Dare You To (Pushing the Limits, #2)(58)

Beth blinks. “Not this home.”

I straighten. The attitude that makes her larger than life      evaporates. She’s small. Very small. Especially when standing in front of two      menacing guys. Not only does she appear small, but she seems very...lost.

“Wait until you graduate. Just a couple more months. Noah and I      talked and...”

With the name Noah, Beth’s head jerks and anger blazes from her      blue eyes. “You promised.”

“Beth.” The other guy, who I’m guessing must be Noah, uses a      calm tone that even I know will send her over the edge. “You belong in      Groveton.”

In a flash of black, Beth races over to Noah. Her hand darts      out, and she strikes him across the face. The sound echoes against the walls of      the warehouse. Beth’s chest heaves as she gasps for air. “Fuck you.”

I push off the Jeep. What the hell? Noah gingerly touches his      cheek, then inclines his head as if to release tension. “I was starting to feel      left out after your little show back at the apartment complex.”

“This is your fault!” she screams. “You and Echo and your new      life. You turned Isaiah against me because you’re too scared to be real. You      want to be fake. Just like your girl.”

Tattoo Guy—Isaiah—places his hand on Beth’s arm and yanks her      away from Noah. Hell no. Punk or no punk, a girl is in serious trouble if she      hits a guy, and a guy should never touch a girl. My fingers tighten into a ball      as I stalk over. “Get away from her.”

“Groveton,” Isaiah says as he ignores me. “With your uncle.      That is exactly where you need to be.” He points south, away from Louisville,      toward home. “That world can give you what I can’t. Not now. Just wait until      graduation.”

“If you meant what you said,” she says in a low growl, “you’ll      keep your promise now.”

A dark shadow seems to encompass the guy and I quicken my pace.      “I said get away from her.” My heart pounds in my chest. Two against one. The      odds are bad, but I’ll take them.

“Don’t you dare throw that in my face,” Isaiah says to her,      then rips his stare from Beth to focus on me. “This doesn’t involve you, man, so      f*ck off.”

“The hell it doesn’t. She came here with me and she’s going      home with me. Anything that happens to her in between is my business.”

He angles his body toward me. “You say that like she’s      yours.”

“Isaiah,” Beth whispers. “Don’t.”

With only two feet between us, I take another step with every      muscle prepared for a fight. “She became mine the moment you laid a hand on      her.”

He closes the gap and we’re standing toe-to-toe. His face      inches from mine. Anger pulsates from his body. “She’s not yours. She’s mine and      I don’t like how you treat her.”

A petite arm slides between our bodies. “Isaiah,” says Beth.      “Let it go.”

“How I treat her?” Is this guy high? “She doesn’t seem to want      you.”

“Ryan, stop, please.” I’ve never heard Beth plead before and I      want to look at her and confirm those words actually fell out of her mouth, but      I don’t dare. I keep solid eye contact with the * in front of me.

An insane smile tugs at his lips. “You think she wants you? Is      that what you think? That you’re some type of real man because you torture her      at school? Because you spill her secrets? Because you humiliate her? You think      she wants a guy that makes her cry?”

“Isaiah!” yells Beth.

His arm snaps back and so does mine. A large figure surges from      my left and instead of the hit I’m prepared to take as I throw, Noah pushes      Isaiah into a car. “Back off, bro.”

“How could you!” I expect to see Beth’s frigid, accusing stare      in my direction. Instead, it’s fixed on Isaiah. Her entire body shakes and she      rubs her left arm with her right hand. A continuous motion over and over again.      “How could you tell him that?”

Isaiah blinks and the anger drains out of him. “Beth...”

She rushes to the Jeep. “Let’s go.”

She doesn’t have to tell me twice. I shove the keys in the      ignition before I shut the door and roar out of the parking lot. Hitting the      freeway, I click on my seat belt as Beth rests her head against the passenger      window.