Here. Now.
The fighting was about to start, and if Mason and Logan ran in, someone could blame them. That couldn’t happen, because this had a really good chance of being broken up by the authorities. If anyone was going to take the blame, I’d make sure it was Caldron.
My heart still in my throat, I took a quick breath and pushed upright.
“Sam!” Heather hissed, her eyes wide.
My eyes met Caldron’s, and I knew I was right. He wasn’t surprised to see me. A smirk tugged at his lip. He looked way too smug.
“Who was it?” I asked.
“Who was who?”
“Who told you we were here.”
“We?” He made a point of looking around. “Who’s ‘we’?”
Taylor was about to stand up. I touched the top of her head and pushed her back down. He didn’t know Logan was here, though he would shortly, but he really didn’t need to know about Logan’s girlfriend. She’d just be one more target for him.
I smiled at him, cold. “Don’t read into that. I like to refer to myself and my awesomeness as two separate people. You know, because I’m that awesome.”
He shook his head. “You’re pretty cocky, considering I finally got you.”
Channing stepped forward, along with the rest of his guys. Moose and Chad left the bar’s opening and joined their group of friends, who began to form a wall.
Heather hissed next to me, under her breath, “What are you doing?”
“Making sure he starts the fight, and not us.”
She cleared her throat. “Let me do this then.”
I looked sideways at her as she launched herself up over the bar, using her height advantage to jump to the front of the line. She came to stand next to Channing, her hand on his arm. He glanced down at it, then at her. She passed along some kind of message with that touch, but I couldn’t decipher it from where we stood.
“Caldron.” She smiled at him, folding her arms over her chest. “I don’t even know why you’re here. You’re wasted space. You were back in high school. You still are today. All you do is walk around with your buddies, acting like a tough guy, but you never back it up. You’ve been in two fights against Mason Kade, and he laid you out both times.” She gestured to Channing. “You’ve been puffing your chest out since we graduated and making all sorts of threats toward my boyfriend. But I think I know what’s going on.”
He frowned at her.
She leaned forward, dropping her voice to a whisper, though everyone could hear. “It’s okay if you’re a pussy. Or if you’re the pussy, if you know what I me—“
His face turned red and in an instant he was throwing the first punch. Heather didn’t finish her sentence before Channing yanked her behind him. He ducked under Caldron’s arm, then rounded up with an uppercut.
After that, it was on.
I heard screaming, yelling, and people crying out in pain, but for a moment before any of that, there’d been total silence. After Caldron lashed out, everyone needed time to comprehend that the brawl was on, and in that second, I heard my own gasp for breath. It sounded deafening to my ears, and I knew—I would remember that gasp for the rest of my life.
Chad yanked Taylor and me backward, pulling us out of the bar and off to the side down a hallway. Moose went with us, bringing up the rear and pushing away others who tried to get to me. So far, no one was trying for Taylor. I looked back to find Heather, but I couldn’t see her. There was just a mass of people fighting.
“Come on.” Chad shoved open a door, and we saw an egress window. He pulled out the screen and climbed out, then ripped through the covering. He lifted Taylor and tossed her out onto the lawn. I was next, falling half on top of Taylor. We rolled to our feet quickly, and Chad and Moose climbed out behind us.
“Let’s go.” Chad pointed to the cars and started running, holding Taylor’s arm.
I began running with them, following Moose. They could get Taylor to safety, but I had to go back to find Mason and Logan. I knew they were here; Mason’s black Escalade was parked on the lawn. Moose fell back, glancing at me.
I waved him on. “I’m right behind you.”
He nodded, and the three of them ran faster.
I couldn’t wait any longer. I turned and sprinted back for the house.
“Sam!” Taylor yelled after me.
I kept going, shouting over my shoulder, “Mason and Logan are here. I have to!”
I heard a smattering of curses and knew at least one person was coming after me. An arm wrapped around my waist, and I was suddenly in the air.
“No!” I began fighting. I needed to get free.
“Fuck’s sakes. You’re insane.” It was Chad. He grunted, evading my legs. “Okay, okay. I’ll go with you if you stop hitting m—” My elbow smacked his chin.