“Oh no, you don’t.” I yanked him back. “Rock paper scissors.” We hurriedly had our game, and Hawke won the first round. “Shit.”
He laughed. “This is for getting Corpse involved.”
“Wa—”
Hawke’s fist cut through the air and came down in the middle of Frances’s chest. The chair rocked back with the blow, and he fell over, sputtering and gasping for breath. We all watched him struggle, his eyes wide and tears rolling free, mixing with the blood from his nose.
“Right him,” Luxious said.
I hadn’t noticed Mac leave, but he was back with two tarps. He handed one over, and we put them down before lifting Frances and righting him.
Frances whimpered. “Please, I—”
“Who gave you the video, Frances?” Luxious asked and stepped forward.
Hawke’s smile grew as he took in Luxious’s face. I glanced up and whistled. Luxious was un-retrained right now. Frances’s life hung in the balance. We made it a habit of not killing any students that attended our school. Ruining their lives was fair game but killing them left too much of a mess.
Frances might just break that little vow we’d made.
“I don’t know.”
Wrong answer.
Luxious walked around Frances and grabbed his fingers. “That answer isn’t good enough.”
The crack of bones breaking was like music, while Frances’s scream was more like nails on a chalkboard. I was tempted to stuff his mouth with the spit-soaked rag again.
“Where did you get it from?”
“Please, I—”
Snap. Snap Snap.Three more fingers bit the dust, and Frances’s screams turned hoarse as he slumped forward. Luxious was being nice. He wanted the information.
“If I have to ask again, you won’t be walking out alive.”
“You wouldn’t,” Frances cried out.
“I wouldn’t test him,” I said.
Hawke was bouncing on the balls of his feet, ready to attack. I looked around, and a part of me wished Keegan was there with us. Beating up those assholes in the library that one day, while she watched, had felt ten times better than usual.
“You have the wrong person,” Frances tried.
“Mac,” Luxious called.
“I’m not mistaken.” Mac didn’t budge or look the least bit worried.
“There you have it,” Lux said and broke another finger. Frances attempted to pull away. “Tell us what we want to know.”
“All I know is that I got the video sent to me and was told to send it out.” Frances sucked in a breath. “I swear. I don’t know where it came from.”
Luxious stood up and took a step back. Hawke and I moved forward in unison.
“The one who breaks the most bones buys the other breakfast,” I said.
“You’re on.” Hawke laughed and tackled Frances down.
“Wait!” Frances cried out, but he’d proven he knew nothing.