Page 12 of Honeysuckle
Ella gasped as the two of them went down in a ball of limbs, dirt, and sand kicking up around them as they slid well past first base.
Van was the first to move. He ripped his bandana off his face and threw it down.
Dean moved toward Ella and Silas, who crouched around Cael and the other kid, whispering and talking, but I couldn’t tell what they were saying. The entire field was in chaos.
They had pulled out their pitchforks.
“What the fuck was that, Logan?!” He growled as his long legs carried him the length of the outfield in seconds. I stepped back off the pitcher's mound, tossing my glove behind me on instinct, and got ready for the fight.
“You’re blaming me for this?” I put my hands up in defense as he closed the gap between us. “No one else was calling plays!”
“You’re so arrogant.” Van went to shove me, but I slapped his hands away.
“Don’t,” I snapped. “No one else was helping, and you’re blaming me?”
“If either of them are hurt, I’ll show you how Ella’s right hook feels with an extra hundred pounds of muscle behind it!” Van stepped forward again.
Man, he’s the ugly kind of tall. I laughed at the thought, and rage shivered through his muscles, but I leaned back just in time to dodge his long reach and the incoming punch at the end of it.
“They’re fine. It was a ball to the shoulder and a tumble,” I said, putting that sick grin on my face quickly enough for it to irritate the left fieldman.
A hand wrapped around my shoulder and I whirled, raising my hand to toss a punch. Before I could stop the motion my hand connected with Cael’s jaw, sending him stumbling backward with his hands in the air.
“Hey, hey!” He called out, his sharp blue eyes rimmed with water as he fought to blink away the sudden pain. “I’m-”
“Shit,” I swore and moved toward him, but he kept his hands up.
“It’s okay,” Cael grumbled under his breath as he stood back out and stretched out his jaw. “What the fuck, man?”
“You take a punch like a girl,” I countered before I could stop the venom that dripped from me.
“Fuck you, Logan, I’m trying to help you!” Cael stepped forward. “Back down.”
“Don’t tell me what to do!”
“I’m trying to save your ass from being gang beaten in the middle of the forest. Will you chill out?!” Cael practically doubled in size as the frustration bubbled beneath the surface. He straightened out to his six-three form, making me feel more outnumbered.
“I don’t need your help, Cody!” I said. “Stop trying to save everyone and focus on the reason why this team is falling apart in the first place. Your fucking drug problem!”
I’d hit a nerve.
I shouldn’t have said it, but it slipped out in anger and I instantly regretted the words when the hurt flashed across his face. That was a conversation between the two of us.
It wasn’t meant for anyone to hear.
Not even his precious found family.
“You’re acting like an asshole,” he countered with a fake smile and poked me in the chest with a finger.
“How many times do I have to tell you assholes not to touch me?” I snarled and shoved him back harder that time.
I was swarmed in seconds—piranhas circling blood, ready to tear me limb from limb. They were shoving and yelling, nothing coherent; they all just wanted a piece of me after punching Cael. In hindsight that was stupid, but I hadn’t expected the contact, and my first instinct would always be to defend myself when my adrenaline ran rampant.
Van was scrambling to get his hands on me, but a larger set pushed him back as Arlo put himself between me and the mob. Silas was on top of Jensen and Todd before they could slip into the small gap that was left.
“You’re a slimy piece of shit,” Van spat.
“Enough,” Arlo snapped and shoved him back with enough force to really move the oversized lap dog.
