Uppercut Princess (The Heights Crew #1)(59)

Was he trying to keep me safe? He murdered that waiter for me. Or I guess he might not have been a waiter at all. Come to think of it, he kind of sucked. Was Roza trying to do something to me there by sending someone undercover in a public place?

“I only fought once,” I say, disbelieving.

“And people around here love a fucking underdog. Our last two fight nights have been filled up, just hoping you’ll fight. There’s been so much fucking buzz. Of course it got back to her. Goddamnit,” Oscar growls.

Dark shadows sit like sentinels under his eyes. I wonder how much he’s been having to take care of since Brawler said his mom’s back on crack. Couple that with football and having to watch me, I would guess he isn’t getting much sleep. “Are you okay?” I ask.

He blinks. My heart goes out to him. Both he and Brawler should have a better life than this. Worse yet, it sounds like both of them have a way out that they just can’t make work.

“Are you going to be ready for your game tonight? You look exhausted.”

“You know I have a game tonight?”

I shrug. “I may have overheard someone talking about it. I wanted to go, but with this shit happening now, I doubt I’ll be able to.” Football sounded like a nice distraction from everything else going on. Just like going to school every day, it’s normal. It’s what teenagers are supposed to do.

Maybe that’s the downside of what touching Brawler did to me. It made me yearn for normal. For a time where I can just kiss someone because I want to.

Oscar grabs my hand and pulls me down a side hallway. He licks his lips, his expression dark as he leans me carefully against a bay of lockers. “Are you even real?”

I blink at him. It’s nice being ensconced in his embrace.

He reaches up, dragging his thumb over my bottom lip until I bite it, savoring the taste of him there.

My body must be going haywire because at this moment, I’d swear I had feelings for two guys. Two hot, forbidden bad boys.

“You want to come to my game?” Oscar asks. In that moment, he’s not Bat or the Oscar Drego who everyone in school is afraid of. I imagine he’s more like the guy he was when he went to Spring Hill. The guy who wanted more and was going after it.

Tires burning rubber in the parking lot knock us both into reality. He jumps away, shaking his head like he’d been entranced under a spell. But trying to shake it away doesn’t work for either one of us. He reaches for my hand again, squeezing me before guiding me toward the front doors. When we get there, he drops my hand, casting me a sorrowful look before opening the door to usher me out.

Ahead, the car has barely come to a stop in front of the school entrance and Johnny is already climbing out. “Motherfucker!” he screams.

For a second, I’m so paranoid that he knows what’s just transpired between Oscar and me that my heart drops into my stomach. It takes me a moment to realize he’s not looking at me. He’s not even looking at Oscar. He’s glaring past us toward the school.

He holds his arms out to me, and I go into them. He presses me tightly against him, almost rocking me.

Is it sick that I enjoy this? It most definitely is.

The past six years fucked me up. My aunt and uncle were there, but not like this. I wasn’t theirs. How could they hold me like this? How could they tell me how much they loved me when I wasn’t even theirs?

I press my cheek into his chest, not even caring when Oscar gives me an indecipherable look.

Magnum calls out, a hint of urgency to his voice. “Come on, Rocket. We got to go.”

“I want to kill that motherfucker.” Johnny moves me toward Magnum. “Watch her. I’m going in there.”

“No,” Mag says, voice stern. “I know you want to. That’s why I’m getting you the fuck out of here.”

I break away from Johnny to look at Mag. He sighs in relief at the sight of me then pleads with his eyes. Taking the hint, I grab Johnny’s hand. “Come on, let’s go. School was boring today anyway.”

The light-hearted comment doesn’t get any reaction from the gangster’s son. He was disrespected, and he doesn’t like it.

“Come on,” I try again. I’m well aware both Magnum and Oscar are staring. “Hey,” I say, taking Johnny’s face in my hands. “Come on. We’re going.” Reluctantly, he follows me into the back of the car. Magnum closes the door on us, and a few seconds later, he’s in the front seat and pulling away.

“Did he touch you?” Johnny asks, looking me all over like he can find some invisible injury on me.

“No,” I say, incredulously. “He’s the police.”

Johnny’s gaze darkens. “You can’t trust anybody. I don’t care if they are the fucking police.”

“Right,” I say, shaking my head. My origins just showed. I doubt anyone who lives in the Heights trusts cops. “It’s just he did a good job of sounding concerned.”

“Did you tell him anything?” Johnny asks.

“Fuck no.”

He closes his eyes, a sigh of relief passing through his lips. He’s jittery, like he’s hyped up on adrenaline.

I steel my shoulders. “I don’t even know anything to tell him,” I say. “Who’s Roza? Why does she want to take me out? And why didn’t you tell me the waiter was sent by her?”