Page 81 of They Break Beauty

“What’s going on?” I asked, as soon as he hung up.

He scrubbed his hand over his face. “Another fucking strike. This time at the players on the team who I’ve also recruited into Hex.”

“What do you mean another strike?”

“Chase was too worked up to give me the necessary details. Weak fuck. Something we need to work on. I need to head down and find out for myself.”

As he went to take off toward his Porsche that was parked a couple of hundred feet in the distance, I called out, “I’m coming with.”

He was too worked up and focused on the immediate to protest.

Holy shit.

Paramedics filled the corridors near the locker room and stretchers with several players on them were being wheeled out and rushed toward the lot where I’d seen a bunch of ambulances parked when I’d arrived on campus just behind Mason.

Speaking of Mason, I hadn’t seen him for at least twenty minutes since he’d dipped inside the guy’s locker room to find out what had happened.

Students, professors, maintenance staff, and even the Dean were all flitting about in a panic, the Dean trying to contain the shitshow, along with the medical professionals who’d been called in.

I grimaced as I took note of another football player with burns to his face, neck, chest, and hands, being wheeled past on a gurney. Second-degree burns, if I had to guess.

Finally, Mason emerged. I stepped out to meet him. “What happened?”

“Some malfunction with the showers. The water was scalding-hot and the taps wouldn’t turn off once they were turned on, so the players were stuck in there subjected to those temperatures.” He lowered his voice and pulled me with him away from the crowds as he told me, “Six of my soldiers. Just them. The other players weren’t even in there. The chances of that… it’s next to none. Another setup. Another fucking strike against Hex. Against me.”

“I guess some people aren’t happy about Hex being revived, or the moves you’ve been making.”

“Some people? Come off it, Colt. It’s clearly her.”

“Brianna? No fucking way.”

He shook his head at me in dismay. “Either way, I’ll find out. And whoever it is, they’ll be punished. Severely.”

With that, he stormed off down the corridor.

This whole thing was growing out of control more so with every passing day.

I’d thought Lev not being here right now would be a good thing, so I could reach Mason and have him call off the mark against Brianna, but clearly that wasn’t going to happen. Mason was being beyond his usual stubbornness right now. So far beyond. All of this was.

While I’d failed to get through to him, our dynamic clearly not making it possible, Lev could.

Shit, I needed him back here ASAP.

19

~Levi~

I stepped out of the Science and Technology building on campus now that I’d retrieved the class notes I’d missed while I’d been away for a few days due to a faux family emergency.

As I made my way around to the north lot where I’d parked my Harley, my phone buzzed in the pocket of my well-worn leather riding jacket.

I pulled it out and swiped it open to see a text from Colt.

Yet another one.

Colt: Are you back yet, Lev?

Colt: Hellraiser, this is urgent, text me back. Better than that, get back here ASAP.

---