Aftereffect (The Order of Ravens and Wolves Book 1)

by T. L Hodel

  “Don’t really have a choice now do I?” I snarled at Micha, angry that even this stupid uniform looked good on him.

  “Sure you do. You could choose not to abide by the contract.”

  “Right. And then you hurt the people I love.”

  He shrugged. “Still a choice.” When I didn’t respond, he sighed and added, “Look at it this way, you’ll actually get what all those girls out there dream about.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “To marry the guy who popped their cherry and live happily ever after. It may not be happy,” his lips curled in a malicious smirk, “but it’ll be ever after. Till death do us part, baby.”

  It didn’t really hit me until that second. Standing there with Micha staring down at me, I felt the walls closing in. Micha wasn’t just going to play with me for a bit . . . he was going to keep me!

  “Why are you doing this?” I muttered, trying desperately to hold back the tears burning in my eyes.

  Micha leaned in and whispered, “Because I can.”

  “Do you hate me that much?”

  Though he didn’t answer, I could see the anger swirling in those deep chocolate pools. When I couldn’t take his penetrating gaze anymore, I moved to leave. Should’ve known it wouldn’t be that easy; nothing with Micha ever was.

  His arm shot out, blocking my path. “Did I say you could go?”

  I didn’t like the glimmer in his eyes.

  “You need to ask.”

  I could argue. Duck under his arm and tell him to go fuck himself. Which is what I really wanted to do. Instead, I stamped down my anger and said, “Can I go?”

  “Sir.”

  My brows furrowed. “What?”

  “Can I go, sir,” he explained.

  My jaw dropped. He couldn’t be serious!

  “Uh huh,” He tsk-ed, “before you think about running that smart mouth of yours, ask yourself if you want to be punished in front of all these people?”

  I gulped and glanced around the busy hallway. He wouldn’t do anything in school, right? The possibility that he might carry through with his threat wasn’t what scared me. It was the little voice in the back of my head that whispered, ‘Do it’.

  “Maybe you do?” Micha stepped in, pressing his hard body against mine.

  His masculine scent washed over me – sandalwood with a hint of citrus – I found myself staring at the hands, I had pressed against his chest, intending to shove him away.

  God, he’s firm!

  “I had no idea you were into voyeurism, Mouse.” Micha purred in my ear while dragging his fingers up my thigh. “I’m game if you are.”

  What the hell was wrong with me? I had to get out of here!

  “Can I go? Sir,” I hissed.

  Micha’s victorious smile made me hate myself a little more.

  “Of course, you can, Mouse.” He stepped back and said, “But first, you’ll be needing this.”

  My brows pinched together at the red silk in his hand. “A tie?”

  “You’re not wearing one, and I wouldn’t want you getting in trouble.”

  Why did I feel like there was an ulterior motive here? Maybe I was overreacting. Really, what harm could a tie do? And I’d already gotten in trouble once.

  “Fine.” I sighed and let him fasten it around my neck. “We done?”

  Micha shrugged and waved his hands for me to pass.

  I warily watched him as I walked away, and said, “Come on, Harper.”

  But Harper couldn’t move. She was frozen with a look of dread on her face. Standing in front of her, with his forearm on the wall above, was Mason. Harper jumped back, banging her back off a locker, when he bent down and ran his nose over the top of her head. After which he leaned back and glared at her terrified face.

  “You still smell like shit.”

  What the fuck?

  I marched over there and yanked Harper behind my back. “Don’t talk to her like that!”

  “She knows her place.” Mason crossed his arms and shot me a cocky grin. “Do you?”

  I poked him hard in the chest, “Yeah! It’s right between you and her!”

  His green eyes twinkled with amusement. “Sounds like a fun time. What do you say, freckles?” He glanced over my shoulder at Harper. “Maybe you’ll get lucky and I’ll let you suck my dick after I fuck your friend.”

  Harper squeaked and buried her face in my back.

  There was no hesitation. My palm rose smacking him across the face.

