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Cole - Eleven Years Earlier
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“HEY, COLE,” RYAN SHOUTED to me from across the street. “Got a sec?”
I’d been avoiding both the guys and band practice. It wasn’t just about the run I’d done for them down to Norburn a couple of week ago. The things Ryan had said about Gabi had been running around in my head, fueling my anger. Gabi had been asking why I hadn’t been going to practice recently, and I’d made the excuse that I wanted to spend more time with her. Truth was, I didn’t want to spend time with Ryan. I worried I’d lose my temper if he so much as mentioned her name again, and after the fights I’d gotten into with my foster brother, I couldn’t afford to get into any more trouble with my foster parents. I had another few weeks, and then we would graduate and life would start anew. I had a decent sum of money hidden in my room, and I was looking forward to being independent. I didn’t need problems just because Ryan didn’t know how to keep his mouth shut.
I shoved my hands in my jeans pockets and kept my head down, my hair falling over my face.
“Hey, Cole,” he shouted again. “Don’t pretend like you can’t hear me.”
I huffed out a sigh and stopped walking. “What is it, Ryan?”
“I’m not going to shout across the street. Just come over here for a minute.”
I was tempted to make him come to me, but I didn’t want to get into a yelling match in the middle of town. The sooner I found out what he wanted and then told him to get lost, the sooner I would be away from him.
Checking the street both ways, I ran across the road.
“What do you want?” I asked.
He moved closer and lowered his voice. “Me and the guys have got another run for you to do.”
My stomach sank. “Nah, I don’t think so.”
“It’s the same money. Same setup. What have you got to lose?”
I cocked my eyebrow. “My freedom.”
He laughed. “You’re such a girl. Don’t be so dramatic. It’s just a bit of weed. Nothing to get your panties in a twist about.”
“So you take it, then.”
“I can’t. My car couldn’t be fixed, and I don’t have any money to get a new one yet. Another run or two, and I should be sorted, though.”
I shook my head. “Sorry, Ryan. You’re going to have to find someone else for this one.”
His eyes narrowed, his head tilting to one side as though listening hard for something. “I don’t think you’ve quite understood what I’m saying. We need someone to do another run, and that person is going to be you.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “And I don’t think you understood what I said. I’m not doing it.”
“You don’t want to go saying things like that, Cole. I’d take it kind of personally, and when I take things personally, I like to hurt things that are personal to you.”
I stiffened. “What exactly are you saying?”
He sucked and licked his lower lip. “That girlfriend of yours is mighty sweet. Get a couple of drinks in her, and she’s practically humping the leg of the nearest guy.”
“Gabi’s not like that!”
“No? I’ve seen her all flirty when she’s around us older guys. Don’t pretend you haven’t, too.”
I suddenly regretted guilting Gabi into coming to my band practices. It had gotten her in trouble with her dad, and now Ryan had set his sights on her. She hadn’t wanted to come in the first place, but I’d wanted to show off my gorgeous girlfriend. What an idiot I was.
“I get the impression your girl has a bit of a reputation to uphold as well. I don’t know what she was thinking hanging out with the likes of you, but I can tell she definitely cares what people think of her.” He nodded slowly, as though considering his words. “I imagine if word started getting around that she let me and the other guys gangbang her, how we’d all taken our turn and loved every second, it wouldn’t exactly be good news for her reputation.”
I balled my fists, a muscle in my jaw twitching. “You wouldn’t fucking dare!”
“Just watch me, kid. And I’ll tell you something else, if you don’t play ball, or you cause some kind of trouble for me and the guys, I’ll make sure that little scene happens for real.”
The idea of all my band members raping Gabi was like a punch in the gut.
“You fucking bastard!” I swung my fist, but he side-stepped it, sending me reeling out into the street.
“Don’t cause a scene, Cole. You need to learn to keep your head down.”
It took every ounce of self-control I had not to throw myself, roaring, at him. Only the idea that he could tear Gabi down with just a few words stopped me from doing so. If rumors like that started going around about her, she would be utterly heartbroken. Devastated. Rumors had the power to destroy a person—especially someone as sweet and innocent as Gabi. I couldn’t let it happen and I would do everything within my power to make sure Ryan kept his mouth shut.
I’d always known I would be bad for her, that I should have kept my distance, but yet I hadn’t been able to help myself. I’d been drawn to her, and fallen head over heels so hard in love with her I hadn’t been able to control it. She deserved better. She had an amazing future ahead of her, and being with me only put that in jeopardy.
“I guess I don’t have any choice, do I?” I managed to growl.
Ryan smiled. “Now we’re starting to see eye-to-eye.”
“When is the run?”
“A couple of nights from now.”
“Fine, I’ll do it.”
I knew this wouldn’t stop. Even if I did this run, Ryan would still be here, threatening Gabi and making me do another and another to keep her safe. If I wasn’t around, Ryan wouldn’t have any reason to threaten her.
My staying in Willowbrook Falls wasn’t good for Gabi’s safety.