“In my office.” Mr. X points behind him.
I enter first. Daisy is sitting behind the desk with her eyes glazed. And Rufio is lying on the couch, unconscious with a big gash on his shoulder.
My jaw drops. “Son of a bitch. What happened to him?”
Bryce follows me, and who knows what’s running through his head now.
Daisy lifts her gaze to mine. “What is he doing here?”
“He was with me when you called.”
I glance at Bryce, who is glowering at Daisy. She doesn’t flinch or cower under his furious stare.
“Are you going to tell me what you did to Rufio, or do I have to force it out of you?” Bryce asks.
Daisy stands up, her eyes flashing with anger. “I didn’t do anything to him. A Fringe attacked him, and Mr. X saved his life.”
“How could a Fringe injure Rufio?” I ask.
“He had a lightning-glass dagger on him,” Mr. X answers as he moves closer to Daisy.
Bryce crouches next to his brother and shakes his arm. “Rufio, wake up.”
“You better let him sleep. His body needs time to recover.”
Noticing the raw skin surrounding the gash, I ask, “Why does it look like he was burned alive?”
“The lightning glass can not only cut through Idol skin, but it’s also poisonous,” Mr. X supplies.
I switch my attention to Daisy, but she’s back to sporting that haunted look from before. I’m not an idiot. I know they’re only giving us the watered-down version of the events, but considering Bryce’s state of mind, it’s best if I don’t try to get the whole truth now. We’ll get it from Rufio when he wakes up.
Bryce lifts his brother from the couch and heads out the office without saying another word. But the tension on his frame is there, coiled tight.
“Daisy, are you ready?” I ask.
She blinks a couple of times before she walks around the desk. “Yeah.”
Mr. X can’t keep his eyes off her, and I don’t know what I should be feeling here. I’m annoyed, I’m not going to deny that. He’s double her age; he shouldn’t be looking at her in that intense manner.
“Stop gawking at her like that,” I say. “She’s not a piece of meat.”
The man seems puzzled by my outburst, but his whiskey-colored eyes darken in the next second. “Instead of worrying about me, you should keep your friend away from Daisy. If he touches one hair on her head, he’s dead.”
Mr. X’s threat feeds the darkness that’s always brewing in my core. The shadows gain power, turning my wrists into ice. I’m tempted to give the son of a bitch a taste of fear, but Daisy is already gone, and I shouldn’t leave her alone with Bryce. I slip out of the office before I fall into temptation, then pick up my pace until I’m walking side by side with her.
“Are you okay?” I ask quietly.
“No.”
“I get that you don’t feel like talking right now, but you won’t be able to keep the details of what happened a secret from us. Bryce wi—”
“I don’t fucking care about what Bryce will do!” she snaps.
“You should care. He can kill you, Daisy.”
She doesn’t reply, but I catch the impact of my words on her expression. Despite the tough act, Daisy is hurting because of Bryce. I don’t think he’s wrong for reacting the way he did, but at the same time, I’m pissed that he’s making Daisy suffer. I’m a ball of contradictory emotions, and it sucks.
Bryce is already in the back seat with Rufio, which leaves the shotgun spot wide open for Daisy. She doesn’t head for it though. Instead, she veers toward an old red Mustang parked two spots to the right. Before she enters the car, she looks straight at me.
“All of you can kill me, and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.”
36
Rufio
The first thing I sense when I come to is the tenderness in my shoulder. I’m in my bed, and it’s morning already. Slowly, the memories of last night return. I was stabbed and poisoned by lightning glass, and Mr. X saved my life.
“Good, you’re up,” Bryce says from behind me.
I turn and find him sitting in the chair in the corner. He looks like he’s been through the ringer. His clothes are wrinkled, and his hair is a mess.
“How did I get home?” I ask hoarsely.
“Daisy called.”
“How is she?” I try to sit up, but the pain is too acute still.
