Page 79 of In the Danger Zone
I sucked in a sharp breath. “What did I just say?”
“She’s not the girl you think she is.”
“Oh, get fucked.” My eyes rolled as I stared at him.
“You bought her little sob story too, huh?”
“What’s that supposed to mean? She told me what you did to her. How youhurther,” I said with gritted teeth, leaning in closer to him. “You’re lucky I haven’t taken your head off.”
“Yeah, you did buy the sob story then.” Asher shook his head. “Jesus Christ, Evan.”
“There’s no sob story! You did this to yourself! You got kicked off the team all on your own, you selfish prick,” I snapped at him. “All you had to do was leave her alone. But you couldn’t, huh? You couldn’t leave herorher family alone.”
Asher snorted. “Is that what she told you?”
“That’s what Iknow. You and your family are the reason they have to struggle to get by. Why the hell would you do that? Why do you have it out for her? For her family?” I asked. “What the hell did she ever do to you? What did they do to you? They’re fucking good people and you get off on fucking with them.”
“Oh my God.” Asher threw his head back with a laugh. “She did a real good job getting into your head.”
I eyed him up and down. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You think they’regoodpeople? Seriously? You know her dad beat me up when I was a kid, right? That he’s some psycho who likes to fight high school kids?”
“Are you fucking serious?” It was my turn to laugh. “You think I’m gonna believe you? Where do you come up with this shit? You’re fucking crazy.”
“Oh, you think I’m lying.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and quickly typed something in. Then he shoved his phone right in my face. “Look at it.”
I was about to slap his hand out of my face when a video started to play. My eyes narrowed. I saw the name at the top of his phone. Fermier. That was the name of Daisy’s parents’ bakery.
And then I heard the screams. The video kept playing and I saw it clear as day: Daisy’s dad putting his hands on a younger looking version of Asher. I recognized her dad straight away. That was definitely the guy from Daisy’s photo.
My eyes narrowed, watching her dad shove Asher right out of the bakery. I had no idea who was filming, but whoever it was captured the fight perfectly. A second later, the Asher in the video hit the cement with a thud. Asher stared up from the ground, looking a little dazed. Her father looked ready to kill, though. Then the video cut out.
I let out a quick breath. “So what? When was that? After you nearly fucking killed her? What, you go in there and try and start shit? Try and rub it in his face that you could do whatever you wanted? I’d do the same thing. I’d kick your ass too.”
Running a hand through his hair, Asher groaned. “You don’t even know these people!”
“I don’t have to know them to know that her dad was probably just defending himself. If you went there looking to start shit, then that’s on you.”
“Christ. I just gave you proof that her innocent, little daddy has a few screws loose.” Asher pointed at his phone. “Have you ever actuallyspokento her parents?”
My mouth opened, but no words came out. Daisy never really let me speak to them. She had ended that phone call the other day pretty quick. And she had been so secretive with those letters.
I shook my head. There must have been a reason for that. “I have a fucking game to play, asshole.”
“Her dad’s a fucking psycho!” Asher screamed, tapping at his phone repeatedly, as if that would prove his point. “And she told you he was a good person? That he’s, what, a fucking sweet old man who ran the local bakery or something? You don’t even know him! Why do you think the bakery shut down?”
“It’s not shut down, dumb ass.” I gave him a shove. “It’s probably close to shutting thanks to your bullshit, though.”
“What do you mean it’s not shut down?” Asher shoved me right back. “What did she tell you?”
“Why do you care what she told me? What she told me is none of your fuckin’ business.”
Hissing, Asher tapped his phone a couple more times before he shoved it in my face. I was so tempted to throw it at his head. That was when I realized that the video he had showed me must have been attached to a Google review. But what really caught my eye was the strip of red and the two words staring back at me.Permanently closed.
“Why does that say Fermier is closed?” I asked with a mumble.
“Why do you think it shut down?” Asher asked, voice loud. “You think people were gonna go there after finding out that the guy who runs it is a violent freak? Of course it closed down.”
