It All Started With Hate

lock | part 1 (e)

Curving around his body, feet probably gained blisters from how hard they slammed against the floors, but I made it to the front door in seconds.

I forced my legs to still in order to get the door open, my hand going to the handle. Just as I took my first descent onto the stair, I was being stopped.

A tall figure towered over mine as he stepped forward. Amused eyes stared back into mine, ones that knocked me back before his shove did.

"Well, aren't you lovely?" he cast a grin behind me, to my father, but when I turned, I didn't see him, so I guess he was tending to his wound in one of the bathrooms. The man turned his blue eyes back to mine. "You're just as pretty as Owen mentioned."

Panic surrounded me as he grew closer. He didn't stop until my back was against the wall.

A tiny smirk followed as he stared me down. "I'll be polite and wait for my turn, but a peek doesn't sound too selfish." He chuckled. "Make it easy on the both of us, got it?"

Just as his fingers grazed the hem of my shirt, that same action was being stopped before it could go any further. I heard a thump, then a curse that only one voice could change to be their own.

I blinked, confused at the shift. Regardless of however the fuck it happened, though, I was grateful.

Then, I looked ahead of me and everything seemed to change.

Luke had thrown the man off of me and to the floor, and in that same moment, stomped the man's face in until the bottom of his shoe was darkened with blood. The man wasn't moving any longer, either.

Luke slammed his foot into his face a final time, the action so hard that some of the man's teeth fell out.

At my sharp intake of breath, those same dark, homely eyes met mine. The rage behind them slowly shifted into something much lighter the longer we stared back at one another.

The familiar string in between our souls retied the second we locked eyes. It had never left, and neither did our hearts, which were rejoicing like old friends. They had finally been returned to their rightful places.

My body was trembling at the sight of him, resisting against the familiar pull his own brought on. We had bigger priorities right now, though.

Luke was having the same realization. Past the relief in his expression, he let it settle into action. It was the same one I had seen the days we talked about this moment.

"Come here. Now." A hand went around my arm in a grip that couldn't be broken. Leading us to the hallway, his demeanor started to still over with a mission. "There's more outside. They're about to come in."

I nodded, quickly. "My gun is—" My words ceased as I caught the silver glint from Luke's side, where one of the room doors were open. The panic caught up to me as I yanked on Luke's arm. "Luke, watch out!"

His head turned in that direction, but it was too late. The man had rushed out from the room, and swiped his knife at Luke's side.

Shit.

Luke's curse came in the form of a hiss, but because of my yell, he had moved just enough to avoid the blade going into his skin. It was enough relief to sustain me, but it was still worrisome.

Luke grabbed the man before he got too far, and the same arm he used to stab him was the one that Luke broke until the man's screams made me flinch. At its pop, I thought him done, but he went back for the next one until both arms were broken.

Luke, unfazed by nearly getting stabbed to death, kept his stone-faced cover up as he tossed the man back into the room. "I'll handle him later." With that, his grip went around my arm, again.