Page 78 of Beautiful Defiance

Before I can say a word, Red puts in his two cents. “She does, and I intend on collecting. Tonight. In one of the bedrooms. Unless Leigh would rather owe me in the back of my Escalade.”

“Red.” I plead with my eyes for him to stop with the taunting. Has he looked at Shay’s face?

Seven storms over, grabs my arm, and pulls me away from the group, out of earshot.

“Tell me you evened the score and stole something of his?”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because you did it to me. You’re not in the business of owing anyone, remember?”

“Of course I do. I’m the one who said those words.” I yank my arm out of his grip. “I only steal for leverage or because I care.”

He narrows his eyes. “Which is it with me?”

“Both, okay?”

“Time to pay up, Leigh,” Red says with too much satisfaction in his voice.

Damn him. I am going to tear into him for taunting Seven. I march over to give him a piece of my mind. Rough hands grab me by the waist and yank me back against a solid body.

“You’re not going anywhere with that bastard. He hurt Allison.”

“What the hell did you accuse me of?”

“You heard me.”

A crowd is gathering. Red tips his head. “You believe him, Leigh?”

“I don’t know what to believe, but Seven believes Allison.”

Red glares at Seven. “You think I dicked around with your girlfriend at that damn party?”

“That’s what she said, and she is not my girl. Not anymore.”

Red shakes his head. “Dude, get your head on straight. She’s playing you. Come on, Leigh. Time to pay up.”

He extends his hand to me. Is Red right and Allison is messing with Seven’s head with her accusation of rape? I’m not clueless she still has feelings for him.

Why would a girl lie about something as serious as rape? But that girl my foster brother almost raped protected him and turned me in to the cops for breaking his arm. People do strange things in the name of love.

I take a step toward Red, ready for resistance from Seven. Imagine my disappointment when he lets me go. Setting my hand in Red’s, I reach for Shay

“Come on, big guy. Let’s get ice on your face and hands.”

He comes over, and not paying Seven any attention, he reaches under my hair and untangles the watch from the strands. Shay slides the Rolex over his wrist. Seven wedges his body between me and Shay.

“What am I, chop liver?” He shows me his hands, fingertips pointing at the ground. His knuckles are swollen.

I angle my head back toward the crowd. “I’m sure Ginger is more than willing to help you with that.”

I don’t give him the chance to stop me or say something stupid, like make excuses for his presence here. He came to the party to hook up with her, I’m certain of it.

Red tugs me behind him to the house, bringing me out of my thoughts. Shay and Rue follow us. They’re talking in low voices. I hope this isn’t the end of our friendship. As we get closer to the house, the path widens. Red yanks me forward, then clasps me against his side. We walk hip to hip up the path.

Inside the house, he leads me upstairs and to one of the bedrooms. Rue and Shay hang back in the kitchen. Cam’s brother sees Shay’s face. A whistle edges out from between his teeth.

“Need a pack of peas?”

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