Chapter Forty-Five—Harley
Sitting in one of the auditorium seats, Harley looked at the script, not seeing the words. Not seeing anything except her life disintegrating in front of her eyes.
Somehow, Pillar of Earth got Nardo’s phone number and sent him one of her videos. It was only a matter of time before the whole school saw.
She wished she could tell someone, but she didn’t think anyone cared.
Though she enjoyed spending time with Aunt Zoann, she was afraid to lose her support.
The school worked like a well-oiled machine.
Anything regarding the Dweller kids were quickly seen to.
Someone must’ve alerted the administration that Aunt Zoann was currently responsible for her.
Harley had never been questioned about why neither of her parents signed documents or even checked in with her teachers.
That was the least of her problems. Running away crossed her mind, but she didn’t want to leave. She missed Mommie and Daddy; she missed her brothers, Lolly, Grant, and Pop.
And she was thoroughly lost without CJ. She wanted back in that exclusive club that only she, Mattie, and Rebel belonged to, the rare girls among a sea of Dweller sons.
Harley couldn’t rouse herself to visit Rebel and Aunt Meggie. Mattie told her they were home. She’d promised she’d see them, but it took too much energy.
“Why are you sitting here all alone?”
At Axel’s question, Harley shrugged. “I was practicing my lines.”
“Nuh uh.” His little face came into view as he leaned his upper body on her lap. “You were looking at the same spot. I don’t think you was reading nothing.”
She swallowed. “I haven’t been sleeping well.”
“I’ll stand up if you promise to look at me.”
“Promise.”
Axel kept his word. For a kid infamous for his mischief, his uniform was pin neat most days. Even his black hair was perfectly styled.
Noticing her scrutiny, he puffed out his narrow chest. “Diesel says attorneys dress well.” He tugged at the knot in the necktie even girls were required to wear. “Dad showed me how to make my tie look nice without that motherfucker squeezing my neck.”
Harley glanced around in case Ms. Mendez had arrived.
Axel followed her gaze. “Who you looking for?”
“My teacher. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“I won’t,” he said with certainty. “Cuz I said motherfucker, huh?”
She nodded.
“Only CJ got enough honor to want to follow rules at school. Me and my men don’t.”
“My men and I.”
Axel scowled. “You understood what I meant?”
“Well, yeah—”
“Then don’t talk about the way I talk.”
“Fair enough. However, attorneys talk a certain way. You should practice so it becomes a habit.”
“I’ll think about it.” He eyed her with suspicion. “What’s the matter?”
A lot. Nothing she could tell him, so she ignored his question and asked the obvious. “Why are you here?”
“Ryder and Ransom sent me,” he confessed. “They saw you walking here, looking like a zombie. They said that. Not me. Zombies are gross motherfuckers. You aren’t. You’re really pretty. When Ryan fucks over you, you can be my girlfriend.”
Once everyone saw the videos, no one would want her. She glanced away, unable to meet Axel’s eyes, unsure how to answer his joke.
“Motherfucker already fucked over you, huh?” he fished.
“Not really. We were never anything to each other.”
“If he was, he’d watch you rehearse every day. That’s what men do for their women. Sit through boring shit.” Axel squirmed. “And this right here is boring shit. It’s so quiet.”
Her life was quiet now.
“Are you hungry? I have an extra candy bar in my book bag.” He slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Oh brother, I think I laid it book side up. The candy is probably smushed.” He started to turn. “Wait here. I’ll go break into another teacher’s class and find you a fresh one.”
Shooting from her seat and ignoring the script as it slapped the floor, Harley grabbed Axel’s arm and halted him. “Don’t do that!” she gasped. “Stealing is different from cursing. You’ll be suspended. Why don’t you put it on your expense account or use your debit card?”
“That’s not no fun. Diesel is on retainer as my personal attorney for any trouble I get in.”
“You pay Diesel to represent you?”
“I almost offered him a dollar, but I thought it was too low, so he accepted five dollars a month.”
The curtains on the stage fluttered. Harley thought Ms. Mendez had finally arrived, though lunch was almost over, so it would only be to dismiss Harley.
Nardo swaggered into view, and Harley tensed. The small bit of peace she found in the last few minutes disintegrated.
He hurried down the left staircase and barreled to where she and Axel stood. It took all her determination not to flinch.
Grabbing a handful of Axel’s jacket and shirt, he lifted him up, ignoring Axel’s yells and wild punches. Nardo held Axel too far away to be touched.
