Page 97 of Her Brother's Keeper

He wasn’t here, but I was pretty sure the devil himself was and he was in me. I slammed him up against the lockers and fed him a left hook right into his fucking mouth. I buried my other fist in his gut, and when he bent over, kneed him right in the fucking face. I hit him and he hit the floor, it was over that fast.

Maren was sobbing, terrified and reaching for me and I took her off her vice principal and pulled her in tight against me.

“You saw that, right?”

“I most certainly did,” Mr. Hunter said and took me by the elbow leading me towards the front.

“Let’s go to my office.”

We went with him, through the office and into his, where he picked up the phone. I sat down on the couch he had against one wall and pulled Maren into my lap, moving her hair back from her throat, hissing at the bruises already coming up on her skin.

“You okay, Angel?”

She sniffed and opened her mouth and tried to speak, but wasn’t very effective at it, her voice coming at a hoarse squeak.

“Don’t let me go.”

“Never, Baby, never. I’ve got you.”

I looked over to Mr. Hunter who was saying, “Yes, I believe he is still unconscious. I was more concerned about his victim. Yes, two ambulances and police. The attack was unconscionable.”

He hung up the phone and Maren looked up at him like a deer in the headlights, her makeup streaked face heartbreaking.

“I don’t care what Mr. Barber says this time. There’s no denying what I just saw. Maren, I’m so sorry.”

“I need to get my coat, she’s shivering,” I said and she turned her attention back to me eyes too wide with panic.

“If you can trust me to get it for you, I will.”

I let him have the keys to Rev’s Chevelle and told him, “It’s in the trunk, don’t fuck me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said and went out. He returned moments later with my jacket and cut, which I wrapped around Maren’s shoulders. I tucked her head under my chin and rocked her, even as Mr. Hunter set my keys on the edge of his desk.

A minute or two later, we heard approaching sirens. This was going to be a fucking bitch.

***

“Tell me again, just what fuckin’ happened that you thought it would be a good idea to callthese twoin, first thing?” Dragon ordered, and didn’t look at all happy about it.

We’d ended up taking Maren to Doc’s ER, but Doc wasn’t on duty. She was sedated and resting in my room at the moment, Doc had come in and was hanging with her to watch for any problems. I guess near strangulation was a serious thing way beyond a raspy voice for a bit.

She’d filed charges on Luke, and with Mr. Hunter’s help, I’d managed to avoid any for the beat down I’d put on his drunk ass; despite the principal, Mr. Barber’s, bitching about that fact.

Still, didn’t mean we were out of the woods because he’d been awful vocal about our visit some months back when he’d come out of it. Now I was sitting down with Dragon, Dray, and Trig and coming clean before any LEO’s came knocking. Reaver and Cell had just come through the door, and everyone else was either in their room or the media room.

Cell and Reave exchanged a look and pulled out chairs, Cell asking, “What’s up?”

“You, going ‘own fucking program,’ again,” Dray said bitterly.

Dragon shook his head, “Jesus H. Christ, Nox. You had to know takin’ these two was like using a thermonuclear device to kill ants. That shit’s just sheer overkill.”

“I wanted to make my point clear,” I said flatly.

Trigger shook his head and said, “You were at my place, with me,” he said flatly to Reaver. “That was the night my Sunshine and Doll went out and had a ladies night, remember?”

“Yes, I do,” Reaver said with a shit eating grin.

“I was with my twin, out in his shop.”

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