Chapter 36

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"Shit!" I exclaim as the Enforcer falls to the floor, her blood immediately coating Kayla

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"Shit!" I exclaim as the Enforcer falls to the floor, her blood immediately coating Kayla. "Give me your hoodie!" I say to Sam, Heidi's mouth dropping open in shock.

"Mils-"

"Now, Sam," I snap. He quickly pulls the black fabric over his head, passing it across. I yank it on, pulling the hood up to hide my hair and face before glancing back at them. "Stay here!" I quickly order before turning and sprinting towards the shell-shocked looking Kayla.

I reach her in seconds, roughly yanking the bloody glass out of her hand and dropping it to the floor. I barely have time to look at the spluttering Enforcer, her breath clouded with gurgles and blood. Instead, I grab Kayla, forcefully leading her back to the alleyway, Sam and Heidi both watching me in panic.

"What do we do?" Heidi wails, clearly scared. I bite my lip in uncertainty before reaching up and wiping a hand over my face as my heart hammers in my chest. I don't really have a choice, I need to get Kayla away from here, hidden somewhere they can't find her. It'll be half-hour before they're patrolling the entire area, looking to find the mentally-unhinged blonde girl who stabbed one of their women to death. I can't leave Heidi and Sam here either, it's out of the question.

"I have somewhere we can go," I reply. "Come on!" I urge. Sam grabs Kayla from the other side, making it easier for us to walk. I don't hesitate to overthink any consequences for my actions, reminding myself to focus on helping the poor, unstable girl between us.

I remember one time at school when Kayla walked in on Rayden and I together in an empty classroom, my legs locked around him, his lips on mine. The resulting argument had ended in her slapping me before I reached out and yanked her fake extensions as Rayden yelled at the two of us to stop.

At the time of the war, Rayden and I weren't together, Kayla and him in a relationship instead. She was believed to be dead for two years, found up near York by the Enforcers, nearly starving to death and begging to be able to go back to Nottingham.

Rayden and I had moved on by then, forgotten all about the high school drama. Initially, he wanted us to be in a full blown relationship, however I was adamant I would never let myself feel  the way I used to feel ever again.

Rayden and I being together would have destroyed us, the State would have wrenched us apart as soon as they saw that we were happy. Instead, we settled for our casual hook-ups that the State never suspected. I ignored Kayla in the Girls' house, pretending she didn't exist, desperate to shut the door on my past life.

It's funny how life works out.

"Where are we going?" Heidi asks as we turn left. I ignore her, attempting to focus on keeping the nausea at bay. Before long, we stand in front of the Victorian house, Heidi's wide eyes inspecting it as I urge Sam to get the unresponsive Kayla up the steps. 

"Heidi!" I snap, distracting her from daydream. "Knock on the door seven times."

"What?"

"Seven!" I repeat. "Do it!" She steps up, rapping her knuckles against the door before stepping back as someone quickly yanks the door open. 

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