Beep.
I stare at my watch in horror.
“No, J. Breathe. You have to calm down.”
But the chorus of punches, angry snarls, and the slam of fists meeting bone and flesh swirl around me.
Don’t be useless, J. Do something!
My heart won’t slow down.
Yellow shines through the darkness—a warning signal from my watch.
Finn grabs the thug by the shoulder and whirls him around. The thug’s arm bends at an unnatural angle, and he cries out in pain.
“Finn, hold on…” I say in a strained voice. “I’ll call the police!”
My fingers tremble and I struggle to dial the number.
“J!” Finn’s voice is louder than I’ve ever heard it, and it echoes through the stairwell.
I peer over the edge of the staircase. Finn is looking up. His bottom lip is split, and his hair lies messily over his forehead. He looks dangerous and powerful and wild.
Eyes penetrating mine, he speaks roughly while keeping the struggling thug captive. “Breathe.”
I blink rapidly.
“Breathe!” Finn growls. And the echo of that one word rips through the air.
I inhale and exhale.
“Again.”
I do.
My watch goes quiet.
“Good girl,” Finn says, and I think I see a shadow of a smile cross his face.
I smile back, relieved.
Suddenly, the thug breaks free and elbows Finn hard in his abdomen. He bowls over, clutching the side where his ribs were bruised.
My watch beeps again as I watch the guy take Finn’s head and slam his knee straight into Finn’s chin.
Finn grunts in pain and slides down the wall.
The thug grabs him and slams his fist into Finn’s face. He punches him again and again.
“Finn!” I yell.
He’s not getting up. To my horror, I see blood seeping past the sleeve of his white Redwood Prep uniform.
“Get away from him!” I scream.
The thug looks up at me with a hard glint in his eyes.
Waving my cell, I warn, “I’m recording right now, and I’m sending it to the cops, you jerk!”
