Tainted Rose: A High School Bully Romance (Rosehaven Academy Book 2)

by Leila James

  Gasps fill the room from the growing crowd of curious onlookers gathering behind us.

  My hands go to my head, and I grasp my hair, yanking hard. I know they remember the night Justin tried to take advantage of her in a bedroom upstairs. That seems like child’s play compared to this. I sense all eyes on me and don’t care that they are about to see me lose my shit. The only thing that matters right now is locating Scarlett and making sure she’s unharmed. I trust nothing and almost no one because we don’t know who is behind all the recent bullshit.

  Beau’s hands clench into fists at his sides. “Someone turn the fucking music off! Everyone spread out. You’re looking for a redhead. Go!”

  The music cuts off and our classmates spread out like ants scurrying around the house, like some sick reversal of a game of hide-and-seek where the only person we’re looking for is Scarlett.

  With each passing second, the giant weight sitting on my chest gets heavier and heavier. I squeeze my eyes shut for a second, trying to figure out where to look next.

  Micah stops next to me, concern written all over his face. “I don’t think she’s here. I mean, it’s a big house, but we’ve got close to fifty people checking every room.”

  I nod, my jaw tense, and pull out my phone to send a message to the one person who had damn well better be prepared to help me.

  * * *

  Me: Hey, I need your help. It’s an emergency.

  * * *

  A few seconds go by while I stare at the phone. Micah jangles his car keys. “Wherever you need to go, I’m driving.”

  Beau dashes up to us. “I’m sending everyone out of here. Are we going out to look for her?”

  I nod. “Yeah, give me a second. We’ll check her place first.”

  “Good call. Could something Aria said have upset her? I mean—fuck, man. You thought she was cool with everything, but are you sure Aria didn’t decide to double down on her bitchy attitude?” Micah growls.

  “I don’t—” My phone pings with the incoming text, and I hold out a hand for everyone to stop talking.

  * * *

  Sebastian: You want my help even after everything you said to me the other day?

  * * *

  I wave over my shoulder that Beau and Micah should follow and hurry to the front of the house as I furiously shoot a text back to the arrogant asshole.

  * * *

  Me: Your daughter went missing from a party, so yeah.

  * * *

  I take off at a dead run across the yard to Micah’s SUV, Beau and Micah hot on my heels.

  As we get into the car, I huff, “I have a lot of crazy shit to fill you in on. Buckle up and pay attention so you know exactly what the fuck we’re dealing with.”

  Chapter 31

  Scarlett

  Panic races through me. My coordination and vision are both seriously screwed. Impaired. But my mind feels clear, at least for the moment. I’m not drunk. It was just one drink. Why is my body not cooperating? I blink in an attempt to see straight. My head wobbles to the side as I try to see him. I know we’re in a truck and I’m strapped in, but I can’t lift my arms. Every time I try, they feel like Jell-O. I sway in the seat, my whole body flopping to the side. I’ve never been more terrified.

  That scent.

  Blurry street lights. Garbled noises.

  Everything’s hazy.

  No balance.

  Dizzy. Sick.

  Motion. More lights.

  Harsh voices.

  A sense of weightlessness.

  On a bed. Limbs heavy.

  Someone watches me.

  I blink. My vision won’t clear.

  The note. My breath whooshes from me.

  “It’s wearing off some. You must not have given her enough. Do whatever the fuck you’re going to do with her. Come get me when you’re done.”

  Hands slide up my thighs.

  My lips part to say something, but I can’t get anything out.

  Someone help me.

  Please, someone help me …

  Chapter 32

  Xander

  Deep in my gut, I know something is horribly wrong. I filled Beau and Micah in on everything on our way to Scarlett’s aunt and uncle’s home—the texts, the creepy note, Sebastian’s relationship to Scarlett, all of it. They’re pretty pissed that I’d kept them in the dark while we struggled to figure things out, but understand that it’s a sensitive situation all the way around.

