The Tormentors (Prey Series #1)

Chapter 7

Liessa

I start walking, ignoring Richard's call "Liessa? Where the hell are you going?"

But it's too late-I'm already stepping into the fire, drawn by the very danger I should be avoiding. It's like I'm chasing it, or maybe it's chasing me. Either way, if Stella's protecting that guy, he must mean something to her. And in this situation, any normal person would step up.

I reach them and without hesitation, yank Stella away from Tristan's grip, which is surprisingly loose. "Leave her," I demand, my voice steadier than I expected. She rushes back to the boy on the ground, shielding him just before Brian can throw another punch. I step forward, but Tristan's hand shoots out, gripping my arm with an almost casual strength.

His gaze darkens, his voice dropping into a dangerously calm whisper as he leans in. "If I were you, I wouldn't do that newbie." His tone sends a chill down my spine, nothing like the playful cockiness from the other day in the café. Now, there's a cold, lurking danger in his eyes, masked beneath his facade.

Asher steps closer, leaning against the wall, hands tucked in his pockets, watching me with an eerie calm. "Trust me, you don't want to do this," he says, his voice low, detached, like he's offering a piece of advice I should be smart enough to take.

Brian's voice cuts through, sharp and filled with venom. "Move. The. Fuck. Away. Before I make you." His words pull my attention back.

I yank my arm from Tristan's grip, "You don't know me," I snap. Brian surges forward, ready to shove Stella aside, and I move between them, my heart hammering in my chest.

"Stop it! This is too much!" I shout, my voice trembling with adrenaline. Brian's eyes narrow, his jaw clenched tight. Without warning, he swings his fist into the wall beside me, the sound of bone against brick making me flinch. His gaze sweeps over the crowd, then back to me as he lets out a growl of frustration.

"Didn't I make myself clear the other day?! Didn't I?!" His voice echoes across the yard, raw and furious. His eyes bore into mine, cold and unrelenting. "Didn't I tell you all to keep your heads down, your mouths shut, and your eyes closed?" He steps closer, forcing me to take a step back, my breath catching in my throat. "Which part of 'stay out of our business' didn't you get, huh?"

My heart races, but I refuse to let fear take over. I've faced worse monsters far darker than him and I am too familiar with fear to affect me.

"Brian, please, she has nothing to do with this," Stella says, her voice shaky, trying to defuse the situation.

"She should've thought about that before playing knight in shining armor," Asher adds, stepping up beside Brian. His calmness is unnerving.

"Are you all insane?" I yell, glaring at them, my voice edged with frustration.

Brian lets out a bitter laugh. "Insane? Sweetheart, that's putting it mildly." He steps closer, his presence suffocating. "We're far worse than that." His tone sends a shiver of dread through me.

Tristan steps up beside him, his smile dark and predatory. "It'd be a shame to put you on our bad girl list," he says, his voice smooth but filled with warning. He reaches out, his knuckles brushing lightly against my chin, the contact sending unwanted chills down my spine. "I warned you."