REED’S BROTHERS were even more intimidating up close than they were from a distance. They carried the same cold demeanors that had brought the party to a standstill, and their powerful bodies radiated tension as they stalked down the sidewalk toward us. I could see why Mia was wary of them. Mia and, apparently, everyone in Sunshine Hills.
As I watched the two boys, it was easy to tell they were related to Reed. All three were tall and muscular, and they all had the same blue eyes, strong jaws and dark hair. Their gazes were menacing, and I couldn’t help but imagine the fear they could probably instill in others with just a single look. Though I thought the scowl on the larger brother’s face seemed even less forgiving, if that were possible. He was just that little bit scarier, and if he had been the one to stop and help me with my car, I certainly would have run in the other direction.
I found myself taking a step closer to Reed as they drew near, and I had to wonder at what point my body had decided he was a natural source of safety, especially considering he had looked just as threatening as his brothers when they first arrived at the house.
“Where the hell did you disappear to, Reed?” one of them asked. If I had to guess, I’d say he was the youngest. Now he was closer, I could see there was a roundness to his face the other two boys didn’t have, and his voice wasn’t quite as deep as Reed’s. He was slightly smaller than his brothers, but saying that was like trying to call a grizzly bear small—he still towered over most normal people.
Sensing my attention on him, his gaze flicked past Reed to me, and a smile began pulling at his lips. His face practically transformed, and a cheeky grin replaced the rigid expression he’d worn as he walked from the house.
“Violet, I presume…”
“Leave her alone, Parker.” Reed groaned.
Parker either didn’t hear his brother or didn’t care because he stepped forward and offered his hand. “I’m Parker Darling. You’ll have to excuse my brothers. They can be so uptight.”
The large one grunted while Reed rolled his eyes.
“Also, I believe this is yours,” Parker said, reaching out his other hand. I frowned as I realized he had my purse. “I was on official bag duty,” he continued, sounding particularly proud of the accomplishment.
“Uh, thanks.”
“You left it in your car,” Reed explained. “I thought you might need it, which is why we came…”
“Oh…” I flushed, surprised he’d gone to so much trouble for me. “That’s really nice of you guys.”
“What can I say, us Darling boys are well known for our selfless good deeds.” Parker grinned, clearly well aware how untrue that statement was. “And we’re especially good to our friends. What do you say, Violet? Want to be friends with us?” His tone was playful, but I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or just messing with me. “I’d make a great bestie.”
“Ignore my brother,” Reed said, stepping between Parker and me. “Let’s get you home.”
I had no idea what to make of these boys. They seemed so menacing at the party, and no one from school had anything nice to say about them. But they had gone to the effort of bringing my handbag here for me. And Reed had stopped to help a strange girl broken down on the side of the road. Were they really as bad as Mia made them out to be?
Reed lightly placed a hand on my lower back, and I felt a little more at ease around his brothers knowing he was close. He guided me to a pickup truck that was parked a little farther down the road. It was blue and white, and while it had a vintage look about it, the paintwork shone like it was brand-new. Even from the outside, I could tell Reed looked after his car. There wasn’t a single scratch on the paintwork, there was no ice crusting over the wipers despite the terrible weather, and the hubcaps were sparkling like they’d just recently been polished.
Reed opened the front passenger side door for me while his brothers piled into the back seat. There wasn’t much room for them both in the back, and I might have offered to let one of them take my place, but I was still a little too nervous to instigate a conversation with them. Especially since I’d yet to see the big one crack a smile.
I climbed in the truck while Reed walked around to the driver’s seat.
“Man, that was fun,” Parker said as Reed got behind the wheel and started the engine. “Those Sunshine Hills guys were wetting themselves when they saw us.”
Reed cast a quick glance in my direction. “As I said before, it’s best to just ignore Parker.”
“We always do,” his other brother added in a low voice.
Reed smirked in response. “This is my twin, Grayson. Parker’s a year younger than us. Although, with the way he acts, you’d think he was far younger.”
