Page 159 of Cruel Legacy

Footsteps pound down the ramp. My head jerks around. Three people in robes and masks are coming towards me. Based on their body shape, I’d say they’re women or extremely tiny guys.

“I heard you caught a prize.” A feminine voice says, confirming my theory. I’m willing to bed one of them is Eloise. I can smell her cloying perfume.

I cut my eyes to the guy in the ski mask. He must have sent off the text as soon as he saw me. “Awe, did you call back up? Are you afraid of little ole me?”

“I’m not afraid of shit. Someone’s offering a reward for anyone caught outside on Mayhem Night, and here you are.”

“Do you know what happens when the uninvited turn up at Mayhem Night?” The first girl asks. Her somber tone making the situation sound more ominous than the situation calls for.

I answer, “They get chased through the woods and stumble across emerging artists?”

The guy in the ski mask steps forward. “They become nothing. No one with a brain, or thought. They have no rights. We get to do whatever we want to them.”

The one who was holding the blue spray can says, “I remember you. You’re always out where you’re not supposed to be. If you’re not a frat spy, you must’ve hunted us down so we could finish what we started the last time? If that’s the case, I’ll send them away empty handed.” He takes a step towards me, palming his dick.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if you’re asking me to castrate you, I’ll be happy to do it.” I flutter my lashes. “Just step over here where the light is better, so I can cut it off.”

“Finn’s not here to protect you this time, you mouthy little bitch.”

“I never needed his protection before, slim.”

“What are you saying about Finn?” The indignant shriek confirms it’s Eloise. “What does he have to do with anything?”

“The last time me and this bitch met up in the dark, he came through and dragged her away. A real knight in shining armor for the skank. My guess is he didn’t want her sampling anyone else’s dick.”

Fuck. He’s running his mouth like a gossiping teenager. The lower half of his mouth is exposed and twisted into a smirk. He knows he just said the one thing to take this from a friendly little squabble to an all-out brawl. There’s no way Eloise isn’t gonna wanna to take my head off over this. Her friends too, because they’re moving closer to me. Still, I refuse to cower. “Uh, Oh. Sounds like you’re jealous. Did you want Finn to drag you off instead?”

The last guy, the one in the clown mask, stalks closer to me. “I’m gonna teach you a lesson tonight, Theona. One you’ll never forget.”

Only one person calls me Theona with so much derision dripping from their lips. “I doubt it,Mikey.Guys like you who talk a lot can rarely back it up.”

Eloise tips her chin, and the girls come at me from the right. The guys are still off to my left. The girl directly in front of me pushes me like some chump on the playground, afraid to take a swing. I grab her, slamming the flat of my hand into the bridge of her nose. She goes down, and I stomp on her hand. It’ll be awhile before she can push someone again.

Mike grabs my arms, pulling me to him. “It’s easy to fight girls with no training, but I get tired of you talking shit all the time. Let’s see how tough you are without Coach Wolfe or Finn jumping in to save you.”

Works for me. I shoot my hands up and press my arms out. He thinks I’m breaking his hold, but what I’m really doing is getting leverage. I bring my knee up, slamming it into his gut. He shoves me away before I can reset my foot. I fall onto my ass and land on my tailbone. That shit hurts like a motherfucker. I scramble back to my feet just as the second girl comes flying at me. I catch her with a clothesline, then step over her body.

I turn to square off with Mike and his buddies. I’m so focused on them that I don’t realize Eloise has moved out of my line of sight until it’s too late. Sensing someone behind me, I turn, but before I can complete the movement, a wooden mop handle smashes against the side of my head. I try to shake off the ringing in my ears, but the distraction is all they need to come after me. The blow to my stomach knocks the wind out of me. I drag air through my mouth and look up, earning a smack to my face from the girl whose nose I smashed. I swing, my fist connecting with someone’s face. I can’t tell who. A hand grabs me and I bend the fingers back with a forceful tug. That earns me a satisfying snap.

I manage to grab Eloise’s hair. Fighting against the pull of the people grabbing my arms, I force her backwards, slamming her head into the wall. I wrestle Clint out of my pocket, but before I can use it, someone else hits me with the mop.

The blow lands across the back of my knees and back. My knees buckle, and it’s only because I grab somebody to break my fall that I don’t end up on the ground. Another fist smashes into my face. I lash out, burying my knife into the stomach of the person in front of me. Warm blood slicks my blade. I pull it out, letting their life force coat my fingers and straighten for the next attack, holding my knife in front of me. This didn’t have to turn messy, but instead of fighting one on one, they’re coming at me at the same time.

“She’s got a knife.” Someone yells.

“Get it from her!”

They’ll have to pry Clint from my cold, dead hands. Someone runs at me, head on, and another comes at me from the side. They force me backwards. Someone grabs my knife hand, smacking it repeatedly against the cement wall. My knuckles split, but I maintain my grip on the handle.

I’m rewarded with three successive punches to my face. My jaw is on fire, the left side of my face swollen, my nose is definitely out of alignment and my eye is damn near shut. I take another blow to the stomach and double over.

Seconds later, my arms are pinned behind my back. I’m wrenched upright and being used as a punching bag. The ribs on my right side are sore. Someone hits the same spot twice more and I cry out when I feel them crack.

I try to block out the excruciating pain in my side and chest. I stomp on the foot of the guy on my left and donkey-kick the one behind me. He yelps when my heel connects with his dick and shoves me forward.

I land on my hands and knees. Someone stomps on my hand, forcing me to relinquish my grip on my knife. They stomp again, shattering my wrist. The next kick to my stomach makes me wretch. My stomach emptying what little food I had in my system. I’m forced to breathe through my mouth, since my nose is clogged with blood.

Eloise squeals, “Stay down, you stupid cunt!”

---