Bonus Content #3
I crouch in front of her, gently cupping her face in my large hands, and my voice softens despite the storm brewing inside me.
“Sweetheart, are you okay?” Her eyes are distant, like she can’t see me.
“Can you hear me? Sweetheart, look at me, can you hear me?” I ask again, trying to pull her back from wherever she’s gone.
Her breathing is rapid, and I can feel her hands trembling as they grab onto mine. It’s not the reaction I expected. But instead of pulling away, she clings to me. That’s when I realize she’s struggling to breathe. I can feel her panic, but I don’t let go.
“That’s it. Good girl. Breathe nice and deep. Yes, just like that. Good girl,” I say, watching her intently as she follows my instructions, slowly calming. Her shoulders lower, and her eyes start to clear.
I smile softly, relieved to see her breathing more evenly. She watches me with confusion, like she’s trying to make sense of what’s happening.
I pull a tissue from my pocket and hold it up, stopping just inches from her face. “May I?” I ask, hoping she’ll let me.
She gives me a small nod, and I carefully wipe the tears from her cheeks. I tuck the tissue away and stand up, offering her a reassuring smile. “There we go, as good as new.”
“Is it your first day here?” I ask, and she shakes her head before holding up two fingers. For a moment, I’m confused, can’t she speak? Then it hits me, she must be the new girl, Mina Davies.
I give a small nod and ask, “Can I see your schedule?”
She nods back and pulls it out of her bag, handing it to me carefully. I take it and look it over, please to see I have a class with her.
I smile at her warmly, trying to ease the tension in the air.
“I’m Max, by the way. Let’s get you inside, you must be freezing.
Where’s your coat?” I look around, expecting it to be on the ground nearby, but she just shrugs, and I catch the uncertainty in her expression.
She doesn’t have one. I nod, and instead focus on her schedule as I gently take her hand, leading her towards the entrance.
As we walk, I try to lighten the mood a bit.
“Hey! You’re in my math class. I didn’t see you yesterday.
I guess you missed it—orientation or something?
” I glance at her, and she gives me a simple nod, not saying much.
I know she was in the library, but I don’t want her to know that I’ve heard about her from my brothers.
We step inside, her hand in mine. I already have a protective instinct to take care of this girl, and holding her hand helps ease the anger of seeing how Brad treated her. I want her to feel safe, especially after what just happened outside.
As we walk through the halls, I can feel the stares, everyone’s eyes on us. Some are curious, others are glaring, and a few are smirking. Mina looks down nervously, so I lean in close, my voice low as I speak to her. “They’re looking at me, not you.”
She glances up at me, her expression confused. I chuckle a little, trying to ease her worry. “You see, I haven’t been here that long myself. I’ve already got a bit of a reputation... for not being... well, known to—uh... what I mean is...”
Before I can finish, a voice cuts in from beside me. Alex Harris grins down at Mina. Her smile is mischievous. Alex is one of the nicer people at this school, so I stay quiet, deciding to see what she has to say.
“Max and his brother Jasper are the school’s hottest single guys,” she says with a wink at her.
“Every girl’s been trying to get their hands on them since day one.
But they don’t date. At least, that’s what they’ve told everyone.
So seeing you walk down the hall, holding his hand, especially when no one’s even seen you before? It’s shocking the shit out of them.”
Of course we don’t date, we’re twenty-two. Nor did we need to get involved with anyone when we were on a case.
Mina stiffens beside me, then she tries to pull her hand from mine. I don’t let go, though. I’m not about to let her feel any more alone than she already does.
“Don’t worry about it,” I tell her softly, offering a reassuring smile. “You aren’t doing anything wrong. They’ll be bored of the news in a few days.”
I don’t know why I care so much, but I do. I care that she feels safe. And suddenly, I realize something else too: I don’t want to let go of her hand. Not yet. Not until I know she’s going to be okay.
And then I feel it. A strange, gut-deep pull. I want to protect her from everything, even from herself. I want to be the person who keeps her from falling apart.
As we near the classroom, she tenses beside me.
I glance down at her, noticing how stiff her posture has become.
Her gaze is locked on the doorway, and her lips are pressed together, anxiety practically radiating off her.
I can’t help but pause and give her a moment to catch her breath.
She looks like she’s about to bolt, and it makes my chest tighten with concern.
