Vicious Rebel (82 Street Vandals #2) - Heather Long Page 0,1

me.” The words sounded so normal, and yet everything inside me still shook. “Why?”

“Why?” he parroted, cocking his head to the side and staring at me before glancing over his shoulder back at the street. “How about we get the hell back to the clubhouse with her before the guys realize she left?” That wasn’t directed at me.

“She wanted out,” Doc said, curling his arm around me. I shouldn’t lean into him. In fact, the best thing to do was walk out of this alley and keep walking.

“I don’t care.” The disdain in Liam’s voice made me frown. “Jasper will put another hole in Rome if he thinks he let her go.”

“He can’t do anything about her escaping,” Doc said patiently, like it was the most rational thing in the world. “The obligation of the prisoner is to escape.”

“Let me repeat,” Liam said, arms falling to his side as he took a step toward us. A shadow of a bruise formed on his cheek, and there were scrapes on his neck, plus more bruises on his knuckles. “I. Don’t. Care. They want her there, Rome was left to look after her, she’s going back… She already got him stabbed once. I’m not letting it happen a second time.”

“Wait.” Finding my voice shouldn’t be this hard. I pushed away from Doc and forced myself to stand on my own two feet. The problem was, I wanted to curl up against him and hide there. Doc felt safe. Safety was always a lie. “What do you mean I got him stabbed?”

The attack.

The three guys who came at us when we’d been at the park. Correction, the three guys had come at me. I’d trusted Rome had my back and he had.

I took a step toward Liam. The dismissive coolness in his eyes cut at me. “He was hurt.”

“Yes, princ—”

I didn’t even realize I’d moved until my fist cracked against the side of his nose. The faintest sound of crunching bone made me wince. So did the spray of blood.

“You cunt,” he snapped as he put a hand up to his face. Lucky for me, he didn’t hit back, but Doc was already hauling me backward and putting himself between us.

“Watch your mouth,” Doc chastised him.

“I don’t care if he calls me cunt,” I said. “I told you, don’t call me princess. You do it again, and it’ll be your balls I smash.”

I was no princess. The word even tasted filthy in my mouth.

“Noted, Hellspawn.” He spit out blood, then touched his nose carefully before glaring at me. “Hellspawn fits better anyway.”

I’d take it.

Doc glanced at me again. “Look, let’s get you out of here and back to the hotel.”

“No,” I said and shook my head. “Not the hotel.” Not after seeing him there. I should have known he’d make it there. As long as I’d been with the company, I’d had some safety. Even enduring Eric, I could survive that. But the company had moved on and now he was looking for me.

They’d haul me home.

Probably commit me.

Worse, they’d lock me up in that mausoleum and he’d come to check on me daily.

No.

The bile burned the back of my throat again, and I choked back the urge to vomit. Somehow, I went from standing to sitting in that nasty alley, the cold air perfumed with bits of trash and exhaust while Doc massaged the back of my neck as I tucked my head down between my knees.

“She’s crazy,” Liam murmured.

“She’s traumatized, you overbearing little shit. Stop freaking out about your brother for thirty seconds and look at this girl. She hasn’t done a damn thing to any of you, and yet you’re treating her like she’s a damn possession.” The ferociousness in Doc’s voice had me lifting my head again.

He’d gone toe-to-toe with Jasper and hadn’t flinched when Jasper pulled a gun on him. Right now, he glared at Liam like he was ready to tackle him too. It took me a moment to register that a trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth.

“You’re hurt.”

Liam rolled his eyes and threw his hands up as he half stomped away, and I reached up to try and dab the blood on Doc’s face.

“I’m fine, Little Bit. Trust me, a cut like that isn’t going to hurt me.” He stood and pulled me up to my feet with him. “Can you focus on me a second?”

I stared into his eyes, and a part of me wanted to cry. When I’d kissed him in