  After determining Scarlett hadn’t returned home, I’d gone ahead and put a call through to Sebastian. Everything happening to her is because of him, so I’d figured he was the best place to start. He’d put me on speakerphone so he could listen and drive at the same time while I repeated for him every last detail of what’s gone down in the weeks since Scarlett’s arrival. Everything. And once he shared what his private investigator had uncovered about my father and Justin, it had become clear to both of us where she probably was.

  I wouldn’t put it past Justin to have snuck into the party tonight, even though he’s been persona non grata ever since I pummeled his face in for touching Scarlett.

  He took her. I know with every fiber of my being that’s how she disappeared. He’s been flying under the radar for weeks, quietly watching our every move, and continuing to play his games. Just yesterday I’d stopped him from following her into the girls bathroom. And that wasn’t the only time I’ve run interference and kept him away from Scarlett in the last few weeks. I hadn’t told her because I didn’t want to scare her. Big mistake.

  Now he’s gone too far. He brought her back here and has taken her straight into the heart of my worst nightmare.

  We pull over at the curb just down the street from my father’s home. Sebastian is already out of his vehicle and on the phone again. His movements are jerky, frantic. Much like that of a worried parent, if I’m not mistaken. Good, motherfucker. It’s time to make things right with her and this is your first chance to do so. Don’t fuck it up.

  I scramble from the front passenger seat, my chest burning with the need to get to her. Sebastian claps a hand on my shoulder to stop my forward motion as he steps onto the sidewalk next to me.

  “She’s in there, I know it.” I stare at the outside of my childhood home. Icy fear grips me. I growl, “Justin’s a sick asshole. As bad as my dad, or maybe worse.”

  “Yeah, we’re on the right track.” He turns to look at my friends and hurriedly says, “Boys, wait here for the police and explain to them what we think has happened. Answer their questions as best you can. Things aren’t completely clear, but that’s not going to stop us from going in.”

  Sebastian and I creep around the house, looking for a way in, and at last, we find it. The side door into the garage is unlocked. We creep through the quiet house, listening for any sign, sound, or movement. A thump comes from upstairs and low murmurs. Having lived in this house, I don’t have to turn on any lights; instead, I glance back at Sebastian and give him a signal that he should follow. Faster now, we move up the stairs and down the hallway.

  Joseph’s low voice drifts down the hallway. “If you’re going to do this, you’d better be quick and get this little bitch the fuck out of here. I don’t care where you dump her, but I’m not cleaning up yet another fucking mess.”

  The sound of a zipper rips through the quiet, and my heart jumps into my throat.

  Sebastian and I exchange a look. Moving faster, we pass my childhood bedroom, and I involuntarily shudder, sick memories rushing at me. Fuck. The voices are coming from the one place I’d hoped never to have to return to ever again—my parents’ bedroom.

  All those years surviving in this house taught me one thing—I have to protect the ones I love. I charge forward, ramming my shoulder into the door with such force both my dad and Justin startle, their heads twist toward the intrusion.

  Scarlett lies on the bed, the pretty dress she’d been wearing over her bikini bunched up around her waist. Justin kneels between her legs, his hands frozen whe
re he’d been about to shove his jeans down. My sick fuck of a father was going to let this happen. And he was going to watch.

  “Don’t you fucking touch her!” The words come out of my mouth in a low, menacing growl. Fury fills every cell in my body and courses through my veins. I lunge forward, grab Justin by the shoulders, and yank him off the bed. He stumbles and stands just in time for me to catch him with a punch to the face and a second to his stomach. I can’t stop myself. My fists rain down on him. Knowing what he was about to do, knowing this wasn’t the first time. I want to kill him.

  In my peripheral vision, Sebastian hurries to Scarlett, scooping her up into his arms and leaving the room. Good. She needs to be far, far away from these psychos.

  The unmistakable sound of a belt buckle clanking hits my ears and has goose bumps erupting over my skin right before the belt cracks across my back.

  I’m too pumped on adrenaline to feel any pain. Seeing red, I leave Justin hunched over on the floor and stand to face the villain of all my nightmares. My chest heaves up and down as I eye him. “You’re going to regret that and the part you played in this.”

  My father has the gall to laugh. “Come back for more, did you, boy?”

