Page 110 of Reverb
Except David was there, throwing himself between her and the knife, knocking her tormentor away. The blade, though—that kept moving right into David’s torso.
His eyes widened and his lips turned into a knowing circle of pain. His hands moved, landing blows against the other’s chest. A few grunts, but nothing more from either of them. There was blood and screaming and others rushed forward, even as David stumbled back.
The blade clattered on the floor, stickily wet, shining in a different way now.
Oh hell. Ohfuck. This person, thisafterthoughtof a human, would not win. Not this time.
Mish’s fingers caught on the monster’s shirt and she yanked him to her, to his doom, and her fist landed against his face with a satisfying crunch of bone on bone. Pain lanced up her arm, but not enough to keep her from punching him a second time, for good measure. His weight falling back ripped him from her hands, and he landed hard on the floor.
Still, the monster moved, scrabbling backward and away—right into the legs and shoes of studio security, who caught him in multiple grips. He struggled until a gun appeared, held by a New York City cop.
“Stop resisting,” the cop barked.
This man, this monster, wasn’t a horror anymore. He slumped pathetically in the hands of security, undone.
Mish blinked, and the world swam as chaos cascaded around her without touching her at all, as if she were the eye of some terrible, awful storm.
“Are you all right, ma’am?”
Ma’am. Not seventeen anymore—far from it. She flexed her hand, and fuck, did it hurt, but nothing seemed broken.
“Yeah.” That wasn’t the truth, but what else could she say? Later, she’d crumble. When it was safe, when all was settled and done.
“Mish.” Ray’s voice was full of worry and pain, but also her name, her truth. She’d never hidden—especially not from him. She’d just chosen to detach from her past.
She turned toward him. “Hey, kiddo.”
His eyes were too dark and painful in the bright lights of the studio. “David’s been stabbed.”
Just like that, her calm shattered as reality caught up to her. Mish stumbled against Ray, her heart ripping, and all the horror and nausea returned. All the terror and torment. She reached for her rage to center her, even as Ray supported her, but couldn’t find it anymore. The storm had caught her as well.
Zavier was there with Ray, she realized. Silent but present, concern laced into his gentle touch as he helped collect her. Kept her from falling and falling.
They were too good for words, these men, who were part of the reason she believed in the goodness of the world. Their music. Her family.
David.
“Where?” That was the only word she could manage to push out.
They took her to him, and each step was like stepping on needles with legs made of broken glass.
David lay on the floor with Adrian by his side, pressing a black T-shirt to David’s torso. Drops and smears of blood littered the tiles nearby. Adrian was bare-chested, though a too-small leather jacket had been thrown over his shoulders. Domino’s jacket, with all its chains and spikes, didn’t look imposing on Adrian.
Dom stood nearby, no longer Domino by far, a familiar expression marring his worried face. He’d been like that with Ray, too. Eyes wide, the persona he wore completely gone. “They called 911,” he said.
Ray murmured words of comfort into her ear that she didn’t understand. Her vision hazed and twisted and a lump lodged in her throat, one made of regrets and sorrows and frustrations.
David had his eyes closed, his mouth twisted in pain. His breath caught every so often, but evened out right after as he obviously fought through the pain to stay calm.
He’d been a soldier. This wasn’t his first wound. She’d seen a few of those scars, the ones he didn’t talk about.
God, the world was wrong and awful and horrible.
Mish wanted to collapse to the floor. Would have without Ray and Zavier holding her up. Wasn’t time to fall apart, not yet. Instead, they helped her kneel by David’s side. She wouldn’t sob, either. Wouldn’t break down.
“David?” Her voice wavered, as her heart clenched and tumbled and shattered.
He flicked his eyes open. “Baby, you okay?”
