The Bad Boys and the Fighter

8

I tugged on his shirt, a silent way of telling him to take it off. He broke our kiss and complied. His body could've been chiseled by Michelangelo. Tattoos and freckles spanned his chest and arms. He was beautiful, and he had no idea. He reconnected our lips and started working on the buttons of my shirt, before getting frustrated and ripping the shirt off completely.

"Ariel," Tyler hissed from beside me. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head to ward off the thoughts of last night. "Yeah," I squeaked out, "fine. Why?"

He eyed me carefully. "You've just been acting...off."

I didn't know how to respond. What was I supposed to tell him? The truth?

But, before I had to worry, the bell signifying the end of class rang, and I bolted out of the room with Tyler in tow.

"This is what I mean when I say you're acting off," He huffed from beside me. "What's going on?"

Without thinking, I blurted, "Nothing, I just feel like something bad is gonna happen. I can't explain it, it's just a gut feeling."

His kiss was ferocious. He kissed me with such passion, such desire. Suddenly he ended the kiss, and it was like someone had sucked the warmth from my body. Cole lifted himself up onto his knees, his gaze flickering to my eyes. It felt like my soul had been stolen from my body. He knew he affected me. He knew I wanted him.

"I want to go home," I announced to the boys once Jeremiah and I reached the courtyard for our free period.

Carlos tilted his head. "Why?"

"She has a feeling something bad will happen," Tyler responded as he fished a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his backpack.

"And I'm always right about this stuff."

"Don't be stupid," Cole pipped up from across the table.

I scoffed. "Don't be fucking rude."

"Didn't know you gave a fuck about what I said." The corner of his mouth curled upwards in triumph.

I opened my mouth to respond, but out of the corner of my eye I noticed a familiar figure near the edge of the building. He was dressed in a grey suit and had a cell phone pressed against his ear.

"I'll be right back," I muttered ass I slowly got up from the table.

Why was he here? Why didn't he call me?

With heavy feet, I approached the man. My ears began to ring and my heart felt like it was about to thump right out my chest. Thoughts littered my mind, though I pushed them all to the side.

"Rick..."

The man murmured something into the phone in a language I didn't understand before hanging up. Richard Prance was my lawyer. He was the one that helped jail Daniel. The only time he contacts me is if something comes up with the estate, or if something happens to Daniel, both of which hasn't happened since I turned eighteen.

His expression turned sympathetic. "Ariel, Daniel's out."

I stumbled back from shock "What? How? I thought he got twelve years! Why didn't I know he had a parole hearing?"

"Because I didn't even know. They're putting him in protective custody because he offered evidence to put away high profile gang members." His hand gingerly gripped my shoulder. "My source tells me he may refuse protection."

"Does he know where I live?"

"I don't know. We can file restraining orders and hire security - "