Quickly, I head into the locker room, beating them all and hoping to spend enough time in here to wait them out.When I can’t kill time any longer, I walk out with a mission to my steps.
“Are you okay?”Harley asks, hurrying to keep up with me.I have a good half-foot on her and she’s doing her best.
My voice is terse.“Fine.”
She reaches out, grabbing my shirt and keeping me from walking away from her.
“Bishop,” she begs.“C’mon.”
I continue walking, head down, dragging her along with me.“Not right now, Lee.”More than anything, I want to get out of here before my dad shows up and embarrasses all of us.
“Look at me.”She grips my shirt tighter.
Turning to face her, my voice is stern.“Harley, you need to get the hell outta here.”
“Not until I know you’re okay.”She reaches up.“You’re bleeding.”
I grab hold of her arm, focusing on keeping my touch light but also urgent.“Get the fuck outta here.”
Behind her, I can see my dad walking toward us.He knows nothing about her and I want it to stay that way.
“What the hell was that?”
“Dad, I’ll deal with you in a minute.”
The words I’ve just uttered are dangerous, but I don’t want her caught in the middle of what might happen between us.My priority is making sure she’s out of harm’s way.Grabbing her wrist, I pull her to me, holding her to my side with my arm around her shoulders.
“What the fuck did you say to me?”He questions, dark eyes thundering as he gets a good look at the girl in my arms.
“I said I’ll deal with you in a minute.”I push him off, turning to face Harley.
“You better think again.”
Pushing her away, I stand my ground as he advances on me.But I’m never ready.Not for the thirty pound advantage he has and he pushes me to the blacktop.In the back of my mind, Harley screams.Shame washes over my body; I don’t want her to see this.He raises his hand as if he’s going to do something to her when Justice comes out of nowhere, grabbing dad’s hand in a hold I’ve never seen before.
Caelin joins the fray, pulling Justice to his side.“You even look at her the wrong way, my man, I’ll jack your jaw.You don’t advance on her, ever.”
Harley rushes over to try and help me off the ground, but it’s the pair of motorcycle boots that come into my peripheral vision that draw my attention.He walks beside Harley, reaching down with her to help me up.His strength steadies me and it’s then that I see the Heaven Hill MC standing behind him.Everyone in Bowling Green knows who they are and while I’m relieved, I’m also very nervous.Drew claps me on the shoulder then turns to my dad.
“I don’t know who the fuck you think you are to lay hands on your kid or mine, but I have one thing to say to you.You touch one tiny hair on either one of these girls’ heads and you’ll have me to deal with.It looks like, in your daily life, no one says no to you or they’re scared of you.See this patch.”He points to the president patch on his cut.“This right here means I’m the head of this group of men.They will do whatever I ask them to do, so make sure I don’t ask them to take care of you.”
Dad swallows hard, his face ashen in a way I’ve never seen before.Drew steps up to him, slightly taller.
“Do you understand me?”
“Yeah, I got you.”
Drew turns to where I stand with Harley.“This your son?”
“Yeah and, if he knows what’s good for him, he’s coming with me.”
Harley’s dad turns to me.“How old are you?”
“17, I’ll be 18 in two weeks.”
“Your choice, my man; you can come with us and stop living in fear or you can go home with this piece of shit.”
Harley grabs hold of my hand.“Come with us, please.”