Dark Vow (Blackwoods College)

“I thought she would.” Noah advanced. Raymond stayed close. “Mom’s always wanted me to win. I think it’s because of our special bond.”

“She breastfed you until you were ten.”

Noah rolled his eyes. “Good one.”

“What about you, Raymond? Aren’t you pissed Mom passed you up?”

“I’ll get mine,” Raymond said. “And you will too.” His grin was vicious. He was missing a tooth.

I made my move.

There was no escape. Running wouldn’t work. I might get away, but they’d only come again. Always together, always in a pair. I could take them one against one, but both at once? I didn’t have a chance.

So I threw myself at them like a monster.

It took Noah by surprise. He figured I’d try to get away. He didn’t think I’d rush him, screaming my head off. I clocked him once in the chin, sent him reeling back as I followed with a knee to his gut. I was about to smash my elbow into his neck and break his spine when Raymond slammed a fist into my nose.

I stumbled away. Raymond came on, punching, hitting. I tried to block his blows, tried to strike back, but I lost the momentum. Noah joined him, and together, my brothers pummeled me.

I kicked someone in the ankle. I punched a mouth, a stomach. I tried to break fingers, wrists. Eventually, my head was slammed against the lockers, and stars burst into my vision.

I fought. I grew up fighting. My father taught me never to back down no matter what, even if the odds were stacked. We’d done this a thousand times as kids, tried to beat the shit out of each other, all for the amusement of our old man.

Except this time, nobody held back. The stakes were too high, and my brothers were too angry.

Blows rained down. My world became pain, even as I viciously tried to fight back.

I fell to a knee. I took an elbow to the mouth. I spit blood, got kicked in the ribs. I crumpled, placing a hand to keep me from collapsing onto the cold tile floor.

“You never were smart enough, Calvin. If you were, you would’ve run.” Noah gloated. That bastard. I hated him, hated both of them, but I hated my father and my mother most of all for turning us into this.

Into nothing more than beasts. Mindless and violent.

A shout of anger and surprise drew my head up. My skull spun and pounded, and I blinked twice before the image of Jarrod came into view.

He roared like a lion and charged.

Noah barely had time to try and fight back. Jarrod was a demon. Nobody could take him in a fight. He loved pain too much, and reveled in breaking people. I could match him at best, but I could never win.

Noah and Raymond were hurt from taking me down, and Jarrod destroyed them like they were children. He beat Noah so savagely that I thought my brother might die, until Raymond forced Jarrod back, and dragged Noah away. They reached the aisle, and Noah staggered to his feet. Raymond helped him limp away as Jarrod watched, breathing hard.

I struggled to my feet. Jarrod looked back. He didn’t try to help and I was thankful for that.

“You good?”

I smiled. It must’ve been an ugly, bloody sight. “I’m good.”

He nodded. “Come on. You need some pizza.”

I laughed. Fuck, it hurt, but I laughed anyway. He grinned back.

I leaned some weight on his shoulder and we left the locker room together.

25

Robyn

Calvin looked like he’d been hit by a bus. I dropped to my knees in front of him and hugged myself against his chest. He wheezed and grunted.

“Easy,” Jarrod said. “He might have a broken rib.”

I pulled back, touching Calvin tentatively.

He smiled and ran a thumb down my cheek. “Ignore him. I’m fine. Come here.” He pulled me against him and hugged me tight.

I noticed his pained breath but he didn’t pull away.

A wash of confused and conflicting emotions rolled through me. Calvin was nearly killed—Jarrod said if he hadn’t shown up when he did, Noah and Raymond were going to beat him to death. My mother’s words still lingered in my skull, but she was wrong, she had to be wrong. I couldn’t imagine her ever feeling this way for a man, much less for my father.

“You don’t need to worry,” Calvin said, peeling me back. He wiped a tear from my cheek. I hadn’t realized I was crying and blushed. Jarrod was watching, and I didn’t want him to know the depth of how I felt. I didn’t want anyone to know.

Not Calvin. Not myself.

“They’re not going to stop, are they?”

“Not until I’m beyond their reach.”

I chewed on my cheek. “What does that mean?”

“I think you know.” He looked so sad, his shoulders slumped. My proud, beautiful Calvin was reduced to this.