Page 4 of Infinite

“What thefuckyou doing here?”

We jerk at the sound of my cousin Kirk’s voice. Hale hauls me to my feet, shielding my body with his. I scramble to fix my disheveled clothes, my mind whirling from the abrupt interruption. I manage to snap my shorts closed and pull my shirt down only to freeze when I realize Kirk isn’t alone.

From the shadows, four forms, ranging from average to hulking builds, emerge. Brent, Davey, Sully, Parker—all my cousins are here, except Matthew, their self-appointed leader. But I know him well enough to know he’s not far behind.

“Hale,” I whisper. “You have to get out of here.”

“I’m not leaving you,” he grinds out.

“I asked whatthe fuckyou doing here, boy,” Kirk hisses.

Brent steps forward, his breath reeking of Wild Turkey. He spits on the ground. “Better question is, what the fuck are you doing with one of our own?”

“None of your damn business,boy,” Hale fires back.

I try to shove my way between them. Hale doesn’t allow me, lugging me back and keeping me behind him. “Becks, I need you stay where you are, okay?”

He knows what’s coming and so do I. I snag my jacket from the sand, clambering to reach my phone.

“Whatcha you doing there, cuz?” Sully adds.

I don’t have to look up to know they’re closer, my fingers shaking as I text Mason and Sean.

We’re in trouble.

“Shit,” Brent says, dragging out the word. “You ain’t got no one to call.”

Get here now.

I barely manage to hit send when Hale’s hands shoot out, shoving Brent off his feet when he reaches for me. “Get the hell away from her,” Hale growls, his voice all primal rage.

“You’ve got some nerve telling us what to do on our land,” Kirk says, sounding more amused than angry.

“This isn’t your land,” I counter, speaking through my teeth.

“No, it’s your Daddy’s,” Sully agrees, showing me the first real taste of their collective anger. “You shouldn’t be hanging with trash, Becca. Come on. Time to go.”

Hale adjusts his position, guarding me when Sully moves forward. “Don’t touch her,” he says, his words stabbing the air like frozen daggers.

“We’re not here to beat her ass, son,” Sully says, laughing. “Oh, no, this is all about you.”

The phone flies from my hand as Sully tackles Hale. Sully is a big guy and used to play ball. But so did Hale and Hale was always better than Sully.

Hale uses Sully’s momentum against him, rolling them toward the water. Hale lands on top, his fist crashing into Sully’s face.

The crunch of bone explodes over the sound of crashing waves. I scream when Davey dives on top of Hale and Parker and Kirk stomp forward. Brent lifts me by the waist, dragging me back when I lunge at them.

“Don’t hurt him!” I shriek, kicking wildly. “Don’t you fucking hurt him!”

Brent is twice my size. He drags me along the beach and toward the house. Through the tasseled strands of my long hair I watch them pound on Hale. “No!”

“Cut the shit, Becca,” Matthew says, somewhere behind me. “You’re already in it enough.”

His voice is steady, silently watching the show. If he’s here—if all my asshole cousins are home—so is my father. I can’t let them take me back to the house. My father can’t know I’ve been with Hale.

My heel crashes into Brent’s shin. He hollers a curse, falling back and taking me with him. I rush to my feet when Davey and Parker hook Hale’s arms, allowing Sully to get some payback for his busted nose. I’m almost to them when Matthew fastens his meaty fingers around my arm and heaves me backward. My fists punch against his chest and face, my panic mounting when I catch the first glimpse of my house.

I’m no match for Matthew. He whips me around, crossing my arms and driving me to my knees.

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