by Hart, Rebel
“Oh no, baby girl. You’ve got a great deal to learn if you want to stay at my side. And the first thing you learn, right now, is that you’re wrong. You’re not the boss of yourself.”
His eyes filled with hunger before he rolled me back over onto my back. Pinning me down with his body as his lips hovered over my own.
“I am.”
38
Max
Now, Dani’s arms around my waist only felt second-best to the feeling I had this morning. Because waking up with that girl curled up against me left me speechless. And trust me, speechless wasn’t a trait. I always had something to say, and I never hesitated to say it. But, gazing down into her sleeping face. Watching the way her eyes fluttered as she tried to wake up, only to curl in deeper and fall back into slumber. It was a sight to behold.
Especially when she let me wake her up fully with my tongue.
We spent the entire day together. Lounging around in bed. Watching television while I massaged her body. She was sore, as I figured she would be. But, massaging her gave me another chance to feel her. Drink her in. Trace her curves with my fingertips. And with wandering hands came interesting places to explore.
I loved the sound of her orgasms filling up my room.
But, the day had come to a close. Night sat heavily upon the town, and I had to get her ass back to campus. So, she clutched me close. Pressing herself against me as I sped back to the dinky little college campus where I had first saw her.
Seems like an eternity ago.
“I had a great time, Max.”
She slipped her helmet off with ease this time, and it made me grin.
“Me, too.”
She handed it to me. “See you soon? Maybe?”
I slipped my hand into my pocket. “Use it whenever you need it.”
I handed her a slip of paper with my number on it. I wasn’t sure she got it the first time. When she opened it up, her eyes came to life. I wanted that look to forever be on her face. As if I had given her the greatest treasure life had to offer.
“Thank you. Really.”
I nodded. “Might as well have it. Text me when you get upstairs, so I’ve got yours.”
She slipped it into her back pocket. “I will. I promise.”
I reached for her and pulled her in for one last kiss. One last parting goodbye before I swatted her pert ass playfully. She giggled as she walked away from me, peering over her shoulder and waving. She really did have a giggly little schoolgirl down in that soul of hers.
She really is something.
I watched her as she walked into her dorm. I didn’t move until that door closed behind her. I watched her top-floor window, waiting for the light to come on so I knew she got up there safely. There was always a chance she wouldn’t. And I sure as hell didn’t want to peel off before I saw that light flicker on.
However, I felt my pocket vibrating, pulling me from my trance.
“What?” I asked.
Benji snickered. “Where the hell are you?”
“At your school. Just outside your dorm. Why?”
“Good. I have to talk to you. Stay out there.”
“You don’t give the orders around here.”
“Stay there. I’m coming down to meet you.”
I lifted my head and watched Dani’s room light turn on. And not too long after that, I felt my phone vibrate in my hand, signaling that she had obeyed me.
Good girl. “You’ve got two minutes of my time. Make it quick.”
I hung up the phone and opened the message, smiling at the little heart she left me. The words I made it safe. Thank you for a wonderful time warmed my heart. And I immediately saved her number in my phone. Then I slipped it back into my pocket and waited for the little asshole that had really been testing my patience lately.
Crossing a line no man ever wanted to cross with me.
With that stunt he’d pulled on Dani at the pool, I had a great deal I wanted to say to him as well. But not just about that. The shit he’d pulled with my father, running to him like a fucking tattle tale, I couldn't let that stand.
This ended now.
I flipped my kickstand down and slid off my bike. I leaned against it, watching the dorm door and waiting for Benji to come out. After two minutes had passed--clocking them by the second in my head--I reached for my phone.
A voice sounded behind me.
“Oh, no you don’t.”
I felt something wrap around my neck before a hard force slammed against my jaw. My eyes widened, my presence completely caught off-guard. And that was hard to do most days. My legs buckled and the harness around my neck let go, causing me to plummet to the ground face first, where my cheek crashed against the pavement.
“You’re ours tonight, little girl.”
I growled. “If you say so.”
I turned around and counted the goons around me. Three of them, all staring at me with spit practically dripping from their fucking fangs. I threw both of my boots up, knocking two of them in their balls. And when the third one went to punch me, I wrapped my hands around his forearm and dragged him to the ground, rolling him over before I straddled his body.
The men had black masks over their faces. But, for some reason, a pair of eyes looked familiar. I wailed on the man beneath me, landing punch after punch directly to his face. I felt something snap underneath my knuckles before someone pulled me off, and I whipped around with my arms outstretched, wrapping my hands around the man’s neck and closing off his ability to breathe. And when his eyes widened, I wonder where I had seen them before.
Why do I feel like I know you guys?
I took stock of what I could as fists flew and legs kicked. All of them had gold rings stacked on their fingers. Gaudy, disgusting rings that hurt every time a punch connected. Fucking hell, I hated rings. All kinds of rings. Every single fucking ring.
Because they always tore at skin, no matter what direction they came from.
Cheap fighters. Might as well have brass knuckles, assholes.
