Page 14 of Broken

“The shit Ryder did…I can’t just let it go. Not this time. But I need you to have my back, or I might just fucking kill him.”

Shit. What all did he do? What Zane said was bad enough.I looked at Annie, wondering if she knew. She just looked back, aneyebrow raised, clearly hearing everything Tucker was saying, he was talking so loud.

“I just got out. Where are you?”

“I’ll be in the parking lot in less than a minute.”

He hung up.Shit. Okay.I squeezed Annie’s hand and pulled out my keys. “Here. I’ve got to go with Tucker.”

Looking confused, she held out her hand. “What happened with Zane? And Ryder?”

“I don’t know all of it, but you can ask Izzy. Apparently, she didn’t tell us everything.”

I leaned down, planting a quick kiss that told her everything I wished I could say, and then I sprinted out to the parking lot just as Tucker pulled in like a bat out of hell from the street. He screeched to a halt a few feet away from me, and I hopped in.

“Took you long enough.”

“Don’t start.” I shook my head, grabbing the dash as we sped off so I wouldn’t slide from the seat, still trying to get my seatbelt on. “I was working on my highlight film with Coach. How was I supposed to know you needed me?”

Tucker’s jaw ticked, his hands white knuckling the wheel. The fact that he didn’t say anything told me he was warring between reason and being too pissed for a decent reply.

The buckle finally clicked, and I sat back. “Wanna fill me in now what they did? Besides what Zane said?”

Tucker’s head tossed back with a barked laugh. “What the fuckdidn’tthey do? Ryder fucking threw a bag over her head and pinned her down. Grabbed her wrists. Hethreatenedher. Promised her she’dwishfor what he was doing then if she told. Fuckingkissedher. He’s fucking lucky that’s all he fucking did, or my uncle would be planning a goddamn funeral after today.” His teeth ground, that muscle in his jaw ticking. “He might fucking anyway. Micah might live because he at least pulled Ryder off.”

He took a turn too fast, and I grabbed the bar above the door. “Fuck, man. Watch it. You wreck and it’susthat gets hurt and not them.”

“Sorry,” he grated, rubbing his gripped fist on the wheel. “You’ve got to have my back, though.”

Was he kidding? After everything they’d done to Izzy?

“Always.”

ANNIE

I slammed the door when I pulled up to the Thanos’ curb, praying Archer and the kids were still over there with Harper. I didn’t know how bad things were about to get, but I knew from that short convo with Jet that Izzy owed me an explanation. I wasn’t even sure who I was more mad at. Ryder for always finding a way tohurtmy sister, or Izzy for hiding it from me. Okay, fine, Ryder, but still. Izzy and I didn’t hide shit from each other. Not like this.

Trying to curb my anger, I sprinted across the lawns to my house and threw open the door, the sound of music blaring from the garage already pumping through the walls.

Shit, it’s pretty bad then.Seriously, why in the hell hadn’t Izzy told any of us? Or at least toldme?

A quick sweep of the first floor assuring me that no one else was home, I headed to Izzy’s makeshift studio and stepped inside, finding her immersed in whatever latest dance she’d choreographed. I took a few seconds to watch because, despitemy anger, my sister truly amazed me with her talent. She was so incredible.

I waited for the song to stop before cutting the music, and Izzy looked up, surprised to see I was there. My arms crossed over my chest.

“You lied.”

She bit her lip, so much in her expression I didn’t know how to unpack, which was seriously unnerving. “I know.”

“We need to talk.”

She nodded. “Where?”

“I don’t care. Here. Upstairs. On the fucking roof, sis, as long as you tell me the truth. What happened with Zane? AndRyder,apparently?”

She took a deep breath, releasing a long sigh, and ran a hand back through the damp strands of her hair that she’d pulled back into a messy bun. “Crap. So much.”

I walked over to the side of the garage and pulled out a couple of folding lawn chairs, handing one to Izzy. Once we settled, I waited, taking in everything she had to say, everything she’d held back from me. By the time she was finished, I was furious, pissed, livid, except the tears falling down my face were from the pain of having to watch hers.

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