“What Reed is really trying to say is I’m the fun one.” Parker winked.
The boys all seemed a lot more relaxed now than they had been at the party. Parker was grinning, and Reed had a glint in his eyes as he told me about his brothers. Even Grayson’s expression had softened slightly, although his frown was still visible, and he gave me a slight nod in greeting when Reed introduced him.
“Where am I going?” Reed asked me as he took off from the curb.
I told him my address before I fell quiet again. The reality of my current situation was only just starting to sink in. I’d run off from a party I wasn’t supposed to be at with three boys I didn’t know who had seriously concerning reputations. They’d been nothing but nice to me so far, but who knew how long that would last. Most people in Sunshine Hills wouldn’t be waiting around to find out. Still, it felt like a better option than staying behind and confronting Jeremy.
That didn’t mean I had to act completely stupid though, so just to be safe, I decided to send Mia and Nicole a message letting them know I’d left the party and how I was getting home. They were going to lose their minds when they checked their phones and found out who I was driving home with, but at least if something bad happened they’d know where I was.
“So, Violet, are you brave, crazy, or both?” Parker asked.
‘Parker!” Reed hissed.
“Because the girls that ride with us are usually one of the three.” He was looking at me as though he was genuinely interested in my answer.
“Sorry to disappoint, but I’m here because I’m desperate,” I replied. “I really needed a ride.”
“You weren’t too scared to get in a car with the Darling Devils?” He smirked as he spoke their nickname as though it amused him greatly.
“Well, I’d never heard that name until today, so perhaps I haven’t had enough time to work out what’s so scary about it.”
“Interesting.” Parker nodded thoughtfully.
“The guys at my school really seem to hate you, though,” I added.
“They do, don’t they.” Parker said it like it was an achievement.
“That’s because the Saints haven’t won a game against us since Grayson and I joined the hockey team freshman year,” Reed replied.
“Pfft, you barely scraped by with wins until I joined the team,” Parker said. “We all know I’m the not so secret ingredient in the Ransom Devils’ special sauce.”
Reed shook his head and glanced at me. “Sorry, my little brother has absolutely no filter.”
“I’m hardly little,” Parker scoffed.
Reed gave me a look as if to say see.
Grayson remained quiet, and he seemed quite content allowing his brothers to do most of the talking. I couldn’t decide if he was just the strong and silent type or if he wasn’t happy about me being here. Perhaps it was because I went to their rival school. Reed seemed to have quickly forgiven the fact I was practically the enemy, but that didn’t mean his brothers would come to the same conclusion.
“So, bestie, I hear you have a boyfriend,” Parker said.
Reed shot him an annoyed look.
“Ex-boyfriend,” I quickly clarified. At least, he would be as soon as I worked up the nerve to talk to him again.
“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. What happened?” Parker didn’t sound the least bit sorry for me. In fact, his smile had only grown larger.
“You don’t have to answer that,” Reed said.
“It’s fine.” I drew in a breath. “I guess his head finally grew too big for him, and he decided he was more interested in making out with a fangirl than his girlfriend.”
Parker whistled. “Damn.”
“I’m really sorry to hear that,” Reed added.
I shook my head. “I should have known better than to date the captain of the hockey team.”
The atmosphere in the car suddenly felt tense, and everyone was silent for a few seconds. Reed glanced at me, and I briefly caught a frown creasing his forehead, but then he looked back at the road. Had I said something wrong?
“Wait, what?” Parker’s expression twisted with a mixture of surprise and disgust. “You mean you were dating the captain of the Sunshine Hills Saints?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Jeremy Hoffman?”
“Yes,” I confirmed again.
The boys all shared a look, and it felt like I was missing something. I swallowed nervously as I realized they were probably thinking about the fact Reed had broken Jeremy’s nose.
“Damn, girl,” Parker muttered. “My opinion of you just plummeted.”
“Parker…” Reed gave him a warning glance in the rearview mirror.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I don’t exactly have a very high opinion of myself at the moment either.”
Reed’s frown softened a little and he gave me a sympathetic half smile.
