Page 73 of Out of My Flocking Mind

“Don’t worry so much—I’ll keep you safe.”

He stopped walking and caught my arm, pulling me to a stop. It made me turn, forced to look up and into his face. The lines of stress rested there, proving he wasn’t anywhere close to himself but trying to hold it all together. “I’m serious. If he finishes me off, who the fuck cares? You’re putting yourself in danger, though, and for what?”

I stared back at him, refusing to look away. “Because this is all my fault.”

“It’s hardly your fault.”

“You were selling my product because I pushed you into it. Ryder attacked you because of that. That makes it pretty clear that I’m at fault.”

He shook his head. “I was doing stupid shit that would eventually catch up with me. I always knew it, was ready for the consequences of my shitty actions. I was a two-bit drug dealer playing with people who wouldn’t hesitate to put me six feet under. The fact it finally caught up with me doesn’t make it your fault.”

I sighed, not sure how to respond. He seemed to believe what he said, that he didn’t blame me, but that didn’t mean I held no responsibility for it. I knew damn well I couldn’t sit back and let him suffer, not if I could do something about it.

“So I don’t give a fuck if he finishes me off. If it wasn’t him, it’d be Galen. At least this way, that arrogant wolf doesn’t get to be the one to do it. My problem is that you’re putting yourself in this problem and right in Ryder’s crosshairs.”

“She’s doing more than that.” The new voice chilled me, since it was easy to recognize.

I turned to find Ryder there, at the doorway of the building he’d told me to meet him at. His lips had curled up into a smirk that turned my stomach, one that was far too perverted to be meaningless.

Trey must have recognized it as well, because he shifted himself so he stood between Ryder and me. What a stupid, chivalrous move. The reality was that I’d come to protect him. I didn’t need some barely adult standing between me and anything, thank you very much.

“What are you talking about?” Trey asked, his voice low and threatening. It was funny because from first glance, it appeared that Ryder would be no threat at all to Trey.

Too bad I knew the reality.

“She didn’t tell you?” Ryder laughed, the sound unnerving. “Of course she didn’t. You probably wouldn’t have come if she had, right?”

“She said that you agreed to try to fix what you did.”

“Yeah, I did, but did she tell you why I’d agree?” Ryder grinned wider when Trey only furrowed his brows. “It’s not like I’d do it for free. I know I scrambled your neurons pretty well, but I think you’ve got enough synapses to work this one through. I’ve been after your little girlfriend there for weeks. Her coming after me was just a happy accident that made it all a little easier. So, take it one step at a time, but what do you think she offered me?”

Trey let out a dark sound, one that suggested he’d figured it out. He didn’t turn his back on Ryder, but he turned his head slightly, as though he wanted to ensure I could see exactly how pissed he was. “Please tell me he’s kidding.”

“Who’s to say, really?”

“For fuck’s sake, Grey. I knew you were stupid, but what the hell?”

“Wow, harsh. You could just say thank you.”

“I’m not about to thank you for sacrificing yourself on some stupid fucking pipedream! There’s no way that he’ll actually help me—assuming he even could. So this is all for nothing—you end up hurt and for fucking what? For nothing.”

“And you think instead I should have just sat back and done nothing?” I asked, then shoved his back in frustration. “Sorry, but that’s not the sort of person I am. I wasn’t about to just accept that you were going to die because of me, because I put you in a place to get hurt. So kindly fuck off, if you don’t like my choices.”

Ryder watched the back and forth as though it were some amusing television show in the background, something not worthy of his full attention but also not boring enough to stop watching.

“Oh, how about you fuck off,” Trey responded, curling his lip up and into a snarl that bared his teeth. At the same time, the mist that signaled a change had started to envelop him, seeping out through his pores. “And this conversation isn’t over.” With that, he locked his focus on Ryder, and I found myself damn glad it wasn’t locked on me.

Except, the moment he did, Ryder lifted his head, the action so subtle it could have almost been missed. What wouldn’t get missed, though, was the sudden blast of power that dug into my mind with all the finesse of an ice pick. It seemed the same wave must have hit Trey, because he dropped to his knees and clutched his head. I didn’t know if it was worse for him because Ryder had targeted him or if he took it harder due to the damage already done. Maybe it was like hurting a wound not yet healed—it hurt a lot worse than a new injury.

Whatever the reason, I couldn’t keep myself awake, couldn’t resist that blast of power. It was the first time he’d attacked me so directly, and I had no hope of resisting before everything went black. The last thing I heard was the angry roar of a bear.

* * * *

I woke later, my head feeling like someone had poured a cupful of gravel into my skull. When I moved at all, it shifted around, battering my mind and leaving small cuts in its wake. All in all, I had to say I didn’t much recommend consciousness at this point.

However, as the events that had brought me here came back to me, I knew that just going back to sleep wasn’t an option, so I forced my eyes open.

The room was light, something that struck me as odd. Would have figured Ryder would know the first step to being a proper villain was dramatic lighting. He should have lowered those bitches until even the ugliest guy at a bar started to look good.

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