With the handle in my grip, I drew it back and slammed it against the guy’s face. Another slow point that would make for a lot of fun. Laughing, I pulled back, ready to strike again, and moved the bat to connect between the little prick’s legs. Down they went.
I checked the time but I didn’t know how longit’d been since the fight began. None of the men were dead, but they were on the ground.
I smiled. This was so much fun. This was what I love about fighting. The feeling of power coursing through my veins. Caleb chuckled. Vadik slapped his hands together as if getting rid of dirt.
They all turn to me and that was when I felt the cold muzzle of a gun against the side of my head.
“You little shit. Did no one teach you to never turn your back on your enemy? You’re nothing but weak.”
I was fucked.
Death was coming to me. The gun was loaded. I knew that. His finger was on the trigger. I looked at my buddies. I wasn’t going to cry or piss myself. My father had taught me that death was inevitable. I had to make peace with the fact I was going to die one day.
That day was going to be today.
Staring at them, I knew I’d miss them all. They were my family, my blood, my brothers. Each of them held a piece of my heart. I would gladly die for them. My life would give them chance to get away or attack. Either way, it was a cause I was happy to wait for.
I kept my eyes open. There was no way I was going to allow them to witness my final moments as weak. I was strong.
I was a Monster.
Only, the bullet didn’t come.
The man at my side started to choke. The tip of a blade appeared out of his neck. Blood pooled out of his mouth. The grip he had on the gun weakened. The blade disappeared. The man fell to the ground, and the woman behind him was none other than Emily Crane.
She dropped the knife to the ground and it fell with a clatter. There was no shock on her face.
Acceptance.
I watched her as she looked up.
The bag she protected in her locker was on her shoulders, but I saw the mussed-up school uniform and the hair. She appeared to be thoroughly fucked, but I knew when there was no one to pick her up, she hung out at the library. I don’t know why she didn’t just walk home. I’d stumbled into her many times. Sometimes she’d be studying, other times, she’d be fast asleep. It was those times with her asleep I’d allow myself a few minutes of luxury, watching her.
Silence fell around us.
Emily looked at all four of us and then jerked at the blast of a car horn.
Without a word, she stepped over the body and ran toward said car, leaving us to deal with the mess. Not that it was her mess.
Caleb, River, Vadik, and I all watched her. So many people wanted us dead. Would be happy to see us all six feet under, and against all odds, Emily had saved me. She’d saved the Monsters’ Crew. My death would have caused a huge wave of problems, not to mention pain.
She’d fucking saved me.
Why?
Staring at my brothers, I could tell they were all curious as well. Emily didn’t mingle with anyone. She didn’t pick sides. She was a loner to everyone here.
“We need to get these packed up,” Caleb said.
“Dad’s going to want to know what happened,” River said.
“The knife is here. You say you killed him with it,” Vadik said.
I picked up the knife. It wasn’t a fancy one like River carried. This was a plain blade. It belonged to Emily. What I’d like to know was how she managed to get past security with this blade. Most of us had weapons on us, but it took a certain amount of bribing to get through the front gates.
I’d always been curious about Emily. She kept to herself. Never interacted with anyone unless she had to. She never had a boyfriend and her life outside of school was a mystery.
Her life had just become my number one priority to figure out.
Chapter Four
Emily
Saving someone shouldn’t be considered a fuck-up, but that was exactly what I had done. My dad had texted me earlier that day to say my driver wouldn’t be available to pick me up and that I’d have to wait until after five.
The library was my one place of solace. I went there for peace and quiet. Rarely I got the chance to just be, to enjoy my thoughts, to study. I’d fallen asleep and saw that my driver was going to pick me up. If I was late, my driver liked to inform my dad. It would then result in the third degree, where I was likely to get nice new bruises.