The Bandit (The Stolen Duet 1)

My arm was too tired to continue, my breath was coming in and out hard and fast, and I had built up a nice sweat. Feeling good, I looked behind me, hoping to see approval but found his expression impassive as if I’d just completed a crossword puzzle rather than beating the shit out of my bully.

“Are you satisfied?”

He smirked and shook his head slowly.

Jesse was crying now, and my guess was he’d seen Angel’s answer, too. What more did he want? I glanced at Jesse’s friends and wondered if they stuck around out of loyalty or fear, and then I wondered which one pushed me yesterday.

“Class is starting—”

“You came home bleeding yesterday,” he interrupted.

“Yeah?”

“I don’t see blood on him.”

My stomach turned. I was the one assaulted, but Angel was the one out for blood. What if I couldn’t make him bleed? Would Angel do the deed himself?

I searched Jesse’s face for his most vulnerable spot and then swung my leg over Jesse’s prone body. I cocked back my elbow and let my fist fly. He screamed and clutched his nose but then screamed louder and removed his hands. His nose and upper lip were now covered in red.

I did it.

I didn’t mean to smile, but it felt good.

I actually made someone bleed.

If I wasn’t careful, I could become addicted.

“What is going on here?” My victorious moment was shattered by the shrill outrage of the intruder. Mrs. Rogers, my English teacher, stood a few feet away sporting a scowl. Her crooked red glasses, red lipstick, and dull brown hair pulled into a hideous undo did nothing to help her appeal. “Jesse? Why are you on the ground? Oh, my God! You’re bleeding!” That’s when she noticed me. Fist balled and standing over him. “Miss Ross, in the principal’s office now! Mr. Newman, we need to get you—”

“She’s not going anywhere but to class. Do what you want with him.” I looked back in time to see Angel flick his hand to Jesse.

“Excuse me? Who are you and why are you on school property?”

“I’m with her.” He moved closer behind me until I could feel the heat from his body and smell his body wash.

He said he was with me.

Angel Knight is withme.

Why did that send tingles up my spine and unleash butterflies in my stomach?

“I don’t care who you’re with, young man. She is going to the principal’s office, and you will leave school property before I have you arrested.”

“Call them. We’ll do it from Principal Field’s office.”

He knew the name of my principal?

Sweeping out his arm, he sent her a smug smile. “Shall we?”

She stomped away in her ugly brown heels with Jesse in hand but not before demanding I follow. I did because,Angel or no Angel, I was in trouble that Angel couldn’t fix. He couldn’t very well demand I beat up a teacher or even the principal to make a statement.

We were shown inside the principal’s office after Jesse was escorted to the nurse’s office. I could feel Angel at my side the entire time.

“Mr. Fields, I have Mian Ross with me, and herfriend.”

But he wasn’t my friend. He was my babysitter.

It didn’t escape my notice that he didn’t bother to correct her.

“Mrs. Rogers, what is this about?” Mr. Fields demanded impatiently. His sharp gaze landed on me and then slid up to Angel, and I could have sworn I saw him pale.

Glancing up, I searched Angel’s face but his gaze gave nothing away. He looked bored again.

“I found Miss Ross outsidebeating upJesse Newman whilehe,” she thumbed in Angel’s direction, “watched. He says he’swith her.” I could hear the disgust in her voice. Oh, God. Did she get the wrong idea? Did she think Angel was myboyfriend? That would be insane since he’s seven years older than I am. He was turning eighteen next month, which would legally make him an adult even though he never acted the part.

“I think we should suspend her and ban him from school grounds—.”

Mr. Fields held up his hand, silencing her tirade. “I will handle this from here, Mrs. Rogers. Please return to your classroom.”

“But—”

“Now, Mrs. Rogers.” His tone was much harsher this time. Mrs. Rogers huffed, and stormed away, leaving a cloud of stale perfume and hair spray.

Once she was gone, Mr. Fields sat back, but he wasn’t paying attention to me. He and Angel were having a silent argument, and I was invited.

“What are you doing on my school grounds, Knight?”

Wait… They knew each other?

“Why was she attacked on your school grounds, Fields?”

Whoa.

Angel’s voice sent a chill down my spine. I shivered when the temperature in the room seemed to drop below zero. Mr. Fields appeared flustered despite it.

“I wasn’t aware of an altercation involving her had taken place.”

“It wasn’t an altercation. She was beat down. End of story.”

“Like I said—”