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Why don’tyou come out of the shadows and play? Or are you too much of a coward? It’s me you want. Come and get me, motherfucker.
I hit send beforeI could change my mind, reassured by the heaviness of the four sharpened pieces of steel strapped to my limbs. By the fact that I knew any of the guys would have sent the same message if our roles were reversed. They couldn’t be angry with me for this. Especially not if it got me the result I wanted.
This fucker’s head on a spike proudly displayed at the entrance to the Crow’s Nest as a warning to any others who might try to raise a weapon against my guys.
Feeling much better, I pushed into the bathroom, going to splash some water over my fury flushed neck and cheeks.
I pocketed my phone, on edge as the sound of shuffling feet beneath a stall alerted me to someone else in the bathroom.
The room fell silent.
My brows drew. “Hello?”
I bent to peer beneath the stalls, finding the small floor spaces all empty. But I’d definitely heard someone.
The fury came rushing back at the realization that the stalker would still want to keep tabs on us here even though Grey now had complete control over every form of surveillance on the property and was certain there was no outside access anymore. What if he were here? Watching in the flesh.
My upper lip curled back as I reached for a blade and kicked the first stall door open.
A girlish squeal from the stall next door made me hesitate, but only for a second before I kicked that one open, too.
The girl cowered in a ball, hugging her knees to her chest atop the toilet seat, her long brown hair hanging like a curtain to cover most of her face. Though it didn’t cover enough to hide the fact that she’d been crying. By the look of it, she’d been crying in here for a while. Her eyes were puffy and red, mascara streaked down to her chin.
I thought I recognized her as a freshman who usually sat near the front of the cafeteria. Usually alone, or as a fifth wheel to another group of kids who mostly ignored her. I couldn’t remember her name, though.
She stared at me like I was the grim fucking reaper come to inhale her soul. Jesus.
My stomach tightened, and I backed up a step, the fire in my veins spluttering. “Um…”
Fuck. I wasn’t good at this.
“Are… are you okay?”
The girl burst into sobs at my question, pressing her face into her knees.
Oh god.
I stepped into the stall, awkwardly patting the girl’s shoulder. “There, there.”
That’s what you were supposed to say, right?
“I’ll, uh, I’ll go get the nurse, okay?”
Her hand shot out, grabbing me by the wrist to stop me. “No!”
Something about the fear in her voice stopped me, and the hairs on the back of my neck pricked.
“Why not?”
“Please,” she sobbed, wiping snot across the back of her hand. “Please just f-f-forget you saw me.”
My phone chimed in my pocket, but I barely heard it over the rush of blood in my ears. Something bad happened to this girl.
This girl who looked like she couldn’t be more than fifteen. This girl, who, under the running makeup and red eyes, looked sweet and innocent despite attending school at a place like this.
“What happened to you?” I found myself asking, sinking down to her eye level.
She spied the knife in my hand and gasped, prompting me to put it away. I lifted my empty hands to show her I meant no harm. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
