Page 74 of Raziel
Raziel was just there. He’d just appeared, a storm contained in a tuxedo. He didn’t say a word. He simply grabbed the wrist of the girl holding my hair and twisted until she gasped and let go. He shoved the one who’d pushed me so hard she stumbled into the wall.
He came to my side, his body a shield between me and them. His eyes were black, his face a terrifying blank mask. He cupped my stinging cheek, his thumb gently brushing the spotAlessia had hit. His touch was shockingly tender amidst the violence.
“Who hit you?” he asked, his voice low, calm, and deadly.
I was trembling, humiliated, furious. “Raziel, it’s okay, just… just let’s go. Please.”
I hesitated.
“Maya. Who hit you?”
I pointed. “Alessia.”
His voice was low, ice cold. “Hit her.”
“What?”
“Hit. Her.” He didn’t blink.
“I’m not hitting—”
“HIT. HER.”
So I did.
I balled my fist and swung. It connected; the sound echoed. Alessia’s head snapped sideways. Her girls froze, stunned.
Alessia’s mom stepped forward. Raziel hit her with a glare that would have made the devil hesitate.
“The rest of them too.”
I blinked. “What?”
He turned to the girls flanking Alessia.
“Hit them,” he said, slow, like he wanted the words to soak into my brain and the carpet. “They touched you.”
“I don’t—Raziel—”
“I said hit them.”
I swung again.
One ducked and squealed, but the second caught it—my open hand, right across her cheek. She gasped, eyes wide, makeup cracking.
“You stay still,” he pointed at the girl who ducked.
He grabbed my hand and swung it; the back of my hand connected with her face and she fell on her butt.
Raziel’s hand brushed against the small of my back as he stepped forward, his attention landing on the older woman who started this whole thing.
She didn’t flinch—probably thought she was untouchable.
He looked at her with something ancient in his face.
“Her too,” he said quietly.
I hesitated. “I’m not hitting that old lady.”
