Hood River Zero (Hood River Hoodlums Book 4) Read online

  “I need this,” she sasses.

  Shaking my head, I relinquish the shirt and discover one with a Garbage Pail Kid on it. It’s a redheaded cartoon kid whose name is “Cracked Craig.” It reminds me of Terrence, so I snag it to wear for the next time I see him.

  Heat trickles down my spine, pooling in my belly as I think about New Year’s Eve. It’s been a couple of days since he kissed me and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. The kiss was…surprising. Unexpected. Warm and exciting.

  I absolutely loved it.

  Which makes me cringe because of how I abandoned him after it. I’m such a bitch. Problem is, I wasn’t trying to be bitchy. I panicked. It makes me hate the way I am even more. It was just a kiss. I’m almost eighteen, for fuck’s sake. I should be able to kiss a man and enjoy it. I should be able to do a lot more.

  But I can’t.

  I keep hovering over his name to text him whenever my thoughts ridicule me over my behavior, but I always chicken out.

  What will I say?

  I loved your kiss, but I’m fucked up, Smash. Find your girl Lacey, because clearly you two had a thing together and it was good enough to make a baby. I’m a head case who will drive you insane.

  A deep sadness burrows inside of me, carving holes in my heart.

  I don’t want him to find Lacey. I mean, I do for his sake so he can get crap sorted where Zella is concerned. I just don’t want him to find Lacey and remember how much he likes her. Ever since basketball tryouts last week, I’ve enjoyed the times I’ve spent with Terrence. He’s distracting from the madness inside me.

  “You okay?” Charlotte asks, her brows furling as she studies me.

  “I hate shopping.” Not a lie. “I want to go home.” Also, not a lie.

  “Did something happen between you and Terrence?” She glances over her shoulder to make sure Mom isn’t nearby. “You can tell me if…you know…”

  “Had sex?” I blurt out.

  She nods. “Yeah, that.”

  “I didn’t have sex with Terrence.”

  “Do you want to?”

  Her words have my head snapping up. “He doesn’t want to have sex with me.”

  “Pen,” she says. A devious grin she no doubt learned from Cal forms on her face. “I saw the way he looked at you on New Year’s Eve.” She laughs. “Like he wanted to eat you up.”

  Fire burns along my flesh, making my skin break out in a sweat.

  “I kissed him,” I admit, my voice barely a whisper.

  “No fucking way!” she shrieks, making me recoil at her outburst.

  “Stop talking,” I grumble, shoving my shirts into her arms. “I don’t want to talk about this.”

  She pouts, but I’m not falling for it. I leave her to pay for my items and make my way down the darkened hallway toward the restroom. Before I reach the restroom, I can’t help but notice a corkboard stuffed with all sorts of ads and coupons. They’re all for various shops here on Main Street, even the restaurant Jordy and Roux work at, but the one on orange paper catches my eye.

  Babysitter needed for four-year-old for occasional nights and weekends. Text Jack Henderson. Reliable applicants only.

  No fucking way.

  I rip the ad off the wall so no one else will text him. Quickly, I fire off a text.

  Me: Hello. I’m available. Penelope Morgan.

  Not a total lie. It’s my full, given name minus my last name.

  Unknown Number: How old are you? How did you get my number?

  I save his contact in my phone and then respond.

  Me: 17. Thrift store. How much?

  Jackoff Henderson: Depends on your experience. $10-$14 per hour.

  Me: I watch my nephew all the time. He’s that age. When should I start?

  Jackoff Henderson: I think it’s best we meet first before I allow you to sit my daughter.

  Daughter? Fuck this dude.

  Me: Great. Where are you? I can come to you.

  Jackoff Henderson: I’m at work. Do you know where the tire factory is?

  Me: I’m not driving all the way to the other side of town to meet you there. Can I just come by your house later and meet the kid? I promise. I’m legit.

  Jackoff Henderson: Send a pic so I know you’re not some creep.

  Rolling my eyes, I switch it to selfie mode. I force one of Charlotte’s cheerleader smiles and send it to him.

