Boyfriend.
The term settles in my chest, heavy but right.
"You need one too." Coach Harper gestures to the bleeding claw marks on my skin.
Merci angles his head and looks at my chest, the color draining from his face as he stares at the damage. "No, no, no—"
I grab him when he twists in an attempt to get away, then drag him back against me. “You’re not going anywhere.”
He lets out a broken sob, his entire body trembling once more as he fights against my hold, weaker this time, like he’s running out of fight. “Let me go.”
“Not happening.” My arms stay locked around him, steady and unyielding. I press my chin to the top of his head. “I’m not letting you go.”
As he begins to settle, I finally take in my surroundings. It’s a fucking war zone. The carnage left behind is . . . impressive. One of the frat assholes is slumped against thewall, his jaw hanging at an unnatural angle, his eye swollen shut. Another is lying on the floor, cradling a bloodied arm twisted at a grotesque angle, bone sticking through the skin.
Jackson stands over the third—the guy whose wrist I broke at the party. When jackass tries to get up, my friend kicks him hard in the back. Then Jackson steps on the back of the guy’s neck. “Move again, fucker. I dare you.”
Coach Harper places a hand on my shoulder. "Campus security's on their way. Let it go, Knight. Cameras probably caught enough of the fight."
My jaw clenches so hard that my teeth might crack. It’s not enough. These fucks deserve to die.
But Merci needs me more right now. “I need to get him to the hospital.”
Viktor approaches, car keys jingling in his hand. "I'll drive."
Coach helps me stand as I continue to cradle Merci against my chest, refusing to let go even for a second.
Merci burrows into me, face pressed into my neck, each shaky breath warm against my skin. This fierce, bratty force of nature who challenges me at every turn, who refuses to bend for anyone, now feels so small.
Fragile.
And vulnerable in a way that makes my chest ache to the point I can’t catch my breath.
Viktor jogs ahead to grab his car, then meets us at the entrance to the ice rink. I settle Merci into the backseat, adjusting the seat belt over his trembling frame as gently as possible.
For once, my emotions aren’t tangled or fractured. They’re crystal fucking clear and painfully simple.
Merci is mine.
And I’ll burn the fucking world to keep him safe.
Because I love him.
It's not a question. Not a sensation to analyze or a concept to process through my damaged brain. It's a fact, as undeniable as gravity, and as certain as ice beneath my skates.
Chapter 27
Merci
Sunlight floods my room when I finally open my eyes. It’s way too bright to be early morning. A quick glance at my phone confirms this, 11:47 a.m. glaring back at me.
My hands throb like a motherfucker, each heartbeat sending sharp little pulses of pain throughout my fingertips. The rest of my body aches as if I got hit by a truck.
A whole goddamn fleet of them, actually.
But there's a solid warmth pressed against my back, an arm draped over my waist, and, for a moment, I let myself sink into that feeling of safety.
Until everything that happened yesterday comes rushing back.
