“Makes sense. But where are we going now?” I ask, already knowing but dreading to hear the answer.
“To challenge Ryan and take his money,” he says simply.
What if Dave’s there and says something? I don’t think he will, because if he wanted to fight Aiden, he would’ve gone to him directly instead of beating up his girl to get to him. I freeze and Aiden looks at me funnily before I shake my head to clear it and continue walking beside him.
I said his girl.
And the weird part? I like it. I like the sound of “his girl.”
Oh my God, I like Aiden. Like, more than a friend. Eff. My. Life. What is happening to me?
Aiden looks down at me and tenderly strokes my hand with his thumb, thinking that my racing pulse and tight grip are due to my nervousness about being near Ryan and the Silvers, not because of my terrifying revelation.
As we get closer to them, I know that I should feel more worried or nervous, especially since Dave and his friends assaulted me moments ago, but I’m not. I’m comforted by Aiden’s presence, and somehow I know that if shit gets crazy, Aiden’s first priority will be to keep me safe.
Ryan leans against his Mustang, talking to some other Silvers. Dave is there, sporting a newly split lip and freshly bruising black eye, courtesy of Luke, and I feel my blood turn to fiery lava in my veins. I want to strut right up to him and castrate him where he stands. What kind of coward has his friend restrain a girl so that he can beat her up? Plus, he’s an even bigger coward because he only beat me up to hurt Aiden, since he’s too scared to face him one on one (which he should be, Aiden would totally kick his ass). Kaitlyn is there as well, talking to Makayla, and a few other girls who go to C. S. High.
As we approach the group, they notice our presence and turn their hostile gazes on us. A malicious smirk grows on Ryan’s face the moment he sees us. The sides of his head look freshly shaved and he’s wearing a tight-fitting long-sleeved gray shirt with black sleeves that accentuate his muscles and dark-blue jeans. Again, I’m struck by how hot he would actually be if not for the fact that he’s a total dickwad.
Ryan confidently strides toward us, followed by his pack of loyal followers. Kaitlyn marches right up to his side and he swings his arm around her. Both have venomous gleams in their eyes and stand confidently, like they own the whole world. I wish I could wipe the smug look off her face.
“Parker,” Ryan addresses Aiden, then turns his intense gaze to me. “Parker’s slut.”
Aiden’s eyes narrow and he goes to take a threatening step closer to Ryan, but I pull him back with our joined hands.
“Satan,” I address Ryan without missing a beat, then look at Kaitlyn. “Satan’s whore.”
Kaitlyn scowls at my hand resting comfortably in Aiden’s. “What do you wannabes want?”
Aiden looks questioningly at Dave’s newly damaged face before turning his attention back to Ryan.
“You always want to race me, here’s your chance,” Aiden says impassively.
“You want a shot at me?” Ryan asks, acting like he’s the big man on campus.
“Is that a yes?” Aiden keeps his tone even and his face in his regular confident and impassive expression.
“You sure this is a good idea?” Ryan asks, trying to act like it’s no big deal, but it’s obvious that he’s excited. “We all know that the men in my family are notorious for beating you.”
This time I can’t hold Aiden back when he lets go of my hand, closes the space between them, and takes a swing at a wide-eyed Ryan. A few feet behind him, shocked and frozen in place, Kaitlyn screams as Ryan is knocked to the ground from the force of Aiden’s single punch.
The heat of Aiden’s anger radiates off of him to where I stand. Ryan spits out blood from his position on the ground and his loyal dog pack take a second to register that their leader was just knocked to the ground before setting their gazes on Aiden.
Oh shit.
Aiden is greatly outnumbered, and this is not going to end well . . . for them.
Aiden’s taken on a crowd of guys his size and even bulkier and heavier, and still kicked ass while he wasn’t even that mad. This time it’s personal, and if Aiden’s anger alone is any indication, he’s not just promising an ass-kicking, he’s promising to destroy them.
Just when the dog pack is about to pounce, we hear a loud and authoritative voice. “All right, that’s enough, boys.”
The dog pack freezes and Ryan slowly stands back up. I take the opportunity to run around to Aiden and get in front of him, putting my hands on his muscled chest and pushing him back, trying to get distance between him and the Silvers.
He registers that it’s me touching him and he doesn’t resist when I push him back, since I wouldn’t be able to move him if he didn’t allow it. His breathing is heavy and his whole body is hard and tense, ready to attack on a second’s notice. We move back a few feet, but he keeps his infuriated eyes locked on Ryan the whole time.
“Aiden,” I say calmly and put a hand on his cheek, trying to get him to look down at me. He keeps his angry eyes locked on Ryan for a few more moments before slowly meeting my gaze. “Please don’t fight,” I whisper, staring into his darkening gray eyes, feeling his chest rise and fall with anger with my other hand.
He studies me for a moment before releasing a heavy breath through his nose and closing his eyes. I bring both my hands around his waist under his leather jacket and hug him to me, resting my cheek on his chest.