  Jackoff Henderson: I get off work late tonight. What about tomorrow? Can you come at noon?

  Me: It might be closer to dinner, but I’ll be there. Just text me your address.

  My heart is hammering in my chest. Did I really just get a job babysitting Terrence’s kid? Why? I know why. I need to help him get her back and this seems like the best way to find answers.

  He’s going to freak.

  Probably tell me no.

  Which is why I definitely don’t need to tell him yet. Not until I find some information that could be useful to him.

  I will find out where Lacey is and I will find a way to get Terrence his daughter.

  Terrence

  I groan when I see Grandma has texted me for the millionth time.

  Grandma: Come get your mail, Terry. I haven’t seen you since Christmas. I miss you.

  Guilt washes over me. I really ought to swing by and see her, but I just don’t feel like it. Grandma always has shit to say and rides my ass. My head is finally starting to not fucking kill me all the time. The last thing I need is to let her get inside it. I know that a trip to pick up my mail will turn into cleaning out my room, which will turn into discussing my living arrangements. And on and on and on. Grandma, no matter how great my life is going for me, finds shit to nag at me about. Always has. I bet Tierra is having a fucking blast living there with her right now.

  Me: Soon, Grandma.

  As soon as I pocket my phone, I climb out of Cal’s truck I borrowed. Since it’s Sunday and he’s holed up in bed with his girl, he won’t need it. I do need to see about getting a vehicle soon. That’s one more thing Grandma will be on my shit about, too.

  I notice that Penny’s orange Jeep is already here, parked on the grass near the school gym and not in the parking lot like everyone else. It brings a smile to my face. Quickly, it falls when I think about the kiss on New Year’s Eve.

  Goddamn, she tasted sweet.

  All I got was a tiny nibble of the forbidden fruit and damned if I wasn’t addicted. I know a kiss isn’t gonna get my ass landed in prison or anything, but if I keep obsessing over this girl, I know I’ll do more than kiss her.

  Which I absolutely cannot do.

  Not that I even have a choice anyway. She lost her shit a bit after the kiss. I could tell she was panicking. Whatever goes on inside Penny’s head is epic and destructive. It tears her down. That night, it tore her down right in front of my eyes. All I wanted to do was fix her. I’d felt responsible for sending her into a frenzy. Yet, before I could undo the damage, she blew out of there like a storm.

  I can’t stop thinking about her mouth.

  How fucking perfect that kiss was.

  I’m pulled out of my daze when I walk up to the gym door at the school. Karen told me she’d open it up but that I’d need to lock it on my way out. I posted the roster on New Year’s Day on the door stating who made the team. I’m looking forward to what these girls can do. With Penny and Tierra leading them, they’re gonna go far.

  As soon as I push through the door, my eyes swim through the sea of girls, landing on her. Penny. Where everyone else is shooting baskets, she dribbles around, darting left and right as Tierra tries to steal. Those two are a fucking force.

  Penny’s blond hair has been pulled back in a tight, high ponytail that swings back and forth with each move she makes. Her clothes are baggy, unlike just about all the other girls who wear tanks or sports bras. Somehow, it doesn’t dampen how good she looks. Only makes her more alluring because I know what she fucking looks like under all that material.

  That night of our
kiss…

  Fuck, she looked good.

  All tight clothing and bare skin on her arms. I’d never wanted to fuck a girl as much as I did Penny English in that moment. Had her family and my friends not been around, my horny ass probably would have tried too.

  Which is why I can never be alone with this girl.

  I want her too much.

  And despite her meltdown, she wants me too.

  Considering she’s not a legal adult yet, that’s a problem. And goddammit, I have too many problems as it is.

  “Hey, Coach James,” Liv says, flashing me a flirty grin. “Thanks for choosing me.”

  “All came down to skills and who’s an asset to the team,” I grunt out, uncomfortable with the way she stares at me.

  She steps closer. “I appreciate it. I need basketball for my college résumé.”

  Her smile widens until she gets nailed in the head with a basketball. It bounces off her and rolls my way, so I stop it with my foot. She lets out a shriek, whirling around to see who hit her. My eyes land on Penny’s bored expression, but fire burns in her blue eyes.

