"I'm just going to be upstairs with Olivia," Jace mumbled behind Karson as I heard his loud footsteps pound against the stairs. I didn't respond to what Karson said until I heard Jace's door close.

"Why would you protect me from yourself?" I asked, curiosity getting the best of me as a small frown etched it's way onto my face.

"Like I've said many times before, my family is dangerous. If you get involved with me, you get involved with my family. I never told you because I didn't want him to do anything to you. If you knew who he was to me, he would hurt you more than he did before," he mumbled, his voice sharp as he clenched his jaw in rage. He was trying to hold back. "Why do you think I've been such an ass to you?"

"What?" I breathed, my mind racing as we stood merely inches away from each other. I felt his minty breath fan across my face as he deeply exhaled.

He lightly rubbed his forehead in frustration as briefly closed his eyes. His eyes shot open, revealing his dangerously dark eyes as they scanned every inch of my face. Whatever he was about to say was going to be hard for him to get out.

"From the first moment I met you, I was drawn to you. Your sarcastic attitude, your beautiful blue eyes, and your snarky comments made me fall hard," he explained as a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

I sucked in a sharp breath as my heart hammered in my chest. I anxiously fiddled with the hem of my shirt as his eyes briefly flickered down to my shirt. He took notice and gently separated my hands as he rubbed the back of them instead.

"You had an effect on me, like no one else ever had. As much as I wanted to talk to you and get to know you, I couldn't," he scoffed as his grip slightly tightened. "If I got close to you, my father, and uncle for that matter, would immediately target you. I couldn't let that happen, so I tried pushing you away. It was so fucking hard, Dakota. All I wanted to do was be your friend, but knowing that my father was still set on getting revenge on me, he would hurt anyone I cared about to get revenge. I couldn't let him hurt you."

My eyes widened in shock as he finally explained himself. It all made sense. He was an asshole from the beginning, but it was only to keep me from getting hurt. He knew that if we had gotten close, his father and Jason would target me. He only did it to protect me from his family.

"You've never hated me?" I asked, curiosity lacing in between my words as I met his gaze. I felt goosebumps against my skin as my lips slightly parted.

"I could never," he admitted as his eyes somewhat softened. "I hated the things I said to you. God, I fucking hated myself when I saw how hurt you looked. It tore me apart. I did it for so long, until I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't handle being the reason you were angry or sad. I gave in, and finally let myself get close to you."

"Oh my God," I whispered under my breath. My eyes widened in shock as his words replayed in my mind. My heart fluttered as nerves coursed through my veins. He never hated me. All those things he said to me, wasn't true.

"But, I fucked up. If I didn't give in, and kept being a dick, my father and Jason would've never known about you," he hissed, angry at himself as he released my hands and ran them through his black hair.

"Jason knew me before you guys came down here, so it was bound to happen that your father would soon know about me. Jason's already done some fucked up things way before you moved down here, so it's not your fault that all of this is happening. Jason is just a sick man," I explained. I didn't like seeing him angry at himself. "What a small world, huh?"

He shook his head before connecting his gaze with mine. "He's so fucked up, Dakota. I'm so sorry you had to put up with him for the past few years. When Jason worked for my dad, they were like an inseparable team. They ran the underground together. I don't know what happened between them, but one day, my father ended up taking it over by himself, leaving Jason to move down here alone. I still don't know what happened."

"You know Jason moved down here because of his daughter, right?" I asked as dread sat in the pit of my stomach.

"We knew he had a daughter, but we didn't know where she was, or even where the birth mother was. I only grew up with Jason, so I never knew he had a daughter until a few years ago," he admitted, his eyebrows furrowing together in confusion as he tried to put the remaining puzzle pieces together.

"Well, his daughter is in one of our classes," I told him as his eyes widened in shock. "She has black hair, like yours, and she's been keeping tabs on us, Karson. She's basically been watching you and me."

"Jesus," he breathed as he grit his teeth. "Like father, like daughter. They are both fucking insane."

