Page 46 of Laila Manning
I glimpsed his bright blue eyes as they scanned the surrounding people on the street. Something about the mannerisms and the look in his eyes grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let it go.
“Light’s green.” Diesel said, nudging my shoulder. “You plan on standing here all day?”
As the kid walked toward the crosswalk, I jumped forward, mumbling an apology and inexplicably following him with my eyes.
I couldn’t explain it, but something had a hold of me and wouldn’t let go. Diesel walked silently beside me, seemingly sensing my distraction.
I watched the kid’s hunched frame scurry down the sidewalk, noticing the way his step quickened the further he got from the alley, and right before I made it across the street completely, a group of four guys ran out from the same alley. They turned around quickly, scanning the streets before one pointed at the kid I’d been watching, and they took off after him.
“Shit.” I hissed, and froze right after the crosswalk, watching the young kid twist around to the mob giving chase and then took off in a sprint, right toward me.
“You know them?” Diesel asked, putting his hand on my arm and pulling me to the side as the chaos barreled toward us.
“Stop them.” I said, chancing a glance up at the violent man next to me, that followed me around like a lost puppy. “Save him.” I squeezed his arm, “Please.”
“Fuck.” He scowled at me and then shoved me toward the brick building before stepping into the path of the first kid. Diesel grabbedthe kid by the shoulders and catapulted him into me against the brick building, where I caught him seconds before his face smashed off the rough wall. Those icy blue eyes I’d noticed from across the street widened in panic as I grabbed onto his sweater to steady him. Dirt streaked his face, and his cheekbones were sunken in, giving him a skeletal look.
“Stay quiet.” I hissed, stepping around him and shielding him with my body as Diesel squared his big body off against the four older boys, running straight toward him.
“Where’s the fire, boys?” Diesel called out as the group skidded to a stop right before plowing him over. They sputtered as they looked around the massive body standing between them and their prey. “What’s the matter? Can’t think and talk at the same time? Maybe you should try again after puberty.”
One of the bigger boys flicked his glance from me to the kid they were chasing and back to Diesel, “He robbed us. We want it back.”
Diesel chuckled and looked over his shoulder at us, where the kid slightly cowered behind me. I glanced down at him, and those icy blue eyes rapidly moved from me to the mob and back, silently trying to say something.
“All four of you?” I deadpanned, “If it was one against four and he outsmarted you somehow, you had it coming.” I looked back at the tiny youngster behind me. “He clearly didn’t strong-arm all of you.”
Diesel played along, like we had any clue what was going on, with a confidence only a powerful man could perfect. “Take the loss and keep it moving.”
“What?” The older boy sputtered angrily, “What the fuck do you have to do with it?” His boyish face turned molten red as he was told no.
“Careful.” Diesel warned, leveling his finger at the bratty kid’s face. “Or I’ll take you over my knee right here and show your friends who your daddy is.” He took a menacing step forward, shifting out of the jokester and into the notorious MC leader’s role, using his scary looks to get his point across. “Get fucking lost, or I’ll knock all of your crooked baby teeth out of your fucking face before I shove them down your throat.” He cocked his head to the side. “You ever shit out teeth before, Peter Pan?” He flicked his finger at the boy's red hair, “Cuts like glass.”
“Let’s go.” One of the other kids said, clearly the voice of reason over the teens when facing a lacerated asshole.
“Whatever.” The leader sneered, staring right at the young kid behind me. “This ain’t fucking over, asswipe.”
“Ooh, original.” Diesel Jazz handed the kid as he pushed him back. “Get fucking lost, now!”
The four of them turned and walked back down the sidewalk, glancing over their shoulders like they were trying to be brave with the grim reaper walking behind them until they got to the alley and turned back into the darkness and disappeared.
My shoulders sagged as I finally took a deep breath now that I was fairly confident, I wouldn’t be watching the Reaper MC President beat up a couple of kids in broad daylight. Movement behind me rattled me from my thoughts, and I quickly grabbed the back of the sweater as the kid tried taking off down the street again. “Whoa, wait a second.”
The kid turned around and huffed at me, rolling his eyes. “Thanks for the help, lady.” He pulled against my hold on him, “But I got shit to do.”
“What’s your name?” I asked as Diesel leaned against the brick wall, watching over us.
“What’s it to you?” The kid sneered again. I raised my brows at him and gave him a fuck around and find out look, and he rolled his eyes again and sagged into the wall, pulling his sweater from my clutches. “Kade.”
“Kade.” I repeated, looking him over and crossing my arms over my chest. “Did you really steal from them?”
He scowled with his bad attitude, and I saw it for what it was, a young boy’s act to seem to be tough so no one would mess with him. “What the fuck’s it to you?”
“Watch it.” Diesel growled, flicking Kade’s forehead, “Don’t think because I kept the others from beating you up that I won’t do it for being a disrespectful little pissant.”
“Whatever.” Kade sighed and pulled at his sweater, looking up and down the street. “I shorted them.”
“Shorted them what?” I questioned.
