if he ever touched her the wrong way,” I muttered.
Kross came out of nowhere and slid into the seat next to me.
“Since you’re both here,” I said, “can one of you give Lacey a ride to and from practice and afterwards stay with her until I get back? I set up a meeting with Pitt this afternoon. I shouldn’t be too late.”
“Sorry, I can’t,” Kross said. “I have to meet Jay. He lined up another fight. So I need to work out.”
I swung my gaze to Kelton.
“No way.” Kelton shook his head. “I got a date tonight.”
“Kel, I don’t want her alone.” I checked on Lacey. She was laughing. What the fuck was Tyler saying to make her laugh?
“Well, I don’t want my balls to be alone.” Kelton swiveled in his seat to face Kross and me.
Some girl snickered at the table one over from us.
“Postpone the love fest.” My tone dropped. I hated to exert my big-brother authority. But we were talking about Lacey. If I lost her, my life was over. She gave me the strength to move forward, to see that life could have a purpose. “It’s a couple of hours at most. Kody has guitar lessons. I’d ask Hunt, but he’s meeting me at Pitt’s office. You’ll still make your date. Besides, after tonight, we’ll have bodyguards on her.”
“So, you’re taking the tutoring job?” Kelton asked, dropping the attitude.
“If Pitt meets my demands, then yes.” I hadn’t figured out all my demands, except that I wanted Hunt to be one of her bodyguards. He’d told me on the phone this morning he was now working for Pitt.
“Probably a wise move,” Kross said.
I prayed it was. I also prayed I’d relax a little and get my head clear enough to figure out the connection between Mr. Robinson and Lorenzino.
Lacey wasn’t talking to Tyler anymore. Becca was standing with her and another dude who I’d never seen before, and I knew practically all the faces in this school.
“Who’s the dude with Becca?” I asked. The guy wore black-rimmed glasses that were bigger than his face. And he clearly had a death wish, since his hand was resting in the small of Becca’s back. She appeared to be oblivious to the guy’s touch, but Kross sure wasn’t.
He growled, and his body went rigid. “Whoever the fuck he is, the dickwad better get his hands off my girlfriend.”
“Let’s go.” I wanted to talk to Lacey, and I needed to get some air. I hooked my backpack over my shoulder.
The three of us got up. Kelton hung back to talk to a table of girls. Kross sneered at the guy next to Becca as we approached the threesome. We had about twenty more minutes before lunch ended. Kids were still coming in while others were leaving.
“Hey,” Becca said, pressing her tiny hands on Kross’s chest as she lifted up on her toes to kiss him.
He drew her to him, his gaze never wavering from the stranger as he let Becca peck him on the lips.
“This is Shaun. He’s new here.” Becca’s cheeks flushed.
Kross snarled at Shaun.
“Don’t worry, man. I’m not hitting on your girl.” Then his hazel eyes landed on Lacey. “So, I’ll meet you at the indoor facility today?”
She batted her lashes at me. Did that mean she wasn’t mad anymore? Or was I making too much out of her earlier body language? Yeah, guilt always made me think the worst.
“Shaun plays baseball. You know Coach Dean has a spot for one more player.” She grabbed my hand.
I grinned at my girl. “Can we talk outside?” What with the news about Sullivan getting shot and the tension between Lacey and me, it was time for me to at least tell her about Friday night.
We wound our way through the halls and out the main entrance. Just outside the glass doors was a cement bench. She shivered. I immediately removed my sweatshirt and gave it to her. She slipped it over her head.
“I did lie to you.” I kept her hands in my lap so they’d stay warm.
“Why?” Her tone was even.
“Honestly, I’m an idiot. Sullivan and Seever ambushed Kelton. Then Sullivan got
Kross came out of nowhere and slid into the seat next to me.
“Since you’re both here,” I said, “can one of you give Lacey a ride to and from practice and afterwards stay with her until I get back? I set up a meeting with Pitt this afternoon. I shouldn’t be too late.”
“Sorry, I can’t,” Kross said. “I have to meet Jay. He lined up another fight. So I need to work out.”
I swung my gaze to Kelton.
“No way.” Kelton shook his head. “I got a date tonight.”
“Kel, I don’t want her alone.” I checked on Lacey. She was laughing. What the fuck was Tyler saying to make her laugh?
“Well, I don’t want my balls to be alone.” Kelton swiveled in his seat to face Kross and me.
Some girl snickered at the table one over from us.
“Postpone the love fest.” My tone dropped. I hated to exert my big-brother authority. But we were talking about Lacey. If I lost her, my life was over. She gave me the strength to move forward, to see that life could have a purpose. “It’s a couple of hours at most. Kody has guitar lessons. I’d ask Hunt, but he’s meeting me at Pitt’s office. You’ll still make your date. Besides, after tonight, we’ll have bodyguards on her.”
“So, you’re taking the tutoring job?” Kelton asked, dropping the attitude.
“If Pitt meets my demands, then yes.” I hadn’t figured out all my demands, except that I wanted Hunt to be one of her bodyguards. He’d told me on the phone this morning he was now working for Pitt.
“Probably a wise move,” Kross said.
I prayed it was. I also prayed I’d relax a little and get my head clear enough to figure out the connection between Mr. Robinson and Lorenzino.
Lacey wasn’t talking to Tyler anymore. Becca was standing with her and another dude who I’d never seen before, and I knew practically all the faces in this school.
“Who’s the dude with Becca?” I asked. The guy wore black-rimmed glasses that were bigger than his face. And he clearly had a death wish, since his hand was resting in the small of Becca’s back. She appeared to be oblivious to the guy’s touch, but Kross sure wasn’t.
He growled, and his body went rigid. “Whoever the fuck he is, the dickwad better get his hands off my girlfriend.”
“Let’s go.” I wanted to talk to Lacey, and I needed to get some air. I hooked my backpack over my shoulder.
The three of us got up. Kelton hung back to talk to a table of girls. Kross sneered at the guy next to Becca as we approached the threesome. We had about twenty more minutes before lunch ended. Kids were still coming in while others were leaving.
“Hey,” Becca said, pressing her tiny hands on Kross’s chest as she lifted up on her toes to kiss him.
He drew her to him, his gaze never wavering from the stranger as he let Becca peck him on the lips.
“This is Shaun. He’s new here.” Becca’s cheeks flushed.
Kross snarled at Shaun.
“Don’t worry, man. I’m not hitting on your girl.” Then his hazel eyes landed on Lacey. “So, I’ll meet you at the indoor facility today?”
She batted her lashes at me. Did that mean she wasn’t mad anymore? Or was I making too much out of her earlier body language? Yeah, guilt always made me think the worst.
“Shaun plays baseball. You know Coach Dean has a spot for one more player.” She grabbed my hand.
I grinned at my girl. “Can we talk outside?” What with the news about Sullivan getting shot and the tension between Lacey and me, it was time for me to at least tell her about Friday night.
We wound our way through the halls and out the main entrance. Just outside the glass doors was a cement bench. She shivered. I immediately removed my sweatshirt and gave it to her. She slipped it over her head.
“I did lie to you.” I kept her hands in my lap so they’d stay warm.
“Why?” Her tone was even.
“Honestly, I’m an idiot. Sullivan and Seever ambushed Kelton. Then Sullivan got
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