I hummed in agreement as I gently bit my lower lip. "Jason texted Damon about you and me."

Karson clenched his jaw as he took a deep breath. His body visibly stiffened as a muscle in his bicep twitched. He was furious. "I know. My father texted me and told me he was coming down here. That's why I'm so fucking mad at myself. If I didn't allow myself to get close to you, this wouldn't be happening. I was supposed to protect you and everyone I cared about from my father, and now he's coming down here. And thanks to my fucking uncle, my father knows where I live."

"What's going to happen now? You said you were only an asshole because you wanted to protect me. Why are you trying to protect me from your father? What is he trying to do to me?" I asked, my voice slightly faltering as my fear coursed through my veins.

"He's so fucking angry at me because I took his daughter and ran away from the underground. I needed to protect Amelia from him, because if he wasn't taking his anger out on me, he'd go for Amelia. No matter what happened, I would never let him lay a hand on her," he began before pausing to catch his breath.

"After every fight, I would be in so much pain to the point where I could barely move. I couldn't take care of her when I couldn't even stand properly. He wouldn't let me leave the underground, so I took matters into my own hands," he explained as he kept his eyes trained on me. "My father is set on destroying my life because I destroyed his. When Amelia, Colton, Braxton, and I left, he went bankrupt and couldn't make any money. I was his only source of income. He knows that hurting you and Amelia will get to me. He knows how much I care for people and he will use it to his advantage. I'm so fucking sorry my father found out about you. It also doesn't help that Jason knew you before all of this, too."

"So what you're basically trying to say is that your father wants to hurt me and your sister because he wants revenge?" I deadpanned, fury welling up in my chest as I stared at the boy I developed feelings for. Woah now. Amelia isn't even in this state, so he would just aim for me. "Well isn't that nice? Your dear father is set on hurting me to get to you."

"Don't say that, Dakota," he grunted, his voice sharp as his nostrils flared. "I'm not going to let my father touch either of you. If he touches a single strand on your head, he's dead."

"How the fuck are you going to do that, Ryder!?" I hissed, pushing his chest as he slightly stumbled back. I was furious. With my mother, and now this? I didn't know what I was going to do.

"I made a deal with my father, okay?!" He roared as he stepped forward menacingly. I took a step back, almost tripping over myself until my back hit the wall. I grunted, the cold wall against my bare skin sending shivers down my back as he continued to walk forward until he was only inches away from my face. I held my breath as I slightly looked to the side, not daring to look into those emerald eyes.

"What deal?" I breathed as I squeezed my eyes shut. I felt him grab my chin, pulling my head forwards to meet his furious gaze. I released a shaky breath as he kept a tight grip on my chin.

"I told my father I would fight him," he snarled as I felt his breath fan across my face. I felt my heart drop to the pit of my stomach when those words fell from his lips. No. "If he wins, I go back to my hometown and fight for him in the underground. If I win, he'll back off for good. He'll leave me and everyone I care about alone."

"No," I hissed as I violently shook my head. He can't go through with this. "Karson, you're going to get hurt. If he's as bad as I've heard, he's going to play dirty. You can't."

"I have to, Dakota," he breathed as his forehead creased in frustration. He didn't want to do this. He had to fight his own father for freedom. "I can't see you get hurt. I can't see Amelia get hurt. I can't."

"And I can't see you get hurt!" I argued as tears began to well in the corner of my eyes. I never realized how much I truly cared about him until now.

"Don't you understand!?" He roared, his voice hoarse as he narrowed his eyes at me. "I have no fucking choice! I put myself into this situation, so I'm getting out the only way I know how. So what if he plays dirty? I've been fighting for years so I know what I'm doing."

"There has to be another way without you getting hurt!" I fired right back as I felt the color drain from my face. I couldn't stand the thought of him getting hit by his father.

"There isn't, Dakota!" He hissed as his arms shot out, encasing my head as he pressed his hands against the wall behind me. I felt my heart pound in my chest as my knees felt weak. "Why are you so fucking bothered with my decision?!"