“So, why don’t you like Jeremy?” I asked.
The boys shared another look. I knew from Mia that Reed and Jeremy had a fight on the ice, but I sensed their bad blood ran deeper than that. I was intrigued to hear the Darling brothers’ side of the story.
“It’s Hoffman,” Parker said as though that alone answered my question. “He’s the worst.”
Even Grayson uttered a low growl in agreement, and I glanced at Reed to see if he felt the same, but his expression was hard to decipher.
“In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a little bit of a rivalry between us and the Saints,” Reed explained.
“A little rivalry,” Parker gasped. “It’s more than that. Back in freshman year, Hoffman and Reed—”
“Parker, leave it.” Reed was glaring at his brother again as he cut him off. I assumed Parker was going to tell me about the fight, but apparently, it was a touchy subject.
“Okay, okay,” Parker held up his hands. “All I’m saying is Hoffman’s a dick. And now I know what he’s done to my new bestie, I think maybe we should make a quick stop at his house after we drop Violet off.”
There was a look of excitement in Parker’s eyes that left me a little concerned about what he meant by that. It couldn’t be anything good because these boys seemed to really dislike Jeremy. And I couldn’t shake the feeling there was something more than just hockey to blame for their hatred.
“Don’t be an ass, Parker,” Reed said before he whispered to me, “Don’t worry, he’s all talk.”
“Sorry, Reed, I didn’t hear that. Were you complimenting my ass again?” Parker asked.
I might have been feeling down after bringing up Jeremy, but even so, I struggled not to smile.
It wasn’t long before Reed pulled up outside my uncle’s house, and I drew in a deep breath. The porch light was on, and I could see the glow of the TV through the lounge window. Luke must have been waiting up for me, which meant I was going to have to tell him what had happened to my car. I suddenly wasn’t quite so eager to get away from Reed and his brothers.
“Thanks for the ride,” I said as Reed turned off the ignition. “And for bringing me my bag…and for helping with the car.” I was yammering. “Uh, just, thanks.”
Reed nodded. “Anytime, Sunshine.”
I turned in my seat and awkwardly said goodbye to Parker and Grayson. Parker was only too happy to give me a cheery wave in response while Grayson simply acknowledged my departure with another brief nod. It had been a strange ride home, one I wouldn’t forget any time soon.
I climbed out of the truck and was surprised when Reed jumped out after me.
“You don’t have to walk me to my door,” I said as he met me on the sidewalk. “I’ll be okay.”
“Oh, I’m not worried about that,” he replied with a smirk. “This is a nice neighborhood. I just want to make sure no more cars are abused tonight.”
“Very funny.” I laughed.
We walked up the driveway together, but I stopped a little way from the house where we were still shielded by the bushes that lined the front yard. If my uncle saw a strange boy dropping me off, I’d only have more questions to answer about what had gone down tonight.
I started to peel Reed’s jacket from my arms, already dreading the cold and missing the subtle scent of his aftershave that coated it. But Reed stopped me.
“Keep it on until you get inside.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ll be inside in two seconds. Surely, you must be cold.”
“Nah, the Darlings are part snowman, so I’m good.” One side of his mouth lifted, giving him a crooked smile, which revealed the barest hint of a dimple. It softened him somehow. Who knew devils had dimples.
“Besides, it looks better on you than it ever has on me,” he added.
I smiled and shook my head. It felt like this guy had an answer for everything.
“Well, thanks. You don’t have to worry though. I’ll get it back to you. And again, thank you for being there for me tonight when everything went to hell.”
“Not a problem,” he said, smiling softly. “I’m sorry everything went to hell for you.”
“Well, what did I expect.” I tried my best to give a playful shrug despite the fact Jeremy’s betrayal was still weighing heavily on me. “Hockey players are pigs, right?”
“Right,” Reed replied with a light chuckle. “I can only apologize on behalf of all of us.”
He was still smiling at me, but then his face became more earnest, and his blue eyes locked on to mine. ‘Seriously though,” he continued. “Regardless of what my brothers and I think of Hoffman, he shouldn’t have done that to you. You deserve better. Much better.”