“Don’t worry about her. She’s probably sleeping like an angel in her bed. I want to know what the hell happened last night, and don’t give me some bullshit answer. I’ve heard plenty of nothing from her and Mr. X.”
Great. Bryce is pissed. Exactly what I want to be dealing with after a close brush with death.
“I went to Unearthly Desires to unwind and bumped into Daisy there.”
Bryce squints while a muscle in his jaw twitches.
“She wasn’t there to strip, if that’s what you were thinking.”
“Don’t presume to know what’s on my mind,” he responds through clenched teeth.
Yeah, whatever, bro. I know you.
“She wanted help to avenge her waitress friend. You know, the older blonde chick,” I explain.
“Felicity? What happened to her?”
“She was attacked by a motorcycle gang, and Daisy wanted them to pay. She was hoping Mr. X would help.”
Bryce leans back and glances away. “Son of a bitch. Why didn’t she come to us?”
“Really? After you kicked her out, did you seriously think she would come to us for help?”
He turns to me and gives me a death glare.
“Stop eyeballing me. You know what you did,” I say. “Mr. X wasn’t around, so I stepped in.”
“Were those men Idols?”
“No. All Fringes. But the leader was wearing a jacket that gave him immunity to my powers. Lightning glass can also be used in threads and ropes, and it nullifies Idol gifts.” I stare at him, letting my words sink in.
In a split second, understanding shines in Bryce’s eyes. “That’s what those motherfucking Knights used on me. But how come those Fringe lowlifes had access to lightning glass stuff?”
“Mr. X claims he doesn’t know. And he doesn’t believe the Knights willingly distributed that shit. But who knows if that’s true or not.”
“Fuck!” Bryce shoots out of his seat. “What are we going to do? We can’t simply sit on this information and do nothing.”
“I think it’s time we go looking for the man who kidnapped you, bro.”
Bryce turns to me, his face a mixture of emotions. “I don’t disagree, but what are we going to do about Daisy?”
“Do you still believe she’s behind some crazy conspiracy to end us all?”
He looks at the window, crossing his arms. “I don’t know.”
“She saved me yesterday.”
Bryce looks over his shoulder. “How?”
“After I got stabbed, I lost most of my juice. And the gang leader was immune to my power anyway. Daisy killed him.”
Bryce keeps staring at me in his intense manner for several beats before he looks away again. “I don’t hate her, Rufio. Actually, my feelings are on the opposite side of the spectrum. You have no idea how torn up I am about this whole thing.”
I can’t believe he’s confessing to me. He’s never opened up like this before.
“I hear ya, brother. I’m just as confused as you are. I’m only certain of one thing: I can’t let anything happen to Daisy.”
Bryce lowers his chin, sighing loudly. “Me neither.”
***
Phoenix
My eyes are glued shut, thanks to the swelling. I knew pissing off my father would have consequences, but I didn’t realize how deep his hatred for Norms ran. He summoned me on Friday, right after school. No surprise when I found the house deserted. No mother or servants to witness my humiliation. And my father did enjoy doling out my punishment. I’m bleeding everywhere, and I don’t need
a mirror to see that my face must be all shades of purple.
He brought me to his dungeon of pain, a room in the basement designed for sex and torture. I haven’t left since I got here. My wrists are numb from being tied to the chains hanging from the ceiling for too long. My back is on fire thanks to the countless whiplashes I’ve received.
I hear the door at the top of the stairs open, and my body tenses up. It must be Sunday, so it means I have another day of brutalization to endure. The only thing that’s helped me through this ordeal is imagining the thousand ways I can kill the monster who spawned me. And now that Daisy and her Idol-killing weapon have come into my life, ending my father is no longer just a fantasy.
He approaches slowly, wearing another pristine black suit. It hides the blood.
“Good morning, son. Did you have pleasant dreams?” He smiles wickedly.
He wouldn’t even give me that reprieve. He forced me to send him the most disgusting visions the entire night.
“Go to hell!”
“That Norm whore must be rubbing her beliefs off on you. There’s no hell for Idols, son. You must know that.”