  “Oops,” Penny says. “I didn’t see you there. My bad.”

  Liv rubs at her head before snatching up a ball and storming off. Penny walks over to me to retrieve her ball that’s resting under my foot.

  “Violent,” I mutter, my lips curling up in amusement.

  “Her head shouldn’t be so big,” Penny sasses. “Give me my ball.”

  “Say you’re sorry.” I arch a brow at her.

  “I already did.” Her ponytail whips to the side as she tries to kick the ball out from under my foot.

  “Not to Liv, to me.”

  Her blue eyes snap up to meet mine. “For what?”

  “Running off like Cinderella that night.”

  A pink blush covers her throat and cheeks.

  I step off the ball and let out a sigh. “I’m just teasing, Penny.”

  Relief flashes in her eyes, which makes my heart ache. She picks up the ball and dribbles away. I catch Tierra watching me with a black eyebrow arched high.

  “Let’s run some drills,” I bark out, ignoring my cousin’s probing stare.

  Practice went well. The girls are all aggressive and eager. I quickly learned who plays best together and who doesn’t. It’s clear Liv and Penny have some bad blood, so I kept them away from each other as much as possible. Whenever I paired up Penny and Tierra against anyone else, they dominated. Unfortunately, that was low for morale, so I switched it up a lot. During a game, though, those two are going to kill it.

  “Okay, ladies,” I say. “Bring it in. Let’s get some housekeeping stuff sorted.” I pull a piece of paper out from my pocket. It’s a copy of the roster of names. “First things first. We need to choose numbers for your uniforms. I need to get those ordered ASAP.”

  “I’ll be number one,” Liv says, waving a hand in the air.

  The girls go around me, calling out the numbers they want while I scribble them down. Tierra and Penny are locked in a quiet conversation, so they’re the only two left.

  “What number?” I ask them.

  “Ten,” they both say at once.

  “No, girl, ten is my lucky number,” Tierra says. “Find a new one.”

  Penny rolls her eyes, her lashes fluttering as she makes an annoyed face. “One?”

  “Already taken,” Liv sneers. “How about zero?”

  Several girls snigger. Tierra shoots Liv an icy glare, but Penny doesn’t seem to notice. Penny shrugs in agreement. Oh, fuck, no.

  “Penny,” I bark out. “What number?”

  “Zero, I guess.” She’s distracted. Her eyes erratically dart over to the girl next to her, who keeps hitting the bottom of her shoe against the gym floor, making it squeak.

  “Seems fitting,” Liv agrees, her minions laughing.

  “That’s what you want, English? To be zero?”

  She shrugs again. “I don’t care. Are we done here because I want to leave?”

  I let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah. We’re done. See you all at practice after school tomorrow.”

  Everyone files out of the gym, but before Penny can leave, I call out her name.

  “I would stay and shoot the shit with y’all, but Grandma is watching me like a hawk,” Tierra complains. “Catch up later.”

  As soon as we’re alone, Penny picks up a ball and dribbles it over to the rack of balls. I scoop one up and limp my ass over there. Her eyes narrow on me, sweeping down my frame.

  “You’re hurting.”

  “Nah, I’m good.” I shrug and pick up another ball. “What’s wrong?”

  She grabs up a ball. “You’re not good. Are you going to physical therapy?”

  “Way to evade my question,” I grumble. “And no. I can do all that shit at the gym.”

  “Stubborn boy.”

  “Not a boy. All man here.”

  She does her cute eye roll, but her cheeks turn pink again. Goddamn, she’s adorable. We finish picking up the balls. Before she can escape, I stand in front of her, peering down at her.

  “Tell me what’s wrong, Zero.”

  She smirks. “Nothing now that Ginny is gone.”

  “Ginny? What did Ginny do to you?”

  “She’s annoying.” She scowls. “Noisy.” Her chin lifts as she searches my stare. “I think you need to go back to physical therapy.”

  “I said I’m good.”

