It's a phrase Wild's said before when shit got tough but it's never felt more real than right now. He's pissed for me. When one of us hurts, we all hurt. When one of us is pissed and ready to beat a dumbfucker into the cement, we're all there to lend a hand. But with a nod of his head and narrowed eyes, Wild get's his point across. 'I got your back, but not here. Just wait.'
Gritting my teeth, I draw in a deep breath and look back at the parking lot.
Control your shit, Jace. Let them come to you.
As if sensing me, Lexi's head snaps up, her bright eyes darting around, searching. She doesn't have to look long though before she finally spots me across the road. Her shoulders seem to relax a little but her gaze drops to the arm wrapped around her and she stiffens again.
Don't worry, baby. I'm right here.
Tearing my gaze away from Derek's soon to be broken hand, I notice the rest of our group trailing not far behind them, hidden in the crowd but still close enough to intervene if needed. I hate to admit it, but I also feel a slight bit of relief at seeing Caleb walking on the other side of Lexi. Even if I don't fully fucking trust him, I know deep down he'd never let something happen to her and with Derek's lackeys surrounding them, he'll pull her out if he has to.
Giving Lex a small smile, Derek tries to steer her towards the far side of the parking lot, but she shakes her head and nods forward. The idiot nods, blindly following her to his doom and bringing his equally mindless followers along for the ride.
It takes him a lifetime to realize something is wrong. They pass every car in the parking lot, Lexi's included, but it doesn't fucking hit him till they reach the sidewalk on the other side of the street. Dropping his hand from around Lexi's waist, Derek bristles at the sight of us. His eyes darting to her with confusion and anger before flicking back towards us.
"What the fuck is this?" He spits, trying to puff himself up like he's tough shit in front of his friends. "You fuckers are banned from here."
"Correction." Wilder holds up a finger. "We're banned from school grounds."
"For now," Kade adds.
Wild chuckles. "And this side of the street is public property. Your mommy has no control here."
Derek snarls at the mention of his mother before he reaches out to take hold of Lexi's hand. "Doesn't matter. You fuckers are done here. I got all I need to nail your asses to the wall."
"Not exactly," Lex interrupts and yanks her hand from his grasp.
The look on her face completely transforms as she glares at him with pent up anger like she's been holding back for too long. She flips him the middle finger and saunters over to take her place by my side, snuggling against me as I throw my arm over her shoulder. But it's not enough for me, the need to claim what's mine burns in my veins.
Tilting Lexi's face up to mine, I capture her lips, kissing her long and deep for everyone to see. Her tongue connects with mine and she moans into my mouth just before I bite her plump bottom lip and pull away.
With hooded eyes and not a care as to who's watching, Lexi grips my shirt. "I missed you."
"I missed you too, baby." I lightly kiss her again before going back to the business at hand with a satisfied smirk.
When I see the look on Derek's face, mouth hanging open and eyes the size of saucers, my smile grows tenfold. Even the guys are grinning and chuckling, enjoying the shock radiating off of Derek just as much as I am. Yet his dumbstruck expression only increases when Caleb walks across the street too. He doesn't stand close to us but it's clear whose side he's on.
"Seriously?" Derek scoffs at Caleb. "What about all that shit today?" He stabs a finger in Lexi's direction. "What about that fucking mark?"
"It was consensual, dumbass," Lexi answers, her words dripping with venom. "Jace would never do anything to me that I didn't want him to."
Pride swells inside me but I don't say a thing. I don't need to. My girl has it covered and she needs to shove it to this loser just as much as the rest of us.
Her small frame shakes in my arms with pent up rage. "Hope you enjoyed that little walk because you will never touch me again."
Derek's eyes flash fury as he narrows them at her and I can see the second he decides to put his foot in his mouth. "Whatever, I didn't want your warn out pussy anyway. I just felt bad for you, Lex."
His buddies chuckle from behind him but their laughter dies as I drop my arm from around Lexi's shoulders and step forward with my fists clenched at my sides. But I don't get further than that first step before Lex is pulling me back.