He spoke firmly, and as I stared back at him, I could tell he meant what he said. If the rumors were to be believed, Reed had probably left a trail of brokenhearted girls in his wake over the years. But that just didn’t seem to match up with the way he’d treated me tonight, the things he was saying, and the way he was looking at me.
“Thanks” was all I could bring myself to say in response, and even that came out in a hushed whisper.
“Just kiss her already,” Parker yelled from the car.
“And on that note, I need to go pummel my brother,” Reed said with an awkward laugh. “Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”
“You too, Reed.”
I watched him jog back to his truck before I made my way into the house. I’d barely closed the front door behind me when I heard my uncle call out from the living room. ‘What are you girls doing back so soon?”
“It’s just me,” I replied. This was typical Luke. If I got home late, he’d be annoyed, but because I was home early, he immediately became suspicious. I might have laughed if I wasn’t already dreading this conversation.
“I thought the movie didn’t end for another hour…” Luke continued as I entered the living room. He was sitting on the couch with a beer, watching a hockey game. He was struggling to pull his eyes from the TV even as he spoke to me, so it must have been a good game. I hoped he might be too distracted to get mad.
“Betty broke down,” I said. Though that wasn’t the reason why I was back so soon. I was home early because of Jeremy, but I was hardly about to tell Luke that my boyfriend had cheated on me. Discussing it with my uncle would be the most awkward thing in the world, and I was quite content to spend the rest of the night pretending Jeremy didn’t exist.
“Your car broke down?” Luke finally looked up. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“Mom’s always told me the car is my responsibility,” I said. “So, I got her towed to the nearest garage. I’ll know more on Monday.”
“You got it towed?” Luke’s tone was growing more concerned.
“Yes.” I didn’t want to imagine how he’d react if he knew I’d been on my way to a party too.
“Again, why didn’t you call me?”
“I didn’t want you to worry.”
“If anything, I’m more worried,” he said. “How did you get home? Who towed the car? Where is it?”
“It’s at Danny’s Garage,” I said, fishing Danny’s card out of my pocket and handing it to Luke.
“Danny’s Garage?” Luke frowned as he stared at the business card. “As in Danny Darling’s garage? Did he tow the car?”
“Uh, yeah.”
Luke shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I’ve heard of him,” he said. “Some people say he was involved in organized crime in Minneapolis back in the day.”
“What, like the mafia? That doesn’t sound right. He looked more like a lobster than a mobster tonight.” Luke was now staring at me like I was speaking in another language. “He was on his way to a costume party,” I quickly explained.
Luke just grunted in response. “And how did you get home?” he continued. “Did he drive you?”
“No, his son did.” As soon as I answered, I immediately knew I’d made a mistake.
“His son?” Luke sounded even more shocked than when he thought I’d gotten my car towed by an infamous gangster. I silently cursed myself. I should have lied and told him one of my friends picked me up. I wasn’t thinking clearly though. Jeremy was to blame. There was no room in my head for logical thoughts when the image of Jeremy and Heather kept popping up.
“It’s fine, Luke. Reed was really helpful.”
“Reed…Darling…” Luke’s voice had gone quiet as he peered up at me from the business card. Clearly, he knew about the whole Darling Devil thing.
“Yeah, like I said,” I continued as casually as I could, “he’s the son of Danny who owns the garage.”
Luke seemed to be holding his breath, and his face was going a little pink. Being a teacher at Sunshine Prep, he heard all the rumors that went around school—good and bad. It was one of the major downfalls of having a teacher for an uncle.
“Breathe, Luke,” I murmured.
He finally released the breath and shook his head. “Those Darling boys are trouble.”
“Well, I was in trouble, and Reed and his brothers helped me.”
“Reed and his brothers?” I really wasn’t doing myself any favors here. I just needed to stop talking before I made this much worse for myself. “You were in the car with several boys?” Luke rubbed a hand down his face like he’d just aged ten years.
