But I had someone to find first.
I forced my eyes to lift from the floor and skim the faces I longed to avoid, searching for one in particular. Ignoring their glares and judging expressions, I picked up the pace, needing to find him before the bell rang. Shit, I didn’t give a fuck if I had to barge into each classroom, I’d find the asshole.
Mads and Micah came rushing around the corner, their eyes landing on me. I didn’t stop walking. “What has her ass on fire?” I heard Micah ask.
“What do you think, idiot,” Mads snapped.
Brock latched onto my arm, halting me. “As much as I love chasing you around, your next class is this way.” He pointed in the opposite direction in which I’d been walking. For someone who rarely walked me to class, I was surprised he knew my class schedule. Then again, I wasn’t. Brock made it a point to know everything about me.
Annoyed that I’d been detained, I squinted at him. “There’s something I need to do first.” I had no intention of going to class afterward anyway.
His hand loosened on my arm, but he didn’t let go. “I know that look. It’s the one that says you’re about to get in trouble and piss me off.”
“God, you’re good at this game,” I replied sarcastically.
“Josie, seriously. Bad idea,” Grayson cautioned, guessing who my anger was really directed at.
“I need to know if it was him.” Not that I could expect Carter to admit shit, but still, I had to do something with all this crap I was feeling.
“Fine, but you are not going alone,” Brock conceded between gritted teeth, finally releasing my arm.
My anger dropped a fraction at Brock’s unwavering support, even when he didn’t agree with my choices. Other than Ainsley, I’d never had that before coming to the Academy, and I didn’t just have Brock at my back. I had Mads and the Elite as well. “Thanks. For everything, but mostly for understanding.”
“We’ll see how understanding I am after.” There was nothing soft in his expression. If Carter so much as looked at me the wrong way, I didn’t doubt that Brock would put his head through the stone wall. No questions asked.
I found Carter outside the science lab with Shawn and Porter, lingering in the hall before the bell rang. “That didn’t take quite as long as I thought,” Carter said when he saw me, his face cast in a grin. The dickhead was so smug.
“Well, if it isn’t the Academy’s three biggest douchebags.” Micah’s fist went straight into Carter’s gut. No warning. His fist just flew through the air, connecting with a thud.
Carter doubled over. “What the fuck, man,” he wheezed.
Brock and Grayson eyed Shawn and Porter, waiting to see if either of them would do anything. The only muscle that moved from either of them was their smirks turning into frowns.
“I’ll make this simple. Did you turn in your stepmother?” Micah asked Carter, pulling on the back of his shirt collar and forcing him to look up.
“I wouldn’t be threatening me,” he wheezed.
“Why? Because you think you’ve got shit on us? Good luck with that,” Brock challenged, confident as fuck. It was intimidating, which was precisely how he wanted Carter to feel. Bluff or not.
“Don’t make me beat it out of you,” Micah said, grinning like he hoped Carter wouldn’t cooperate so Micah could slam his fists into him again. He had him shoved up against the wall.
“I just delivered the message, isn’t that right, sis?” Carter gave me a knowing look, and I fumed inside. It was like the bastard knew he was ratting me out for not telling Brock about him.
Brock’s fingers curled at his sides as he decided whether or not he should just hit Carter or question me.
This prick.
Did everyone want to get in between Brock and me? But really, this was on me. I should have told him about Carter coming to Lazy Ray’s, but I knew he would demand I quit. Not to mention, the I-told-you-so that would follow.
My eyes narrowed on Carter. “Did you do it?”
“No,” he restated vehemently, while still eyeing Micah warily. “Like I said, I’m just the messenger.”
I shoved forward but didn’t get too far. Grayson and Brock were there, flanking on either side of me. “Messenger for who? How did you know she would be arrested?”
Carter shrugged nonchalantly. “Your boyfriend isn’t the only one with connections.”
“You’re such a dick,” I spat.