A shout fell from the leader’s lips as I slammed my shoulder into his chest and bowled him to the asphalt. The moment his back smashed against the road, I punched him.
Over and over andover.
Face, nose, temple, throat.
I wasn’t one to drag out a fight. Once I made up my mind, I did it. No second chances. No second guesses.
A rain of fists came down on my back and skull. I rolled off the leader, shooting to my feet.
The men threw a worried look at their unconscious comrade. “You’ll die for that.”
I shook my head. “Wrong.”
They attacked together.
I wasn’t expecting that. They seemed sloppy and unorganised, but they moved as one. I covered my head as they attacked.
It hurt.
The pain was good.
But their anger and feral temper was better.
It siphoned into my blood, feeding me, charging me.
I let loose.
I did what I’d fought against all my life.
My walls came down.
I drank in their poison.
And I killed those motherfuckers piece by fucking piece.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Nila
“IT’S ME. CAN I come in?”
I knocked again on Jasmine’s door.
For the past two nights, I’d sneaked up the stone stairs and knocked. And for the past two nights, she’d ignored me.
I knew she was in there. The light shone beneath the door and the camera blinked above the frame. Occasionally, a shadow would roll past, but she never opened it.
I even tried the door handle to barge in uninvited. It was locked.
“Jasmine. I really need to talk to you.” I pressed my forehead against the wood. “Before it’s too late.”
Time had a horrible way of ticking faster here.
Already, the month I’d spent away from Hawksridge faded into scratchy memories. Vaughn and my father messaged me continuously—neither satisfied with my response that I had to return. That I knew what I was doing.
Why would they believe me? EvenIdidn’t believe me.
I had no clue how I would do what was needed.
