Make My Move (Hannaford Prep #5) - J. Bree Page 0,1

talking abruptly and hands the phone back to Aves, mumbling an apology under his breath and stalking around the car to open the gate. It’s fucking weird, his movements are all jerky like he’s barely holding his shit together.

“What the fuck is going on?” Ash murmurs to me, as if I’d have a fucking clue, but at this point, it’s anyone’s guess.

Blaise drives down to the warehouse and we find dozens of gangsters hanging around, all of them staring at the Maserati like they’re trying to calculate just how much damage they could do to it.

Thank fuck we didn’t come in one of Ash’s cars.

Then my eyes land on the Mounty and I might just lose my fucking mind.

She’s naked… or she may as fucking well be with how little she’s wearing. She’s standing there in underwear, shimmering as she moves with glitter everywhere and her hair pulled up in a way that makes her look both younger and older at the same time. She’s too fucking skinny, the weeks of being back in the Bay have melted away the tiny bit of weight she’d put on by the end of freshman year, and that hits me full force in the gut. Avery has taken care of every last one of my needs from the moment she bailed me outta juvie. I haven’t had to worry about where my next meal was coming from or outgrowing my clothes.

Lips has been alone, starving and hanging out at the slums of the Bay.

The guy standing next to her would have to be in his mid twenties and is grinning at her like he’s in love with her, and there isn’t a fucking chance I’m leaving her here.

Nope.

Fuck that.

I barely register that Joey is passed out and slumped over some guy’s shoulder as he walks him over to Ash, my focus entirely on getting the Mounty in the car and the fuck away from here but as I help shove Joey into the car she bounces over to Avery’s window with a smirk, murmuring with her like they’re besties.

Fuck, I guess they are now.

She finally takes stock of each of us; Blaise watching the gangsters we’re surrounded by and Ash struggling to get Joey strapped in the car. When she finally looks up at me, I’m pretty sure she can see just how fucking pissed I am.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

I’m not sure what I’m expecting from her but it’s definitely not what comes out of her mouth. “Watch your fucking tone, we are not at school.”

It’s like a slap to the face and my head snaps back. A quick look over my shoulder and sure enough, every last fucking eye is on me. Who the fuck is she hanging around with down here that I need to be sweating over talking to her?

Could tonight get any fucking worse?

I roll my shoulders back and shut the car door, stalking over to where she’s still standing there with Avery. I can feel the eyes all following me and my jaw just about snaps, I’m clenching down so hard.

She watches my every move, her body tense, and Avery curses under her breath at me but I ignore her. I’ve been on her shit list for months over the Mounty, what’s another night of pissing her off if I can find out what the fuck is going on.

“What are you doing here? Dressed like that?” I murmur, and her eyes narrow at me like she’s planning my death.

“Do not suggest that I’m a prostitute. I’m here for a job and as soon as I get paid I’m leaving.”

Fuck.

What can I say to that with the crowd of thugs behind us ready to slit my throat? Fucking nothing, so I nod at her and wait her out. There's no fucking way I'm leaving her out here, wearing tiny scraps of clothes, with the gangsters of the Bay.

She makes that same little huffing noise that she does when she's pissed and I brace myself for whatever excuse she's gonna throw at me when the lights of another car hit us. I move without really thinking it through, stepping in front of her and trying to crowd her back against the car.

She doesn't take it well.

I grunt as she punches me in the back and snaps, “That would be my payment. You guys need to leave.”

Who the fuck is paying her and what could some tiny Mounty orphan do for someone driving a fucking Merc that isn't