"Jace, don't. He's not worth it," she pleads with me and then adds in a whisper for only me to hear. "Not right now."
With a snarl, I fight every instinct inside of me that's demanding his blood, and step back. "You lucked out today, bitch. I won't fucking hesitate next time."
"Sure." Derek nods with a condescending smile. "And when is this 'next time' gonna happen? Because you're dreaming if you think the school board will let you back here."
None of us say a word as we all turn to look at Caleb with expectant smiles.
My old friend gets the hint and steps forward. Holding out his phone, he presses a couple buttons and Derek's voice plays loud and clear for everyone to hear.
"He's not. I double-checked the policy concerning drugs on school grounds before I did it. Made sure there's no way in hell they'll let him back here."
It's not the full recording. I heard the entire thing an hour ago when Caleb sent me the audio file. But it's enough for Derek to connect the dots.
His lip curls back as he growls at Caleb. "You set me up!"
"How's it feel, Mama's boy?" Wilder asks with a deadly gleam in his eyes.
"You fuckers." Derek releases a cracked laugh. "You think you're slick, but a little recording isn't gonna do shit to me."
"But it'll help. Especially when I tell the school board everything I know," Caleb says confidently, stepping closer to our group.
Derek glares at him. "You could get in trouble for that shit too. Or have you forgotten, Walker, this plan was your idea?"
Caleb nods, biting the inside of his cheek. "Yeah, most of it was, but not all of it, and at least I didn't follow through. I backed out before shit got too far. You didn't. But even if I go down too, I'm cool with that." His eyes flick to Lexi before landing on me with genuine guilt. "I deserve whatever I get for turning my back on my friends."
I want to say he's only talking about this current situation but this dude used to be like my brother. Even after years, I can still read him like an open book and I get the feeling he's coming to terms with a lot more than what's been going on recently. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking.
I don't hate Caleb. Never did if I'm being honest with myself. But his rage towards me ignited my own anger and once we started looking at each other as rivals, shit just spun out of control. It also didn't help that he never accepted mine and Lexi's relationship. Part of me always thought that maybe....just fucking maybe, the guy I thought had my back didn't think I was good enough for the girl at my side. That part stung the most, and if someone is gonna strike out at me, I hit them back twice as hard. Fuck the consequences or the loss of friendship.
Lexi's soft hand slips into mine and squeezes. I glance down at her and see a glimmer of hope in her eyes as she looks from me to Caleb.
Yeah, baby, I heard him.
"Look, Derek," I say and Lex tightens her hold on me, anchoring me by her side. "Do you honestly think the school board is gonna kick us out after they hear your confession and Caleb's testimony?"
The question catches Derek off guard, his face blanking as he drags his attention from Caleb to Me. As he starts to process what he's been asked, his mouth tips down, and his brows furrow.
"How about you save everyone the trouble of attending a bullshit school board hearing, and go tell your mom the truth, now." Kade presses in an icy tone that could freeze the pits of hell. "Don't make this harder than it has to be."
Derek grinds his teeth so hard I swear I can hear those pearly whites scraping together from here. He tries to keep his confident stance in front of the growing group of students behind him but he's nervous. There's no hiding the look in his eyes, wild like a cornered animal.
The fucker's about to crack. We can all feel it, like sharks circling when there's blood in the water. Even Travis and Eddie step forward, their eyes watching for the exact second Derek snaps.
"And what?" Derek snarls. "You think they're gonna get rid of me instead? That'll never happen. I'm on track to be valedictorian. The entire football season rides on my shoulders. They'll never expel me."
"We don't expect them to," Travis throws back.
Derek spreads his arms wide, puffing out his chest. "Then what are you looking for? What's your fucking game here?"
We aren't the only ones who smell blood. With Derek's slipping control, his boys step up behind him, over a dozen of them altogether. Tension electrifies the air around us and everyone can feel it. All it would take is one wrong move and this street would be filled with guys throwing hands.
