The attention turned to my hand. I bal ed it into a fist; I wouldn’t give up my father’s ring. Grahm seemed to notice my decision and they al took a step forward, preparing to take it from me. Four sets of malevolent eyes shifted in unison as a familiar voice growled from behind me.
“I think it’s time you gentlemen moved on.”
Jared strol ed past me, and the air escaped from my lungs with overwhelming relief.
“Jared,” I said.
He shot me a reassuring smile. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You don’t have to give them your ring.”
“The hel she’s not. You want some of what this boy got?” Stu warned.
Grahm eyed Jared suspiciously. “You’re Ryel’s boy, aren’t you?”
My blood ran cold as I looked down at Ryan’s limp body. He was stil breathing, but in smal , shal ow gasps. I looked at Jared, terrified of what would happen to him.
“Gentlemen, you can either leave now, with the money the lady has offered, or you can stay, without further use of your arms and legs. It’s your choice. Either way, the ring won’t be leaving her finger tonight.” Jared’s voice began polite, but as his offer ended it became low and frightening.
Grahm chuckled as he lowered his head. Once his laughter ended, his eyes darted up, peering at Jared from under his brow. “Then I guess we’l just have to cut her hand off.”
I froze.
Jared turned to me, his eyes steely-blue, and then he looked back at the men as he took a step towards them.
“See?” Jared sighed. “Now you’re just pissing me off.”
“I’m sick of this,” Benson said.
“Benson, wait!” Grahm ordered.
Two of the men rushed Jared and just as a scream grew in my throat, I saw Jared pul one of them off his back and throw him across the lot—an incredible distance, at least thirty yards—against the stone wal of the al ey. The man’s body flew into some trashcans with a loud crash. Benson flew back after Jared punched him in the face, and I recoiled when blood exploded from his nose. Stu ran at Jared with his knife, but Jared lithely dodged out of the way and caught the man’s arm as he jabbed the knife at him. Jared pul ed Stu’s arm to the side and quickly rammed his fist into his elbow from behind, hyper extending it until it snapped. Jared punched him again, this time in the face, and the man fel to the ground.
Grahm attempted to turn and run, but with amazing speed Jared reached out and grabbed his overcoat, stopping him in his tracks. The man whirled around and pushed Jared back against my car.
My hands flew up to my mouth.
Jared quickly spun to elbow Grahm in the side of his face. The bearded man plummeted to the ground; the blow causing him to thrash about in stifled groans.
When I gawked down at him, I noticed that his jaw appeared askew. He held it against his face with his hands, and moaned in agony.
Jared pul ed my car keys from the ground beside him and noticed a worn, black wal et next to them. He picked it up and it unfolded automatical y to reveal a large metal ic object.
“Agh…this is not good,” Jared said, rubbing his forehead.
“What? What is that? Is that his?” I tried to get a better look as Jared stuffed it into his jacket pocket.
Breathing heavily, Jared took a few steps closer to me. “Are you okay?”
“Am I…? Are you okay?”
Jared nodded but I could see blood oozing from a smal cut on his cheek bone, just below his eye.
“You’re bleeding,” I whispered.
Jared wiped the cut and glanced down at the blood smeared across the back of his hand. “It’s not bad. I have to get you out of here before the police show up.”
“Ryan’s going to need a doctor,” I said, rushing down to Ryan’s side. He was stil breathing, but he’d been beaten badly.
“Ryan? Can you hear me?” I asked, but he didn’t respond.
Jared nodded, and then effortlessly lifted Ryan into his arms to put him in the back seat of my car. Kim ran around to jump into the back and covered him with her coat.
“He doesn’t look good, Nigh,” Kim said, cradling him in her arms.
Jared opened the passenger side door. “Get in, Nina, I’l drive.”
We flew through the darkness; making every red light a blurry afterthought. I wrapped my arms around my chest, finding it hard to breathe.
Jared rested his hand on my forearm. “Are you hanging in there?”
“I’m just worried about Ryan,” I whispered, peeking back momentarily at my friend. Jared’s hand gripped tighter.
“Everything’s going to be okay, Nina. Ryan’s going to pul through.”
“You shouldn’t have…you could have been kil ed, Jared.”
Jared raised an eyebrow, looking at me as if I were overreacting.
“It was necessary.” His hand left my arm and gripped the steering wheel. “They’re lucky I spared them their lives after he—,” he paused, seeing my expression. “You don’t need to worry…I won’t let anyone hurt you. Least of al me.”
When the scowl didn’t leave my face, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong with me, Jared. You’re bleeding, Ryan is…,” I turned around, “Ryan? Can you hear me?” I touched his battered face gently with my finger tips.
I could see Jared in my peripheral vision, his entire body tensed as if I was touching a live grenade.
“We need to get to the hospital!” Kim begged, holding her fingers to his wrist.
“Hang on, Ryan. We’re almost there,” I said, wincing when he did.
I had to turn back around to wipe my tears; I didn’t want him to see me cry. Jared tucked my hair behind my ear, and with his warm thumb wiped the moisture away. I didn’t notice that I was turning my ring mindlessly around my finger until Jared gently squeezed my hand.
“You don’t have to do that. It’s going to be okay, I promise.”
Ryan was whisked away to surgery and Kim, Jared and I were directed to the ICU waiting room. Jared sat beside me, brushing my bangs back from my eyes.
Kim sat on the adjacent couch, her knees shaking up and down. She bit her nails, staring straight ahead. “I cal ed Beth half an hour ago! When are they going to get here?”
I couldn’t look at her; Ryan’s blood was smeared on her shirt and jacket.
Beth, Josh and Chad filed into the waiting room, wide-eyed and breathless. Beth crashed into me, hugging me until I thought my ribs would break.
“Oh my God, Nina!! Are you okay? Is Kim okay?”
“We’re okay,” I whispered.
Beth put her hands to her mouth when she noticed the blood on Kim’s clothing and shook her head. “Ryan?”
“He’s stil in surgery,” Kim said. “He has some broken ribs, and they think the knife may have punctured his spleen. They’l remove it if they can’t get the bleeding stopped.”
My eyes wel ed up with tears.
“Whoa,” Josh sighed, rubbing his forehead in disbelief.
Beth hugged me as we both cried. She walked over to Kim and sat down. When Kim only offered a weak smile, Beth pul ed her into her arms.