My Maddie (Hades Hangmen #8)(20)

Suddenly, the sound of the school bell rang across the field to greet us. I rolled open my eyes and Saffie was on her feet, dusting off her jeans. Her legs. I’d never seen her in anything but a dress that covered her whole body. She was… she was fucking everything. I was eighteen. Saffie was a couple of years younger. And she was fucking beautiful. I’d thought it the first time I ever saw her. Thought it even more now. But she was pure. Innocent. She was good.

Wasn’t sure I had any good in me anymore.

Jumping to my feet, I nudged my head in the direction of the field. She walked toward the school like a death row prisoner would walk the fucking green mile. I wanted to pick her up and put her in my truck, take her the fuck home and question her sanity at why she would put herself through this when she clearly wasn’t ready. But this shit was her choice. I figured she’d had most of her choices taken from her in life by men. I wasn’t gonna add myself to that list. It was her right to do whatever she wanted even if I hated every damn minute of it.

So, I stayed right beside Saffie, keeping my fucking mouth shut. I concentrated in holding on to the feeling of calm she brought with her. Enjoyed the break from the rage that strangled me all day every day. We walked across the field in silence, but it wasn’t awkward. I knew she preferred silence over anything else. It was nice not having someone on my back for once, trying to make shit better. Nothing would make me better. I knew it. I’d accepted it.

I caught the stares of other students as I opened the door to the hallway and Saffie followed me inside. I felt the tension roll off her in waves, motherfucking tidal waves, when she saw the other students looking from her to me. Must have been wondering why the new girl was hanging out with the biker brat. I glared at any fucker that dared meet my eye.

“Where’s your next class?” I asked Saff. She handed me her schedule. “This way,” I said, and she followed me to the classroom. Stopping at the door and eyeballing the football players that checked her out, I said, “I’ll meet you in the entrance after school. Go straight there. Anyone gives you shit, you tell me. Yeah?”

Saffie gave me a flicker of a smile that fucking destroyed me, nodded, and then entered the classroom. That fucking smile imprinted itself in my brain. In fact, as the day droned on, I thought of nothing else. Gradually, the anger crept back, talon by sharp black talon until it regained its hold. Until I was shifting back and forth in my seat during final period, needing to get the fuck out. I thought back to Saffie, and how I felt being near her. Calm. Peaceful. I needed it back. I was coming out of my skin thinking of her pretty face, her legs in those jeans, her flushed cheeks… and how I could breathe around her. When the bell rang, I made my way to the entrance to find Zane and Saffie already waiting. I moved close to Saffie, not close enough to scare her or make her uncomfortable, but close enough to feel the darkness begin to fade. And it did. It really fucking did. She was the perfect drug.

“What did you do?” I asked Zane, inhaling Saffie’s vanilla scent, letting it sink into my bones to numb the constant aches.

“Told Mr. Wallace to fuck off and shove his Sharpie up his ass,” Zane replied, shrugging. I smirked at Zane and he laughed back. “He wouldn’t get off my fucking back.” He ran his hand through his dark hair. “I can’t fucking deal with pricks like him anymore,” he admitted. “Not any-fucking-more.” He met my eyes. I read the unspoken message as he did. Not after Slash. I understood. He knew I did, because the same darkness that was now in me had infected us both. Zane, my fucking brother. We were in this shit together.

Reaching forward, I put my hand on his shoulder. “Your uncle will kill you for that.”

He shrugged. “Same as every other day.” I nodded and Zane shrugged off my hand. He nudged his head in Saffie’s direction. “Wasn’t sure you’d make it through the day without getting in the shit with me.”

I cast a glance to Saffie who had a book clutched to her chest, head down. My eyes narrowed when I saw her hands shaking. It fucking tore me apart. I knew Phebe had been homeschooling her before this. She should still be doing that. Not putting herself through this fucking torturous hell. “Then again,” Zane said. “I know my uncle made sure every teacher stressed her last name—Deyes. Suppose that made it real fucking clear where she was from and whose relation she was.” I nodded, silently thanking AK, but my priority was to get Saffie home.

“Let’s go,” I said, and saw her sigh in relief. Saffie walked between us until we reached the truck. She sat by the window and stared out as the world passed by. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

“You pissed?” Zane asked as I approached the country roads that led us to the compound. “About the suspension from Prospect?”

“Yeah,” I agreed, but shrugged. Pissed was an understatement. “They just don’t fucking understand.” Zane nodded and I knew he really did understand. I felt his anger too, like it was connected to mine. A living, breathing fucking demon that was taking us over, possessing our soul’s day by day.

Fifteen minutes later, I pulled into the cluster of cabins where we all lived. I parked the truck. AK and Flame were sitting outside AK’s house. Viking was there too. For once he wasn’t smirking or talking about his cock. AK was serious as he spoke to Flame. My gut twisted. Something was happening. Something bad.

“What’s going on?” Zane asked, frowning at everyone’s concerned faces.