  “Come near her again, and I’ll rip your balls off!” I growled and pulled Harper down the hall.

  Fuck Micha, and fuck his brother! The whole Kessler family could kiss my ass!

  Chapter Nine

  Micha

  I stood in the hall watching Riley storm away, with a firm grip on Harper’s wrist. She glanced back, glaring at me with a storm raging in those deep sapphire eyes. She continued her march with her chin lifted all proudly. Fucking adorable. I bet calling me sir hurt like a bitch.

  “She slapped me!” Mase whined, cupping his cheek.

  Yes, she did. My eyes rolled over Riley’s uniform. I thought she looked hot as hell in those tight jeans, but damn! I made a quick adjustment, relieving some of the strain on my dick, and made a mental note to fuck her in that skirt.

  “I told you.” Logan snickered.

  “You said she was a firecracker, not that she was violent. Damn!” Mase cocked his head and walked up next to me. “I like her.”

  I slapped the back of his head.

  “Ouch!” he cried out. “What the hell was that for?”

  I cocked my brow. “When I’m done fucking your friend?”

  “What? So I can’t even say anything about her now?”

  “Just do what I do . . . imagine it,” Logan piped in with a chuckle. “The things that girl does in my head.”

  My hands balled into fists as I stemmed down the urge to hit my best friend.

  That grumpy growl was unmistakable. “What the hell is he staring at?”

  “Only the finest ass in Ashworth.” Logan snickered.

  That’s it!

  I spun around, fist raised. The only thing that stopped me, was Silas’s raised brow. Instead, I scrubbed a hand down my face. What the fuck is wrong with me?

  “He okay?” Silas asked Mase.

  Logan was the one to answer. “He has an issue with us checking out his girl.”

  “Well, I can’t blame him,” Silas huffed, folding his arms across his chest. “I wouldn’t want either of you looking at mine, either.”

  “What did we do?” Logan and Mase said in unison.

  “Half the girls in this school.”

  It was true. Pussy was a hobby for them, and my brother was worse.

  Mase rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t say half the girls –”

  “No, no,” Logan cut him off, “he’s right. We’re sluts. Own that shit.”

  “Alright, fine.” Mase conceded. “But my brother doesn’t need to worry. His little mouse isn’t my type.”

  “Girl is your type,” Silas argued.

  Logan chuckled. “Mase is just mad, because she slapped him.”

  “So have most of the chicks in this school.”

  Unlike Logan, who somehow convinced girls that a one-night stand was their idea, my brother preferred the fuck and chuck method. Mase broke hearts so often, I was starting to think he got off on it.

  “Why’s everyone hating on me today?” Mason sang with a frown. “I happen to think I’m a very pleasant person.”

  “Tell that to Tamara,” Silas huffed. “I thought she was going to rip your balls off last night. What the fuck did you do to her?”

  Mason smirked. “Her best friend.”

  “Chicks are crazy.” Silas shook his head. “And I had to drop my course to watch one.”

  He might be pissed but in reality I was doing him a favor. The only reason Silas signed up for that damn course was because he was told to. His family was in the limeligh
t – famous actress for a mother, and his grandpa was Governor – they kept a tight leash on him. Which was probably why he was so damn angry all the time. What he had in common with my jackass brother, I never understood.

  “You can take it next semester,” I said, meeting his scowl.

  His light eyes narrowed, deepening the frown on his face.

  Mason sauntered over and slapped him on the back. “Cheer up buddy. It’s a new year and we have fresh pussy to plunder.”

  He sighed and gave my brother an unimpressed glare.

  All those guys out there wishing they had bigger dicks, should talk to Silas. He was hung like a horse, and it wasn’t a blessing. Girls took one look at the anaconda in his pants and ran the other way. Even Naomi stayed away from that shit. It wasn’t like he was a virgin; in fact he was far from it. But everyone he’d been with was well used. Not exactly the good girl his family was pushing for.

  “I told you, bro, take them from behind,” Mason explained, grabbing onto the air as if there was a girl bent over in front of him. “Then they can’t see your shit, until it’s already in.”

