Page 20 of That One Heartbreak

The boy didn’t even look up from his girlfriend.

Jesus. Marley was just about to walk over to him and drag him away from the girl when he caught a familiar face in the crowd.

James Connelly. What the hell?

He was standing on the other side of the fire to Marley, his face flickering orange from the reflection of the flames.

For a moment Marley was so shocked he faltered. But then the training kicked in. He looked back at the one girl who was at least able to form a sentence.

“The party’s over,” he said roughly. “You all need to go home. Your parents know you’re here?”

“Kinda,” the girl said, her feet shifting.

Hmm. He’d worry about that later.

He looked back at where James was standing. And the kid was staring at him, his eyes wide. And they should be. The littleshit. James started to walk away, but Marley was having none of it.

“Connelly!” he shouted out. “James Connelly.”

James stopped walking, busted. Marley felt a rush of annoyance flow through him.

“Get over here right now,” he yelled, because that kid wasn’t going anywhere.

James looked like he was sighing as he turned back around. Marley beckoned him over, and the kid finally started walking toward him.

Marley looked at the girl he’d first talked to. “Either you all leave or I call the cops. What’s it to be?”

“We’re going,” she said quickly.

“You got a ride home?”

“A few of us aren’t drinking. We have enough cars.”

“Good. Make that all of you next time.” He would have given them hell, but most of them weren’t in any state to receive it. And they had a fire to put out.

But every parent in town whose kids weren’t home tonight would hear about it in the morning. He’d make sure of that.

The girl turned to the crowd. “Time to leave,” she yelled. “The cops are coming.” Marley lifted a brow because she’d obviously added the last part to make everybody move.

And it worked. Tayto and Sian stood in front of the bonfire, making sure the kids kept well away from it as they swarmed like ants toward the cars parked on the side of the road.

James had finally arrived to where Marley was standing, his face sullen.

“Get in the truck,” Marley told him.

“My ride’s over there. I’m leaving,” James said, not meeting Marley’s eye.

Fury washed through Marley. “Get in the damn truck and stay there. Don’t touch anything. Don’t go anywhere. You hear me?” Fuck, he was furious. What was the kid thinking?

James nodded and walked over to the firetruck, sitting in the front seat.

“Connelly’s kid.” Tayto shook his head. “He should know better.”

“Yes he should.” Marley gritted his teeth as the kids left, standing guard by the fire to make sure it didn’t start growing. Whoever had built it up knew what they were doing, but by the looks of it that was an hour or more ago. The logs they’d used were blackened and the fire was starting to wane. If they’d come here an hour later the flames would have almost certainly burned themselves out.

It took them ten minutes to fully extinguish the bonfire. Mostly because it clearly wasn’t going to cause any danger to anybody. There was no rush, they could take their time.

And yeah, he wanted James to stew, too.

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