I slammed my knee into the stomach in front of me, then turned around and clocked my bleeding fist into another stomach in front of me. I watched two men hit the ground before I looked around, searching for the last one. My nostrils flared. My blood pumped through my veins. One more asshole to take down before I dragged them into the woods to beat the ever-loving shit out of them.
“Looking for someone?”
A searing pain ripped through my neck. I felt those damn rings sink into the nape of my neck before tearing back, bringing skin along with them. I growled as I fell to my knees, and someone landed a punch to my gut. As I bent down onto all fours, trying my best to keep myself upright, a boot came sailing into my ribs.
Taking me down for the count.
“Puny fucker.”
“Bullshit man.”
“You’re a piece of shit. I hope you know that.”
Their gruff voices rang out in my ears. I felt blood working its way up the back of my throat. I heard people yelling in the distance. Shrieking, way off. As if someone had finally seen what the hell was going on. I saw the light on the ground growing brighter. I felt a hand fist my jacket before pulling me up. And when my head rolled back, I gazed at the two men standing behind me. Upside down.
I don’t know who you guys are, but you’re dead.
“I love a good session of foreplay. Hope you do, too. Because this is just an appetizer to the main event.”
And as the man behind me threaded his fingers together, I watched him hold up his fists, bringing them down with a soaring fury before they smashed into my teeth. I felt something chip and something else popped. And when the man dropped me to the concrete, my body tangled itself up into knots.
The last thing I heard was their laughter as they walked away, drowning out the yells and the cries for help. I thought about Dani. Whether or not she was really okay. And I thought about Benji. Whether or not he had something to do with this. Whether or not he was in on this. And all
the ways I might kill him if he was.
All of it, swirling around.
Before my world went black.
39
Dani
I sat there, staring at my phone, waiting for him to text back. I knew he’d seen the text. That little word ‘read’ underneath the one I sent was taunting me. Staring me in the face and gloating over its own existence. I used to not give a flying crap about stuff like that.
So why did I care this time?
I sighed as I set my phone down. I mean, I hadn’t heard his bike take off. I knew he was still here. Was he downstairs doing something? Making his way back up? Did he miss me? Or, maybe I’d left something behind?
I got up from my desk and walked over to the window, determined to see what was going on. What I saw stopped me in my tracks.
“Max!” I exclaimed.
I watched in horror as three men kicked him, slammed their fists into him, leered and jeered and hovered over him. I felt sick to my stomach. I had to do something. I had to get down there and help!
I rushed out of my dorm room and barreled for the stairwell before my senses came back to me.
If you go out there, they might attack you.
Would they really attack a woman?
They attacked Max. They’ve got balls.
My head swirled as I jumped down the steps two by two until I got all the way to the main floor. I burst through the door as I heaved heavy breaths, trying to keep myself as calm as I could. I rushed over to a small window and saw the three men walking away, all of them wearing black ski masks, faded black jeans and black long-sleeved shirts.
Laughing as they left Max’s body on the pavement.
I watched in horror as the men stepped off the curb into the middle of the road. They all jogged toward the SUV sitting on the other side of the road that I hadn’t even seen and hopped in the back. Not one of them got into the front seat.
There are four of them.
It took all of my willpower to simply stand there and watch. But the second the SUV peeled away and careened around the corner, I rushed for the dorm door. I heard people gasping the second I slammed through it. I saw people with their phones out, taking pictures and videos. Gawking at the scene. But had any of them called 9-1-1?
“Max! Max, Max. Can you hear me?” I asked.
I ran toward him and fell to my knees, my eyes darting over his body. His eyes were closed and he was barely breathing. Holy shit, he needed a hospital.
“Max, please. I need you to open your eyes, okay?”
I shook his shoulder softly before he rolled over onto his back.
“Holy. Fuck,” he groaned.
“Max, I’m calling 9-1-1, okay? Just--just hold on.”
He shook his head. “No. No hospitals.”
“What are you, insane? Yes. I’m calling you a--”
My hands slid into my back pockets, but I didn’t feel my phone. I checked my bra, my front pockets, even the jacket pockets of the leather I hadn’t taken off yet. But, my phone was nowhere to be found.
Shit. It’s still on my desk.
“I said no hospitals.”
I shook my head. “Max, you probably have broken bones, I’m almost positive you’re--”
He growled. “No. Benji will be here any minute. He’ll know what to do. How long was I out for?”
I looked around to see if I could find the lanky boy. But he was nowhere to be found. Even the people snapping pictures and taking videos had all darted off. You know, after they got what they needed for their social media feeds. Idiots. I hated social media with a passion. It was nothing but a distraction. A way for us to feel--
“Bambi!”
His gruff voice jolted me from my trance. “Uh, sorry. Yeah, uh, a couple of minutes? You were out before I got to you, though. So, easily double that?”
He grunted, but he didn’t say anything.
I gnawed on the inside of my cheek as I looked around, searching for anyone that might’ve been watching. That might know where in the world Benji was. But, the longer I knelt there, the more I wondered if anyone was coming at all.
