Page 45 of The Masks We Break

The faint sound of a door slam, and I hear a vaguely familiar voice asking him who else to call. Then comes the roar of his bike whirling to life. It burns the rest of my fear to dust, promising he’ll be here soon. My knight in dark leather.

“I’m coming for you, puppet.”

It’s the last thing I hear before my screen turns black and I’m left in the dark.

TWENTY ONE

Afire burns in my chest as I exit Solace Square and ride the winding road toward the frat houses. Bellamy’s called the defensive line to meet us there, because really, we have no idea what we’re walking into. I have no fucking clue what’s happened but I really don’t care. What Idofind myself caring about, is the way I could hear her tears hitting the speaker, muffling her few words. The fear in each of the six words she said forced my fine hairs on edge.

Or the fact she said sheneeds me.

The muscles in my neck pull tight. I know I’m about to fuck someone up, I just don’t know if I’ll be in time to stop anything from happening to her, if it hasn’t already. And that in itself will determine if that person ends up dead or not. Something deep in my gut is telling me she’s with that Ricky fucker. I had that situation handled discreetly, having Bellamy warn him that Remy was off-limits. But I guess he either forgot or decided he doesn’t care.

I should have made the threat myself. Damned my physical state at the time, I should have gotten up and taken care of her like I’ve always tried to.

Fuck.

I lean forward, pressing my foot down and reaching the row of frat houses within minutes. There are unspoken rules to situations like these, I know that, but when Omega Phi house comes into view, I can’t seem to remember them.

Instead of waiting on Bellamy, I unhook my leg over my bike and take my helmet off, keeping it next to me.

I yank open the door, the blood pulsing so loud in my ears I can’t hear the music. A few people near the entrance glance my way, but quickly divert their eyes. They must sense the anger pooling off me in waves, and heads begin turning in unison. The blond I’m looking for comes into my line of sight within seconds, his sleazy ass taking a shot out of some girl’s belly button.

“Blaze.”

There isn’t enough time for me to register who says my name. But I do hear the crack Ricky’s skull makes when my helmet smashes against it. Everyone moves back as they watch the Omega Phi president fall to the ground. I didn’t hit him full force though, since I need to know where Remy is before he’s knocked out completely.

I grip his designer polo by the collar, forcing him up enough so he can see me. A bit of blood trickles from his left temple, but he looks fine enough to answer my questions.

“Did you touch her?” I ask, keeping my voice level.

A lazy grin overtakes his pale face and my vision turns crimson. “I touch a lot of girls, Bardot. You’ll have to be more specific.”

I scoff, lifting him to his feet. Bold of him to be so forward, but then again, I’m on his territory. But he makes the mistake of thinking I give a fuck. “Remy Solace.”

His eyes widen, sending a sick sense of satisfaction through my body.

Yeah, fucker. That girl’s mine.

A heavy hand falls on my shoulder, and I finally realize the voice from earlier belonged to Bellamy. And with his arrival, multiple things happen in unison. Two bottles from my left barely skim past me as they fly through the air. Bellamy dodges one, but takes the other in the shoulder, a clean line of blood contrasting with his dark skin as it appears.

The dozen or so Omega boys make it halfway to me before being run through by the defensive line, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. My right hook meets Ricky’s soft stomach, and I shift just enough to miss the blood he spits on the ground.

I grab him again, pulling him closer, my voice full of venom I hope he feels in his fucking soul. “Did you touch her?”

This time he shakes his head, but not before hesitating for half a second. I slam his body into the ground, lifting him right back up. The swell of anger from my father, and the guilt of letting Remy down, coil low in my stomach, driving my elbow to connect with his face.

He turns back toward me, his nose crooked, and a line of blood is seeping from the side, signaling it’s broken. “Where. Did. You. Touch. Her?”

He tries to speak, but I can’t help myself, kneeing him in the lower stomach. “Where is she?”

Ricky picks up his hand, his fingers shaking violently as he points up the stairs.

Without looking back, I drop him, grabbing my helmet and taking the steps three at a time. When I reach the landing, my heart is racing, my mind wondering if I’m too fucking late.

“Remy!” A guttural roar rips from my throat, my voice clear over the downstairs chaos.

My nostrils flare as I hold my breath, ears straining to hear her if she’s even capable of answering. The very thought that she might not be able to, rips a fucking hole in the center of my chest and my body shakes in response.

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