Page 27 of Cold and Broken (The Titans of Founder's Ridge 1)

“Checking to see if they rumors are true.” He has a truly terrifying expression on his face. Dead eyes and a vicious smile.

“They are not.” I step up a stair backwards. “Don’t touch me again.”

“You shouldn’t be a tease. Wearing these little skirts with no panties is an invitation to be touched.” He stalks me up a few more steps.

My mind runs through options. I could hit him in the neck and run but I don’t want to get in trouble and it would end up his word against mine. I can yell and hope someone comes to my rescue. The way people at this school treat me I could be on fire and they wouldn’t piss on me though so I rule that out. The final option is spin and run and hope I’m faster than he is.

I kick him in the groin and then spin on a dime to start sprinting up the steps two at a time. He is for sure an athlete because he catches up to me halfway up the next flight of stairs and grabs my ankle, sending me falling. I cry out in pain as my knee, hip, and shoulder hit the edges of the stairs.

“Stupid slut.” He crawls over my body. “You’re going to pay for that.”

I yell for help and hear two sets of feet running toward us.

“Get the fuck off her, Ferguson!” I hear Connor yell as he grabs my assailant’s jacket and lifts him off me.

Then I feel Griffin lifting me under the arms to stand. He fixes my uniform so I’m covered again properly while Connor throws several punches at the douchebag who just assaulted me. Then Griffin pulls Connor away, saying something quietly, while the guy runs back down the stairs. I look down and make eye contact with Connor whose eyes are blazing with rage.

“Griff, take care of Jameson for us.” Connor commands, never taking his eyes off me.

“Done.” Griffin pauses next to me and squeezes my hand in reassurance.

“Come here.” Connor points in front of him, his chest heaving with deep breaths. “Please.” He grits when I hesitate.

I walk down the steps to him and he drags me into his arms and collapses against the wall. His heart is pounding against mine. “Fuck, Peasant. Are you okay?”

At the sound of desperate fear and concern in his voice I lose it. I shake my head back and forth and start to cry silently. He pulls me closer and rests his cheek on my head while I cry. When I get myself under control I try to pull away but he holds me tighter.

“I’m getting snot on your uniform,” I say into his chest.

“Wouldn’t be the first bodily fluid to get on my uniform,” he jokes.

“Ew, gross.” I push against his chest with a chuckle. “Too far.”

He smirks. “Seriously, are you okay?”

“No.” I rub my hip. “I’m going to have to explain these bruises to dad.”

He frowns as he looks at my legs. “Do you want to let me take care of Ferguson or are you going to talk to the headmaster? Griff and I will back you up either way.”

“Would anything actually happen if I did report this?”

He scratches his jaw. “Probably not, even with two eye witnesses Ferguson’s parents will be able to pay off the school and his uncle is a judge.”

“I’ll think about it.” Turning him in would only paint a larger target on me.

“Okay.” He bends down and grabs both our bags. “Come on, we’re going home.”

“What about-”

“Don’t worry about missing physics. Griff has us covered.”

We get to his car and he opens the door for me, giving me a look that dares me to say something snarky. I hold my hands up in surrender. I’m not arguing with him about something so trivial when he just saved me from being sexually assaulted. He pulls out of the parking lot and looks over at me.

“What was going on today?”

“Margaux stole my bra and underwear while I showering after water sports. Then she spread the word that I was free snatching so I’ve been harassed all day.”

“I’m only laughing because you actually just said ‘free snatching’ not because of what she did.” He chuckles then becomes serious. “I’m sorry. Even if you never wore panties it still isn’t okay for someone to try to touch you without permission.”

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