his friends—she had spoiled their fun. Diana clenched at her stomach as Tony began to approach her—his vileness was making her sick. He raised his arm to backhand her across the face, like he had no doubt done many times in the past when girls displeased him, and Diana clenched her eyes shut.
A sound of flesh striking flesh resounded in Diana’s ears, but the impact never came.
She opened her eyes to see Tony’s fist clenched in Darien Shepherd’s tight grip. Diana’s astonishment was broken when she heard a sudden splash of water and turned her head to see Andrew rising out of the rippling pool with Eric in tow.
Tony’s eyes were enraged. “Mind your own business, asshole.”
By contrast, Darien’s eyes were filled with an anger of a different kind—anger fueled by righteous judgment. He looked on Tony like a vicious animal that needed to be dealt with.
The football player brought his knee up to collide with his opponent’s middle, but with swift fluid motions, Darien dodged and was quickly behind Tony with his arm wedged behind his back. Tony continued to struggle like a madman while Darien placed pressure on his arm; the animal refused to admit defeat. Finally, with a blunt object that Diana hadn’t noticed in Darien’s other hand, he knocked the football player out. Tony fell to ground with a thud.
Darien turned his head around to face Tony’s two friends but they had already run off, leaving a fearfully confused Lani sitting on the ground against the wall of the pool house. Quite certain that Tony was out cold, Darien tossed his weapon into the grass; it hit a rock and shattered like it was made of thin ceramic.
Diana was struck by the oddity of such a brittle object knocking a football player out cold.
She shook her head and then held it in her hands; it was too much to think about right now. Her eyes went to Darien. He bent down, heaved the unconscious football player over his shoulder, and then carried him towards the side of the house where he tossed him into a pile of trash bags with the rest of the garbage.
With genuine concern in his eyes, Darien quickly returned to Diana’s side and extended an outreached hand. “Are you alright, Miss Selene?”
Not quite sure if she was or not, Diana nodded reluctantly. “I think so, but my roommate isn’t. They drugged her.”
“Mongrels,” Darien seethed under his breath. “Let’s see to your friends.”
Diana grabbed a hold of Darien’s hand, and as he helped her to her feet, a strange sensation quickened to life just behind her temples and quickly coursed its way throughout her extremities. It felt as if the light of the bright summer sun was coursing through her veins. When he finally let go of her hand, the sensation slowly seeped away until Diana was left feeling empty and alone.
What’s happening to me? Her feelings were so much more potent and overwhelming than usual. Diana shook it off for the time being—she had to make sure Lani was alright.
Taking her gently by the arm, Darien escorted Diana to where Lani sat on the ground. Andrew had managed to get Eric out of the pool and propped him up beside to her.
Diana’s eyes went wide with panic—Eric wasn’t breathing. All the remaining heat left Diana’s body and she felt colder than she’d ever felt in her life.
With a strange sense of calm, Andrew closed his eyes and placed one hand in the small of Eric’s back and another on his chest. In moments, Eric suddenly spit up the water that had been sitting in his lungs and began to cough. Diana sighed in relief as he started coming around; he also looked to be in a great deal of pain.
Andrew slightly probed his chest with his hand and Eric winced. “Ugh—I think that bastard broke a rib or two.”
“At least you didn’t drown,” Andrew said through a smirk. “But not bad for putting yourself in between three big-sixers and a tomato.” He put his arm around Eric’s middle. “I better get you to the local Urgent Care,
A sound of flesh striking flesh resounded in Diana’s ears, but the impact never came.
She opened her eyes to see Tony’s fist clenched in Darien Shepherd’s tight grip. Diana’s astonishment was broken when she heard a sudden splash of water and turned her head to see Andrew rising out of the rippling pool with Eric in tow.
Tony’s eyes were enraged. “Mind your own business, asshole.”
By contrast, Darien’s eyes were filled with an anger of a different kind—anger fueled by righteous judgment. He looked on Tony like a vicious animal that needed to be dealt with.
The football player brought his knee up to collide with his opponent’s middle, but with swift fluid motions, Darien dodged and was quickly behind Tony with his arm wedged behind his back. Tony continued to struggle like a madman while Darien placed pressure on his arm; the animal refused to admit defeat. Finally, with a blunt object that Diana hadn’t noticed in Darien’s other hand, he knocked the football player out. Tony fell to ground with a thud.
Darien turned his head around to face Tony’s two friends but they had already run off, leaving a fearfully confused Lani sitting on the ground against the wall of the pool house. Quite certain that Tony was out cold, Darien tossed his weapon into the grass; it hit a rock and shattered like it was made of thin ceramic.
Diana was struck by the oddity of such a brittle object knocking a football player out cold.
She shook her head and then held it in her hands; it was too much to think about right now. Her eyes went to Darien. He bent down, heaved the unconscious football player over his shoulder, and then carried him towards the side of the house where he tossed him into a pile of trash bags with the rest of the garbage.
With genuine concern in his eyes, Darien quickly returned to Diana’s side and extended an outreached hand. “Are you alright, Miss Selene?”
Not quite sure if she was or not, Diana nodded reluctantly. “I think so, but my roommate isn’t. They drugged her.”
“Mongrels,” Darien seethed under his breath. “Let’s see to your friends.”
Diana grabbed a hold of Darien’s hand, and as he helped her to her feet, a strange sensation quickened to life just behind her temples and quickly coursed its way throughout her extremities. It felt as if the light of the bright summer sun was coursing through her veins. When he finally let go of her hand, the sensation slowly seeped away until Diana was left feeling empty and alone.
What’s happening to me? Her feelings were so much more potent and overwhelming than usual. Diana shook it off for the time being—she had to make sure Lani was alright.
Taking her gently by the arm, Darien escorted Diana to where Lani sat on the ground. Andrew had managed to get Eric out of the pool and propped him up beside to her.
Diana’s eyes went wide with panic—Eric wasn’t breathing. All the remaining heat left Diana’s body and she felt colder than she’d ever felt in her life.
With a strange sense of calm, Andrew closed his eyes and placed one hand in the small of Eric’s back and another on his chest. In moments, Eric suddenly spit up the water that had been sitting in his lungs and began to cough. Diana sighed in relief as he started coming around; he also looked to be in a great deal of pain.
Andrew slightly probed his chest with his hand and Eric winced. “Ugh—I think that bastard broke a rib or two.”
“At least you didn’t drown,” Andrew said through a smirk. “But not bad for putting yourself in between three big-sixers and a tomato.” He put his arm around Eric’s middle. “I better get you to the local Urgent Care,
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