Page 73 of Beautiful Defiance

I assume he’s one of the brothers. Where is the other one?

“You go to Delridge?”

“Cambridge. Where’s the bathroom?” I need to find Hannah. She’s here. I caught a glimpse of her coming up the road before she disappeared inside the house.

“Third door to your right. Don’t wander up the stairs, yeah?”

“Not my house, so sure.” Um, of course I’m heading upstairs. “Thank you!” I give him a small wave and hurry off to the bathroom.

On my way to the “bathroom,” I glance over my shoulder. The guy is nowhere in sight.

My heart beating fast, I dart up the stairs and hear voices coming from a room at the end of the hall.

One voice I recognize. Who is the guy with Hannah? I inch closer to the door. They’re not quiet.

“Don’t do that, please.”

“I can do whatever the fuck I want.”

The guy is angry. Hannah is . . . Her words are desperate. Similar to the girl who was almost raped by one of my foster brothers.

I absently reach for the aluminum bat poking from the dumpster and grab air. Crap! I only have my bag and my fists. I left the mace and switchblade on top of my dresser. Balling my hands, I press my ear to the door. Silence. Mattress squeaking.

No. No!

I shove open the door. He is on top of her, holding her arms above her head with his thick fingers tight on her wrists. I see red. A growl rumbles from me. I charge him and jump on his back. My fists slam into the sides of his head.

“Ow. Fuck. What the fuck are you doing?”

He rears backward. I clamp my arms and legs around him. He tries bucking me off. I hold on for dear life.

“Hurt her again and I’ll kick you in the balls,” I hiss.

He grabs at my fingers and tries prying them from around his neck. I interlock them. He gags. I’m choking him and should let go. I can’t. He hurt Hannah.

Small arms wrap around my waist from behind, and a soft voice says next to my ear, “Leigh, that’s my boyfriend you’re trying to murder.”

Boyfriend? I let go. He rocks forward, grabbing at his throat. Starts having a coughing fit. I pound on his back. He swats at my hand. I tip back, knocking Hannah over. I roll off her and the bed and get on my feet.

“I’m so sorry,” I tell the boyfriend before saying to Hannah, “I thought you were interested in someone else.”

She looks confused, and then her eyes widen. “You mean Seven?”

I nod.

“I did it to save you from him. He has a one-track mind and can be an ass when something doesn’t go his way or someone stops him from having what he wants. Cam knows I’ve been flirting with the jerk in order to steer him away from you.”

“Cool, isn’t she? Full disclosure. Doesn’t hold back. Too bad she wants to keep our relationship a secret.”

It’s not a well-kept one if Henry called me specifically asking I keep an eye on Hannah.

“So the mean girl attitude—”

“Was an act. I thought you would drop from his radar that first day he picked on you, but you didn’t. I’m sorry, Leigh.”

“It’s okay. Thank you for helping me. Seven is a pain in the ass.”

“I second that.”

---