Monsters' Gift (Crude Hill High 2)

Drake laughed. “And you guys are friends?”

“Her mother was in the firing line as well, Drake. Me and Ashley, we’re the only two who made it. We were supposed to die that night all of those years ago. It’s only because of their sons that we’re still alive.”

“Well, that answers the question about why you’re so worried and so loyal to your friend.”

“She’s worth it. She has been there for me every single step of the way.” I sighed. “I’m sure you know all about loyalty.”

“Here we go. You still think I’m a traitor?”

“I don’t know what to think when it comes to you. But I don’t trust you.” I unfolded my arms and screamed at Drake just as a man clocked him around the back of the head with a wooden baseball bat.

Drake didn’t even have time to move. He fell, hitting the ground with a thud. I stared into the eyes of Marshall Keller.

“I knew we should have killed you when we had the chance.”

The rage in his voice took my breath away. Rather than try to understand why he was so pissed, I turned on my heel and started running.

It was a big mistake. Within seconds, he was on top of me, shoving me to the ground. I let out a scream, hating that I was on my front. He grabbed my hair, jerking my head up, and I whimpered at the pain.

“I’m going to take every single ounce of pleasure in killing you.” He licked my cheek, making me gag. Rather than fight, I acted as though I’d fainted. Literally slumped to the ground. Women did that all the time in movies because of fear, right? This was what I was doing. I was afraid. My body was nothing more than a dead weight, but it did the trick. I noticed when he wasn’t so heavy on top of me, and he fumbled for something. I hoped it wasn’t his damn belt. I reacted quickly, suddenly pushing my weight and spinning over.

The action jerked him away from me, but it didn’t get the job done.

We were a tangle of limbs, and he managed to get his hands wrapped around my neck, cutting off my air supply.

At first, I gripped his hands, but he was close enough to me that I was able to clock him around the face. I jabbed at him, once, twice, and then I tried to poke him in the eye. My vision was slowly fading. I kept on fighting, trying to get him to get off me.

I was going to die on the school grounds, and fear lodged inside me. I didn’t want to die. There was a life with my men. I hoped they all knew that I loved them so damn much. Even though I was pissed and tried my escape, I loved them all.

“Fucker!” Drake was there, thrusting a knife into Marshall Keller’s throat, and I didn’t have time to move away as blood spilled from the wound and a dead Marshall fell on top of me.

I breathed in hard and deep.

Drake helped me to push his body off.

With a hand at my throat, I took deep breaths, but it hurt to do so.

“They’re coming, Em. I promise, they’re coming.” He pulled me into his arms, holding me.

His arms were the wrong ones. I only wanted my men.

****

River

I was never going to forget the way Emily looked when we found her last night. We called our doctor to run some tests on her.

Marshall hadn’t crushed her throat, but it had been a close call. Way too fucking close for my comfort. I didn’t like it and as I sat in her bedroom now, watching her sleep, I thought about how close we’d come to losing her.

Drake also hadn’t left.

“I thought you said you didn’t have any feelings for her?” I asked, not taking my eyes away from my woman, not for a second.

“I don’t.”

“Then why the fuck are you still here?”

There was a brief silence and I chanced a look toward him.

“I fucked up last night. Emily could have died because of me. I didn’t want that to happen, ever. There is no way that man should have gotten the best of me and yet he did.”

“He hit you over the head with a baseball bat,” Emily said.

I looked toward her.

Her voice sounded raw. Considering the bruises all around her neck, the fact she could talk was a bonus.

I got to my feet, leaning over her, kissing her head.

“I don’t think your dads approve of me as yours,” she said.

I laughed. “Don’t joke around.”

“Kind of have to. It’s funny if you think about it. Your parents can’t stand me. Isn’t it every girl’s dream?” she asked.

Shaking my head at her, I sat down. She looked at Drake. “Thank you.”

“I’m sorry, Em.”