“Sweetheart? Are you okay?” I ask gently, my voice low and soothing. I give her hand a small tug, pulling her focus to me. When she looks up, I see the storm of emotions swirling in her eyes, but there’s a flicker of something soft when she meets my gaze. My heart thumps harder.
“If you come into class with me, you can sit right beside me. I’ll make sure nobody bothers you,” I offer, trying to be as reassuring as possible.
“But if you don’t like it or feel uncomfortable, you just tap my hand twice, and I’ll get you out of there straight away and take you to the library, okay? ”
She bites her lip, her gaze flicking between me and the classroom. Then she squeezes my hand lightly—a brief, uncertain gesture—and nods once.
I smile down at her. “Good girl,” I murmur, the words slipping out before I can stop them. I don’t know why I said that, but I see the way her eyes widen.
I lead her into the class, and immediately, the room goes quiet.
Every pair of eyes turns to us. My grip on her hand tightens just a little as I guide her through the sea of stares.
Some of the students whisper, and I can feel the tension rise.
She grips my hand harder, and I can’t help but smile at her for it.
“Don’t worry, they’re interested in anything new. You’ll be old news soon enough,” I say, trying to calm her. I notice how she keeps her eyes on the floor, avoiding the gazes that linger a little too long.
I lead her to the back corner, where I push two desks together and set her bag down. I position myself between her and the others. I want her to feel protected, even in a classroom.
She pulls out a coloring book, surprising me.
But then I remember what Gideon told us, that her mother said she couldn’t do school work, she was just supposed to color.
Somehow that doesn’t ring true. I barely know anything about her, but somehow I can see a deep intelligence when she looks at me.
I doubt coloring is the extent of her abilities.
Wanting her to feel comfortable here, I lean towards her and whisper, “hey, Sweetheart? I’m really glad you’re in my class.” I see her glance at me and her face softens a little, easing something in me.
“But... are you ever going to tell me your name?” I raise an eyebrow playfully, trying to lighten the mood.
When she stays silent, I lean in a little, teasing, “Ah! I know why you’re not telling me!
You want me to keep calling you Sweetheart!
I’m onto you now!” I can’t stop the laugh that escapes me when her eyes widen adorably in shock.
Before she can even say anything, Rachel suddenly appears, her voice cutting through the air with that fake sweetness. “Hey, Max, who’s your friend?”
I glance up at her, not missing the way her eyes dart to me and then back to Mina. She’s trying to act friendly, but I can see right through it.
“This is Mina, she’s new here,” I say, suspicion lacing my tone. I wink at Mina, trying to ease her discomfort. “Mina, this is Rachel.”
Mina offers her a tight-lipped smile, clearly uncomfortable, and I can see Rachel trying to put on that fake charm. She smirks at Mina and lets out a condescending laugh. “Hi Mina. Nice coloring book.”
Before I can stop myself, I shoot Rachel a pointed look. “You can go now, Rachel.”
She frowns, clearly not used to being dismissed. “Excuse me?! I was trying to be polite.”
“We both know you weren’t. Now leave,” I say, my voice calm but firm. I don’t even bother looking at her as I turn back to Mina, offering a soft smile to reassure her that Rachel’s comments don’t matter.
“Max, why are you being such an ass? Did she already suck your dick or something?”
My jaw clenches, a surge of anger coursing through me as I turn to yell at her. My eyes narrow, but before I can snap back, I hear Mrs. Pinkins greet the class, her voice cutting through the tension. I force a deep breath, trying to shake off the irritation as Rachel returns to her seat.
I turn my attention to Mina, sitting beside me, her face flushed.
She looks embarrassed, and I can see her struggling to breathe as I grip her thigh under the table.
But she manages to quickly regain control of her breathing, making me smile at how strong she is.
“Good girl,” I whisper, watching her shoulders relax just a little.
Her small, almost imperceptible smile tugs at me, and it’s all I can do to hold back a smile of my own.
I love how she’s reacting to me—I don’t know how to explain it, but this feels bigger than just the case.
As Mrs. Pinkins starts teaching, I pull out my phone, typing a quick message to Gideon and Jasper to let them know I have her in class with me. They’re probably worried.
The class ends, and we gather our things. I give her a wink as I stand up, and I can see the flush on her cheeks. I’ve got to admit, it feels good to get that reaction from her.