He stops in front of me and then grabs my hair, pulling my head up. “Now, I don’t think that last vision of yours did the trick. But nothing beats the real thing.”
His dark eyes flash with malice right before he shoves me to the floor. I hear the sound of a zipper opening and immediately rebel. But it’s useless. The tattoo on my wrist begins to burn, rendering me completely at his mercy. All I can do is shut my eyes and try not to scream.
37
Daisy
My alarm blares, and I wake with a start. An immediate headache follows, the result of two nights in a row of barely a few hours of sleep. I haven’t been able to rest at all after the ordeal on Saturday. How could I? First I discover I have an uncle who’s been in my life for the past two years pretending to be a stranger, and then I find out the boys I care about are the sons of the Idol who is most likely responsible for my parents’ death. It’s all too much for one person to deal with in such a short period of time.
I spent all of Sunday with Felicity. She’s recovering, which is the only positive note from the weekend. I was tempted to tell her that her attackers are dead, but I was afraid the news would only upset her, so I let it be. I’ll tell her when she’s back on her feet so she doesn’t keep looking over her shoulder in fear.
In a strange twist to the story, I don’t hate Bryce and Rufio despite their possible connection to my family’s destruction. They bring forth a lot of emotions from me: lust, fear, obsession, and maybe even love, but definitely not hate. That sentiment is now reserved for one person, the catalyst of it all. Principal Fallon.
I blame her solely for everything horrible that has happened to my family. She’s from a prominent Idol family. What did she think would happen when she presented a Norm as her boyfriend to her folks?
And now she’s brought me here under false pretenses. She allowed her son and others to bully me, despite her promises I’d be safe. The woman is as shady as they come. But I can’t leave now. I’m in too deep, and I have to figure out what she wants from me.
Determined to see this day through with chin held high, I get ready early and head for class. I conveniently forget the book I’m supposed to return to the librarian in my room. Fuck it. If she wants it badly enough, then she can come get it herself. I’m not going to make it any easier for her. As far as I’m concerned, she’s in cahoots with Principal Fallon, which means she can kiss my ass.
In the entry hallway, I stop by the vending machine to get a snack for later. But the sound of the door to the garage banging against the wall makes me jump in fright. With my hand pressed against my chest, I turn around. Who could possibly be making all that racket?
The person hasn’t come around the corner yet, but the grunt and loud thud that follows propel me to investigate. Maybe it’s another Fringe overdosing on Silver-voltage.
I gasp when I find Phoenix on his hands and knees, trying to get up.
“What happened?” I crouch in front of him and wince when I see the state of his face. It’s swollen beyond recognition with several lacerations on his forehead and cheeks. “Oh my God, Phoenix. Who did this to you?”
“Please, no… questions. Can you just… help me?”
I throw his arm around my shoulder and help him get vertical again. He winces with the movement, which means he has other wounds in area I can’t see.
Slowly, we progress toward the elevator.
“No… the stairs,” he protests.
“You can barely walk. The elevator will be faster.”
“I don’t want anyone to see me like this.”
“No one is up yet. Trust me.”
Finally, he allows me to steer him toward the metal box. We don’t speak while we ride the three floors up, but when we reach our corridor, Phoenix freezes.
“The guys… I can’t.”
I know what he’s trying to say. He doesn’t want his roommates to see him in this state either.
“Let’s go to my room,” I say.
“Thank you, Daisy.”
Once inside, I veer toward my bed. Phoenix simply collapses on it, but he doesn’t lie down.
“I have a first aid kit in my bathroom. I’ll be right back.”
“I don’t think there’s anything in that kit of yours that can help me.”
I ignore him and get the box anyway. Phoenix has his eyes closed when I sit next to him. His current condition reminds me of Felicity in the hospital. The rage I felt then returns. My hands are shaking as I grab a piece of gauze and dab it in rubbing alcohol. This usually helps clean wounds in Norms and avoid infection, but maybe it doesn’t affect Phoenix at all.