“It was fine. I’m sorry I didn’t call, but I’m home now, and I’m safe. I promise you don’t have to worry.”
“Vi, I’m meant to be looking out for you. I can’t have you getting in cars with strange boys…”
“Mom wouldn’t care.”
“Your mom’s not the one looking after you right now.”
I slowly nodded as tears stung my eyes. Luke could be a bit blunt at times, but I knew it was only because he cared. But, after everything else I’d dealt with this evening, the reminder that my mom was thousands of miles away when I needed a shoulder to cry on was a little too much to handle. I needed to get out of there before I burst into tears for real.
“I’m going to go to bed,” I said.
I turned and made my way toward the stairs, but Luke came after me. “Vi, hold up a sec.”
I didn’t feel like facing him again, and I felt too tired to argue. I wanted nothing more than to continue up to my room, bury my head under my pillow, and pretend I hadn’t heard him. But Luke was my uncle. He was going out of his way to look after me, and I couldn’t shut him out like I might have done with my mom. With a sigh, I stopped on the stairs and turned to him.
“I know I’m not your mom,” he said. “I might not have the same rules as her or react the same way as she would, but I’m trying my best to take care of you.”
“It’s okay, Uncle Luke. I’m sorry for worrying you.”
“I just don’t like thinking of you trying to do that all on your own,” he continued. “If you’re ever in trouble, you can call me. I know Lydia didn’t give you much choice about coming to live here for your senior year, but you’re not alone. You can trust me.”
‘I do trust you, and if I’d needed you, I would have called you,” I replied. “But this trust thing goes both ways. Mom was rarely around back home, and I’ve taken care of myself for a long time. You need to trust me too.”
“Okay,” he replied. “I’ll try my best.”
My face must have betrayed my surprise because he chuckled and said, “I’m not always the evil dictator Mia makes me out to be, you know.”
I smiled. “She doesn’t think that.” Well, not all the time, at least.
He gave me a skeptical look, but thankfully he didn’t press the matter. “Where is my wayward child this evening then? I thought she was meeting you at the movies.’
“Uh…” That was another part of my cover story I’d overlooked. “I messaged her to let her know about Betty. She and Nicole went on ahead without me. I’m sure she’ll still be home by curfew.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Luke grunted. “Anyway, I’ll let you get to bed.”
“Okay, good night.”
I continued up the stairs while Luke returned to the living room. “And don’t worry about the car repairs,” he called as he went. “We’ll talk with your mom and sort something out.”
I didn’t share his optimism. My mom was all about fostering my independence, and when my grandma had given me the car, Mom had made it clear that it was up to me to take care of it. I’d always had to cover things like fuel and getting it serviced, and I was quite certain my responsibility didn’t end at repairs. I was going to have to dip into my savings to cover the cost, and there was no way I was accepting any help from Luke. He’d already done enough for me this year. That was a problem for Monday though. I just had to hope it was a quick and simple fix.
As soon as I made it to my room, I collapsed onto my bed. I’d only been lying there for a minute or two before my phone buzzed with an incoming message. It was probably Mia, having finally checked her phone. My skin went cold when I saw it was from Jeremy.
Jeremy: Sorry I missed your calls earlier. Forgot my phone at home so had to swing past to grab it. Just got to the party. Where are you?
I’d barely finished reading the message before I threw my phone across the room. My eyes stung with moisture once again, and I clenched them shut, trying to stop the tears from falling.
I wasn’t just hurt by Jeremy’s actions. I was angry. And the worst part? He still had no idea I was aware of what he’d done. Was he really going to pretend he hadn’t cheated on me? And if he wasn’t planning on telling me what happened tonight, did that mean he’d done this before?
My mind was racing so fast I could barely make sense of my thoughts. How long had it taken before he’d grown bored of me? Or had he been doing this from the very start? I didn’t know, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to.
There were a few things I was certain of though. I was right; hockey players were pigs. My mom was right; jocks couldn’t be trusted. And Reed was right; I deserved better.
