Page 52 of Guarded Rebellion

“I don’t care.”

Rurik stood behind her, his hand near his gun as I took mine out from its holster.

Then, and only then, did I enter, ignoring Eva’s angry glare at me for holding her back.

I could bend and help her, but never without protecting her first.

22

EVA

“Kelly?” I called out as I stayed behind Lev. He entered with his gun trained ahead of him as he strode down the first hallway of the communal bathrooms.

My voice echoed against the tile walls, but no one replied.

“Laura?” I tried instead.

“Yeah. Over here. Ava?” she called out from an aisle from the left.

“Eva,” I corrected, not even really caring. All I worried about was finding Kelly and making sure she would be okay.

Rurik remained behind me, but I heard the ruffle of his coat as he quickly reached for his gun. Lev tensed in front of me, too.

Laura popped into view, stepping out from a stall, and screamed.

Walking into a tall man scowling and holding a gun up likely wasn’t what she counted on. Now that I saw her face to face, I remembered her from one of my classes.

“It’s all right,” I said, shoving around Lev to approach.

“You called security?” she demanded, frowning at Lev and Rurik as they lowered their guns. She pressed a hand to her chest. “I don’t think Kelly will want the dorm supervisor to knowabout this. They complicate everything and act like you’re a criminal if you so much as drink one beer.”

“They are with me,” I said, not stopping until I found Kelly lying on the floor of a shower stall. She blinked blearily, proving that she was alive, but I snatched another towel to cover her up. She was shivering, her hair damp and her skin soaked. Another girl was nearby, frowning and stressed about what to do.

“We came in and saw her like this, on the ground.”

“Kelly?” I kneeled down, pissed that Lev tried to take charge. Rurik did too, crowding into the stall. I felt helpless, watching as they controlled the situation. Rurik wrapped the towels around her tighter, seeming to check for injuries around her head and neck. Lev pressed his fingers under her jaw to monitor her pulse.

“Eva. I… I was just so sick and I…” She grimaced, seeming to curl to her side as though her stomach ached severely.

“Okay. Okay. I’m here.”

“Did she fall?” Rurik asked Laura and the other girl.

They both shrugged. “I don’t know,” Laura said.

“We just saw her curled up on the floor,” the other one replied.

“I’m taking her to the health clinic,” I stated.

“No. You are not,” Lev argued.

I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t handle his trying to order me around right now. Not like this. Kelly needed assistance. She needed medical help. This wasn’t aboutme, at all, and my fury flamed hotter that he’d try to stop me from supporting her.

“I will,” Rurik said, picking her up in his arms. Water sluiced down, dripping down in thin streams from her wet body. Kelly moaned, reacting to being moved, but Rurik didn’t go out of his way to jostle her. His face was lined with concern as he stood fully.

“Go on,” Lev told him, matter-of-fact. He nodded once and gestured for him to exit.

Wait! What?“No. I should be with her and?—”

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