My eyes went wide. She’d do that for me?

And then I saw Jeff in the hallway. He met my gaze and let out a sigh in relief. “Come on, Becky wanted me to find you. We’re heading out.”

Mason asked me to stay…

Kate snapped, “Go!”

I took off running and rushed past him down the hallway. He kept close behind. As we went down the stairway, a large crowd had formed in the living room, but everyone was pushing to get outside. Then I heard shouts from outside and knew that was where Mason and Logan had gone. When I started for the front door, against the swell of people, Jeff grabbed my arm and tugged me after him. He led into the kitchen. Another large crowd was in there as well, but he shoved towards the back door.

It seemed to take forever, but we managed to push our way through. As soon as I stepped onto the back deck, I heard my name shouted and twisted around.

Adam and Mark stood with the rest of the Elite group. My eyes went wide when I saw relief on all their faces, but I didn’t care. I hopped off the first deck and rounded the side of the house.

“Sam!” Adam shouted after me. “Where are you going?”

Jeff cursed behind me and grabbed to stop me.

I twisted my arm free and kept going. More people lingered on the front lawn. As I started to push my way through a crowd on the edge, I saw the street was full of cars. A line of cars were parked on both sides of the street, but there was a line of waiting cars in the middle. I counted seven of them. When people spilled out of them in black and orange colors, I knew they didn’t come from either of the high schools in Fallen Crest.

They were Roussou people.

I gulped but started to shove forward again. Then I was pulled backwards in one violent yank. Two arms wrapped themselves around me. I tried to kick out of Adam’s hold. “Let me go!”

He bent forward, but held tight. “Don’t, Sam. He wouldn’t want you there.”

I kicked even more. “I have to be there. They can’t hurt them again.”

“Sam, come on.” Jeff stood close on the side. His hand had a cement hold on his hair. He kept glancing from the crowd to me. “Be real here. You can’t help. It’s a dude fight. You’d get slaughtered.”

Adam added, “And they’d know who you are. They don’t know about you. That’s key.”

Emily had come up to us. With a worried look on her face, she frowned at me. “Sam, give it up. These guys are scary. If he wanted you out there, he would’ve taken you with. Mason and Logan are smarter than that. They’re looking out for you. Come to the back with us.”

A police siren screeched through the air. The crowd went silent for a second. There was still pushing somewhere ahead, but then another siren went off and the crowd turned into a mob. Instead of fighting to get away, I tried to push myself farther up in Adam’s arms. I scanned the crowd. “Where’s Becky?”

“She went with the stoners. They’re in the back.”

Adam scooped an arm around my waist and he hauled backwards. The rest of the group ran with him. As he carried me through the crowd, Mark and Peter took each side. Jeff jogged behind us. Emily was behind him and then they tried to clear a path the rest of the way. I tried to climb up, but Adam grunted in protest. It didn’t matter. I climbed onto his back and scanned through the crowd.

Everyone scattered in all directions.

Mark and Peter were trying to help our group run past a few houses before we started to circle back around.

After a while, as the crowd had thinned around us and the Elite group was alone, Adam allowed me back to the ground. As soon my feet touched the ground, I whipped past them and took off in a sprint.

“Sam!”

Jeff groaned. “Let her go. She runs for crazy.”

Someone took pursuit.

“Seriously, Quinn! Let her go. You’re not going to catch her. You’re too winded, she’ll outgo you.”

And I did. It wasn’t long before I stopped hearing his footsteps, but a thrill rushed through me. I went faster and I darted from house to house. As I went, I tried to gauge where Ethan’s house was, and then I circled around from the right.

I kept running.

From the black and orange jerseys, I saw some Roussou people up ahead. I flashed past their cars. A few got out and watched, but no one chased me. I kept going. Then I was closer to the house. Three more cop cars had arrived, one that had two guys cuffed in the backseat. As I neared the house, they put another two in the squad cars.

Then a cop reached out and caught me around the waist. “Whoa, girl.”

I panted up at him. “Sorry. I like to run.”

He eyed me up and down, but lingered on my eyes. “I can see that. You on anything?”

I opened my mouth, but he had a flashlight on before I could respond. He flashed it on my eyes and bent closer. I felt his breath against my skin before he moved back. “Guess you really do like to run.”

I flashed him a grin, slightly silly from the adrenalin that pumped in my body. Then I rasped out, “Where are the Kades?”

He gestured to the house. “They’re being questioned in the kitchen. You should head home, kid.”

“I can’t. They’re my ride.”

He gave me an odd look, but I jogged up the hill and headed inside. A bunch of guys sat in the living room, on the couches, as five police officers stood in front of them. They had notebooks out and pens at the ready. When I headed for the kitchen, Mason and Logan were both at the table. Two cops stood in front of them in plain clothes. Their badges hung from around the necks and their eyes snapped to me when I entered.

Mason groaned.

Logan shook his head before his forehead slumped to the table.

The female cop asked, “Who is this?”

Mason answered for me, “She’s no one. Send her home.”

I couldn’t look away from him and I ignored the anger in his eyes. He looked fine, irritated, but fine. A knot loosened in my gut and my chest lifted with more ease. I could breathe again. Then I blinked back some tears. I knew they would come from the relief, but I turned and wiped them away. A scowl came over my face. What the hell? I was crying, now?

I heard Logan giggle and whipped around. “Shut up. I was worried.”

His shoulders shook, and he doubled over. Then Mason shared in his grin.

The female cop cleared her throat. “Wanna fill us in?”

Mason fixed me with a stare after he stopped his laughter. “Go home, Sam.”