“No, don’t!” Harley rushed to Nardo and laid her hands against his chest. “Don’t hurt him!”
“Put me down, motherfucker!” Axel screamed. “Or you’ll be sorry!”
“Don’t hurt him,” Harley begged.
He looked between them, a sneer twisting his lips. “This CJ’s little brother.”
And Nardo hated CJ.
“He’s a small kid. He hasn’t done you anything.”
His expression darkened at her pleading tone. Instead of setting Axel on his feet, Nardo lifted him higher, heightening Harley’s panic.
“No! Hit me instead. Don’t hurt him.”
“Motherfucker, if you like your eyeballs in your head, you set my little brother down now,” Ryder said, coming into view, holding a slingshot.
“Make—”
A rock connected with Nardo’s forehead before he got the words out. As Nardo fell back, Ryder snatched Axel, hugged him, and set him on his feet.
“You stole my favorite slingshot,” Axel accused, none the worse for wear. “I’ve been looking all over for it.”
“Yep.” Ryder smirked. “I needed to practice. I can’t carry a bat or a bow and arrow to school.”
“You can’t carry those motherfuckers nowhere, stupid.” Axel held out his hand. “Give me my slingshot.”
“You aren’t thanking me for saving you?”
“Not until I get my stuff back. A man got to stand on principle.”
Ryder pocketed the slingshot. “Then you’re not getting it back.”
“That’s not fair—”
“Wait in the hallway, Ax.”
Instead of listening to his brother, Axel stomped to a seat and glowered at Ryder. “I want my slingshot.”
Sighing, Ryder turned to Harley. “CJ’s at school.”
“I saw him.” From a distance. She felt dirty. Too much so to approach him and taint him.
“Harley?” Nardo sneered, holding up one video of her touching herself. Once again, bruises from his fists peppered her body. “How about Harlot?”
“Is Nardo mean to you?” Ryder asked, the question making her flinch.
Mean was an understatement, but Harley had always been taught that you reaped what you sowed. For months, she’d been nothing but a bratty bitch to those she loved. Nardo was her karma, and her actions meant she had no one to turn to, and no one to blame but herself.
“No more than what I deserve,” she whispered, hating how her voice cracked.
“I’m telling CJ,” Axel announced.
“No, please! It isn’t that bad. Trust me.”
She didn’t want the situation to get any more out of hand. Should she drag anyone else into her drama, all hell might break loose.
Ryder cocked his head to the side. “I can tell Uncle Mort, Lolly, or Dad.”
No, Nardo would expose her video. He’d only seen one, when there were dozens. She couldn’t bear the humiliation. “No. I can handle this,” she insisted, her insides quaking.
Nardo groaned.
Calm, Ryder walked and picked up his rock, waiting until Nardo opened his eyes to aim it at his head.
“Listen up, Nardo. If you ever look at Axel wrong, I will put full force in that sling and fucking kill you. And if we find out you’re hurting Harley, there’s nowhere you’ll be able to hide. She’s one of us and we take care of our own.”
Nodding, Nardo turned to his side and closed his eyes.
Axel held up his cell phone. “Diesel said to go get the nurse for fuckbag.”
“Come on then.” Ryder looked at Harley. “You, too.”
“Ms. Mendez—”
“Diesel’s calling her,” Axel said. “He knows her personally.”
“Okay.”
Ryder and Axel waited until she gathered her knapsack and the forgotten script before they escorted her outside where Ransom was waiting.
“No one came near the auditorium,” he announced.
“Diesel said to take Harley to the cafeteria, so she can eat,” Axel said.
She wasn’t hungry, but if it saved her from class where she would have to face Nardo in most of them, then she was all for it.
“My good man, that motherfucker was going to break me.” Outrage punctuated Axel’s words. “We need to gather the rest of our bomb making supplies. Next time Nardo tries anything, we’ll be ready.”
“Can’t make a bomb without a stabilizer,” Ryder said. “Motherfucker will blow up when it shouldn’t.”
“We’ll get more of Hogzilla’s shit tonight.”
“No! You shouldn’t make a bomb at all,” Harley said.
Especially one with such a nasty ingredient.
Ryder smirked. Though golden-haired like Aunt Meggie, his smirk was trademark Uncle Christopher. And CJ.
Ryder, Ransom, and Axel were well on their way to being just as handsome, charismatic, and deadly.