  Boy? If he thinks I’m going to react like I did when I was a child, he has another thing coming. “I’m not that little boy anymore. I’m a man about to seriously fuck you up.”

  He chuckles and gathers the leather in his hands, toying with the buckle. He examines it for a second. “It’ll be a pleasure to add more of your blood to this.” He holds it out in front of him. “See? It’s still visible on it, all these years later.” With that, he lashes out at me with it again.

  My hand flies up, catching the end of it in my hand, and I yank hard, bringing him toward me as my fist slams into his face, knocking him out cold.

  Blinding fury claws its way through my body as pent-up rage pours out of me, and I pummel his disgusting face over and over again until I’m panting with the exertion. Blood spatters with every hit. I take pleasure in every ounce of agony I deliver. As I slow, I notice my knuckles have split open, and finally, several pairs of strong hands wrap around my upper arms and pull me back. It turns out it’s a couple of police officers who’ve hauled me off of him—I don’t even know where they came from—and I’m not so sure I would have stopped if they hadn’t stepped in.

  I drag air into my lungs, the haze of madness dissipating. I gasp out, “Where’s Scarlett?”

  I guess the cops know the situation because one of the officers immediately guides me downstairs to where Sebastian is cradling Scarlett in his arms on a couch, gently stroking the hair back from her face. She’s still out of it. But she’s safe. Safe from the monster who has been stalking her and safe from the hell of my childhood.

  Micah and Beau enter the room and my fists clench again, looking around for my asshole stepbrother. “Where the fuck did Justin go?” I spit.

  Beau shakes his head, then grabs the back of his neck and gives me a small smile. “No worries there. He came running out the front door while we were waiting for the cops.” He jerks his thumb toward Micah. “Big guy tackled him before he got far. I helped out by sitting on him. He wasn’t going anywhere on our watch. They already have him in the back of one of the patrol cars.”

  Micah nods toward Scarlett, a worried look on his face. “Think she’ll be okay?” Sirens sound in the distance. Someone must have called for an ambulance.

  I give a sharp nod, looking down at myself. I want so badly to hold her in my arms, but I’m covered in blood. I don’t want to touch her like this.

  More officers enter the house, they want to ask me some questions, but I shake them off for a second. “Can I? I need to—” One of the officers nods, and I cross the room to her, breathing hard.

  I squat down in front of her limp form, another burst of fear rushing through me. “Scarlett.” My voice cracks. Emotion runs swiftly through me, every single thing I feel for this girl filling my heart.

  “They drugged her, Xander. That much is obvious. We’ll make sure she wasn’t harmed further than that at the hospital.” Sebastian’s eyes flick to mine. I read the worry in them. “I think we got here in time. And thank goodness Justin didn’t—”

  “Don’t say it.” My stomach churns. So help me, if either of them had done what they’d planned, I’d have killed them. I’d have fucking killed them both without a second thought.

  “Xander? I’m sorry,” Sebastian rasps.

  “For what?”

  “For not listening to you. For keeping secrets. For putting Scarlett in danger when I didn’t see—”

  We lock eyes and for once, he’s finally seeing me man-to-man. “Thank you for admitting that.” I wipe my fingers on my pants, then touch Scarlett’s arm gently with my fingertips. “Does she know what’s happening? God, I don’t want her to remember this.” My heart rips wide open. I don’t want her to have memories of this horror. But it’s over now. All the bullshit. All the craziness.

  A paramedic cautiously approaches us. “Sorry to interrupt. We need to get her to the hospital to be checked over. Would one of you like to ride with her? We should maybe clean you up, too.” He gestures toward my bloodied hands.

  I wince as I flex my fingers. There’s a sting across my back, too, where my father hit me with his belt—for the last time. Ever.

  “You go with her, Xander. When she wakes up, she’ll want to see you, not me.”

  I nod, speechless as I consider again what could have happened tonight.

  “Is a parent or guardian present?” asks a soft voice beside me.

  Sebastian’s eyes dart to mine, then to the female EMT speaking to us before he clears his throat roughly and responds, “Yes. I’m her father.”

