CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
BLAZE
This was not happening. Going to class after what happened at Paradise last night was a useless endeavor. The first chance I got, I slipped from my seat and left the room. On my way out of the building, I dug a joint from my pocket. I needed something mellow right now.
The hallways were relatively empty. Most students were in class right now. The cafeteria was relatively busy though, occupied by those on break. I kept going right past it, intent on my personal mission.
I left the school and continued on until I was far enough away from the door that nobody would give me shit if they smelled my joint. Although it was legal here, it wasn’t allowed on campus grounds. I didn’t really give a shit about that.
I rounded the building, going around to the side that faced the parking lot. There wasn’t much activity here, other than the occasional student going back-and-forth to their car. Leaning against the building, I lit up my joint and took a large drag. Resting my head against the hard brick, I stared up into the sky.
Even though there was a fall chill to the air, the sky was blue with the occasional cloud drifting over. I savored the moment. None of us should’ve come to campus today. After what went down last night, we all needed a mental health day. Clover wouldn’t hear of it. She could be incredibly headstrong at times.
I didn’t blame her for not wanting to be stuck in the house with us. What we’d done was unforgivable. I knew we didn’t have another way at the time, and she’d been so sure that she could handle it. Maybe we should have known better. Maybe we shouldn’t have let her become involved.
Too late for that now. Clover was part of us. She’d proven herself to be more of a badass than she realized. While she wasn’t the type to enjoy violence or hunting down those who deserve it, she’d taken more than her fair share of shit and come out the other side. I’d never known anyone so strong. She’d captured my heart right from the start. That’s why I needed to keep her out of this now. Our vigilante activity was ours and not hers. I wanted to protect her from the repercussions of this life. I just didn’t know if that was possible.
The crunch of tires on the loose gravel covering the asphalt drew my attention. I glanced over in time to see a dark gray sedan rolling past me on its way out of the parking lot. Nothing seemed amiss. I wouldn’t have even looked twice if the passenger window hadn’t rolled down. When the occupant stuck a gun through the opening, aiming right at me, I jolted upright.
My legs were moving before my mind even processed what was happening. Instinct had me running. A shot was fired, whipping past me so close I saw my life flash before my eyes. I made it around the corner, the brick taking the shot meant for me.
I dropped my joint, forgetting it completely. Other than a small knife, I had no weapon. Definitely nothing that could stand against a gun. I was caught in a precarious position. I could either run back towards the front of the building and hope to make it to an entryway before they caught up with me, or I could take a chance on getting to my car in the parking lot.
My car was technically closer, although that would mean running right past them. The closest entry into the school was far enough that they would be able to drive right up into the loading zones out front and keep taking shots at me. I had to make a decision, and I had to make it fast.
My assailants made it for me. With a squeal of tires, they followed me around the school, taking the small service road that ran along the front to the loading zones. There was nothing to protect me out here. Nothing to hide behind unless I made it to the giant concrete pillars at the main entry. They would gun me down before I even came close.
I had no choice but to head for the parking lot. That meant running right past them. It also meant they would have to turn around to follow me, which would give me a few seconds to get ahead.
As the car barreled along the street in front of the building, the passenger stood up through a sunroof, taking aim at me again. The only thing that saved me this time was my sudden turn in the opposite direction. They didn’t seem to anticipate that I would run for the parking lot.
I didn’t get much more than a glimpse of the guy firing at me. He wore a ski mask to conceal his identity. The driver slammed on the brakes when it became clear that I was moving in the opposite direction. While he turned the car around, the gunman leapt out, chasing me on foot.
I had a decent head start, along with adrenaline to keep my legs moving. Even though it was probably useless, I dug the knife from my pocket, ready to use it if I got the chance. Once I entered the parking lot, it became easier to conceal myself between vehicles.
That didn’t stop the guy chasing me from firing at random. A bullet hit the side mirror of the car next to me. Another one hit the back of an SUV a few cars over. This guy was clearly no stealthy sniper, although he did seem to be a man on a mission.