He hisses when I press the cloth against a gash above his eyebrow.
“Relax, I’m just cleaning it.”
“With what? Fire?”
“Rubbing alcohol. Don’t be such a baby.”
A long stretch of silence follows. Phoenix doesn’t complain anymore and lets me clean the dried blood from his face. I see patches of it staining his polo shirt and jeans as well. I’m afraid to know the extent of his injuries, but I have to see.
“Can you take off your clothes for me?”
He opens his eyes and stares at me with a crooked grin. His lips are busted, yet he still finds a way to be amused.
“So that’s what it takes for you to finally succumb to my charms?”
“Don’t be an idiot. I want to check your other wounds.”
The easygoing smile wilts to nothing. “Better not.”
Suspicious that he’s more messed up than I thought, I circle around the bed and stop behind him.
“Daisy, I mean it.” He begins to turn, then stops suddenly as if the movement is too painful.
I pull the sleeves of his hoodie down before he can stop me, but I freeze when I see how badly stained the back of his shirt is.
“Phoenix—” My voice breaks.
“It’s nothing, Daisy.”
Nothing, my ass. With trembling fingers, I grab the edge of his shirt and slowly peel the fabric up. Phoenix’s entire backside is lacerated. I can’t help the gasp that escapes my lips.
“Who did this to you?” I ask, but I already have an idea.
“Doesn’t matter. I’ll be okay, Daisy. I just need to rest.”
“You need medical attention. I’ll go get Nurse Ellen.” I take a step back, but Phoenix twists around and reaches for my hand.
“Don’t. She’ll ask too many questions I can’t answer.”
The pleading in his eyes breaks my heart, but I can’t just not do anything.
“I can’t help you get better, Phoenix. I wouldn’t know where to begin.”
“You don’t need to do anything. I heal faster than Norms. By tomorrow, all my cuts will be closed, and the swelling will be gone.”
I nibble on my lower lip, not knowing what to do.
“I’m begging you, Daisy.”
His eyes are pleading. “Don’t tell anyone I’m here.”
“Okay. But can I get you anything? Food, soda?”
“No, sweetheart. All I need right now is to borrow your bed.”
My eyes widen, an involuntary reaction.
“To sleep, nothing else,” Phoenix amends. “You don’t need to stay with me and miss class on my account. I’ll be okay. Promise.”
“If you’re sure,” I say, already agreeing with this crazy idea.
“Thank you. Now go. Don’t let me keep you from whatever you were planning to do this early in the morning.”
I head toward the door. I can’t believe I’m agreeing to let Phoenix stay in my room for the entire day. But considering Bryce already found my father’s diary, there’s not much left for Phoenix to unearth besides my father’s old picture. There’s nothing to do now besides hope Phoenix doesn’t plan on doing some snooping around while I’m gone.
My head is not in the present moment as I make my way to the main building. It’s early enough that the hallways are still relatively empty. I’m still reeling from the gruesome image of Phoenix’s back and the bruises on his face. I’m almost certain his father did that to him. But why couldn’t Phoenix fight back? Why did he take the beating?
I see the sign for the girls’ restroom and make a beeline for it. I need a splash of cold water on my face to calm down. But it seems today is the day I’ll bump into every broken Idol. This time, it’s Drusilla who I find on the floor, writhing in pain. Her usual luscious red hair is in tangles and matted. When she lifts her sweaty face, she reveals her bleeding nose. Shit, it almost looks like she’s suffering from a Silver-voltage OD. But that’s impossible. She’s a high-level Idol.
“What’s going on?” I run to her and try to lift her up. She bats my hand away.
“Go away, Norm. I don’t need your help.”
From the corner of my eye, I see a discarded glass vial. Drusilla follows my line of sight and hisses.
“You’re not going to tell anyone about what you saw here.”
My eyes go rounder. She’s using her special voice, which means she’s compelling me.
Ruthless Idols: A Paranormal High School Bully Romance (Gifted Academy Book 2) Page 20