Page 15 of Restless
She gasped. “I can’t believe…you’re a disgusting asshole. That’s a horrible thing to say.”
“You know what’s horrible, Harley? Your old man. He embarrassed my father and me, so I know what he does to you.”
“Wh-what?”
“He intimidates you. No wonder you’re always up in that white boy’s grill.”
“What?”
“No matter what your daddy says, you’ll never be good enough for them. He’s fronting and shit, just because he has some lame ‘Enforcer’ patch. Mortician?” Nardo flipped the bird. “Fuck you, bruh.” He glanced over his shoulder. “My old man just got out the tank. In my house, thug life is some real shit.”
Swallowing, Harley touched her hair. She’d broached the subject with CJ at this very spot. He’d been outraged, but maybe…?
God, what was wrong with her?
Fingers trembling, she caressed her cheek, her heart dropping at her bumpy skin.
Lips brushed over hers, and she jumped.
Nardo leaned back and swiped at the tears sliding down her cheeks, before tipping her chin up and covering her mouth with his again.
She’d only ever been kissed by CJ, but he was a liar and a cheat. He’d said her color and hair didn’t matter to him, yet he was chasing Molly. Although she wouldn’t like his attention on anyone other than her, he ignored Jaleena Davis, his date for Homecoming. He preferred Molly.
And what about Daddy? Nardo was right. Daddydidintimidate her with his stupid demands that she not date until she was forty. Maybe, like Nardo said, Daddy was reaching. He’d never attain the rank of Uncle Christopher or Uncle Johnnie.
In most clubs, the enforcer wasn’t even an officer. They were regular members, with special status. Everything Daddy had was because of Uncle Christopher’s grace. Maybe, that was why he was so determined to block her from growing up. As long as he had her to dangle in front of the president’s son, he’d always have certain perks.
Even Uncle Digger had higher ranking. He also received special regard because his wife was Aunt Meggie’s assistant.
Nardo pulled his lips away and glared at her. “You’re not worth shit, Harley. You can’t kiss. I’ll bet you’ll just lay there, and I’ll have to do all the pumping.”
Harley deflated. On the verge of tears, she glanced at her watch. She needed to get back, for Mommie’s pickup. Turning, she grabbed her knapsack and started her trek back to school. Marching through the brambles, she was aware of Nardo’s presence behind her.
Cresting the pedestrian walkway of Turn Creek Bridge, she halted so suddenly Nardo barreled into her and sent her sprawling. She landed on all fours. Her knee-highs were thick enough to protect her knees from skinning.
“Harley!” her little brother, Lou, called, running to her, and helping her to her feet. “You okay?”
He resembled their father more than she or their youngest brother, Kaleb, who shared their mother’s green-brown eyes and thick, silky hair. Like Daddy, Lou was brown-skinned with light-brown eyes. Over the coming Winter Break, Mommie had intended to start his twists so he could grow dreads like Daddy, but with Aunt Meggie…
“What are you doing here, Nardo?” Lou demanded.
“I’m telling CJ!” Axel Caldwell announced, part of the group of boys now crowding her and Nardo. Axel looked Nardo up and down. “He’s going to beat your fucking ass for touching his woman.”
Ryder Caldwell folded his arms and exchanged glances with his other brother, Ransom. He was in the middle of those three heathens, younger than Ransom by a year and older than Axel by a year. Ryder was also the only blond of Uncle Christopher’s sons. Separately, they were hell. Together, they were vile.
“We can fuck him up, bro, and throw his dead body over the bridge,” Ryder said.
Behind her, Nardo stiffened.
“CJ doesn’t own me,” Harley snapped, glaring between his three brothers, collectively known as the Terrible Triplets, though they had different birthdates. “We’re friends. He has Molly, anyway.”
Rory Donovan lifted a brow. Since the tragedy on Thanksgiving night, they all seemed to have aged ten years.
“Molly is Ryan’s chick,” Mark JB, her biological cousin, said. “You’re CJ’s.”
Although she still couldn’t see him, shefeltNardo’s glare. Perhaps, it was because of her cousin’s condemnation. Or, maybe, he was jealous.
“Yo, fuckface, don’t look at Harley like that,” Ransom ordered. “We might have to pluck your fucking eyes out.”