But that's not what we want. Not if we can help it. Our goal is to get back in school, not face more punishment for inciting a fight that would leave a good portion of the football team unable to play.
"We just wanna come back to school," I answer honestly.
Derek's rigid posture slacks a little at that but his face is still twisted with anger and suspicion. "That's it?"
"Of course not," Kade adds with a wicked grin I've only ever seen him deliver before laying out an opponent in the ring. "We're also gonna take charge of this place. You know, since you can't do the fucking job properly."
Derek balks at that for a whole minute before breaking into laughter. His buddies chuckle and smile behind him as well. Even the spectators start to murmur among themselves, the noise building with a nervous energy.
With one look from Kade, Travis puts his thumb and index finger in his mouth and whistles like a fucking train. The sound breaks through the chatter but that's not what silences the students of FHS.
As each voice quiets, eyes grow wide and track the movements of several bodies pushing their way through the group. The only one still laughing is Derek but his sense of humor quickly fades as he notices the first faces breaking through the edge of the crowd.
Marcel, Josie, Raegan, Roman, and Ava appear with equal looks of disdain, but they aren't alone. Right on their heels are our boys Tyree and Bug, Kellin and some of his crew, as well as Sophie, the Double-Mint Twins, and their girls. As each of them join us on our side of the road, more and more people emerge; familiar faces from West County and surprisingly, a few new ones from FHS. By the time the last person has taken a stand with us, the rest of our crew have slipped on their new prospect jackets thanks to Eddie, giving everyone a good look at our increase in numbers.
Derek and his boys are stunned into complete silence. Their jaws hang loose, dragging on the gravel like a bunch of dumbasses.
"Aw, don't look so surprised, D," Wilder taunts with a vicious look in his eyes. "You didn't really think we'd do this without back up, did you?"
He did. It's written all over his face. He never once thought about the other kids from the West Side or how they'd react to him setting up some of their own.
While he was enjoying his fucking reign over the school and chasing after my girl, he should've paused to find out who was in charge at West County. If he had, he might've realized exactly what he was dealing with. Kids at FHS follow his lead because they've never considered anyone else. But West County followed us because we earned their trust. We had their backs when it counted and kept our school safe.
The fire and transfer screwed everyone up. We weren't sure we were needed here and every person from West County was still trying to find their footing. But now we know, and we're ready to do what we have to. Cause we'll be damned if more West Siders are targeted like we were by privileged assholes who think the sun rises and falls with them.
Finally shaking off his shock, Derek glares at every one on our side of the road. "I thought you West Siders liked here? Shit was calm. Everyone was getting along. But you guys wanna draw a line in the sand now?"
"We do like it here," our buddy Tyree says. For a dude that's a good inch shorter than Lex, he steps forward and eyes Derek like a giant looking down at an ant. "We like it a lot, but the Guardians have always watched out for us and we do the same for them. You wanna fucking go at them, then you're going at all of us. West Side sticks together, always."
"And the rest of you?" Derek asks, arms wide as his eyes bounce to the few original FHS people supporting us.
Kellin crosses his arms and steps forward next. "The rest of us never backed you to begin with, bitch."
Derek's head jerks back at that, but the way he eyes up Kellin, it's like there's more he wants to say. He opens his mouth but quickly snaps it shut when Kell takes another step towards him.
What the fuck was that?
I look over at Kade and Wilder who both give me side glances and nod, letting me know they saw that too. But I pocket that information for later when Kade finally pushes off his bike and walks to the center of the street, perfectly blocked off by the bodies surrounding the scene.
The fire in Derek's stare screams how bad he wants to face off with my cousin, nose to nose, fist to fist in the middle of the blacktop. He doesn't though. He's starting to get it now.
You aren't gonna win this one, asshole.
"Like I said." Kade removes his sunglasses and pins Derek with a predatory glare. "Do the right thing. Tell the damn truth and get your mom to call off the school board meeting. You do that, and maybe we'll take it easy on you when we come back. Deal?"
