Running with Rogues

CHAPTER 18 - STOCKHOLM SYNDROME

Nice looong chapter to apologise for the week of absence. I've been bitten, shat on, kicked in the face, stabbed with needles, spray-painted, sat on, trampled and covered in some very questionable bodily fluids, and it's safe to say I've never had more fun in my entire life. Have to say goodbye to my lambies in a few days :(

The jeering started. We had two raiding teams, which meant nearly thirty raiders. And all of them came out to gawk at Hayden. Most gathered around to shout abuse at him. It was almost dark, with most of the light coming from the cookfires, and that only added to the effect.

"That thing I told you about talking back..." I said under my breath. "That don't apply right now. Mouth shut, eyes down, alright?"

He looked at me, cool as anything, and he nodded. But I saw his throat bob, I could hear his heart thumping along in his chest, and I knew he was nervous at the very least. And why not? I knew how I'd feel if there was a small army of flockies mobbing me.

Even as I thought that, one of Emmett's men crashed into us, fist cocked to take a swing. He was very, very drunk, if the smell of his breath was any indicator. Bryn managed to catch his arm and knock him onto his arse, luckily for Hayden. But the crowd was getting braver. They started pressing too close, the cussing turned into shoving, and I had to acknowledge that I was in over my head.

I pulled on my mind-links to Nia and Liam and Rhodri and all of our parents, hoping one of them would be close enough to help out. And then I shoved Hayden backwards until his back hit a tree and put myself in front of him. It was awkward. I had to keep my arm twisted behind me, so I only had one free hand to shove at the raider's chests.

They didn't care that I was in the way, of course. Bryn was now brawling somewhere out of reach, so it was just me versus a score of half-drunk and furious raiders. One of the closest idiots even flicked out his switchblade. And all my filthy swearing didn't stop him taking a swipe at Hayden. I knocked it wide with the back of my arm — more dumb luck than skill. And a moment later, another guy dragged him backwards and took the knife from him.

Finally. Someone with sense.

"I don't need you protecting me," Hayden snapped into my ear.

"Yes, you do, flockie," I laughed. "Oh, yes, you do."

I saw a flash of motion in the corner of my eye and twisted fast, getting between the flockie and a dark-haired young man. A fist lodged in my gut, just below my ribs, knocking the breath right out of me. And while I was enduring that horrible moment when it felt like I couldn't breathe in or out and my lungs burned, Hayden decked the guy responsible.

Bloody hell.

It was a solid blow to the jaw, and it was technically brilliant, but it was a very, very bad idea. The victim— And oh, look, it was Joel. What a surprise. Colour me shocked. Anyway, he lunged for the pair of us with a very nasty look in his eye, and I took a hard knock to the cheekbone to reward my efforts to keep them apart.

I went reeling backwards. Hayden's second punch was intercepted by another guy, who caught hold of his arm and started twisting. And there was nothing either of us could do to stop Joel getting a hand around the flockie's throat. He squeezed hard enough to make Hayden retch.

Then a snarl ripped through the ruckus, and Nia's shadow fell over me as she put herself between me and her dumbass raiders. Silence came down like a ton of bricks, with each and every one of our attackers taking a few large steps backwards. The hand on Hayden's neck returned to its owner before my cousin could see it.

"What the hell is going on here?" Nia demanded. She had Lily with her, and the girl was openly smirking. She'd always liked chaos. "Scram, all of you, before I lose my temper."