Chapter 138
Chapter 138
Crew’s POV
My phone buzzes in my pocket, sending a sharp jolt cutting through the haze of my anger as I pace the quad, Alison’s desperate seduction—her body pressed against me, her “I’ll make you want me”—still a bitter echo. Lily’s tear-streaked face, her hurt from Alison’s kiss, her flight to face her abusive father’s wrath, burns in my chest, a fire of guilt and fear. I’m a mess, my heart is hammering, the necklace—her heirloom—heavy at my throat, a vow I’m failing to keep. I pull out my phone, and Lily’s name on the screen stops my breath, hope and dread colliding. I answer, my voice rough, urgent. “Lil, where are you? Are you okay?”
Her voice trembles, a choked sob breaking through, and my gut twists, panic surging. “Crew, please, you have to help us,” she whispers, her words small, laced with terror. “Me and Mom… we ran from Dad. He—he beat us, Crew, worse than ever. I fought him, bit him, got Mom out, but he’s coming for us. I’m so scared.” Her voice cracks, her fear of her bastard and sick father, and I’m shaking, rage at her father, my love for her so desperate that I need to protect.
“Fuck, Lil, what did he do?” I demand, my voice low, rough as my free hand clenched, imagining his fists on her, on her mom
My mind flashes to her stories—his slaps, her bruises, her mom's broken spirit—and I want to kill him, tear him apart for touching her.
“He saw the photos,” she says, her voice small, shaking. “From Vermont, us, in bed. He called me a whore,he hit me—my face, my ribs. Then he went for my Mom, kicked her, and I… I stopped him, Crew. I bit his head, clawed him, dragged her out. We’re hiding in some woods near the estate, but he’ll find us.” Her sobs break through, each one a wound, and I’m pacing, my boots crunching, my heart beating fast, her courage—fighting back, saving her mom—a blaze I’m in awe of, but her fear is mine now, a weight I’ll carry.
“Listen to me,” I say, my voice firm, steadying, though I’m shaking with fear and rage. “You’re so fucking brave, Lil. You did the right thing, getting out. Send me your location—now. I’m coming for you, both of you.” My words promise, my love for her is a fire, her trust in me is a lifeline I won’t break. I hear her fumbling, her breath ragged, and my phone pings—her address, a pin dropped in the woods near their Long Island estate, a beacon I’ll follow to hell if I have to.
“Got it,” I say, my mind racing, my resolve fasting. “Hold on, Lil. Don’t move, stay hidden. I’m calling Billy—he’ll send our driver, get you and your mom to our house, somewhere safe. You’re not alone, okay? I’m with you.” My voice softens, slow, pouring everything—love, fear, promise—into her, needing her to feel it, to hold on.
“Okay,” she whispers, her voice trembling but stronger, my words anchoring her. “Please hurry, Crew. I… I love you.” Her confession hits like a spark, igniting my heart, and I’m desperate to hold her, fuck her, shield her from this nightmare.
“I love you too, Lil,” I say, my voice thick, with truth I’ve never spoken so raw. “Stay strong. I’m coming.” I hang up, my hands shaking, rage and love a storm as I dial Billy, my big brother, the one Manchester who can move mountains. He answers, his voice gruff. “What now, Crew?”
“Billy, I need you,” I say, my voice dead serious, no room for bullshit. “Lily and her mom are in trouble—her dad’s an abusive fuck,he beats them, and they’re hiding in the woods. I sent you her location. Send the driver, get them to our house, now. Keep them safe.”
“Jesus, Crew,” Billy says, his tone shifting, alert. “I’m on it. Driver’s leaving in five—our guy, Tony is armed, discreet. They’ll be at the house in an hour. Are you going or you're coming home?”
“Yeah,” I say, my jaw tight, my mind on Lily’s bruises, her fear. “I’m heading home soon as I can. Thanks, Billy.” I hang up, my heart pounding, relief faint but real—Billy’s got this, his power a shield I trust. I text Lily, my fingers flying: Driver’s coming, Tony, black Escalade. Get in, he’ll take you to my place. I’ll meet you there. Don’t be scared, you’re safe now. You did the right thing.
I pocket my phone, my boots heavy as I head to my private dorm room, grabbing my keys, my wallet, my mind racing like crazy. Lily’s voice—“He beat us”—replays, her courage, her bite on his head, her saving her mom, a strength I’m in awe of, but her fear, her “He’ll find us”, is a fire under my skin. I think of her father, Richard, his fists, his rage over our photos—my bare chest, her lip-gloss kisses, our love exposed—and I want to kill him, make him bleed for every mark on her, on Mary. The necklace burns, a symbol she’s mine, not his, and I’ll fight for her, protect her, love her through this.
Alison’s face flashes—her lips on my cheek, her tutoring trap, her “You’ll beg for me”—and I’m pissed, her chaos a distraction that cost me time with Lily. She’s nothing, her betrayal with Javier a scar I’ve moved past, Lily’s love for my future. I imagine Lily now, hiding, her mom trembling, their bruises a map of their escape, and my heart aches, my anger spiking up. I’ll get to her, hold her, love her until she knows she’s safe, her father’s shadow banished and forgotten. Billy’s driver will reach them first, as I get ready to go home. I don’t fucking need an exit.
I literally run this school.
I'm a Manchester.
I step outside, the cold biting, my breath puffing, my eyes on the horizon where Lily waits. Her call, her “I love you”, is a spark I’ll guard, her courage a fire I’ll fuel. Richard’s out there, his rage a threat, but I’m Crew Manchester, and I’ll destroy him, save her, keep her. I slide into my car, the engine roaring, my heart racing, Lily’s address my guide, her love my reason, her safety my fight, no matter the cost, no matter the blood.