"I care about you, Karson! Believe it or not, I care about you so fucking much. Why am I so bothered?! Because I can't stand around and watch you get hurt while I'm on the sidelines doing nothing. I can't stand knowing that you have to fight your own father alone," I admitted as my voice raised in anger. He looked taken aback, his eyes faltering for a brief second before an unrecognizable emotion clouded his eyes.

"Stop," he growled under his breath as his eyes briefly flickered to my lips.

"Ryder, I swear to God the way you make me feel drives me insane. When I first met you, you were such an asshole and I couldn't stand being near you. Now, I can't stand being without you!" I continued, confessing my feelings from all the pent-up anger inside of me. I couldn't stop talking.

"Stop, Dakota," he grunted as his muscles twitched beside my head. I challenged him with my eyes, never once standing down. I glared at him as I felt my cheeks heat up.

I smirked. "The way you touch-"

I was cut off when his lips roughly smashed against mine. I subconsciously grabbed the nape of his neck, pulling him closer to me as his lips moved against mine. His body pressed against mine as both of our chests moved up and down.

He gripped my throat, putting a small amount of pressure against it, causing me to groan into his mouth. His other hand wrapped around my waist, slightly pushing me against the wall as my back arched under his touch. Our lips moved in sync as he tongue gently ran along my bottom lip.

I slightly opened my mouth, letting his tongue roam around my mouth as it grazed over my teeth. His hand wrapped around my throat, but it wasn't hard enough to cut off air flow. I pulled him impossibly closer to me, not getting enough of him.

The kiss was rough, both of our emotions spilling into the kiss. We were both angry, so we took it out on each other. The way his hand wrapped around my throat and the way I tightly gripped his shirt showed how desperately we needed to get rid of these pent-up emotions.

We broke away from each other, my eyes fluttering open as I stared into his emerald eyes that were filled with desire and lust. His pupils were dilated and we were both breathing heavily. A small smirk tugged at his lips before he released his grip on my throat and grabbed both of my thighs.

My eyes widened when he easily lifted me up, letting my legs wrap around his waist as he pushed me up against the wall once again. I felt jolts of electricity travel throughout my body as we pressed against each other. No words were shared between us as he slowly leaned in once again.

I easily wrapped my arms around his neck as one of his hands tightly squeezed my thighs. My legs were wrapped around his torso as his other hand possessively grabbed my waist. Our lips moved against each other once again, his soft lips against mine making my stomach flutter with nerves.

He broke away, but quickly placed his lips against my neck, leaving a small trail of kisses down my neck. I slightly tilted my head up, giving him a better angle as he continued to leave kisses down my neck. His tongue rolled against my collarbone before lightly sucking on the same spot. A soft moan escaped my lips as I squeezed my eyes shut. I felt myself get more and more turned on as he continued to press up against me.

"Karson," I breathed, my voice small as his lips trailed back up my neck until he hovered over my lips. A small smile tugged at his lips as he looked me up and down, studying the position we were in.

"You know, all those girls were a distraction," he whispered, changing the subject as my legs tightened around his waist. I tried squeezing my legs against him to make the throbbing between my legs go down, but it didn't work. "I've only wanted you, Dakota. I tried to get my mind off of you by messing around with them, but it never worked. They weren't you."

"Karson," I warned, my voice sharp as my chest rose up and down. He was doing too many things to me. No one has ever made me feel like this and I didn't know how to react.

"You've really got my feelings all over the goddamn place," he groaned as his finger trailed against the bruise on my jaw. I forgot about that. "I can't get enough of you. Why did I have to be selfish? If I wasn't so fucking selfish, you wouldn't be in this situation with my fucked up family."

The odd thing was that I didn't mind him being selfish. I wanted him. I wanted Karson Ryder so fucking bad. And if that meant helping him get rid of his insane father and uncle, count me in. I decided right then and there that I was going to stick by his side no matter what, just like how he did for me. We were in this together.

