Chapter 14 Dredyn #2
Her name is thunder in my head, echoing with each heartbeat. She’s halfway down the bleacher steps now, dragged by Milo’s grip on her wrist as he tries to hustle her away. Probably the smart move—she just watched me demolish a guy in a frighteningly brutal fashion.
If she had any sense, she’d run from me.
If I had any sense, I’d let her go.
But Mara, my little hellion Mara, yanks her arm free of her brother’s grasp. “I can walk myself, Milo!” I catch her shouting over the noise. She’s fucking pissed at him for manhandling her.
Milo rounds on her, exasperated. “This isn’t the place, Mara! We need to go—now.”
He tries to reach for her again, but she steps back, right into Zane, who steadies her with a gentle hand on her shoulder.
I’m at the bottom of their bleacher section now. A few PTO guys see me coming and instinctively form a barrier at the foot of the steps—three of them I think, but it doesn’t matter.
One shoves me, and I slam him back so hard he bowls into his buddies like fucking dominoes. I hear the oofs as they topple into each other.
Not one of them is dumb enough to get back up and in my way.
Milo sees me coming and bares his teeth, dropping off the lowest bleacher step like he’s some guard dog, even though he’s half a foot shorter, leaner, and stupidly stubborn.
“Back the fuck off, Dredyn!” he barks, slamming a hand into my chest as if that’ll stop me. His other arm spreads wide, blocking Mara behind him.
Zane steps in front of me. “Dredyn, big guy, let’s cool off—”
I didn’t come here to talk.
My hand shoots out, clamping onto Zane’s shoulder. With one vicious yank, I drag him out of my path, shoving him sideways into Milo so they crash together. Both of them grunt, stumbling into the bleacher rail.
Now there’s nothing between me and Mara.
She’s frozen on the last step, bag trembling in her hand. Just me and her, a breath apart.
I drink in the sight of her. Those icy blue eyes locked on me, her chest rising and falling as she struggles to catch her breath.
A tiny part of me registers the absolute scandalized silence that’s fallen over the area immediately around us—PTO and OCK and all the spectators staring in astonishment.
But my world has narrowed to just Mara.
Her lips part, maybe to say my name, maybe to protest. I don’t give her the chance. I scoop her up into my arms in one swift motion.
She squeaks in surprise as her feet leave the floor. In half of a second, I’ve got one arm hooked under the bend of her knees, the other bracing her back. I lift her against my chest.
She’s nothing in my arms—nothing but precious, that is.
“Dredyn! What are you—Put me down!” she bursts out, voice high with alarm and anger. She squirms in my hold, kicking her legs, but my grip is iron. She’s not going anywhere unless I let her.
I incline my head, eyes blazing into hers. “Not a chance,” I growl under my breath.
By now, Milo has recovered. “Get your hands off my sister, you psycho!” he shouts, grabbing for Mara’s arm to pull her out of my grasp.
I twist away, keeping Mara out of his reach and pivoting my body so I take the brunt of his attempt.
His fist smacks hard against my shoulder in a half-punch.
I barely feel it before throwing him a murderous glare.
“Back off, Milo,” I warn. “She’s Omega Chi’s now. Stamp that in your memory”
Mara is squirming frantically, and I tighten my hold on her, afraid I might actually drop her if she keeps at it. Her ponytail swings as she struggles, the strands brushing against my neck.
“Let me go, Dredyn!” she yells, furious and frightened. People around us are shouting—some cheering me on in drunken amusement, others shouting at me to let her go. I catch a glimpse of Zane moving in again, and the two other PTO officers with him.
Enough. They’re not taking her from me. Not now, not ever.
I take one step back, then another, my hold on Mara secure despite her thrashing. One of the PTO guys, Kade, lunges as if to tackle me, and I snap my leg out in a vicious kick that stops him cold.
He doubles over, wheezing, and his buddy backs off immediately.
I use the distraction to move. Clutching Mara tight to my chest, I stride away from the bleachers, heading toward the back hallway that leads to the locker rooms of this old warehouse.
“Dredyn, you can’t just—” she hisses, but her words break off as she realizes where I’m taking her. “No! Stop—Put me down!” She writhes, her palms shoving against my chest.
The locker room door is in sight. Just a few more strides. “Keep fighting me and I’ll make you beg while you’re choking on my cock.”
She goes rigid, shocked at my threat or maybe at the audacity of all this, I don’t know, but the momentary stillness is enough. I shoulder through the door, hard, slamming it open.
I set Mara down on her feet, but I don’t step back. In fact, I use the momentum of lowering her to push her right up against the metal lockers. Her back hits them with a clang. But before she can bolt, I plant both palms on the lockers on either side of her shoulders, caging her in.
She’s trapped between my arms, pressed chest to chest with me in the narrow space.
I can feel the rapid rise and fall of her breasts against my torso as she pants, and can hear the little hitch in her breath as she registers our sudden privacy.
Her hands are free now and she immediately shoves at me, palms against my pecs.
I don’t move an inch. Instead, I lean in, using my body to keep her pinned, gently but firmly. “What’s it gonna be, Hellcat? Scratch me up? Scream? Go ahead, do it.”