Page 123 of Twisted Legacy

I can’t turn my head to see him or even wonder how the hell he got in here, but the way Pax just barked at her has her focusing on him. He steps closer and leans down, reaching for her, and earns a punch in the face for his trouble. She springs to her feet, swinging again.

He dodges the second blow and just misses getting gutted with her blade, taking her wrist and pulling her in close before gripping her tight, pinning her arms at her sides like she’s in a straight jacket.

“What are you gonna do now?”

She head butts him, making him back away and launches at him. They go falling to the floor, with a crash I’m sure the people below us can hear. Then she’s got him pinned under her.

Pax grabs her hair, forcing her head back and grunts, “Are you awake yet, or do I need to knock you around some more?”

She’s breathing hard. The air thick with tension. “Pax? What the fuck are you doing in my room?”

“Keeping you from catching a murder rap.” Her face pales as she looks down at the blade in her hand. He sits up, bringing his chest closer to hers, and pulls the knife from her hand as he whispers something in her ear. I’m glad he showed up to help, but I’m also jealous that he’s holding her so closely. When he’s done, she scrambles to her feet, gives a curt nod, then walks to her bathroom, mumbling an apology to me.

“What’s a little spilled blood between friends?”

“What the hell was that?” I ask, still not sure what happened in such a short amount of time.

“Night terrors.” Pax says, staring at the closed bathroom door. “Aren’t you two hooking up? How do you not know she has them?”

Rolling my eyes at him, I explain, “It was three hookups. You were there for two of them. None of them ended in sleep overs.” I strain my ears trying to hear what’s happening behind the door. “And how doyouknow she does?”

He walks over to inspect the cut on my neck. But avoids answering my question. Stepping back and crossing his arms over his chest, he tells me, “She didn’t go too deep. Just make sure you clean the wound so it doesn’t get infected.”

“I’m sorry, Finn. I didn’t realize it was you.”

My head whips around. She’s standing in the doorway of her bathroom, looking small and uncertain. I hate that. I like when she’s Belinda Badass. My scratch your eyes out, little pet. “It’s fine. I’ve tasted the edge of a knife before.”

“Maybe, but not one that was really intent on killing you.”

Shows how much she knows. I’ve definitely been almost murdered once or twice. “Were you going to kill me, Pet?”

“Yes.”

All this time, I played off her threats as a joke, but after watching her and Pax fight, I’m realizing how naïve that might have been of me.

Thea returns to the bathroom. The shower comes on, and Pax drags me back to my room. I have a hard time falling asleep, fighting the urge to go back over to her room.

She avoids me at breakfast, and I’m on edge for the rest of the day. Not because I’m worried that I need to watch my back, but because I don’t know how to let her know that everything’s okay with us.

If anything, seeing her like that just made me fall a little harder.

Chapter72

Holden

When I let myself into Thea’s room, I find her huddled under the covers, her hand under the pillow where she keeps her knife. I see another on her nightstand next to a bottle of sleeping pills. A quick check around her dorm room shows several more knives placed in discreet locations.

She doesn’t feel safe in her own room. She is. Nobody’s getting on this floor without us knowing, and no one other than me and Finn are coming in here while she sleeps. I can’t believe he let his guard down like that and nearly got himself killed.

I go back to the bedroom and climb under the covers, rolling Thea onto her back the way I like, and settle on my side, putting my hand against the pulse of her throat. It’s steady, albeit a little too fast, her anxiety spiking because she knows she’s not alone. She’s slow to wake with those chemicals in her system. It’s why I prefer to make my own natural blend, and I only dose myself when absolutely necessary.

“It’s me, Rey.” Her face scrunches up, but her breathing slows. Instinctively, she knows she’s safe. Even if she’s not sure why. It’s all the nights I’ve come in here. Talked to her. Touched her. It’s seeped into her soul. Her body’s conditioned to recognize my voice. My touch.

“How was your day?” I ask, resuming my usual greeting. “Mine was crappy. This research I’m doing for a friend keeps leading to a dead end. But I’m not quitting. I just need to get my mind off of it for a while.”

I look over at her nightstand. “Finn told me what happened with your night terrors. That’s unacceptable. I’m supposed to be the scariest thing in your dreams. I understand why you’re taking sleeping pills. Believe me, I do. Because it gives you a deep dreamless sleep, but you need to stop taking them. You need your nightmares to help you remember what happened on Mayhem Night.”

She flinches as if just the words have triggered a dream. “Don’t worry. I’ll give you something better to dream about.”

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