AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The chatting goes on a little longer than usual, cutting into her time to get to her next class. I think Layla’s procrastinating. I think she’s afraid to walk out of this classroom—afraid that Reese will be waiting to ambush her in the hallway and cause more trouble.
Damn, I wish I could carry on campus. But I sure as hell can’t pull a gun on a student. That would get me banned from campus in a heartbeat, and possibly put in jail, and then I’d be screwed.
Finally, the girls go their separate ways. Our mad dash across campus to her next class—English lit—is uneventful. There, she turns in the rough draft of her paper onJane Eyreand takes a pop quiz on the assigned reading. Knowing her, she’ll ace the quiz.
Then it’s off to lunch. We meet Charlene at the cafeteria. Layla gets her usual grilled chicken wrap and tea. I grab a couple slices of pizza and a bottle of water. We meet Charlene at the usual table.
Charlene asks Layla to catch her up on all the drama that happened outside the anatomy classroom.
After Layla tells the story, Charlene scans the crowded cafeteria. “I don’t see him anywhere.”
“Good,” Layla says as she takes a sip of her tea.
We eat in peace, then the girls separate again, Charlene heading to her next class, while Layla heads to her psychology class.
Layla and I are halfway across campus when Reese and his friends make an appearance.
Shit.
I was afraid of this.
I’d love to make a go at them—hell, even all five of them—but I can’t. Not with Layla here. I can’t do my job and protect her if I’m involved in a brawl. And that’s exactly what it would be.
The five hulks start walking toward us across the lawn, fanning out in an arc. Reese is in the middle, with two friends on each side.
I release Layla’s hand and gently push her in the direction of the nearest building. “I want you to go into that building, find an administrative office where you’ll be safe, and call your brother to come get you. Got it?”
She looks frantic. “Jason, no! I’m not leaving you.”
“Layla, I mean it,” I growl as I point at the nearest building. “We don’t have time to debate this.” And then I’m completely out of options, because the first of the five goons rushes me.
Layla screams when I shove her out of the path of this mountain barreling down on me.
Fuck.
I really don’t want Layla to see this.
Like all McIntyre Security bodyguards, I’m well versed in martial arts—Jiu Jitsu, kickboxing, MMA. But my personal favorite is Krav Maga. It’s swift and brutal, and it does the job.
The first guy who comes at me has the momentum of a freight train—a serious miscalculation on his part. At the last second, I duck, pivot, and slam my elbow into his abdomen, knocking the breath out of him. He drops to the ground like a stone, coughing as he struggles to catch his breath.
Somewhere to my right, Layla screams.
Automatically, I turn to search for her. Three more of them rush me at once, catching me off guard. Two of them grab my arms and pin them behind my back. As I struggle to break free, the third guy slams his fist into my face, once, twice, three times. Blood rushes from my nose and lips. I can feel my left eye throbbing as it starts to swell.
Layla’s sobbing now, crying my name. I kick out at the guy who’s using my face as a punching bag, dislocating his kneecap. He goes down hard. I use my feet to knock the two holding me to the ground, and a couple of well-placed kicks ensures they won’t be getting up any time soon. They’ll both be pissing blood for days.
With his four buddies on the ground, Reese comes running at me, his face screwed up in anger, his chest heaving as he sucks in air. He’s all brute force with no finesse as he swings at me. I sidestep him, pivot, and use my foot to send him crashing to the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of him.
I hear multiple sirens then. Campus police are on their way.
Fuck.
Layla runs to me, throwing herself into my arms. “It’s okay,” I tell her as I hold her shaking body.
“You’re bleeding,” she cries.
Here come three cops running this way. Five guys are lying on the ground, either half unconscious or struggling to breathe, and I’m the only one standing. It looks like I’m about to be arrested.
