Page 107 of Borden 3

“Hey, how about we add that girl to the mix?” Miles hollered, laughing. “Put your fine little ass inside that basket, beautiful!”

Theo smiled and looked back at the guy. “You’d like that, huh?”

“Hell yeah! She could do with a little less trash in her life. Too many dates at the garbage tip will drive a girl mad.”

Guys around him laughed. None of the Lost Boys laughed.

Theo continued to smile.

They didn’t see it. They didn’t know when Theo was pissed off. When he went dark, he had a tell. He’d roll his shoulders, and he’d smile wide. You thought he was happy, but he was crazy. I only knew this because I could tell the difference. When Theo was truly happy, his face was at peace. When he was pissed, this sick persona came out of him. It made him look more eerie than anything under the lightbulb swinging in the centre of the room.

I stepped back. Maybe I should have said something, but what chance did I have? Within moments, a whistle sounded and the fight started.

But it wasn’t a fight.

Not really.

Theo usually played with his meat. He didn’t play with his meat tonight. He came at Miles like a gorilla. He pummelled him down to the cement ground with brutal force. Miles screamed. The landing was violent for Miles. His body was twisted in such a strange way. It happened so quickly, nobody could comprehend. Theo rained his fists down on him. Miles barely got to have a punch in.

Cheers turned to gasps and then…silence.

Blood sprayed and my heart stopped and nobody did a thing.

“Theo!” I screamed, moving to him now. “Theo!” I grabbed at his arm but he was using it to punch an unmoving Miles. I jumped on him again, begging him to listen. It was impossible to get him to stop. He swung his fists and I wound up getting swung around, violently falling off his back and landing on the ground.

Everyone scattered straight away. Some of the girls were screaming. I shook hard, my shock growing, my body unable to move as Theo beat Miles. Sounds erupted out of Miles. Crunching noises. I turned to the side and vomited. Nothing came out. I stood up on wobbly legs and screamed, “YOU’RE KILLING HIM!”

Theo was in a trance. I couldn’t pull him back from it. I charged at him and shoved at his shoulders, and he staggered forward. Whoever had remained seemed to rouse from their horror and came at Theo, pulling him off an unconscious Miles. Wide-eyed, I watched Theo buck his body around, his teeth clenched, saliva spilling out of the corners of his mouth. Like a rabid dog, he flailed with the urge to continue his beating.

I’d never been so scared in my life. It seemed like forever when his body finally gave out, and he laid there, on the floor, panting.

The Lost Boys didn’t know what to do. They hovered over Miles. One of them kicked gently at Miles’ body, but he didn’t move.

Police sirens cut through the air, growing closer. That sparked Theo to get up and the boys to leave. He grabbed the basket of winnings and then came to me. I flinched when his hand grabbed at my arm.

“Get up!” he said.

I was too shocked.

“Emma!”

I shook my head.

He fumed, looking down at the basket of winnings and then at me. Growling, he threw the basket to the ground and used his strength to haul me to my feet. He raced out of there, dragging me along, keeping me upright. The air was dry. I tumbled and fell, scraping my body against the road. My mouth hit the ground, and blood flooded my mouth. I didn’t feel any of it. Theo kept dragging me, determined to get me away from the police.

“Someone ratted us out,” he seethed. “This is why we don’t bring in people, Em. And this is why we don’t stay in one spot. We always gotta move. The second we’re discovered, everyone will know where we are. Can’t let that happen.”

I said nothing.

???

I was still breathing hard when I got home. Theo had dropped me off and stood outside my house, waiting for me to go in. I didn’t look back at him once. I’d said nothing to him since he’d fought Miles.

The damn porch light was on, so Granny knew I was gone. I shakily took off my necklace key and put it in the door. It took a few attempts, but I got in. I shut the door to the sight of Theo standing there, staring at me.

The house was quiet. The smell of fresh sausage rolls and pot pie filled the air. I swayed. Then I gripped the walls as I moved, my legs aching, my mouth still tasting like blood. I entered the kitchen, grabbed a glass of water and filled it.

Some part of me was detached.

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