Page 53 of Redemption
“Who are you,” I spit, anger seething through me.
He doesn’t answer, and I spin around, ready to go back out there, but Langston tackles me from behind, placing all his weight into it.
The ground cuts into my skin as I catch myself, but at this point, I don’t even notice.
“Get. Off. Of. Me,” I say, spinning and catching him on the chin with my fist.
Langston swings back. We exchange blows until I’m out of breath, and Langston looks like he might puke.
“Regretting drinking, yet?” I ask through the throbbing in my jaw. Even drunk, he’s got a heck of a left hook.
He stands up, placing his hands on his knees while trying to keep the contents of his stomach inside. I follow suit, pushingmyself off the ground and spinning so I’m once again facing MJ. But as red and blue lights flash from the parking lot, I realize I’m too late.
“Hayes—” Langston starts, but I spin, narrowing my eyes with a glare that shuts him up.
“Keep your mouth shut before I knock your teeth out. I’ve been your best friend for a very long time, so I don’t say this lightly, but what the actual heck was that? The man I know would never let his sister take the fall for something that was his idea.”
Like a man on a mission, I walked past him, making sure my hip rams into his shoulder, where he is still bent over.
With alcohol controlling his balance, he tumbles to the ground, landing with his limbs sprawled out, and he looks of stupid shock on his face.
Bruises are forming on his cheekbone. It’s the least of what he deserved tonight. I lift my chin and continue to walk past him.
“Where are you going?” he calls, still lying on the ground.
“To take care of your sister like you should have.”
He doesn’t respond, but that’s okay. I wouldn’t have listened anyway.
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The police station is far from the school, and by the time I walk there, I’ve built myself up into such a frenzy that I’m afraid I might lose it when I walk inside.
Luckily, I had the forethought to stop by the truck and change into the extra clothes Langston had brought us.
If I show up at the station with paint all over me, they will know I was at the school with MJ.
Not that I’m trying to hide that, but I’ll have a better chance of helping her if I’m not getting in trouble, too.
A middle-aged officer stands at the front desk when I walk in, and he eyes me suspiciously.
“Hello, sir. I’m looking for Mallorie Jade Harrison. Is she here?”
His eyes travel up and down, taking me in.
“She call you?” he grunts.
Of course, at the moment, I realize that I wouldn’t know she was here any other way, so I just nod and tip my lips up in a polite smile.
“Fine. Since she’s not officially under arrest, I’ll let you see her. She seems pretty distraught, but she can’t leave her until her parents show up.”
Dang it. So much for talking my way out of her parents being called.
“Thank you, sir.”
He grunts again, and I wonder if that’s his normal means of communication.
“This way.”