My car was still a few rows away. Plenty of time for this guy to get in a lucky shot. If he got any closer, I would have to stop and face him. It was a longshot but fighting him for the gun might be my only chance.
The man began to close the distance between us. Weaving between cars was slowing me down. I needed them for cover. He didn’t bother following me between the cars, running down the open parking lot road instead, firing between vehicles. That was the mistake that ruined him.
A black car seemed to come out of nowhere. The driver hit the gas, slamming into the man who chased me. The impact threw him up onto the hood of the car and right over the roof. He tumbled down the back window before landing on the ground. He didn’t move. The gun he’d been carrying lay on the ground in front of the black car.
The car jerked to a halt. The door opened and Gage Corwin got out.
He glanced back at the man who sprawled unconscious behind his car. “What the fuck was that all about?”
The gray sedan that followed wasn’t far behind. Once the driver noticed that his companion had been taken out, he pulled another U-turn and raced for the parking lot exit.
Gage took note of the scenario, quickly putting it all together. “Come on. Get in before we lose him.”
Snatching up the gunman’s dropped weapon, I jerked open the passenger door of Gage’s car and dropped inside. He didn’t waste any time going after the gray car.
“Looks like last night was a bust,” I said. “They know we were the ones that busted their operation. Are you sure you want to get involved with this? They probably don’t know you were even there.”
Gage shrugged. “It’s all good. We knew the risk we were taking when we agreed to back you guys up.”
“Still, this is our problem. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt. Raina would fucking kill me.” My hand tightened on the gun while I watched the car up ahead weaving in and out of traffic.
Gage chuckled, doing his best to stay on the sedan’s tail. Even if that meant cutting off a few other drivers who honked and flipped him the finger. “Yep. She probably would. Good thing I have no plan to die today. I guess these guys really don’t want their operation ruined by a bunch of vigilante douchebags. No offense.”
I scoffed, not in the least offended. He was entitled to his opinion. I couldn’t deny that we’d given him reason to think much worse of us than that.
“None taken,” I said, wondering if I could shoot out one of the sedan’s tires from here. “Should I take the shot?”
I held the gun ready, keeping it low enough that the neighboring cars wouldn’t catch sight of it in my hand. If I took out one or two tires, it would force him to stop. Then he would be all mine.
Gage considered it. With a shake of his head, he said, “Not yet. Wait until you can get a clear shot. I’ll try to get closer.”
He expertly maneuvered the car through traffic. In no time, he brought us up right behind the gray car. I rolled down my window, finger on the trigger as I braced for the right moment.
We were coming up on an intersection at the end of the block. Wanting to stop him before he lost us at a red light, I stuck my hand out the window and aimed. It was a perfect shot. The bullet blew out the back left tire. The car began to swerve as the driver lost control.
That didn’t stop him though. The determined fucker kept going, forcing the car forward. I made the desperate decision to take a second shot, blowing out the back passenger tire this time. Now the car skidded awkwardly, sliding sideways as it entered the intersection.
The driver fought to retain control, but it was useless. The car went off the road, jumping a curb onto the sidewalk. It came to a stop when it smashed into a coffee shop on the corner. Pedestrians were screaming, pulling out their phones to take video and call the authorities. I was relieved to see that nobody appeared to have been injured.
“Damn. Guess that’s our cue to get the hell out of here. He got lucky. We won’t be killing him today.” Gage took a right at the lights, taking us away from the chaos. We had to hope that nobody noticed the gunfire. He didn’t seem to be worried in the least.
“Fuck,” I muttered, glancing back at the scene.
Gage drove me back to my car in the campus parking lot. The man he’d hit was gone. I decided the best thing to do was head home and give the guys a heads up to grab Clover and do the same.
Getting out of Gage’s car, I paused to say, “Thanks for your help. I owe you one.”
“No worries. It was fun. Maybe next time we’ll actually get to kill the guy.” With a crazy smirk, Gage gave me a playful salute and drove away.
I got into my own car, locking the doors. I would wipe my prints from the gun and ditch it on the way home. Pulling out my phone to call Cash and Daire, I noticed several missed calls from Clover.
Shit.