Page 47 of Wild Hearts

Conrad glares at me. “That piece of shit has been sleeping with my sister, Brady. She’s only seventeen!”

“Exactly: she’s seventeen,” I repeat with a shrug. “She’s not a kid anymore. She’s old enough to make her own decisions.”

“He brought her to a party with drugs!” Conrad steps into my space, puffing his chest out. I try to hold my own, but I’m severely inebriated and Harley is on the ground behind me. I’m knocked off balance and fall against the fence, cursing when I twist my knee in an attempt to avoid trampling Harley. I grab onto the fence and somehow manage to stay upright.

“Like you weren’t one of Tom’s biggest customers,” Harley wheezes out from the ground. “You were always at the house stocking up. Hell, you’re the reason he ended up in jail.”

I groan, wishing he’d keep his damn mouth shut. Conrad’s eyes flash and he takes a step toward Harley but Ellie lets out a desperate wail.

“Conrad, stop it! We were just dropping off Sophie.” Ellie sobs, still struggling to get out of Jasper’s arms. “We were here for five minutes.”

“You’re not getting involved with a Breed. They’re nothing but trouble. His dad’s in jail, and his brother’s a convicted drug dealer. Get in the car, Ellie. I’m taking you home.”

“Fuck off, Conrad,” she spits. I’m impressed with her temper. “You can’t tell me what to do.”

“No, but I can tell Dadwhoyou’ve been doing.”

My hands itch with the desire to wipe the smug grin off his face. Poor Ellie’s face pales as she glares at her brother. “You wouldn’t.”

“Try me.” He shrugs. “Get in the car, Ellie.”

Jasper releases her, and her body sags as she stares down at Harley. There’s a gash on his cheek from where Conrad punched him, and he groans as he clutches his stomach. I fucking hope there’s no internal damage.

“I... I’m so sorry,” she whispers before making her way over to her brother’s SUV and climbing into the backseat. She buries her head in her hands and her shoulders shake as she starts to cry.

I never cared too much for Ellie, and I wasn’t a fan of Harley hooking up with the principal’s daughter, but I can see how much she obviously likes him. I grit my teeth to stop myself from taking a swing at her asshole brother. Yeah, Harley’s a bit of a larrikin, but he’s not his brother or his father. He’s a good guy who’s copped the shit end of the stick. I watch Jasper and Conrad climb into the car and drive away before turning around to check on Harley.

“Can you get up?” I ask. Because of my knee brace, I’m unable to bend down to check on him.

“Yeah,” he chokes out. He manages to sit up, clutching his at his side. “Fucking assholes.”

“You alright, man?”

He lets out a hiss of pain as he gets to his feet. “Is she okay?”

“Who? Ellie?”

He nods, wincing and bringing his hand up to the gash on his cheek.

“She’s fine. A bit upset, but they didn’t hurt her.” I stare down the road at their tail lights. “What happened?”

“We were walking back to the car when they must’ve seen us. Next thing I know, Conrad king hit me, and I hit the deck. He got a few boots in as well before you got here.” He looks up at me. “Thanks for that, by the way.”

“I didn’t actually do anything.” I shrug.

He tries to stand up straight but doubles over again.

“Shit, can you drive?” I ask.

He shakes his head. I pinch the bridge of my nose. Inebriation aside, I can’t drive for at least another six weeks thanks to my knee. Jordan’s likely just as blitzed as me. Lachy’s working. Ivy’s not talking to me, and I’m pissed off at Wren.Shit.

I run a hand through my hair, trying to figure out a solution. My buzz is wearing off, and a chill spreads through my body. My knee is throbbing, making it difficult to think. Harley lets out another low groan.

“Do you need a hospital?” I’m wondering whether I should just call for an ambulance, but he shakes his head.

“I just need to get home,” he grunts, sweat coating his forehead. “Call Tom.”

“What do I tell him?”

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