He’s out for blood.
“Stop!” I scream at the top of my lungs.
The officer grabs his Taser, and my mouth opens in a gasp as he points it at Reign’s side, releasing the trigger.
Reign goes down like a brick, letting out a shout as pain ripples through his side.
“Fucking shit,” Creed snaps.
The officer continues tasing him, and no more sounds leave Reign, only a painful tensing of his body as he jolts on the ground.
“Stop!” I shout, stepping up to him. “You’re hurting him!” I sob.
He turns his angry glare to mine, his free hand going to his cuffs.
“Stay where you are!” he barks at me.
I shrivel back, fear in my chest as he finally releases the trigger, and Reign’s body melts into the ground, depleted of all energy.
He pulls his cuffs out, yanking Reign’s arms behind his back. He cuffs him easily, yanking him off the ground.
“You’re under arrest for the assault of an officer, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to a lawyer present during questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed to you…” He continues reading him his rights, but I fade him out, shock rolling through me.
I let out a whimper as my feet remain glued to the ground. Archer gets up easily, keeping his head to the ground as he’s escorted to a police vehicle.
More cars pull up and block the exits of the street. A lot of people got away on foot, but there are many that are stuck here, herded into a small area without the possibility of leaving.
Reign is shoved into the back of a car, and I wipe the tears from my cheeks as the door is slammed shut.
Arms wrap around me, and I glance up at Creed, seeing him watching me in sympathy. “You got yourself into shit this time, Lake.”
I shake my head, not ready to deny or confirm what I’ve done. This isn’t the place or time.
“I’m going to need you all to come to the station with me. You can either follow behind us, or we can escort you in one of our vehicles.”
“We’re good. We’ll follow you,” Kyler clips.
The officer watches us, his eyes trailing from our head to our toes. “We’ll have an officer follow behind you in case you can’t find your way.”
I narrow my eyes, cruel words on the tip of my tongue, but a warm hand wraps around my wrist, and I glance over at Kyler, who gives me a small shake of his head.
“We’ll meet you at the police station,” Kyler says to the officer.
The officer nods.
Kyler nods.
Everyone fucking nods.
Yet I do nothing.
“Please, take a seat,” the officer says, steam rising from his small Styrofoam cup of coffee.
I yawn, plopping down in the chair on the opposite side of the table. The paint is chipped, and I think one of the legs is near collapsing. I tilt to one side, my elbows propped on the table as I stare at him blankly.
We’ve been at the police station for hours.
None of us have been able to see Reign or Archer. We’ve been stuck in the waiting room, along with a whole other group of kids who got hauled in. They’ve been taking us back, one by one. Questioning us, watching us, reading us.