He gave me a grim look
. “So, Benji does have a hand in this after all?”
I sucked air through my teeth. “Sounds like it.”
“Little rat bastard. I never liked him, you know. Always thought he was a slippery little dude with a bad attitude and an uncanny knack for getting other people in trouble on his account.”
I revved my engine. “Yeah, well. Not happening again. You know what to do. See you tonight.”
I was pissed. So pissed that my vision started tunneling. My cousin had fucked around with my girl for the last goddamn time. It was time to teach this asshole a lesson in learning his place. And if he didn’t want to stay in his damn place, I’d beat him into submission and nail him there for good. I knew Benji saw me as a peacekeeper. Someone willing to bend over and take it up the ass just to make sure no one broke out into a fight.
Well, Benji was about to get a taste of what I called ‘peacekeeping tactics.’
“Max, look out!”
I whipped my head up and watched Rupert’s eyes grow wide before a sharp pain in the back of my head sent me plummeting to the ground. I felt my bike fall on top of me, pinning me. The engine still churned. The bike was warming as it vibrated against me. But every time I moved to get the bike off me, a searing pain in the back of my head stopped me in my tracks.
“Get the hell off me, you piece of--mmph. Fuck. Oh, no you don’t.”
I coughed. “Rupert?”
I heard punches landing and boots scuffling against the tarmac.
“Rupert?”
I heard him grunting. I heard bones cracking. I felt something connect with the side of my head and it made me vomit. I felt it rising up the back of my throat. I turned my head off to the side and heaved with the pain coursing down my spine. Fucking hell. I knew enough to know I had a concussion. The one thing I couldn't do was lose consciousness.
Honk your horn.
I felt my hand along my bike. As Rupert cursed and grunted and gurgled, I slid my hand along the hot metal. I continued vomiting onto the pavement, feeling it trickle down my skin. And just as I reached the handlebar, I heard a gruff voice in my ear.
“Surprise, bitch.”
A sharp pain raked up my arm and I yanked it back. I fell to the ground, staring up at the sky as I choked on my own vomit. I didn’t hear Rupert any longer. I saw the sky fading into darkness from the bright blue it boasted of today. And as the world continued to go dark on me, only one thing crossed my mind.
Dani.
As my world fell silent, the only thing I could think about was Dani.
And whether or not she was all right.
31
Dani
I peeked out the window and listened to the sounds of people walking by. Giggling. Laughing. Having the time of their lives. And what was I doing?
Fearing for my own safety.
Hannah sighed. “You’re stressing me out. Will you sit down already?”
I shook my head. “Can’t. Something isn’t right.”
And it was the truth. I had spoken to Max half an hour ago, and he still hadn’t arrived. Too much time had passed.
Something’s happened to Max.
Hannah slapped her book closed. “Damn it, Dani. Sit down, would you? You’re going to give all of us a heart attack.”