Page 17 of Savage Reign

The smile on his face disappeared from my words, and I resisted the urge to take them back.

“What, you think you’re too good for us, is that it? Stuck-up bitch.”

I pulled up short from the venom in his voice.

“I just want to leave. Let me through.” I tried to push away from him. He didn’t budge. Crossing my arms over my chest, I glared up at the man. “Are you serious?”

“Am I serious? What’s wrong with us?”

“Move.”

“Hey, Billy. Let’s just go back and leave her be,” one of his friends called out.

At least they weren’t the same as Billy.

Billy shook his head, anger marring his face. “No, I want to know why this bitch doesn’t want to hang out with us.”

“Come on. Just leave her alone,” the other one called out, but something about his voice told me they wouldn’t really come to my aid against Billy. They were just going to stand there and watch.

Billy shook his head. “No, I want to have my fun.”

It took me a moment to realize Billy’s pupils were dilated in his brown eyes. He was either drunk or high and decided I was going to be his target.

I swallowed down the fear, blood roaring in my ears and making it hard to hear anything around me or what Billy and his friends were talking about.

They said something else to him, causing him to turn away from me briefly.

I didn’t think. I pulled my fist back and punched him in the throat.

He hadn’t expected that, pulling away from me and choking a little as he covered his throat with his hand. I didn’t wait. I ran out of there quickly, pulling the motel key out of my pocket as I went. My hands shook when I got to my motel room, and I tried to insert the key in the lock.

A raged shout sounded out, nearly causing me to drop the key.

I cried out in relief when I finally got my door open and slammed it shut behind me, locking it.

I leaned against the door and took in the room, trying to get my breathing under control.

My legs gave out beneath me, and I slipped down to the floor, sitting on the cold and dirty ground. Something wet hit my palm, and it took a moment to realize it was my tears.

I was crying.

I took in a shaky breath as more tears fell.

How could I not know how completely useless I actually was out in the real world? And to think I had been so full of optimism arriving in New Orleans for the first time.

Now…

What the hell was I supposed to do?

7

SILAS

I worked hard notto fucking jump out of the fucking car as soon as Maverick came to a stop in the middle of fucking nowhere.

We had been silent the entire ride here, and for once, it wasn’t because we were all trying to keep from exploding.

The opposite.

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