Devil on the Rooftop [Book 1]

Chapter 41 - Arisa

There were a few more guys I had to fight off in the hall. One came running at me from the staircase, and as I punched him out of the way, another grabbed a hold of my shirt and pulled on it. I almost fell down the stairs with him but I managed to grab a hold of the railing to steady myself. The last guy blindsided me. He got a hold of my hair and pulled me back towards the bedroom. I was ready to throw him over my shoulder, but his weight brought me to my knees and scraped them instead.

That's when Baldie reappeared. He stumbled out of the bedroom, stepped over one of his own friends and shoved the other off me—just so he could finish what he started. I dodged his hand and bolted down the staircase. I could hear him behind me, each footstep louder than the last. I didn't want to imagine what would happen when he caught up.

I could hear the commotion outside the house. I could see more guys moving through the front door to investigate, but I didn't dare to stop. I had to keep moving. I had to get out. I was inches from the exit when I almost rammed into someone.

My heart fluttered with hope. The tears I was holding back began to surface. Khaleel. He really was a sight for sore eyes. I released a slow breath as he reeled me into his arms. He held my shaking body like it was made of glass and gently rubbed my back. All I could do was grip the shirt under his blazer and sigh in relief. Don't leave me, I wanted to plead, please don't ever leave me alone again.

Khaleel got a hold of my shoulders and locked eyes with me. With a single look, he assured me he wasn't going anywhere. It was as if he could hear my thoughts through my expressions. My gaze shifted to the floor on their own, knowing I couldn't face him. I was too embarrassed to. I never wanted to look weak in front of the rooftop losers. I was out to expose them; to destroy their plans but now I was in their debt.

"You never cease to amaze me, Hoffman," Khaleel said, patting my hair down. Warmth. That's all I could feel while being that close to him. "But it's okay now. You're safe. I got you."

More tears streamed. I didn't know how long it would take for them to stop. Khaleel reached for my face and wiped a few away with his thumbs. The skin-to-skin caught me off guard and sent a warning to my heart. This guy wasn't just Matilda's crush. She was in love with him...and that was all there was to it. I slipped away from his warm touch and got my shit together.

"I'm only going to ask you this once," Khaleel said, confronting my predator. He kept his back on me. Big and broad. I couldn't believe it belonged to a teenager. "Were you the one who touched her?"

"What if I was, Slumdog?" Baldie asked. "What the fuck are you going to do about it?"

Death lingered in the air for a moment. I jolted back when Khaleel launched at my attacker and grabbed his whole face with one hand. "I might just kill you," he grinned maliciously.

Baldie tried to get out of the hold but couldn't. I watched in horror as Khaleel began to viciously beat him around the foyer, shoving him from one wall to another, like he was a weightless rag doll. Having fought him myself, I could say Baldie wasn't weak—but after watching Khaleel, I had to admit the delinquent was in a league of his own.

Goosebumps slid down my arms and legs. Not out of fear of my attacker but out of fear of my saviour. The guys I had dodged upstairs rushed down to fight Khaleel but their efforts were futile. He was an unstoppable dark horse, too wild and volatile for them to tame. My lungs overworked themselves to help me breathe, to keep me calm, but all I wanted to do was scream.

I swallowed the anxious feeling rising from my stomach as Khaleel stood victorious. My eyes flashed to the blood dripping from his knuckles up to his apathetic expression. He blinked at his victims, indifferently, like they were worms he had just squished under his shoe. I swallowed hard and watched him pull up the sleeves of his blazer. Those arms—they had soothed and comforted me only moments ago but now they petrified me. I was an idiot, plain and simple, for thinking I could ever cripple this delinquent. This demon.

Khaleel took a step toward me. His strong gaze was enough to stop my heart in its tracks. I didn't know what to say. Should I start with a thank you? Should I apologize for being mean to him this whole time? Before I could utter a sound, Loyal came running through the doorframe. His blazer was pulled up too but in a more meticulous manner. His dark aura added to the bleak atmosphere, but as soon as his gaze landed on me, everything settled.

Loyal rushed over and hugged me. He held me so tightly, pain shot up from the bruise on my abdomen. I endured it. "I'm so sorry," he said.

Why? Why was he apologizing? I stood still as he examined me. I let myself fall into the colour of his irises. I had never seen him look so vulnerable before, so worried, it was strange to be on his good side for once.

"I know this is a stupid question but are you okay?" he asked.

I wasn't. Not one bit. I was sure he could tell but I kept quiet anyways.

"Here." I got shivers when I heard Khaleel.

Too scared to look his way, I waited for him to finish speaking but he didn't. Instead, a blazer was thrown on me. Loyal secured it and buttoned it up to hide my exposed parts. I turned to find the delinquent too close for comfort. His scent was on me now and it felt strange to admit that I didn't hate it.

"Thank you," I finally spoke.