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“What’s happened?”
“Avery’s in some kind of trouble.”
“Was that who the message was from?”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe she’s just bored.”
“That’s not how it came over.Come on.”
Still chewing and sweating, Dan stood and felt around in his back pocket for his wallet.“I’ll get this one, you barely ate anything anyway.”
“Thanks,” Carts said, speeding for the door.
By the time Dan joined him he already had the engine revving and they took off into the busy Saturday evening traffic.
When they drew up outside the party house, the heavy beat of music could be heard even before he killed the engine.As they took the path up to the house, it was clear things were getting messy.There were kids milling all over the front patio and lawn, shouting and squealing with laughter.A girl was holding her friend’s hair away from her face while she vomited into a bush; a couple were making out by the front door.Carts averted his eyes.
Inside, they got a few weird looks as they shouldered their way along the packed hallway.
When they reached the kitchen, Carts anxiously skimmed the heads, looking for Avery’s chestnut brown hair.Knowing that she’d be a good head taller than most of the other kids here, panic set in when he couldn’t see her.He was getting more strange looks; he understood why.Him and Dan were clearly the odd ones out; too young to be a parent and too old to be one of them.The crowd moved like parting waves to let him and Dan pass, eyeing them over the rims of their glasses with the hazy bloodshot look that came with too much alcohol consumption and dope.
Fuck!WherewasAvery?
And then he spotted a glint of purple hair.Big hoop earrings, dark-rimmed eyes.Zammy, leaning against the kitchen sink, smoking a giant riff.Holding it between two purple-tipped fingers, she puffed smoke from out of her lower lip and didn’t look surprised or even interested when her eyes met his.
He pushed through the throng towards her.
“Your Ave’s brother aren’t you?”She took a sip of red wine out of a plastic cup.
“Yes, she messaged me fifteen minutes ago.Do you know where she is?”
Zammy shrugged.“No idea.”She called out, “Hey, Brett, have you seen Aves?”
A hairy guy slouched over.“Last I saw of her she was with Duke.But that was half an hour ago.”
A ball of fire took over Carts’ chest.
Vocal cords quivering with rage, he gritted out, “You better get your arse into gear, RIGHT NOW and help me find her.”
Huge terrified eyes.That’s all he registered when the door to the bathroom flew open with the full force of Dan’s shoulder behind it.
Adrenaline did the rest.In two strides Carts was pulling the guy off her, spinning him round by his collar.
“Fuckin’ hell—” Duke’s eyes were bloodshot, the words slurred.And then something that resembled a human bullet catapulted past Carts’ left elbow.It took a moment to register that Dan now had Duke pinned up against the bathroom tiles, his feet dangling three centimetres off the floor.
“You little piece of shit.”Dan’s fists were white-knuckled as he gripped Duke by the front of his T-shirt, his jaw jutting as he eyeballed him.“What were you doing to her?”
“Get off me, you fucked up weirdo.”Duke’s legs were wheeling in the air.Meanwhile, in two strides Carts made it to where Avery was cowering next to the toilet.“Are you okay?”She nodded mutely, pulling her skirt down over her thighs with trembling fingers.He ripped off his jacket and put it round her shoulders, helped her to her feet, barely daring to think what would have happened if he hadn’t seen her message.
“You’re the fucked-up weirdo, mate.”Dan was shouting now, his nose an inch from Duke’s.“You’re lucky I don’t ram those teeth down your ugly throat.”
“Stop it!”Avery’s face was sheet white.“Please stop; can we just leave?”
“He hasn’t hurt you, has he?”Carts asked quietly.She shook her head, even as her lower lip trembled and her eyes welled.“I’m okay, it didn’t get that far.”
Slightly reassured, Carts took hold of Dan’s arm firmly.“Let him go, mate.”
