“We should just bring her with us, man,” someone joked.
“Yeah, can we give her a bath first?”
“Enough,” I barked, cutting them off. “Get back in the truck. Your beers are getting warm.”
They dispersed, and Will walked back to his cab, casting one more look at the girl, who was quietly and quickly gathering up her books, ignoring us.
She had to be about our age, but she certainly didn’t like any attention. Especially judging by the ratty clothes she wore and the old Vans shoe that laid on the ground. It must’ve fallen off her foot in the fall. Why wasn’t she wearing socks? It was cold.
I squatted down, picking up a pedal from her bike, which had broken off.
“You can’t ride this bike, kid,” I told her. “The pedal is broken.”
I held it under her face, showing her.
“I’ll manage.” She stood up, her arms wrapped tightly around all of her books, avoiding my gaze.
She was a curt little thing, wasn’t she?
I didn’t know if she was afraid of us or pissed off about what happened, but she definitely didn’t want to engage.
“Will said you live close?” I asked. “I can toss the bike in the back of my Jeep and take you—”
“I said I’ll manage,” she spat out, still keeping her head down. “Just leave.”
I couldn’t help but smile a little. She seemed so desperate to have us gone. Like she was afraid something bad would happen. What did she think we were going to do to her?
I turned around to leave but spotted a paperback on the ground, nearly stepping on it. I leaned down and picked it up, doing a double-take at the redhead in an emerald gown on the cover. Her tits were busting at the seams as some hard-muscled guy in a blouse held her to him dramatically, rivers of his hair and her dress both blowing in the wind.
I snorted as I turned around and handed it to her.
“Shut up,” she mumbled, seeing the smile on my face and snatching the book back.
I squatted down once more, grabbing her shoe off the ground, and then pulled up her foot.
Her skin was freezing, and I jerked in surprise. Her jeans had holes everywhere and no socks. Why wasn’t she dressed properly?
She pulled her foot away, grabbing for the shoe. “I can do it.”
But I held firm, giving her a defiant look as I pulled up her foot.
“God, can’t you take a hint?” she snipped.
“Your skin is freezing,” I remarked, slipping the shoe on. “Maybe you should—”
“Hands off,” someone ordered behind me.
I whipped my head around and saw that several men had arrived, their sport bikes parked in the middle of the road. Over Will’s truck engine, I hadn’t heard them pull up.
I stood up as they came around, and I watched as they placed themselves right in front of the girl, standing between us.
What the hell?
“Excuse me?” I looked around them, trying to see her.
“She’s fine,” said the one in the middle with the shaved head who was dressed in a white, sleeveless T-shirt. “We’ll take it from here.”
I let out a little laugh, feeling Will inch closer at my side and seeing Michael approach.