  “You’re not good, Smash. You’re broken. Sometimes you have to rely on others if you want to fix yourself.”

  I dart my eyes down to her pink lips that are supple and begging to be kissed again. “Can I rely on you?”

  “Duh.” She pokes my chest. “I have to go.”

  “Why?” I ask.

  She stiffens. “I have stuff to do.”

  “What stuff?”

  “God, Terrence,” she snaps. “Girl stuff. Period stuff.”

  Liar.

  I’m not stupid. She’s avoiding the topic.

  “Maybe I should come with and help you do your period stuff,” I offer, challenging her with a stern glare.

  “Gross.” She flips me off, storming over to her bag.

  “Penny, wait,” I call out, limping my ass over to her. Maybe I will call and make an appointment. “I’m sorry.”

  She whips around, her blond ponytail swinging. “I need to do this alone.”

  What is this?

  “Okay,” I say, holding my hands up in surrender. “I’m here if you need help. I know it’s not period shit, but whatever it is, it has you upset and distracted.”

  She frowns, uncertainty flashing in her blue eyes. “I can handle it. I have to.”

  “Promise me you’ll text me or call me if you can’t. I’ll be there, okay?”

  “I promise.”

  As she swivels to leave, I playfully tug at her ponytail. She swats at my hand, scowling at me, but the corners of her lips tug slightly up.

  An almost smile.

  With, Penny, I’ll take whatever I can get.

  We walk outside. I lock the gym door while she continues walking. When I turn around to look for her, she’s storming toward her Jeep where two guys are leaned up against it. My entire body tenses, getting a creepy-ass vibe from these fuckers.

  “Make like a tree and get the fuck off my car,” Penny says.

  That’s not how the saying goes, but Penny makes up her own shit.

  “Feisty,” the meaner of the two guys says, tossing his cigarette to the grass before stubbing it out with his shoe. “Just wanted to say hi.”

  I walk up behind her, glaring at the motherfucker. “Hi. Now go home.”

  His eyes narrow. “Fuckin’ Hoodlum.”

  This Hoodlum is about to fuck him up.

  Penny lifts her keys up, a can of Mace pointed at his face. “If you value your eyeballs, get the fuck away from my car. The last asshole who messed with the Hoodlums lost his eyes.”

  The dude’s jaw clenches and he fists his hands. I will
fucking destroy him if he lays one finger on my girl.

  “I’m not afraid of you or your sister or your delinquent fuck boys,” the guy snarls. “But I do think my boy Ryan deserves a little vengeance,” he spits. “Let’s go, Eli.”

  They saunter off like they didn’t just threaten everyone I care about.

  “Who the fuck was that?” I growl, my hand clutching Penny’s hip. “And why in the fuck is he threatening you?”

  She shudders at my touch, but I think it’s the good kind of shudder. Like my touch feels good.

  “Grayson is just a pussy who thinks he can push around girls like his fuckface friend Ryan. He’ll learn really quick he can’t push around this girl.” She turns around, her chest brushing against mine. “I can handle him.”

  Not alone.

  Over my dead body.

  “You let me know if you need help,” I murmur, dipping down to press a kiss to her forehead. “I will beat the shit out of both those motherfuckers and not even break a sweat.”

  She pokes at my abs, pushing me back. “If you could even catch up to them. Go to physical therapy and maybe I’ll let you beat up those bitch boys. Until then, I’ll deal with it myself.”

  I scowl but know she’s right.

  If I want to take care of this girl, I need to take care of myself first.

  And lucky for me, Penny can be vicious when she wants to be—a fact that makes me really fucking proud.

  Penny

  I’m a bundle of nerves when I arrive at Jack’s house. It was only a few days ago I came here with Terrence. If Zella says anything, it’ll be over before I started. I’m hoping since she’s a quiet kid, she won’t. I need this job. Not for the money. I need it for Terrence.

  Though, if he knew I was doing this, he’d probably kill me.

  Samantha does her job well, and I do trust her as she’s helped my brother and Roan with Sebban, and now she’s helping with Charlotte’s mess. However, I don’t know that she moves fast enough for my liking.