Page 103 of Family (Academy of Misfits 3)

My boys and Malakai, they’re fighters, and they’re winning this round. But this is just a taste of what’s to come. They’ve been waiting for us.

“How is she?” I lean over Pink’s prone body, checking her over with one quick assessing swoop of my eyes and refusing to think past the here and now. She’s still wearing the same clothes as she was in the video and her hair is matted and unkempt.

“Concussed at the very least,” Sonny responds, pushing a strand of blood-matted hair out of Pink’s face. She groans, her eyelids fluttering open, but they are unfocused and bloodshot.

“You’re safe now,” I murmur, leaning over and pressing a kiss against her forehead. Even that light touch has her moaning in pain.

“We need to get her out of here,” Sonny draws her into his arms, ready to stand up with her as soon as the guys have made mincemeat of the guards.

“Be ready to go just as soon as they’re done,” I order, snatching my head around.

Behind us my boys are still fighting, swiping at the guards with their knives. I watch in horror as one guard jerks forward and slashes Camden across his cheek through his mask. I see blood spurt in a violent slash of red as he roars in pain.

“Camden!” I scream, scrambling on my feet to get to him, but he pushes me back with one hand before swiping at the guard with the other. The guard rears back and brings his leg up in a high arc, knocking the knife from Camden’s hold. It flies out of his hand and slides across the room, stopping near my feet. I bend down to pick it up and for a brief moment consider passing it back to him, only I can’t get it to him in the midst of such violence.

“Stay back, Asia. I’m okay!” Camden shouts, fighting with everything he has despite the slash to his face and the blood seeping from his cheek.

Squeezing my fist tight around the handle I get back on my feet, searching for Monk.Just like the chicken-shit he is, I watch him retreat. He gives me one last lingering look, a smile playing about his lips, then runs.

“MONK!” I roar, dodging the guards only to be faced with another who appears from the doorway, pressing a gun to my forehead.

“Don’t fucking move,” he grinds out.

Time stills, my heartbeat slowing as my ears ring with impending doom. The cold metal bites into my skin as my life flashes in front of my eyes. I close them, pressing back the tears that are desperate to fall.

I don’t want to die like this.

Iwon’tdie like this.

Gritting my teeth, I curl my fingers into fists, my body stiff, ready to throw a punch…

BANG!

When the sound of a gun firing fills my head, I assume death has claimed me. Except conscious thought isn’t possible when you’re dead, right?

My eyes snap open as the guard falls to his knees half his face blown off, his face fixed permanent state of shock. Well, the half that remains. When I reach up to touch the mask covering my face it’s seeped with blood. I rip it free, drawing in ragged breaths. Another two more shots ring out and the remaining guards fall to the ground, leaking blood in a river across the floor. All of them dead.

In the doorway stands a man dressed in similar attire to us all, his face covered in a black mask, but I’d recognise those eyes anywhere…

They belong to theBlack Sheep.

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