Sledge bolted upright, his gaze darting to Naf. "Nuthin'. I didn't know you were home, your car's not here."

Naf entered the room, dressed in the same hoodie and jeans from yesterday, and reeking of cigarette smoke. "It broke down."

"Sorry. Do ya know where Corey is? I wanna talk to him 'bout..." Tama. "...things."

"He's pro'bly sleeping the party off somewhere."

Sledge stood up. "What party?"

Naf took a step back. "Ah... At Kirstin Jones's place. He wanted to stay behind, so I left with your cousins Tag... I mean, Kane and Mick, to do a bit of tagging."

"Kirstin Jones as in Len Jones's daughter, the fattest b.a.s.t.a.r.d in Auckland and the same p.r.i.c.k who shot at Dante and attacked Ash?"

"I have no idea who her father is, and Jones is a common name. Anyway, your cousins were there, so chill, it must be alright."

"Still, why the h.e.l.l didja take Corey to a party? You know what he's like; he'd be filling up on booze and drugs."

"Stop tripping, man. He's pro'bly sleeping it off at Ty..." Naf grimaced. "He met someone and is most likely at their place."

Yeah, probably some slapper, Sledge thought. G.o.d, why did Corey do this s.h.i.t? He was going to get hurt again, he could just see it. "Do ya know where the chick lives? I'll go pick him up."

"He doesn't need ya holding his hand; he can make his own way back."

"He's sick, and he has the worst taste in chicks. I don't want him gettin' hurt again." Sledge clenched his hands. "Don't look at me like that; I'm worried after what happened with Juliet, and you should be too."

"Yeah, true," Naf said, looking guilty.

Sledge's ears perked up at the sound of a car. Hoping it was Corey, he headed outside, but instead got Juliet. Her eyes locked onto his. Looking panicked, she fumbled with the door handle, getting it open as Sledge ran for her.

He slammed it shut. "You might as well tell me why you beat up Corey, cos I'm not letting you get away this time."

"No, let go of the door, I hafta pick up Ash."

"Then why'd ja come home?"

"None of your biz, let go!"

"No! You tell me why you punched Corey. Now!"

"It's between me and Corey, not you."

Sledge slammed a fist into the panel next to Juliet. She squealed and jumped to the side, raising her hands to cover her head. "Tell me or I'll make ya!"

Naf pushed himself in between them. Sledge looked down at his short mate, thinking the bloke had b.a.l.l.s. Naf couldn't fight to save himself, let alone protect Juliet.

"Corey doesn't want cha hurtin' her, so back off," Naf said.

Sledge sneered at him. "You've changed your tune. I heard you yelling at her yesterday. Has Corey told ja what happened?"

"It's between Corey and Juliet, not you."

Sledge leaned over Naf, dwarfing him. "Tell me."

Naf looked like he was going to p.i.s.s himself. "Corey doesn't want cha knowing."

Sledge's lips twitched. "Why am I the only one not allowed to know?"

"Cos it's up to Corey."

"But, he never hides stuff from me."

"Oh, yes he does."

"Like what?" Sledge said, feeling like this had more to do with him than Juliet.

"Believe you me, you don't wanna know."

Sledge breathed out, trying to calm himself down. "But, I do."

Naf shook his head as a car turned into the driveway. Sledge's gaze shifted to the Alfa Romeo. His eyes widened in shock. What the f.u.c.k was Corey doing with Tyler Jones?

Sledge ran for the car, yanking the door open as Tyler pulled on the handbrake. He jammed an arm across Tyler's neck and undid the seatbelt.

"Get offa me!" Tyler struggled against him, trying to push Sledge's face away.

"Leave him alone, Sledge!" Corey yelled.

Once the buckle was undone, Sledge yanked Tyler out, furious that the poof was even in the same proximity as Corey. Tama had told him all about Tyler hitting on Corey a few months back, so now it was his turn to hit on Tyler, just with his fists.

"Your uncle almost killed my brother!" Sledge yelled, raising a fist.

"No!" Corey grabbed Sledge's arm and tried to pull him away.

Yanking it free, Sledge dropped Tyler and turned on Corey. "What the f.u.c.k are you doin' with that princess? Tama warned you 'bout him."

"He's a mate."

"A mate?" Sledge stared at Corey in disbelief. "His dad and uncle have attacked my brothers more than once, and you're his mate? You're s'posed to be mine."

Corey's face screwed up.

"You're not gonna cry, are ya?" Sledge said. "What sort of pansy-a.r.s.ed s.h.i.t is this? First Juliet beats you up, then you come home with this t.w.a.t." He gestured towards Tyler. "And why the h.e.l.l is he giving you a lift for anyway? Are ya doin' his cousin?"

