Page 96 of Reckless at Westbrook High

I grab my hoodie off the floor and wrap it around her shoulders, gently running my hands over her arms to warm her up. “Will you let me take you home now?”

Silence follows and she drops her eyes to avoid mine, playing with the grass at her feet.

“That was your home,” I guess, locking my jaw when it hits me. “Jason’s not your boyfriend, is he?”

She shakes her head no and I slide my arms around her waist, carefully pulling her into me to sit between my legs.

“How old are you?”

“Fifteen.”

Jesus.

“Callie, you need to go to the c–”

“No,” she snaps, turning to glare at me over her shoulder. “You don’t know me, kid, and you sure as shit don’t get to tell me what to do. The only thing I need is for you to keep your damn mouth shut and stay the fuck outta my business, alright?”

I sigh and drop my head down on her shoulder, letting it go because as much as I hate the fact there’s nothing I can do to convince her to let me get her out of this fucked up situation she calls life, I get it.

It sucks being the kid who needs help.

Just as I think it, my father’s voice rings out from somewhere behind me and Callie jumps, standing to pull me over to the tree a few feet away to hide us from the street light overhead. She pokes her head around to look for him and I take my phone out from my pocket, quickly pulling up my contacts to pass it to her.

“Put your number in there.”

“What?”

“Shut up and do it.”

She does as she’s told for once and I shoot her a quick text so she has mine, pulling my gun out to slide it into the waistband of her sweats.

“What the fuck are y–”

“Listen to me, Callie,” I whisper, taking her face in my hands to pull her eyes up to mine. “Anything you need, you call me and I’ll be there. I don’t care what it is, you call me, and I’ll be there. Got it?”

She frowns and I take that as a yes, backing away from her to leave her here because his voice is getting closer and there’s not a chance in hell I’m about to let him find her again.

“Keep that thing loaded.”

She blinks at me and I turn around to walk for the limo parked just outside the gates, forcing my features even when Killian stops and spins to face me.

“Where is she?”

“Not here.”

He snarls and wraps his hand around my throat, pulling the back door open to shove me inside. My ass hits the floor and I groan, looking up to find Frank leaning back on the bench seat with a red face and a bloody rag pressed to his side. He looks like shit considering I shot him a little over an hour ago, but it seems the nasty little grin on his face never left.

“Don’t look so down, kid,” he croaks out, purposely digging his heel into my ribs. “You’ll see her again.”

I wince and scoot away from him, rolling onto my side to pull the mask from my face. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“It means Jason O’Conner just sold me his daughter,” my father answers, smirking like the evil piece of shit he is when he catches the look on my face. “She’s yours now.”

* * *

Five hours later, my phone buzzes on Zane’s nightstand and I walk over to grab it, tossing my towel into the laundry basket on the floor while I read the message displayed on the screen.

Callie: I need something.

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