AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Is this what you want?" Mia asks, the green swaying with so many emotions I can't decipher them individually.
I nod. "I've spent three days moving through the deeper, darker parts of myself. I've spent longer avoiding the thoughts..."
She nods.
And I want to make sure I can give more of myself to this, to us. Being based in Boston means I'm here for the remainder of her major. Beyond that? Who knows.
The door to the bar slams open, my back instantly sits rod straight as Zac storms in. My crew stand up, moving bodies to shield the girls. Something in Zac's storm clouds hint at the danger coming. The red around his eyes doesn’t escape my attention. He’d deserved that for going at my girl.Again.
We have to get the girls out of here, but we've packed them into the corner.
"I thought I'd find you here."
"We frequent three places, campus, Momma's, and here. It's not exactly hard," I leer.
Lightning strikes in his eyes. "Your girl told you yet?" His head juts in Mia's direction.
"I..." Mia stammers, hands shaking slightly as she tries to push around Sawyer's heavy build.
Zac cackles. "Keeping secrets?"
"What the fuck do you want?" Lucas growls, moving his body so he shields Avery.
Those storm clouds remain fixed on me. "I've fucked your girl, Whitlock."
It’s not the punch I’d expected because I know my girl. She would have mentioned it… unless… cold understanding drops into my chest.
The dreams.
Her fear.
The fucker hurt her.
"He raped her!" Avery hollers. "Harry spiked her drinks and Zac did the rest."
Blood floods my chest riding on an indescribable anger.
Zac shrugs. "I didn't hear her say no."
"Because I was comatose, you asshole! And I would have said no, you chose not to hear!" Mia pushes at Sawyer with as much success as a fly batting at a wall, and before I can stop her, she's already crawling across the table, wanting a piece of Zac.
My punch shocks him. As he stumbles back, the crew start moving the girls. Blood lines his teeth as he grins. Before I can lunge at him again, the windows explode simultaneously as bottles rocket into the bar. One combusts on impact, and fire greedily licks at the wooden beams.
Fuck!
Before I can turn to my crew, Zac gains the upper hand and barrels into my body.
A body very much broken, thanks to him. Screams erupt as the blaze grows. I roll with Zac, lurch on top of him and punch again.
"Austin!"
I turn and see the door is blocked by the fire. I growl and push off the wooden floor, leaving him. Everything in the bloody bar is wood! I head towards my crew. Mia stares at me, wide, beautiful, green, asking me for answers. This time I have them. "Grab the table!"
We heave the table, just as all the rowing flags burst into flames, we watch as one of the beams succumbs to the pressure of the fire. I lean over Mia, bracing my body as it crashes down, narrowly missing us. The room roars as smoke clogs my lungs, making the ribs that had been on the mend, ache.
"Table!" I yell, coughing with the effort.
We hold the table as high as we can and aim it at a window that isn’t consumed by fire. As the air from the outside meets the fire inside, the sound, an intense sucking noise, will stay with me for as long as I live.