  Logan got that far-off look he always did when he was deep in thought. “You think Finn’s got it too?”

  At only eleven, Finn was the youngest of us. Kid was smart as fuck – genius IQ and eidetic memory. Unlike his grumpy cousin, Finn was always smiling and pumped to take on the world. We all tried to keep it that way, hiding the darker parts of the Order from him. But that could only last so long. Sooner or latter he’d be pulled in, and his dark side would show itself. His father was already fighting for him to be more involved. The only reason it hadn’t happened yet was because he spent most of the year away at a school for geniuses.

  “I don’t know,” Mase said. “He is Long Don’s cousin?”

  Silas grumbled out a sigh. “Can we stop talking about my cousin’s dick?”

  “Someone should give the little man lessons,” Logan said. “He’s got to learn how to use that shit.”

  “That’s true. There’s probably a lot of hard up girls in that school of his.” Mase nodded in agreement. “All pent up and frustrated.”

  “We are not talking about this.” Silas groaned, shook his head and walked away. “I’m going to class.”

  “Hey, what about me?” Mason called out, running after him. “Where’s the love bro?”

  “Go fuck yourself!” Silas grumbled.

  Mase’s response was to wrap his arms around Silas, and kiss his cheek.

  “Fucker’s going to get hit one day,” I grumbled.

  Would serve him right too.

  “One day?” Logan cocked a brow. “Silas cold-cocked him last week.”

  Once again, I wondered what that grumpy asshole had in common with my idiot brother.

  “Everything go good last night?” Logan asked, nudging me with his elbow.

  “Yes.” I knew he was referring to the talk I had with the sheriff. “He’s going to look into his people.”

  We needed to find out who got the tape out of evidence lock up. Because it sure as hell wasn’t Jack. And while the sheriff didn’t want me anywhere near his baby girl, he also didn’t want Riley seeing what was on that tape.

  “Jack’s gone . . . maybe his friend gave up?”

  “Not this guy.” I sighed and passed him the note and newspaper clipping that said, ‘Officer Wendel Morris gunned down during routine traffic stop.’ “Found this taped to my Jeep this morning.

  I’d read the note so many times, I had it memorized.

  Jack wasn’t nimble,

  Jack wasn’t quick,

  Jack thought he was a little too slick,

  Singing my song,

  Before knight took out pawn,

  But you left your rook open wide.

  “You didn’t tell me Wendel was shot?”

  “He was fine when I left.” The date on the article was the same night we took care of Jack. That was the bothersome part. The Order had enemies, but to take out a cop on our payroll . . . That was bold. I stuffed the note in my pocket and walked down the hall.

  Logan followed. “Who the fuck is this guy?”

  “I’m working on it.” Called Preston this morning with the new info. If someone saw who shot Wendel, Preston would find out.

  “We need to tell your pops.”

  “Can’t.”

  “Why not?” Logan argued. “My dad was a sick bastard. No one’s going to cry over the him, and if anyone can understand what we did, it would be your pops.”

  “Okay, say we tell my dad and he helps us find this fucker.” I paused and glanced over at him. “How long before Mase starts asking questions?”

  Logan’s face blanched. Our mother’s death almost destroyed Mase. He didn’t remember what she did. As far as he was concerned, she was a fluffy Brady Bunch mom, who one day, decided to kill herself. If he found out that not only was Ryker his father, but that it was his threat to take him away that pushed her over the edge . . . There was a reason my father chose not to tell him. Biological or not, Mason was his son. We saw betrayal destroy him once, and none of us wanted that again.

  “I don’t want to answer them.” My brow rose at Logan. “Do you?”

  He released a defeated sigh, and shook his head. “No, I don’t.”

  “We’ll just have to find this asshole on our own. Sooner or later, he’ll fuck up and we’ll take him out.”

  “Alright,” he said, slapping a hand on my shoulder. “Tell Preston if he needs anything, to let me know.”

