Free Unleash the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon

that?” another of the frat boys asked. “Don’t you ever wash it?”
    â€œIt’s dreads, mon,” another answered in a fake Jamaican accent. “All the better for smoking the ganja, don’t cha know?”
    Blaine tsked, then passed a feigned sympathetic look at her. “Really, Margeaux, why are you hanging with such lowlifes? I know you can’t help who your mother was, but damn, woman, I would think your father’s genes would take some dominance.”
    â€œI’m sorry, Maggie,” Wren said in a quiet voice. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
    â€œYou’re not embarrassing me,” she said between clenched teeth. “They are.”
    Still Wren didn’t look at her. He started away from her, heading back toward the street.
    â€œYeah, keep walking, busboy,” Blaine said in an acidic tone, “and don’t come sniffing around her anymore.”
    As Wren moved past them, Blaine shoved at him. Wren’s reaction was swift and violent. He slammed his fist straight into Blaine’s face. Blaine hit the ground hard as his frat cronies jumped Wren.
    â€œStop!” Marguerite shouted, afraid they would hurt Wren. But to be honest, he was cutting through them with little difficulty. He slung one over his back, onto the ground, then punched him hard while the other two were swinging at him.
    All of a sudden, campus security was there, pulling Wren off. He turned on the officer with a growl and slugged him before he realized it wasn’t another student.
    The other officer pulled out a club and struck Wren’s injured shoulder with it. He growled loudly and shoved the officer back. Marguerite realized that Wren was about to attack him as well.
    â€œWren, stop!” she shouted. “They’ll hurt you.”
    He froze instantly.
    â€œI want that bastard arrested for assault,” Blaine snarled as he wiped at the blood on his face. His nose was a total mess.
    â€œDon’t worry,” the officer said as he cuffed Wren’s wrists together behind his back. “He’s going straight downtown.”
    Wren’s face was stone as he said nothing in defense of himself.
    Marguerite was livid over this. “He wasn’t doing anything wrong. They attacked him first.”
    â€œBullshit,” another frat boy said as he wiped the blood from his lips. “He hit Blaine for no reason. We were just protecting our brother from being mauled by this animal.”
    â€œHe doesn’t even belong here,” Blaine added. “He’s town trash who was trespassing.”
    The officer Wren had struck tightened the handcuffs to the point where she could see that they were biting into his wrists.
    Still Wren said nothing. Nor did he flinch or show any emotion whatsoever.
    â€œAre you a student here?” the officer asked him in an angry tone.
    Wren shook his head.
    â€œThen why are you on campus?”
    Wren didn’t answer.
    The officer was getting even angrier as he tugged at Wren’s cuffed hands. “Boy, you better answer me if you know what’s good for you. Who invited you here?”
    Wren kept his gaze on the ground. “No one.”
    â€œHe was my guest,” Marguerite said.
    Wren gave her a harsh stare. “She’s lying. I don’t even know her.”
    Marguerite’s heart clenched that he was trying to protect her so that she wouldn’t get into trouble, too. As a student, she was responsible for anyone she invited onto campus.
    Meanwhile there was no telling what the police were going to do with him.
    She started to speak up and tell the truth, but the look on Wren’s face kept her silent. She could tell he didn’t want her to contradict him.
    A police car pulled up to the curb.
    Feeling completely helpless, she watched as they took Wren and placed him roughly into the car.
    â€œWait until my lawyers get through with him,” Blaine said with a laugh.