Barring his teeth, Derek doesn't say a word. He gives each one of us one last feeble look, a pathetic attempt at appearing threatening before he turns around and shoves his way back towards the parking lot. The other jocks and guys dumb enough to have his back do the same, snarling and sneering as they storm off after their leader.
"Think he'll do it?" Josie asks, already perched on the back of Kade's bike.
"He will if he knows what's good for him," Marcel answers.
We hang around a little while longer and watch as the onlookers disperse. When Derek and some of his other lackeys pass by in their fancy rides—provided by their parents of course—Lexi, Jo, Ava, and Rae stand shoulder to shoulder with their middle fingers raised high. They giggle and laugh at the appalled looks they receive, high fiving each other, and whooping it up. The sight makes my chest swell with fucking pride and warmth.
That's my girl.
"Ever thought you'd see the day?" Wild asks, walking up beside me.
"See what?"
He bumps his shoulder into mine and nods towards the girls. "Your girl banding together with our chicks."
I raise an eyebrow at him. "Better not let T hear you refer to Rae as our chick."
"You know what I mean, asshole. Lexi and her people mixing with ours. Joining up and tackling shit together."
Chewing on my bottom lip, I shake my head. "Not really. I fucking hoped for it, but I never thought it would really happen."
"Enjoy it while you can." Wilder slaps me on the back. "Lord knows this fight isn't over yet."
I know his words are meant to be encouraging, but there's a warning in there too. Today may feel like a win but we still don't know what Derek will decide to do or if we'll still have to attend the school board meeting. As far as we know, this whole thing could still blow up in our faces. But knowing we have so many backing us sure as hell helps. It at least gives us a fighting chance.
Giving Wild a nod, I turn my attention to Lexi. She smiles and talks with the other girls but I know the second she feels me watching her. Flipping her long dark hair over her shoulder, she looks back at me and smirks. After one more word to them, she saunters my way with a seductive look in her eyes.
"Hey," she says, nibbling on her bottom lip.
"Hey yourself."
"You ready to get out of here?" She asks, placing her hands on my chest and sliding them up around my neck. "I gave Ava the keys to my car so she can give Marcel a lift and I can ride with you. Told her she can bring it back to me later and I happen to have it on good authority that Mom is staying at Carl's. So..." She licks her lips, making my fucking dick twitch in my jeans. "Wanna go back to my place?"
My pulse kicks up and a low growl crawls from my throat as I pick her up and place her on the back of my bike.
"I'll take that as a yes." She laughs whole-heartedly.
"That's a fuck yes."
Before I can climb on in front of her, Lex fists the front of my shirt and pulls me closer. "Take me home, Jace. Erase the feel of his hands on me."
There's teasing in her tone but a desperation in her bright hazel eyes. Lexi did what she felt she had to today but that doesn't change the fact that she hated every minute of it. It's written all over her gorgeous face, how much it bothered her to have him touch her.
Just thinking about it makes me want to hunt the fucker down again and break his teeth. But being with Lex and making her feel better is all that matters right now.
"Don't worry, baby." I rasp and brush my lips over hers. "I'll make sure all you can remember is me."
💋____________________________________💋
OMG, we're so close to the end! Well, the end of book one. I'm almost positive next chapter will be the last chapter.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. What did you all think of this chapter?
Do you think Lexi, Jace, and the guys handled this the right way? What did you think of Caleb's part? Do you think Derek will tell his mom the truth? But most of all, did this feel like a good temporary resolution to their current issue? They still have a lot ahead of them but, baby steps, right? Is there anything more you would've wanted from this scene? Did it feel like enough?
I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little worried that this doesn't feel as big as it should. They obviously have more issues to tackle, some much bigger than this, but I couldn't wrap everything up with a nice bow or else there'd be very little left for future books. Of course, there's still another chapter to go that I hope will add a little bit of a bang to the ending, so maybe I'm just overly worried.
Anyway, enough of my stressing.
Let me know what you think in the comments and if you like what you read, please hit that star button!
As usual, the teaser for chapter 48 will be posted on my Instagram and Twitter in a day or two. Keep an eye out for it!