Page 71 of Knight

I spot Isaac at the end of the hall, and he’s also acting like last night didn’t happen. He’s around a few of Lea’s minions, leaning on the locker as they swoon over his looks and charm. He tilts his head my way when he hears Damien call my name for the third time.

Glancing at me, his eyes narrow before he takes a step away from the locker he’s leaning on. Those glazy auburn eyes focus on Damien, then his brows lower. I can feel Damien behind me, his eyes boring into the back of my head and it’s like another game of cat and mouse.

“Medusa, you answer when you’re spoken to in my hallways,” Damien’s trying that I’m-the-king-of-the-world threat again. But I’m not shaken by it. Never was. He should know that by now.

“Jo?” Allie turns a corner and I head in her direction, no looking back. Her eyes dash between me and the devil behind me.

“Let’s go,” I say, pulling her arm, almost nearing the end of the hall.

I’m not sure how long I’ll have to outrun him, but I’m sure he won’t pull too much when his best friend’s sister is around. The minute we turn the corner, I hear Damien’s voice again. A loud, booming growl, “Get the fuck out of my way, Johnson!”

My boots stop, Allie almost falling forward from my sudden halt.

“What’re you going to do about it?” Isaac’s voice comes next and when I peek around the hall, Damien and Isaac are almost chest-to-chest. “Call the cops on me too?”

Damien chuckles and while I should be using this time to get out of his eyesight, I’m way too curious to see what happens next. “You mad because I put a stop to a criminal?”

“I’m mad because you never think about anyone besides yourself,” Isaac’s slurring, but he’s making a damn good point. “You could’ve handled that another way!”

“Handled what?” Damien’s voice is smoother, lower.

I know this voice. It’s the calm before the storm. He’s plotting something and I’m worried about what it is.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about!” Isaac yells. He never yells but Damien knows how to get a rise out of his buddies. “Or are you stupid?”

“Handled you fucking my aunt who’s twice your age?” Damien says this loud, not that he needs to. The whole hall, if not the whole fucking school has their eyes on the Kings.

There’s tension as thick as my hair in these halls and I can feel it from where we’re standing. It’s rare Isaac gets riled up. He’s the calmest of the three. The carefree partier and ladies’ man. But now it looks like he’s ready to take on a giant.

“You did what?” Georgina’s voice comes through next.

“Johnson!” Another student calls. This one sounds like an impressed douche. “The man! The legend!”

Gasps, whispers and murmurs erupt. Even some laughter.

“If you don’t shut the fuck up,” Damien growls at the asshole. “I’ll kill you after Isaac’s done defending his gold-digging concubine.”

“Fuck you, man!” Isaac shoves him hard against his chest and Damien smirks before he tackles Isaac to the ground. I can’t make out too much of what’s happening but they’re rolling around and scuffling.

“This what you want?” Damien’s grunt comes through.

“I’ll fuck you up!” Isaac yells, his voice muffled before …

CRACK!

I don’t know who lands the first punch until Mr. Dent pulls Isaac off Damien. He’s still yelling at the fallen King on the floor who’s laughing like a maniac. Mr. Dent points at Isaac. “Johnson. Office. Now.”

“Fuck you, King.” Isaac spits on the floor as he walks away and we all know that’s not where he’s going. The bell rings and it’s hard not to take my eyes off Damien, left laying there on the ground, laughter echoing through the halls. He’s like The Joker, manic and proud of it.

“C’mon, Jo,” Allie says, pulling me down the hall.

I haven’t told her about last night. Haven’t told her much about what’s going on with Damien and me but it’s like she knows enough to know that it’s nothing good.

So why am I so addicted?

Right. That’s how addictions work.

They poison you from the inside out until you can’t live without it. And right now, that’s exactly how I feel.

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