Page 43 of Fighting Fate (Granton University 1)

“Yes,” Bailey moaned. “Yes, she is.”

Ripping open his door, Logan got out of the car and sprinted toward the action, hearing her friends scrambling after him.

“How many times have I told you to leave him alone already?” Paige roared to the big fellow, pushing him again. “Don’t you have anything better to do, like get a life?”

“Maybe I would, if you’d ever go out with me.” Instead of looking insulted, the guy appeared as if he’d just accepted a challenge. Stepping right up to her until he was entirely too close, he reached out and ran his fingers over her bare shoulder, playing with the thin red strap holding up her dress.

Logan moved to intervene, his teeth clenched with fury.

But with a growl of repugnance, Paige grabbed the bully’s hand off her shoulder, by his thumb, and twisted hard, making him grunt out a sound of pain as he doubled over. “Are you trying to make me sick?”

Stumbling to a halt, Logan’s mouth dropped open. Paige must’ve applied more pressure to the guy’s thumb because he bowed down nearly onto his knees before her and whimpered.

“No, ma’am,” her victim rushed to croak. “But he…the little homo was watching me take a shower.”

“I don’t care if he was trying to join you in the shower. No human being deserves to be chased up a tree like an animal. Leave him alone.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Next time, just tell him to stop.” Releasing Einstein’s tormentor, Paige pushed him back and stepped toward the tree, opening her arms as if prompting a kitten to jump down to her.

“Okay, everybody clear out,” Logan called, deciding to clean up while she was preoccupied. “Now! Get going.”

He waved his arms wide, corralling the spectators away from Paige. Surprisingly enough, they followed his orders, slowly shuffling toward the entrance of the building. One person was even nice enough to pause and help the sore-thumbed bully up from the ground.

Inside of a minute, the only people left around the tree were him, Paige, and her two friends.

“Holy guacamole, Paige.” Bailey gaped at her. “Where’d you learn a move like that?”

Paige shrugged, her attention still up the tree.

“My brother taught it to me when I was little. Okay,” she called softly. “They’re all gone. You can come down now.”

“You’re sure?” a timid voice asked.

“I’m sure. All the mobsters have fled.”

“It’s mob,” the voice muttered.

When Paige only chuckled, the dark mass in the tree deftly leaped down, landing on the grass with ease. A young boy straightened and hurried from the shadows and straight into Paige’s arms. He buried his face in her shoulder as she hugged him close, and Logan shook his head, certain he was seeing things.

What was a kid doing on campus?

“I can’t believe she’s so nice to that freak,” Bailey hissed beside him. “Look at him. He’s gawking down her cleavage while she’s trying to pamper him like some kind of concerned mama bear.”

“Did they get you anywhere tonight?” Paige asked, pulling back just enough to look him over.

The boy shook his head, long dark bangs flopping into his eyes. “No.” After giving his sullen answer, he scooted back to her for another hug.

Paige lifted her face to her friends while she wrapped one arm around the boy’s shoulder and turned him toward the dorm building. “I’m going to take Einstein up to his room. I’ll see you guys later, okay?” Her gaze touched briefly on Logan. “Thanks again for the ride.”

Einstein yanked to an abrupt halt, looking up at Logan with sudden suspicion glittering in his eyes. “Who’s he?” he demanded, then he turned to Paige and looked her up and down. “Where were you?”

“We went to a Halloween party,” she said, tearing the bunny ears off her head as if she suddenly decided they must look lame. “I would’ve invited you, but you weren’t by the door when we left.”

As they started toward the entrance of Grammar Hall, Bailey groaned. “She would have invited him too.” After rolling her eyes, she gave a dreaded shiver. “Paige pampers the creepy little weirdo like he’s actually normal.”

“She does,” Tess agreed sadly, tipping her head to watch them leave. “I tried to be nice to him once. Told him I liked his shirt. He said it wasn’t for sale and was too small to fit me anyway.” She harrumphed. “The jerk.”

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