“Dean, you better fucking run, and you better be faster than me,” Kye said, his words so calm and even that I shuddered. “You better run faster, drive faster, and disappear faster because I’m going to kill you.”

“This is none of your fucking business, we⁠—”

“There is no we for you and her now.” Kye started walking forward. Each step looked calm, but I could see they were anything but that. He was coiled up, ready to strike the moment he got close enough, and I wasn’t going to doubt that he was about to kill Dean or at least try.

Dean took a step back, letting me go before he turned and ran. 

It didn’t matter, though.

I could see on Kye’s face that it didn’t matter how fast Dean was.

Kye was going to be faster.

TWENTY-EIGHTDAISY

My heart raced as I watched them disappear out the back door to the dorms. Dean knew the place well, but it would take them longer to get to the parking lot that way.

Since the entire college wasn’t that big, Dean’s car would be parked relatively close to Kye’s, so I took off, running the same way I came in.

I reached the broken glass of the door and saw my phone in the mess. My hand sliced on the glass as I picked it up and searched for any of the crew’s numbers. I finally hit Ash’s, connecting the call as fast as I could while I ran towards the parking lot.

“Hello?”

“Is Kye at his car?”

“No?” she said. “He told us to wait a second because he was checking on you.”

“Well, now he is out here running after my ex-boyfriend, who was just attacking me, and I’m pretty sure Kye is either about to kill him or already killing him.”

The line was silent before I heard slamming car doors and Ash yelling to the others what I said.

I was still running towards them, hoping he would be at his car before seriously hurting Dean.

I made it to Fox’s car first, panting as they circled around me.

“Where is he?” Fox asked, but I only shook my head.

Before I could say anything, the sound of Kye’s engine filled the air. Dean’s tires squealed as he peeled out, his car so quiet I didn’t hear his turn on first. Kye wasn’t far behind, though, and I stood frozen, watching them go.

Scout grabbed me, pushing me into her small back seat as everyone got in their cars. Chase got into the passenger seat and reached for a radio that was bolted to the floor between them.

Apparently, they all could talk to each other because a round of yelling at Kye went over the radio before Ransom’s voice cut through.

“I think he turned it off. Just keep on top of him.”

“Faster! Go faster!” I yelled as Scout shifted again. The car jumped forward, moving faster.

“Jax is right behind us,” I said. “Where are the rest of them?”

“Ransom and Quinn took another route. He wanted to see if he could cut him off somewhere. Fox and Ash did, too. Anything to not lose him. One of us has to be able to keep up. He’s not that good of a racer,” Scout said.

“No, but he’s better at these winding roads than any of you,” Chase said.

“Can we please stop talking and go? He’s going to kill him!”

“No, we won’t let him. He’s not throwing his life away because of one idiot,” Scout said. They all seemed so unbothered, but they were racing after him.

I was already a mess. Tears threatened my eyes, and I wanted to rip my hair out, anything to feel something other than blinding fear. “He is. You didn’t see him. He’s going to do it.”

We rounded the corner as it happened. Kye’s car slammed into Dean’s, the front end clipping the back of Dean’s car enough that it spun out of control, coming to a stop next to an old, run-down gas station.

We were still too far. Kye’s car stopped, and he got out, stalking over to Dean’s as we pulled up.

“Out! Get out.” I kicked Chase’s seat.

“I’m going, come on.” He reached back, dragging me over the middle console and out of the car with him.

Ransom’s and Jax’s cars pulled up with Fox only a second behind them. My eyes were fixed on Kye as he dragged Dean out, throwing him hard against the building. He swung his elbow out, connecting with Dean’s face. I watched the blood spurt from his nose, and for one second, I thought that it might be done, but Kye swung.

His fist connected with Dean’s face, hitting him over and over as Dean yelled and tried to fight back. His yells only seemed to encourage Kye, who started saying something back, but I couldn’t make it out.

Kye’s hair fell over his forehead, the longer strands covering his face until he pushed it back with one bloodied hand. I didn’t know if it was his blood from punching or Dean’s, but the sight of so much of it still made me gasp.

Dean was falling down now, losing his balance and trying to hold himself up against the car when Kye finally stopped. It wasn’t the end, though, a knife glinting in the headlights as Kye pulled it out and held it to Dean’s throat.

“Kye, stop!” I yelled, running closer finally. “Just stop. You can’t hurt him. They will come after you for everything. You’ll go to jail.”

“I don’t care.”

“Kye, you can’t. He means everything to that school, to those people. You will never see me again.”

That caught his attention, his eyes jumping to mine for a second. Dean took the opportunity, punching Kye in the face, but it didn’t seem to faze him as Kye swung his elbow up, hitting Dean in the jaw.

Sirens wailed around us as the night was bathed in red and blue lights.

I groaned, knowing that Dean had to have called as soon as he got in the car. Now, my dad was about to be involved and this was only going to get worse.

Kye only pressed the blade harder against his neck, pushing until I thought I could see blood seeping out. I ran closer, stopping a few feet behind Kye’s back. He punched Dean again, more blood spurted from his nose before the knife went back to his neck.

“Kye, stop. Please. I don’t want to never see you again.”

“Put the knife down, Kye. Daisy, step back.” It was my dad’s voice. He was standing by his sheriff’s car. Three officers stood along with him, each one resting a hand on their guns.

“Don’t you dare!” I yelled at him. My dad nodded and moved his hand, but the other officers kept theirs on their guns.“Kye, please. I need you. Please, stop. Stop because I’m the one asking you to.”

“Fine. Because you’re asking,” he said before turning his attention back to Dean. He spun, turning to Dean until they both faced me. Dean went to move, but Kye’s boot came up, kicking Dean in the back so hard that he fell to his knees with a cry.

“I hope you understand that you are only still alive because of her. I would push this knife so hard into your fucking neck you wouldn’t even stand a chance to breathe her air again, so apologize to the woman who just saved your life.”