  Chapter 33

  Scarlett

  My mind jumbles and spins. Bright lights overhead force my eyes to squeeze shut and make me want to roll over and hide from them. The sheets on my bed feel scratchy and everything smells weird. I don’t want to wake up. Nothing feels right.

  With a sharp gasp, my eyes fly open. Someone’s holding my hand. I’d know that touch anywhere. Xander. I sigh in relief. But his knuckles are bruised up and battered. He’s slumped forward in the chair, asleep, but still, he holds my hand.

  My gaze sweeps around, landing on Sebastian in a chair on the far side of the room. He’s watching me, one hand over his mouth. He slides it down and gives me a tentative smile. “You’re awake.”

  At his stepfather’s voice, Xander straightens up, opening his eyes. It’s almost like he’s startled to find me already awake. “Hey, Red. Everything’s okay. How are you feeling?” He reaches forward, cupping my cheek in his hand.

  I open my mouth to speak, but it’s too dry. I’m miserably thirsty. Why wouldn’t everything be okay? What’s Sebastian doing here? Where the hell am I?

  Sebastian crosses the room quickly to the tray at the opposite side of the bed from where Xander sits and holds out a Styrofoam cup with a straw. “Here. Have a few sips.”

  I nod, grateful. I hope he sees it in my expression. Once I’ve swallowed some water, I whisper past my raw throat, “What happened? Why are we—?” My eyes flick between the two of them, not understanding how the three of us came to be in a hospital room—together.

  Sebastian sets the cup down and goes back to pull his chair up to the bed, but then he hesitates. “I’m sorry, Scarlett. I should have asked. May I sit with you?”

  “Okay.” I press my lips together, still confused.

  Xander clears his throat, “You were drugged last night. The doctor warned us that you will probably have several hours that will feel unaccounted for, like a blackout.”

  I breathe deeply, then allow my eyes to slide over to Sebastian’s. “I don’t remember much, but … did you— Did you hold me?” Tears fill my eyes. I don’t think I’m crazy. I have a hazy memory of being tucked under his chin against his chest, his burly arms cradling me like a baby.

  His gaze connects wi
th mine. “I did. I hope that’s okay.”

  I nod slowly. “Because …?”

  His jaw tenses and for a second, I don’t think he’s going to answer me. But then he puts a reassuring hand on mine and looks directly into my eyes. “Because you’re my daughter and you needed me.”

  I blow out an unsteady breath through pursed lips. “Because you’re my father.” My lips quiver, and his hand tightens on my hand.

  “Yes.”

  Xander brushes the backs of his knuckles down my cheek. “Do you have any memory of anything else that happened?”

  I close my eyes. I have a feeling it may be for the best that I can’t recall much of anything. “Snippets.” My voice shakes. “Justin. Justin was at the party.”

  “He’s already admitted as much. And that he slipped something into your drink, then took you. I-I let you down. I’m sorry. So sorry.” His voice is gruff and full of remorse.

  “Xander, neither of us expected that. We wouldn’t have gone in the first place if we’d thought something was going to happen. Maybe we should have done things differently.” I give Sebastian a worried look. “I’m sorry. I should have tried to talk to you sooner, once I knew who you were.”

  “No.” His voice hitches. “That’s all on me. I could say I should have talked to you when you first came back to town, but the reality is I should have contacted you years ago. I’ve been an idiot. For so long.” He pats my hand. “There’s time to talk about all that later.”

  “Okay.” I reach for the water and take another sip. Needing to get it out, I force myself to press on. “I remember being shocked that Justin was at Beau’s. Aria had just left, and he sat down beside me before I’d even had a chance to stand up. At first, he told me he wanted to talk. Apologize. And I was dumb enough to let him. He admitted to all of it—chasing me through the woods, standing outside the shower, messing with my truck … He even admitted that he borrowed their housekeeper’s truck to follow me that night. And then, that final note …” My voice trembles and I squeeze my eyes shut. “I tried to stand up and walk away, but he grabbed my hand and wouldn’t let me go, begging me to understand …” I breathe deeply, trying to regain my composure.