"No."

"Then what?"

Corey's gaze moved past Sledge. "I went with him last night."

"Where to?"

"I... Ah... Go away!" Corey yanked his beanie over his eyes.

Sledge grabbed Corey's wrist and pulled the beanie back up. "Tell me straight or I'll pull the d.a.m.n thing off."

Corey tried to free his hand. "Lemme go!"

"Not until you tell me," Sledge said, grabbing the other one.

"I went to his place in Herne Bay. Okay!"

Sledge let go and cupped Corey's face, trying to see if there were any new bruises. "Did he hurt you?"

Corey yanked his face free. "No!"

"What were you thinking goin' with him? You know he has a thing for you. He could've forced you."

"He didn't do anything to me that I didn't want!"

Sledge went still. "What's that s'posed to mean?"

Corey stared back, his face frightened. "Nuthin'."

"No, you tell me now or I'll bash the s.h.i.t outta that f.u.c.kin' h.o.m.o," he said, pointing at Tyler.

"Then you might as well bash me too, cos I'm the same as him."

"No, you're not."

Corey started shaking, his expression terrified. "Yes, I am. I'm a f.a.g, a queer, a princess and a f.u.c.kin' h.o.m.o-all the things you hate. So, leave Tyler alone, this isn't his fault, it's mine, cos I went to Kirstin's party looking for him."

Sledge shook his head. "You can't be a f.a.g, you went with Juliet."

"Well, I am."

"But you had that threesome with..." me. No! Corey didn't touch him AT ALL, and the chick blew Corey, therefore his mate had to like females, because he'd gotten hard. And Tyler was hot, and if he was desperate enough for s.e.x even he would let the guy blow him, but that didn't make him or Corey gay. "You're confused," Sledge said. "One blow, or whatever you guys did, doesn't make you a f.a.g," which he knew all too well, the memory of the transvest.i.te sucking him off coming back.

"I'm not confused," Corey replied.

"Then why didja f.u.c.k Juliet?" Sledge glanced over at his sister, thinking Tyler was a h.e.l.l of a lot prettier. "Did she put you off females?"

"What?!" Juliet screamed.

Corey shook his head. "No, I like her-"

"Cos I look like you!" Juliet yelled at Sledge. "He used me cos he wants you! And you really wanna know why I punched him?"

"No, Juliet!" Corey shouted.

"Cos he called out your name when he came!"

Sledge's face fell, the memory of Corey shouting his name finally hitting home. He turned back to Corey. "That's why Juliet beat you up?"

Corey started crying again.

Sledge's mind went back to the threesome. Oh G.o.d, Corey had been perving at him. "You set up that threesome."

"I'm so sorry." Corey spun around and ran for the house.

Tyler went to follow.

Sledge grabbed him from behind. "Oh, no you don't, you're not ever goin' near him again."

"He's my boyfriend, so lemme go!" Tyler shouted, trying to free himself.

"He's not your boyfriend!"

"Yes, he is, cos it was my name he called out last night, not yours!"

Before Sledge knew what he was doing, he had blood on his fist with Tyler screaming underneath him. Something banged into his side, knocking him off Tyler. He landed on his back as Corey rolled off him. His mate curled up into a ball, his moans punctuated with swearing.

Naf ran over to Corey. "Bro, you alright?"

Corey shook his head, then hit out at Naf when his brother tried to help him up. Sledge pushed Naf aside and scooped up Corey in his arms. Corey continued to swear, his expression pained.

Sledge glared down at Tyler. "Move your car," he barked.

Tyler covered his nose. "f.u.c.k you," he said, his voice m.u.f.fled.

Naf bent down and searched Tyler's pockets for keys. "They must be in the car." He jumped into the Alfa Romeo, then reversed out onto the road.

Sledge carried Corey over to Juliet and her car. "Open the backdoor; I'm taking him to the hospital."

Juliet pulled it open, her expression full of guilt. Sledge gently laid Corey on the back seat, then took his sister's keys. Without a word, he got in and backed out.

17.

Ash Ash walked around the blue Ford as Juliet unlocked it, wondering why she was picking him up from the hospital in Corey's car.

He slipped into the front pa.s.senger seat and clicked on his seatbelt. "What happened to your car?"

She shut her door. "Sledge is borrowing it, cos..." She bit her lip, looking like she was about to cry. "It isn't my fault, it's Corey's, but Sledge looked at me like I caused the problem. He always blames me for everything."