Page 184 of Finding Hope

I arch a brow in return. I was brought up in a family of boys. I can be a spoiled brat, too.

“I’m telling you, I want you to stay back. I’ll speak to your mom and explain why you’re late.” I look up at my quiet students. “The rest of you can go. Have a good weekend. Next week is our last, so get ready for some fun.”

Reminded of their freedom, they grab their bags and sprint from myclassroom until, left in silence, I take a deep breath and turn back to a defiant Evie.

She’s seriously pissed at me.

“You need to stop, Evie.”

“No. I don’t think I will.” Folding her arms over her chest, she pretends the curly hair dangling in her eyes isn’t annoying her. “I’ve seen you over breakfast, Miss T, which means you’re notjustmy teacher. Which also means I can call you a jerk and you won’t send me to detention for it.”

“Wanna bet?” I argue back.This is ridiculous. I’m having a pissing match with a pre-teen.“In this classroom, I’m your teacher. You will respect me.”

“You lost my respect when you hurt my family. Nobody hurts my family and gets away with it.”

Jesus, she’s scarier than any other person I know. And her anger is pointed straight at me.Awesome.“I didn’t set out to hurt your family, Smalls. It just–”

“Evelyn.”

Stopping, my eyes snap to hers. “Huh?”

“My name’s Evelyn. Only family can call me Smalls. Your privileges have been,” she snaps her fingers, “revoked.”

Ouch.

Slamming my books down on my desk, I sit my handbag on top and take out my phone and keys in preparation to leave.

I can’t admit that her words hurt me.

I can’t admit that I want the twelve-year-old’s approval.

“Okay, fine, whatever. This is your last warning,Evelyn. You respect me in this classroom and on these school grounds, or you go to detention. And tell your uncle to call you off, he doesn’t need you to fight his battles.”

“He didn’t put me up to this, I just think you’re a bitch all by myself.”

“Evelyn!”

My classroom door slams against the wall as Bean sprints through in a panic. Swinging it closed on a whimper, her eyes wheel around wildly.

“Bean, what–”

“He’s coming! Lock the door, Miss T.”

“Who’s coming?”

She ducks behind my desk and grabs my hips with shaking hands. “My uncle.”

Jack?“What?”

Walking toward us, toward her cousin, Evie stops with wide legs and her hands up when the door crashes open and Brad steps through. I don’t know how intense training works on aregularguy, but any guy with the muscle gains that Brad has had the last couple months must be training twenty-three hours of the day… or taking sneaky drugs.

He’s huge.

At least sixty pounds heavier than he was at the start of this year, but it’s all muscle, no fat. His shoulders are broad and heavyset, his waist, thick, his legs, muscular.

The twinkle in his eyes scares me to death as he steps into my classroom with a weird grin and flexing hands.

I reach out and pull Evie into my side, and with a hammering heart, I shuffle her behind me until the two cousins crash into each other and hold my hips.

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