“Max, I don’t think he’s coming. It’s just us out here. We’re all--”
“He’ll show. I promise you that.”
“What if he doesn’t?”
I gazed into Max’s eyes just before he closed them. And the icy electricity that shot through my veins made me swallow. Hard. He was angry. I’d never seen that kind of anger in anyone’s eyes before. I wiped at the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and brushed my fingertip over his bruised nose, watching as he winced.
Lord knows that’s broken.
“Max, I don’t--”
He snarled. “Shut up so I can think.”
I nodded, but I didn’t say anything.
I waited there with him. At his side. Kneeling there, trying to figure out what in the world to do. My heart raced, fluttering so hard I thought it might be enough to pull me from the ground and fly me into the clouds. I was hyper-aware of everything. The lights on campus. The lack of protection we had around us. The fact that we were right by one of the main roads that outlined campus. Out there, for anyone passing by to see. I felt exposed, like a raw nerve. I wanted, more than ever, to get Max into the shadows. Out of harm’s way.
But how in the world was I supposed to accomplish that?
“Okay, executive decision time,” I said.
“No. He’ll be--”
“Come on, Max. We’re in the middle of lights. Help me get you up. Come on, big boy.”
I grabbed his wrists and slowly tugged him upright. I was almost certain that bruise on his head meant he had a concussion. I helped him up to his feet and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. Then, together, we stumbled over to the dorm door. I swiped my card and it opened, but it was hard as hell trying to get that massive, stumbling man through it.
“We’ll take the elevator up to my room,” I said breathlessly.
I knew Hannah might not appreciate it, but at least there I could clean him up. Again.
And possibly get him out of harm’s way in the process.
40
Max
“No. We aren’t going anywhere.”
I leaned my body toward the wall and slipped my arm away from Dani’s shoulders.
“Max, stop being so damn stubborn. We need to get you upstairs.”
I sighed. “Do you have a car?”
“You have to lay down. I think you have a concussion.”
“Yeah, I know I do. I think. I have to go home. I have to get home. Where’s that car of yours?”
“Max, please.”
I glared at her. “Car. Now. Or I’ll find it and steal it myself.”
Her nostrils flared with frustration. “Fine. Yes. I have a car. I’ll take you to it.”
“Good. I’ll tell you where we’re going once we get there.”
“Fan-fucking-tastic.”
I grinned. “Cursing sounds good in your voice.”
She scoffed. “Asshole.”
I chuckled. “Pretty much.”
She took my hand and tossed my arm back over her shoulder. Then we started the hefty trek across campus. Holy shit, how far away was her car? With every step I took, my head pounded even more. It grew worse by the second, and I knew I needed someone to check it out. But not a doctor in a hospital. Not in a place where the police would be called to investigate shit. No, I needed the doctor the crew had on speed dial.
Once I was in the comfort of my own bedroom.
“Where the hell is this thing?”
Dani sighed. “This was your plan, so you can shut up until we get there. All right?”
“Well, look who’s a bit testy tonight.”
“I wouldn’t be if you’d just accept help.”
“This is me accepting help. You’re helping me to your car so you can help me get home. See? Help.”
She sighed. “You’re relentless.”
“And you’re very cute w
hen you’re upset.”
I watched that frown turn into the smallest grin and I considered it a win. I also took the lack of nausea as a win. My head really fucking hurt, but it didn’t come with anything else. No throbbing. No body aches. No fever. No nausea. The world didn’t feel as if it were tilting onto its side, nor did it feel like I was floating around on air.
It’d be nice if I didn’t have a concussion, that’s for sure.
“Almost there. First level of the parking garage across the street.”
I grunted. “Finally. Come on, Bambi.”
“I hate you,” she murmured.
“Bah. That’s not true, and you know it.”
I peeked down at her and saw her cheeks and neck flush. Hell, even the tip of her nose reddened quite a bit. I smiled as we started across the street, my eyes still hanging onto her every shred of beauty. Man, this girl was something else. A real firecracker, when put into situations like this.
She was dealing with it better than she probably knew.
I heard a car door unlock before she opened the door for me. And as I splayed out along the microfiber seats of the SUV she dumped me into, my breathing grew ragged. Holy fuck, that was a serious trek. I had beads of sweat dripping down my damn back. I closed my eyes, only for a second. I tried to draw in deep breaths, but they only made me cough. I didn’t taste blood, though. And that was a good thing.
At least it isn’t broken.
“You’ve broken a rib, probably. That’s why you’re struggling to breathe.”
I chuckled. “Reading my mind now, are you? And for your information, it’s bruised. I’d be tasting blood if it was broken.”
“And your lip needs stitches.”
“Nothing a Band-Aid can’t fix.”
“And you need ice packs. Serious ice packs for those bruises.”
I snickered. “Should I be paying you for your advice now, Doc?”
She cranked up the car. “No, I’m just stating the obvious in the hopes that you’ll pull out of this idiotic stupor you’ve found yourself in.”
