Coyote (Hawks MC Next Generation #1) - Lila Rose Page 0,34
be his baby girl no matter how much I grow up. Just like Ruby.” She took a breath. “Thank God Mum came in, and when they started having words, I slipped out.”
“Have I told you how sorry I am?”
“You’ll still pay,” she said lightly. “Now, I do remember a story that went around school. A girl from my grade—I was in year seven at the time—got played a prank on by some older kids. I felt so sorry for her. It was terrible. I think her name was Charline. No, that doesn’t seem right.”
“Channa?”
“Yeah, that’s it. Anyway, the prank was so bad I heard she peed herself, but I don’t know what happened to her. Why are you asking?”
It all came back. I’d heard something going on in the gym and had gone to take a look. A girl had been on the floor with others standing around her, mocking her. Some fucking boy, I couldn’t remember his name, had got her to meet him there, but it was all a trick.
Fuck me.
The girl was Channa.
Christ, now that it clicked, I remembered the look of pure horror etched onto her face.
Grinding my teeth together, I clenched my phone to my ear. I wished I’d beaten those fuckers harder than I had.
They’d tormented Channa. Sweet Channa.
They’d fucked with her enough she’d moved.
“Cody?” Maya called.
But I couldn’t talk because all I could see was what happened that day many years ago. I could have known her back then. I could have protected her more than I had. I could have prevented the shit situation.
Fucking motherfucker.
“Cody!” Maya snapped.
“Talk to you soon,” I told her.
“Don’t you dare hang up on me, Cody Marcus. Tell me why you’re asking.”
I stopped beside my ride and dropped my chin. “I didn’t realise it was her that day when I helped her.”
“Oh shit, that’s right, you beat up the people who did it to her. How do you know her now?”
“It was her place Texas was in the other night. She helped him.”
“I didn’t think she was in town anymore.”
“I don’t know the full story yet.”
“Cody… the incident probably scarred her in ways.”
It had. Clearly, she was still plagued by it. To be embarrassed by it for so many years told me how much it’d stuck with her. My gut clenched.
“She’ll be fine,” I told Maya.
“Cody—”
“I’ll make sure she’s fine.” No matter how long it took, I’d have her seeing past that point in her life and looking forward to a future—one where she’d never have to think about that time in her life again.
One way or another.
“Cody, all I want you to understand is that it may have happened years ago, but something like that can really stick with a person.”
“I know that, Maya. I’ll handle it.”
She sighed. “All right, bro. Hey, maybe I could meet her one day? We travelled in different circles back then, but if you’ve got your boxers in a twist over her, I know she’s someone I want to know.”
“One day, maybe. Thanks for the info. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Right, later.”
“See ya, Doc.” I hung up and put my phone away, fisting my hands at my sides. Turning towards the bakery, I couldn’t help but think of what Stanley had also said. How Channa’s dad wasn’t the best. I wanted to know what he meant, because I had a feeling it wasn’t good, and then on top of all that, she had to put up with adolescent dickheads.
If Channa thought she wasn’t going to see me again because of what happened, she’d be wrong.
Each time I spent with her, I wanted to know more. I wanted to know it all, and I would.
Walking into the compound, I spotted Ruin making his way to the hall where the bedrooms lay. I wanted to see how he’d gone with Mimi and her brother. When I got to his room, I found him packing.
“Brother, what’s goin’ on?” I asked, resting against his door frame.
He glanced over his shoulder. With his usual smile gone, he put me on edge. Ruin resumed packing. “Headin’ to Melbourne. Mimi needs someone at her back. Even when she doesn’t want it to be me.”
Mimi and Ruin had shared a night together. Ruin was being himself and had treated Mimi like a club girl, where he didn’t want anything to do with her the next day. She’d been cut up, but he didn’t notice like others did. Like I did.