Falls Boys

I come up on her tail, just as she’s about to reach the front door, and catch her, both of us crashing into the wall.

She growls, whipping around to get out of my hold, but she pulls too hard, and we both tumble to the floor. Pain shoots through my elbow, and she flips over onto all fours, scrambling to her feet. But I grab the hood of her jacket and yank her back down, coming down on top to straddle her.

Ah!” she yells, her arms flying out, trying to hit me.

I grab her bag and pull it off her, tossing it to the side before I pin her hands above her head and glare down.

She opens her mouth, but she doesn’t say anything. Just fixes a snarl on her face and glowers back up at me. I almost smile, liking the nice, hot shot of adrenaline ru

I cock my head. “Need a ride home?”

She raises her chin, getting all tough, and I almost laugh. Her black eyes under long lashes promise pain and suffering if I don’t get off her, but it’s a good look on her.

“I’ll give you one, if you want,” I taunt. “My cousins will help. A whole escort of Pirates back to that shithole, Weston.”

I see her jaw clench, but still, she doesn’t spit any vitriol back at me. She’s used to not giving an inch. She’s used to people taking it.

I pat her coat, feeling a lump in one of the pockets. I dig inside, and she tries to fight me off with her one free hand. “Get off!” she shouts.

I pull out her wallet and flip it open. I read her driver’s license. “Aro Marquez. 686 East 3rd Street, Weston.” I close it and stuff it back into her jacket. “It’s up there forever now.” I gesture to my head and then pin her other hand back down. “Stay out of the Falls, or I will make trouble for you.” I lean down, and she tries to jerk her face away, but she has nowhere to go. “And I won’t even need my daddy or my credit card to do it.”

I know what their preconceived notions are about the Falls. We’re all spoiled trust fund babies to her, even though she’s lying on the floor of my house and can plainly see it’s not a mansion.

I roll to my feet and grab a fistful of her coat, pulling her up with me.

I stare down at her. “You shouldn’t have come alone, honey.”

But a honk sounds outside, and we hear shouts. “Aro!”

I look down at her. She smiles.

Oh, what the fuck?

She shoves me in the chest, and I stumble back, crashing into the entryway table. The dish of keys falls to the floor, shattering.

The next thing I know, the alarm screams in my ear, and I flinch, watching her run out the front door.

I follow, seeing cars in the street, headlights blinding me as I dig in after her and watch her legs disappear ahead.

“Hawke!” I hear Kade, his pounding footsteps approaching as Dirk and Stoli flank him.

I look over. “Where’s Dylan?”

“At the shop with the cops,” he says.

I’d texted him to get him over here, but I’d wanted to make sure Dylan wasn’t alone first.

A small group of people enter on my right, and I look over, seeing the girl, all tall and brave now that her boys are here.

I lock eyes with Hugo Navarre. He was a senior when I was a freshman. We never met on the field, but he’s stayed involved in the bullshit between our towns.

“Well, well, well…” He strolls over, leading his pack—Nicholas behind him and Axel on his right. “How old are you now, Trent?”

Old enough to do serious time if I hurt you, if that’s what you’re asking. Which is what he’s asking. He wants to make sure I know that I can’t hide behind being a minor now.

“I need to search her,” I tell him.

I felt something else in her pocket.

He grins, looking at his lapdog. “Did you steal something?” he asks her, but it sounds like he’s talking to his puppy who can do no wrong.

She doesn’t answer, just looks at me, a gleam in her eyes.

Hugo just laughs. “Sorry about that, man.”

But I look directly at her. “Empty your pockets.”

She doesn’t.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out, checking the screen. “That alarm triggered the security company, which is calling my phone right now,” I warn her. “When I don’t answer, they’ll send the police. Empty your pockets and then run. You have about four minutes.”

Her gaze doesn’t leave mine.

I step toward her, Hugo and his boys shifting to be ready. “Don’t touch her,” he says.

Her crew inches closer. “Not unless you want to pay,” he adds.

Her eyes flash to her boss, and I see the alarm.

Hugo walks up to me. “I’ll let you pat her down all night for the right price.” He looks over his shoulder at her. “You ready to start working like a big girl?”

“Hugo…” Their friend Nicholas moves forward, like he’s about to intervene, and I almost smile. Not all is well on Green Street.

But Hugo knows who’s in charge. “I know she’s not much to look at,” he tells me. “But maybe a street girl is exactly what you need. It gets better once she bathes. I promise.”

Some of the guys behind him break into laughter, and I glance at the girl, her expression not so steel anymore. She stares at the ground, her lips tight.

You ready to start working like a big girl?

Is he trying to turn her out? How old is she?

My father would kill these guys.

Axel saunters toward me. “Weston girls are hotter anyway. You know that.”

“But if there’s more than one of you, it’s extra,” Hugo adds, looking around at Kade, Dirk, and Stoli.

I hear Stoli speak up. “Nah. I don’t want any of that.”

“It’ll be too much work hosing her down,” Dirk says.

“Shut up,” I grit out.

I move toward her. “Come here.”

Her eyes flick up to mine, and I hold out my hand.

She looks at it, and I know she won’t take it, but I have to try. She shouldn’t be with these people.

“Come here,” I say again.

But she just shakes her head. “Fuck you.”

I pull the money Kade gave back to me out of my pocket and offer it to Hugo. His eyebrows shoot up, a gleam in his eyes.

He takes it.

“Come here now,” I order her.

She shakes her head, backing up to run, but Hugo takes her by the collar. “No!” She fights, and I take a step, ready to help, but this is what I want. I want him to force her to me.

“I told you not to come home empty-handed,” he says in her face.

He pushes her over to me, but she bites down on his hand, his growl piercing the air. I lunge for her, but she stumbles backward, out of Hugo’s hold and fumbles to get out of my reach.

Sirens blare, lights flash down the street, and she looks at me, fear written all over her face.

No, not fear.

Fright.

She’s afraid of me.

Did she think I was actually buying her? I take a step, but she whips around, ru

I swing around as she zooms past, watching her go, and something nips at me as the wheels in my head turn. Something green…

Hugo chases after her. “Aro!” he yells. They all run in her wake, but she charges away, turning right, and peels around the corner, out of sight.

“Fuck!” Hugo rages. “Aro!”

“The trunk!” Axel shouts at him as if reminding him about something.

They go after her on foot, disappearing down the next street, and I realize…