Page 41 of These Reckless Hearts

“I was waiting to say something until I figured out a solution. That’s all.” He moves forward, concern filling his tight expression. He and I have been through this before. When will he learn that he doesn’t have to be my knight in shining armor?

Ninja clears his throat, nodding toward the hallway that’s now filling with students. “I don’t want to break this up, but it would be better if we left.”

As much as I want to have this conversation with Stone right now, Ninja’s right. My chest tightens as we head down to the parking lot. Ninja upgraded to a huge SUV, making me think the Dragons must have unlimited dollars to spend. I wait until we’re all in the vehicle to eye each of them. “Okay. Now.”

Stone turns in his seat, grabbing my hand. “One of the accounts my father took me off of was tied to the house. He legally owns it.” He swallows, pain washing over his features.

“He’s evicting us, Dakota.”

18

Ninja pulls around the circular driveway, kicking up tiny pebbles as he locks the brakes. I haven’t said a word to Stone since he told me the news and informed me that the Chief of Clary Police was currently at the house, trying to get Cole to leave. Cole must have been the one to tell Ninja to get us here as quickly as possible, and I’m thankful for it.

I love this house. It’s not just walls and windows with a spectacular view, at least not to me. This is the first place that ever really felt likehome. I have my own room. I have my own thoughts and decisions. Within these four walls, there is so much love, and the idea of Lance taking that—of him stealing another thing away from me and making his son homeless—makes me want to shank his ass. Stone, Wyatt, and Lucas even lived here as a family before they brought me into it, and look what Lance is trying to do to them. It’s fucked up.

I get out of the car and march right up to Lionel. When he sees me coming, he glances away, and I hope by the grace of sanity that he feels remotely bad about the last altercation we had when my house blew up. He called the destruction a gas leak for fuck’s sake. Just because it worked out for the better doesn’t make it right. Now, he’s trying to take another house from me.

His jaw feathers. “Hello, Dakota.”

“Lionel.” When he was telling me they had to call off the search for my father, I didn’t push. I didn’t argue. Because to me, it was just another example of this town letting me down. Now, though, I’m not keeping quiet. I don’t know if it’ll make any difference, but I’m sure as hell not going to sit back and take it. “What’s going on?”

“It’s a private matter.”

“Oh, as private as a gangster blowing up my house and you calling it a gas leak?”

He swallows hard but has the decency to look properly scolded. I’m sure he doesn’t get paid very much to be the Chief. Money is most likely an enticement for him, but he’s on the police force to protect the people he serves, not watch out for himself.

“Yeah, that was wrong.” Cole tsks from the front walk. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

I turn my glare on him. I kind of want to hit my new friend upside the head at this moment.

Lionel nearly splutters, eyes bulging out as he gazes in surprise at the leader of the Dragons. “I—”

Stone pulls me aside and drops his voice. “Legally, the house is my father’s. He can do whatever he wants with it.”

“It’s not right,” I fume. I’m sick of everyone taking everything from me; of making decisions for me while I have to ride the wave of consequences. I don’t care if it is Lance’s house on a technicality, it’sours.

“It isn’t,” Stone growls. “I’m as pissed off as you, but this is what my father does. I defied him, so he’s going to hit me where it hurts. I’ve offered to buy it from him, but he won’t sell it to me. We’ve been communicating through lawyers for a few days.”

Cole, who’s been standing close enough to listen in on our conversation, barks out, “You should’ve fucking told me, rich boy.”

“Why? So you can save everything again?Iwant to provide for Dakota.”

“Then fucking do it,” Cole snaps at him. “Man up and handle this shit.”

Stone marches toward Cole, back ramrod straight, but Ninja steps in front of him before he even gets close. “Not today, kid.” He crosses his arms and stares down at Stone with thin lips.

Stone changes direction now that the hunk of muscle is in his way. He strides toward Lionel, and with each step, his shoulders bunch. By the time he gets to him, an icy shiver runs down my spine. They stand toe-to-toe, noses almost touching. “I’ll have your job if you don’t leave right now,” he threatens. “I have proof that you took money from this miscreant—”

“Hey,” Cole protests lamely, crossing his arms. But underneath it all, his lips are slightly turned up as he watches the scene in front of him

“—and falsified police records. I’ll make sure you never get a position in the police force again, here or anywhere. I’ll ruin your name. You’ll be blacklisted all over the country. You’ll be followed from this point forward. I’ll know everything you do or are thinking of doing, and I’ll make you pay. Don’t think I will? Test me.”

Lionel’s face turns a smarmy red. His eyes narrow to beady, black pupils, but an undercurrent of fear leaks from him as potent as preteen cologne. I can smell the horror on him, and so must Stone. He knows he has him. Lionel clears his throat. “I guess you have residency rights. You deserve some time to prepare for eviction.”

What a slimy bastard. As my father used to say: He doesn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground.

He’s pathetic.

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