"Be selfish for once," I breathed, my voice merely above a whisper as I fought myself from glancing at his swollen lips. "You and me? We're going to get through this together. Fuck your father. Fuck Jason. As much as I hate the idea of you fighting him, I'll support every decision you make. So with that being said, you are going to fight with all you've got and you are going to fucking win. You're winning that fight, Ryder, and I don't care what it costs. I'm on your side and I'm going to fight for you."

"Goddamnit, princess," he chuckled under his breath. "You're making this way too hard for me. I was supposed to stay away from you, but now your making it fucking impossible. I can't resist you, Dakota."

"Then don't," I whispered as his lips slightly twitched. "You and I are a team now, motherfucker. You aren't getting rid of me that fast. I won't let you."

A smirk tugged at his swollen lips as he easily dropped my thighs. My feet were against the floor, but his other arm was still wrapped around my waist. It felt like time had paused and the world stopped spinning around us. I was mesmerized by the green eyes that stared so intently into mine.

"When my father comes down, I'm going to fight with all I've got. I'm not letting that motherfucker win," he smirked as he repeated my words. I gave him a firm nod as I mirrored his lips. A small smirk morphed it's way onto my lips as well. Oh God, he's rubbing off on me.

"When is he coming?" I hesitantly asked as I tried not to focus on his hands resting above my hips. They were slightly under my shirt as his touch sent shivers up and down my spine.

"Next weekend," he huffed as his jaw went rigid.

Today was Saturday, so he had a week until his father came. So much could happen in a week. I felt my stomach clench with nerves as I stared into his beautiful emerald eyes. With his midnight black hair, and chiseled jawline, he really was beautiful.

"I'm going to help you prepare," I decided, keeping my head held high as a smirk was plastered on my swollen lips.

"As much as I would love that, no," he gave me a sweet smile as his eyes burned with admiration.

I blinked at him as my lips pressed together in a thin line. "No?"

"No. I'd prefer not to see the only girl I've ever cared about to be in even more danger than she already is," he deadpanned, even though he was being serious. "I've already fucked up by getting you involved, so I don't need you to get even more involved."

"Fuck it. I want to help you," I shrugged my shoulders as I tried to reassure him that I would be okay. "You've already helped me get through so much of my shit, so it's my turn. I want to help you, Karson. You can't go through with this alone."

"Let's not fuck it. What are you, twelve?" He asked as he raised one of his eyebrows at me. "As much as I love that you want to help, I'm not letting you do that."

"Too fucking bad. You're a stubborn piece of shit and I'm not letting you go through this alone. Like someone once told me, I'll always be there for you," I told him as I briefly glanced at his swollen lips. "Newsflash, it was you."

He slightly chuckled, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he lightly shook his head. "If you get hurt, I don't know what I'll do with myself."

"I'm not going to hurt. I've dealt with so much pain throughout my life, that even if I did get hurt, it wouldn't even phase me," I snorted, but immediately regretted those words when I saw his hard gaze.

"Not funny, Dakota," he hissed as his jaw clenched in annoyance.

I waved my hand in a dismissive manner before I grabbed both of his hands. "When you fight your father, I'll be next to the ring cheering you on, okay? Nothing is going to happen because I will be right next to you. I'm going to be by your side every step of the way. No matter how hard it will get, I'm not leaving you to fight this battle alone."

He hesitantly nodded his head before pulling out of my grip and wrapping his arms around my shoulders. My body immediately relaxed under his touch as our chest pressed together in a more comforting way.

His head fell into the crook of my neck as his hands grabbed a fistful of my shirt. I gently moved my hands against his back, tracing his tense muscles with my fingers as I buried my head into his chest.

"Thank you, Dakota," he whispered, his voice small and vulnerable as I nodded my head against his chest.

"Anything for you, Ryder," I smiled, using his own words against him as a gentle laugh slipped past his lips. I truly meant it, too. I would do so much for the boy that was holding me in his arms. I didn't know what we were, but that didn't matter as of right now. All that mattered was that we were finally in a good place and we weren't going down without a fight. His father can fuck off, because I'm not going anywhere.

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