Page 81 of The Cruelest Chaos

Sid’s fingers dig into my waist, and her mouth is by my ear when she says, “Fuck you, Jeremiah. Let her go.”

“Ah.” He trails his mouth over my cheek. “You’re angry.”

But before I can move, before Sid can respond, Jeremiah is yanked backward, away from me.

Sid lets go of me, steps in front of me, calling out the man’s name.

I see him then.Maverick.He slams Jeremiah against the pool table, and the guys playing at it scatter.

Sid calls out Maverick’s name but Maverick grabs a pool cue from the guy closest to him and snaps it over his fucking knee.

He holds it up to Jeremiah’s throat, shoving it against him. Jeremiah is bent backward over the pool table, a gleam in his pale green eyes as he stares up at Maverick.

“Stop!” Sid screams.

I glance around the room. The bartender is watching as he pours drinks, but he says nothing. I don’t see Lucifer or any of the other boys.

Just a bunch of people staring at us, the music still thudding, this timeBounce Backby Big Sean.

Sid is clawing at Maverick’s arm with a lot more strength than she looks like she’d be capable of, but Maverick shoves her away.

“You piece of shit,” he seethes, his face inches from Jeremiah, that pool cue still underneath his throat. “I saved your life once, motherfucker, but I’m not feeling so generous this time.”

Jeremiah’s face turns red but he doesn’t stop smiling.

And then I see him.

A man running over with a baseball bat in his hand, his eyes on Maverick. He has short blonde hair and I don’t take in anything else as I run toward him as fast as I can, shoving people out of my way, Maverick’s name coming from my mouth and I don’t even know I’m screaming it.

Sid slowly turns toward me, but she doesn’t see what I see.

Maverick looks over at me, loosening his grip on Jeremiah, who yanks the pool cue and throws it to the floor with a clatter. He shoves Maverick off of him and I finally reach them, running past them both, and barreling straight into the guy with the baseball bat.

He stumbles back a few steps, dropping the bat as he does. He catches my wrist as he catches his breath and slams me against the wall.

“Nicolas, no!” Sid screams over the jeering in the bar, a few guys coming toward us as this guy pins me to the wall.

But they don’t need to save me.

Maverick is there in seconds, his fist connecting with the side of the guy’s jaw, making his head spin, his hands leaving me as he stumbles back into another pool table, gripping the edges to keep himself upright.

Maverick turns to me, pulling me into his arms, cradling my head as he spins us both and glances around the bar.

Jeremiah is gone.

Sid is running toward the door and I see Lucifer yanking it open, running toward Sid. Atlas and Natalie trail in after Lucifer, Ezra behind them.

“Get out of here,” Maverick snarls to Nicolas, who is flexing his jaw, his hand over his mouth. “Get the fuck out of here unless you want me to break your fucking neck.” Maverick’s chest is heaving against me, but he doesn’t let me go, one arm wrapped around my back, the other still against my head.

Nicolas doesn’t hesitate. He runs out of the opposite door, dodging through people who laugh as he flees.

“You okay, pretty girl?” Maverick asks me, his mouth against my cheek.

I nod, press myself further against him.

“Good. I’m taking you home.”

I stiffen, try to pull away from him.