I wanted to shove him away, but I couldn’t get my arms between us. He was too close, pressing me up against an SUV, the door handle digging into my lower back. “Oh, did I hurt your poor little balls?”
“You want to play rough, sis?” He pinned me in place with his body. I tried to free my hands but the bastard was strong.
“Let her go!” Mads screamed.
Ainsley still looked shocked, like she couldn’t believe this was happening. Shit like this didn’t go down at Public, or if it did, we didn’t know about it. But at the Academy…
The lights in the parking lot weren’t as bright as the field, and Carter had chosen one of the darker corners to grab me, but still, someone should have heard us, someone should be coming to check out what was going on.
Right?
Carter wedged his knee between my legs, spreading them. Terror kicked inside of me, but my fight was far from gone. I wouldn’t make this easy for him. Hell no. He would have to work for each inch he touched me. I spat in his face.
Carter laughed, pressing his hips into me as he wiped the side of his face on his shoulder. “I figured you’d like it dirty.”
“Get. The. Fuck. Off. Me,” I growled, but he pressed into me harder, grinding his hips against mine. Nausea rolled up in me.
Was he really going to rape me in the parking lot while his friends watched? While my friends were forced to witness? He couldn’t be that evil, could he? But at the sound of fabric tearing, I suddenly wasn’t certain of anything, other than I had to get away from him.
Carter lowered his head to my neck and started to suck painfully hard. I yelped, bucking my hips to try and dislodge him, but it only seemed to encourage the sick prick. He nipped me, hard, and I swear he drew blood. “The fun’s just beginning, sis.”
My God, such malice lingered his voice. I shuddered, the taste of fear strong on my tongue.
He released my wrists, only to shove his fingers into my hair, tangling the strands as he yanked my head back to look at him. His eyes brimmed with dark desire and so much violent anger. I was truly afraid.
“Carter, don’t do this—”
Carter was suddenly jerked off me. My limbs buckled, and yet I managed to stay on my feet. No, someone was holding me up. Gentle hands were at my elbows. Wildly, I spun, claws out. A sob left me as I stared up into Micah’s face. His normal playful light blue eyes were cloudy and stormy. He didn’t say a word to me, just pulled me into his arms and out of the way.
I gulped in air, breathing deeply the scent of Micah and fresh air.
“What the hell, Taylor!” I heard Carter roar.
I lifted my head off Micah’s protective chest. Brock, Grayson, and Fynn had Carter surrounded.
“This is family business. Back off,” Carter warned, trying to step around the wall of Elite. That wasn’t happening.
“We are not family,” I gritted out, refusing to admit how relieved I was to see Brock’s deadly calm face.
“Go home, Patterson,” Grayson ordered, his voice trembling with the dark promise of pain if Carter didn’t do as he was told.
Fynn cracked his knuckles beside Grayson.
I glanced around, searching for Mads and Ainsley, needing to know they were safe. They were huddled together, no sign of Shawn or Porter. They must have taken off when the Elite showed up. Smart.
Carter was a fool—an idiot with a death wish. “I’m sick of you thinking you can boss me around. You might be the quarterback on the field, but off the field, you don’t own me.” His chest puffed out, boasting a bravado that was going to get his ass beat.
Not that I felt a shred of sympathy for him. Carter earned every inch of the beat down that was coming.
Brock stepped closer, Flynn and Grayson following suit. I felt Micah behind me stiffen. “Don’t I?” Brock challenged, his voice low.
Carter clenched his fists at his sides. “This is bullshit. She’s nobody.”
Brock grabbed him by the front of his shirt. “Then there is no reason for you to be here, is there?”
The uncertainty that sprang into Carter’s eyes proved he wasn’t confident about standing up to the Elite. “What? She is good enough for you to fuck, but not the rest of us?”
Brock’s hand shot out so fast that I wasn’t sure what was happening until I heard the crunch of fist on flesh. Carter’s head snapped back, and my stepbrother groaned in agony. “What the fuck, Taylor!” Then the idiot lunged, dropping his shoulder to tackle Brock to the ground.