  “Don’t worry, that fucker has never been shy about enlisting you in his sick shit.”

  Logan smiled and ducked in his homeroom. “We understand each other.”

  “You’re both fucked in the head, is what you are,” I grumbled and continued down the hall.

  My mind immediately went back to my mouse. She asked me if I hated her that much, and I didn’t answer. Truth was I didn’t know what to say. Did I hate her? I used to think so. I wanted her pain. Craved it like a drug. But lately all I could picture was licking those tears off her face as I had her pinned beneath me. I got hard just imagining what she would taste like. Was she as sweet as she smelled? Would she scream my name when I made her come? Fuck, I needed to screw my head back on and stop thinking about her.

  The solution to my problem seemed to present it self, when I turned the corner and saw Naomi standing outside the classroom door.

  “Oh, Micha,” she called out, plastering that fucking fake smile on her face, “I was hoping I’d run into you. Jasmine and Mark are going to the bluffs after school . . .”

  I crossed my arms, and let my eyes wander. Naomi was annoying as fuck, but she had a decent body – long legs, good size tits, and lips like a porn star. Her uniform was trashed up a bit with a tighter shirt and shorter skirt. Most of the girls did that shit, though. I didn’t see why. My mouse looked hotter than any of them, and the only skin I could see, was the gap between the knee-high socks and skirt. What kind of panties did she have on under that skirt? I bet they had Minnie Mouse on them.

  Fuck. I was fucking hard again. My eyes zeroed in on Naomi’s mouth. What the fuck was she yammering on about? Had she been talking this whole fucking time? Maybe I should shut her up? I wouldn’t argue a little relief. But the last time I went there, she started acting like I was her boyfriend or some shit.

  Is she still fucking talking?

  I crossed my arms and leaned back, trying to pay attention to what was spewing out of her mouth. But my mind kept going back to Riley in that Goddamn skirt.

  Fuck it!

  I grabbed Naomi’s hand and pulled her in a nearby closet. I’d deal with the clingy shit later.

  Chapter Ten

  Riley

  Apparently the teachers at Ashworth thought public school meant stupid. Either that or my dad had complained about my solid B average. In every class the teachers were constantly looking over my shoulder, and asking if I understood the material. I was tempted to tell them off, but I d
idn’t want to end up in the principal’s office the first day. Mostly because I wanted to avoid Mrs. Grier. I could still feel her stare dissecting me.

  Thankfully Micha was a senior, so I didn’t have to put up with him. His brother, however, had pretty much the same schedule as me. Every class I went in, there was Mason with a stupid smile on his face. If that wasn’t bad enough, some guy in English spent the entire time scowling at me, creeping me out with the look of death every time I turned around. Besides for those two, everyone else seemed to go out of their way to avoid me. Literally. Crowds parted when I walked by. Mind you, half the time I was standing around like an idiot. The map they gave me sucked!

  Not everyone here was a complete asshole. Brandon, a guy I was paired up with in art, talked my ear off. He was big Monet fan, claiming that he revolutionized the art industry. I argued that while Monet was the driving force behind impressionism, artists like Tavar Zawacki would rather send a message than paint a pretty picture.

  The guy who helped me find my chem class, Sean, was the biggest flirt I’d ever met – and that was saying something considering the fact that I lived with Logan. Sean wouldn’t let up. He walked me right into class and kissed the back of my hand. Based on the look Mason gave him, I guessed those two weren’t exactly friends.

  By the time lunch came, I was more than ready for some normalcy. After all, cafeterias were all the same, right? Wrong. I stood there, gaze shifting back to the map in my hands. Was this the right place? My map said it was, but that couldn’t be right. Cafeterias were run-down dingy rooms, full of loud teenagers and overflowing trashcans. They didn’t have garden views and pretty tables with fresh flowers.

  Where was all the tension that came with forcing different cliques to occupy the same space? What happened to the guys picking a fight in the back, or the couple making out in the corner? Well, okay there was a couple making out in the corner, but the rest was missing. Maybe I really was in Stepford?