Page 216 of Their Cruel Play
We’ve already decided not to confront the narcs, but we’ll know who to use to figure out what game everyone is playing and who all the players are.
Jack set up another blocking device on the bus so no one can send outgoing messages. No need to warn whoever they’re working with that Harper is safe and sound.
“Fuck, what is it with this pansy ass school that gets no fucking service?” Brewster puts his phone on his lap and runs his hand through his hair.
I smirk. “You can download porn when you get home, Brewster.”
He shakes his head while the others laugh around him. I move down the aisle toward the back where Luke, Eli, and Nico are. Jack follows behind me.
Ethan Parker chose to sit up near the coach and assistants like the coward he is. Pushing him in the mud was satisfying, but not nearly enough. He’s lucky I did it though, because Luke looked one second away from destroying him.
While Luke tends toward calculated revenge, he will get his hands dirty if he needs to. And in this case, we might be on the same page about what Ethan really needs.
I take my seat. Jack sits and opens his laptop. The lights on the bus dim as the driver puts it in drive. When I glance back, Coach Turner’s car follows us. It’s hard to see inside with his headlights on, but I’m confident she’s in there and safe.
“Any movement?” I ask.
Eli shakes his head. “The girls are keeping me posted. Or they were until Jack jammed everything.”
“It’s an all-or-nothing situation.” Jack doesn’t look up as he types on his computer.
I don’t know how to feel about using Coach Turner to get Harper to the games. It just seems like he should have asked for more than a volunteer for peewee football, but maybe that’s his in with Jack.
Get Jack alone, away from us and his girlfriend. Work on their attraction. I mean, it would be something I would do.
“It’s up.”
Jack’s computer screen is filled with the six windows again, showing us the Harper decoys. This better work. It’s supposed to eliminate four of the guys, depending on which decoy gets attacked.
Much easier to work two guys over on the team than six.
“Anything yet?” Luke asks, leaning back in the seat, barely hiding his flinch. His side probably hurts, but there were scouts at today’s game. Luke got a full ride offer to play ball last year, but the school isn’t one that would work for all of us.
Now we have to factor in Nico and Harper too. The main thing is to stay together, meaning if we have to go to a larger city to get a couple different schools that work for all of us, we’re willing to do that.
I can’t wait until Harper is in my bed every morning and night. I don’t even need to fuck her every night, as long as she’s there. Besides, buying a place near campus with my trust will piss my folks off.
Jack shakes his head. “No one’s moved.”
“Can we talk about our other problem?” I catch Luke’s eyes and his mouth presses into a firm line. “Ethan Parker.”
“Him and Adams.” Luke leans forward. “They need to be made an example of so others understand she’s ours.”
“We can’t do anything too big.” Eli clasps his hands. “We’re lucky Grant didn’t talk.”
“Grant’s lucky he didn’t talk.” I squeeze my hands together. “Guys are going to keep coming at Harper if we don’t lay down the law and show them what happens when someone wants what’s ours.”
“We can’t beat up every guy in school.” Nico shakes his head. “Have you seen the way they look at her? I don’t know how it was before, but the guys have noticed her.”
“That picture hasn’t helped.” Jack scans the screen. “Nor the thought that she’s with all of us.”
“That picture is bullshit.” I glance over the back of the seat at the rest of the bus. Part of me wants to go through all their phones and see if they have the image. That’s a bad plan. It shows our weakness if they hadn’t already guessed.
If Harper wasn’t mine, I’d probably have a copy.
Bad Photoshop, but nice body at least. I have the real thing, and that’s better than any doctored image.
“We have movement.” Jack’s voice is low.
