Page 73 of Session 33

“Let me go,” I screamed, my hands shaking. I shoved him back, my skin burning where his fingers had touched me. I was done. Done with him, done with his bullshit.

But he wasn’t done with me. His grip tightened on my face, and panic flared in my chest. My hand flew out, slapping him hard across the face, the sound cracking through the air like a gunshot.

His eyes went dark, and I saw the rage before he even moved. His fist came down like a hammer, crashing into my face, knocking me backward. I hit the floor hard, my vision blurring, pain radiating through my skull. I tasted blood.

He stood over me, cursing in Spanish—words I didn’t fully understand, but the meaning was clear.

Rage and fear became tangle together in my chest. I grabbed the closest thing I could reach—a lamp. Without thinking, I hurled it at him. Time seemed to slow for a split second as it flew through the air before smashing into his face with a hard, sickening thud. While he was thrown off balance, I scrambled to my feet and bolted for the door.

I pulled up to Naomi’s house, my body trembling. My whole face throbbed, and the taste of blood lingered on my tongue.

I stumbled out of the car, my legs feeling like they could give out at any second. My head was pounding, and my chest felt tight,like I couldn’t breathe. I made it to Naomi’s front door, barely knocking before it flew open.

Naomi’s face twisted from a smile to shock when she saw me. I must’ve looked crazy—bloodied, that tiny-ass swimsuit clinging to my body, hair a mess.

“Angel?” Her voice was soft at first, like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Then her eyes narrowed. “What the fuck happened?” she whispered, stepping aside to let me in.

I stepped inside, and the noise from the living room hit me—Cassius, Jonas, and Silas, laughing about something. They hadn’t seen me yet, but that shit was about to change. Ekon’s baby giggle hit my ears, and the tears came, hot and fast. Thank God he wasn’t with me when it all went down.

Naomi didn’t wait for me to answer. She grabbed my arm and yanked me into the living room. And that’s when they all saw me.

Silas was the first to react, his eyes widening as he took me in. “What the fuck?” he muttered, standing up.

Jonas followed, eyebrows shooting up in surprise. But then there was Cassius. His eyes darkened, that dangerous look I knew all too well. He stood up slowly, his fists clenched at his sides. The room suddenly felt too small, the air too thick.

“Angel,” Naomi whispered, her voice tight. “What happened?”

Cassius handed Ekon to Naomi, his eyes never left mine. Ekon busted out crying.

I didn’t speak up quickly enough,

“Tell me what happened,” Cassius he repeated, his voice low, controlled. But I knew that look. He was on the edge.

“We argued,” I stammered, my voice barely a whisper. “Solomon... he found out I was snooping through his stuff... and he... he went crazy.”

Cassius cocked his head, staring at my face. He was calm. Too fucking calm. That’s how I knew it was bad.

Silas was already heading for the door. Jonas stood up, and he and Cassius walked out together without a word.

“Cassius...” I started, but Naomi grabbed my arm, stopping me from chasing after him.

“You’re not stopping them,” she said, her voice low but firm.

“He’s going to kill him,” I whispered.

Naomi just nodded. “Yeah, probably,” she said, so casually.

Chapter sixty four

I pulled up to Solomon’s place, pissed the fuck off, already on ten. Heart banging in my chest, rage sitting in my gut like fire, and no matter how many therapy techniques I tried, I couldn’t put it out. All I saw was Angel’s face—bruised, bloodied, her eyes full of fear—and Ekon crying. That shit was on me. And now, I had to handle it.

Silas was in the passenger seat, quiet, but I knew he was ready. He was always ready for this kind of shit. I didn’t even turn off the car. This wasn’t gonna take long.

I hit the steps, fist raised to knock, but the old bastard opened the door before I could. His lip was busted, and his nose was swollen and blue. Angel got her licks in, and that made me proud—at least she’d defended herself.

“I knew she’d call you,” he said, smug as fuck, shaking his head. “She’s weak." Without missing a beat, he pulled a gun on me.

I didn’t flinch. His hand wasn’t even steady. I pulled mine, aimed straight at his face.