Jesus. No one in Race’s world did anything out of the goodness of their heart. In fact, I was starting to think my golden god was the only one walking amongst the shadows who was plagued with that particular body part.
“My sister is just a kid, so keep your eyes to yourself, Gigantor.” I adjusted my school bag on my shoulder and narrowed my eyes at him. “Whatever your reasons, I appreciate you keeping an eye on me.”
“Honey, I got out of the pen not too long ago. I have no intention of going back for a pretty young thing, and I also have no desire to have all my bits and pieces cut off and scattered across the city if I get on your boy’s bad side. Like I said, I might look like a dumb-ass, but looks can be deceiving.”
He was preaching to the choir with that, so I just waved him off and headed toward the building where my statistics class met. One thing was for sure: the characters that were now a part of my life since hooking up with Race were hands down some of the most interesting and terrifying people a girl could ever come across. I wondered what it said about me that I preferred them over the frat guys and academics that were swarming by me as we all pounded up the staircase to the second floor of the building.
I was so lost in thought that when I was jostled from the side, I just shook it off without turning to see who the culprit was. The staircase was packed with students and all of them had cumbersome bags full of books and school junk, so I was sure it was just an accident and I had accidentally been bumped by someone careless and in a rush. I made a move to see if I could get out of the center of the swarm when I felt another bump, only this one was harder and had me whipping my head around to tell whoever the offender was to be more careful. That was a mistake.
I had one foot on the steps getting ready to move up and my balance was off because of my own heavy school bag. I was nowhere near the railing and didn’t have anything to grab on to or any kind of traction to keep me from toppling backward when someone nailed me hard in the side and sent me careening in the wrong direction as startled groups of people split up around me and just let me fall. It wouldn’t have been such a big deal, people fall down the stairs all the time, but when hard hands appeared out of nowhere and gave me one last shove to ensure I went flailing to the hard, cement floor a story below with the most force possible, the outcome wasn’t going to be pretty. I let out a scream that died on a short breath because I knew the impact was imminent.
Luckily, somewhere toward the end of my free fall, an unsuspecting and oblivious kid that had to have been unaware of the impending impact didn’t move fast enough and ended up braking my descent. I landed half on him, half on the floor. Unfortunately for me, it was my top half that cracked onto linoleum covered concrete. My head made a sickening sound and pain exploded in starbursts across my vision. I could smell my own blood and the dull roar of concerned voices as a crowd gathered around me. I heard someone call my name and I tried to turn my head in that direction, which had fire and electric agony racing through every nerve ending I had. Darkness was starting to fill my cloudy vision, and I wanted to call out that someone had pushed me, that someone was trying to hurt me. But more than anything, I wanted to tell someone to call Race. I wanted him.
I heard someone mention a fall and I wanted to bellow that no, I had been pushed, but the coppery, iron tang of blood was getting stronger in my nose and I think I was starting to taste it. It was so much easier just to close my eyes and let the blackness that was covering me like a blanket take over. Finally letting go was so easy and I just let the dark fill me up and surround me.
“I’M NOT LETTING YOU two go back to the house after this.”
I couldn’t pry my eyes open but I heard Race’s voice and the anger that was tight in it from somewhere in the hazy cloud I was floating in. Karsen’s voice was shaky when she answered him.
“Nowhere seems safe anymore.”
Race swore and I felt gentle fingers dance across my forehead. Even blacked out and consumed with pain, I would know Race’s touch anywhere.
“I’m going to change that. As soon as she wakes up I’m headed to that school. Someone had to see what happened, and if I have to give every student on that campus a black eye or broken nose to get answers, I will.”
Karsen sniffled and I wanted to open my eyes to tell her there was no need to cry, but I just couldn’t do it. The dark was warm, it was welcoming, and while I was here I didn’t have to worry about things like losing the house, falling in love with a criminal, or the fact someone was obviously trying to kill me. It was a nice change of pace.
“When she wakes up, the doctor is going to want to do a CT scan. She hit her head really, really hard.” Karsen’s voice was shaky.