The Order- Hit and Run

by Emma Cole

  With a look of distaste, they take their positions, and Drake places his member into Olivia's mouth, holding steady to the sides of her face.

  I feel a pain in my chest that he would try to be friendly and then come here and rape a female on command. One that obviously isn't interested in getting it in this manner, and the same goes for Jaeger even if he's been a dick. I didn't think any of them would go as far as something like this. I watch him nudge Drake out of the way to plunge his well-endowed self several times back and forth in Olivia's mouth, getting it wet.

  From my vantage point I can barely hear him addressing her. It's in a familiar manner, and I wonder if they were an item as I remember her on his lap just a few days ago.

  "This is all the lubricant you're going to get, so make it count. I didn't come prepared for this." His tone is gruff, as if he's forcing the words out.

  His dick pulls out, coated in saliva, then he moves around behind her. Spreading her cheeks, he spits down between them while Drake resumes his spot. He holds her head tightly, and Jaeger sinks slowly but steadily into her backside despite her squealing protests. My hand covers my mouth in horror, and I nearly forget to keep the camera in position. I'll need the proof of what they're doing to report them and try to keep that thought in the forefront of my mind as I count down the minutes to getting out of here.

  It doesn't take either of them long to get off. The scales on their wrists, and on the other three who watch silently with dead stares, light up to match the larger version glowing on Olivia's back. She begins to sag between them until they're all that's holding her up with Jaeger’s hands on her hips and Drake’s on her head.

  The scales glow brighter as their movements culminate in a crescendo of light and they pull out, trailing their fluids from the slack orifices. Riggs steps forward with a formerly unseen blade, pulls Olivia's head back by her hair, and swipes it across her neck, resulting in a spray of red across the altar and the area under it.

  Olivia slumps down, eyes staring sightlessly in death while Riggs backs away. All the men silently put their robes back on and, except for my five roommates and Drake's uncle, file into the guardhouse. I try to stay silent and not have a panic attack while furiously wiping the tears from my face. The guilt is heavy— no matter that I couldn't have known what their endgame was. The girl had been rude, but it didn't warrant this. The guys I used to be friends with are rapists and murders, and I'm living with them. Not to mention the staff is in on it, probably the entire board as well.

  Drake's uncle addresses the guys nonchalantly, as if they did this kind of thing every day, and gestures at the girl's remains. "The meeting will commence inside once this is cleaned up."

  He leaves my five roommates in the courtyard while he goes into the gatehouse.

  With them occupied by their grisly task away from the wall, I very quietly sneak out from behind the bushes and make my way as quickly as possible back to my dorm room. As soon as I'm safely inside my room and Ash's keycard is back on his dresser, I collapse in a sobbing heap on my bed. When the worst of it abates, I realize how bad things could get if I were caught with the evidence and immediately send the video to an email I don't use then delete it from my phone.

  I don't know how I can explain any of what went on to the police, and first I would have to get off campus as I'm positive being here when it went down wouldn't go well. Who knows who all is on it. If there's any chance to bring it to light, surely something of this magnitude would break my contract and put away all of them involved. Except I don't know who several of them were as they never took their robes off.

  While I debate the morality of waiting and trying to find out more, I shower, trying to scrub the feelings from my skin. A niggling voice is telling me that these men are powerful, and the police could very well have been there tonight for all I know. The reach of the university is no secret, and I'm directly under their thumb.

  I go to bed where I have a hard time falling asleep but don't dare take any medication in case something else happens. I'm beginning to connect the dots, but they don't quite make a full picture, and I'm not sure exactly where I fit into this other than I'm determined not to end up like Olivia— raped and throat slit like a slaughtered pig.

  Chapter Ten

  The next day I'm on autopilot, feeling much like a zombie after my restless night. I'd heard the guys come in sometime around one in the morning, and even though their manner is subdued, they're radiant. Their hair and skin glow almost luminously, and I somehow know that they hold that girl's life force in them. It's her energy they stole and utilized for themselves. And with those scales on her, and them, and on Kael— I know there's something they're hiding, something other. I act as normal as possible when I have to interact with them, all while I make plans to find out what exactly they've done.

  After classes are over for the day, Ash drives me to my appointment back in the city. It's a silent drive with him sneaking glances my way every few minutes that I ignore. My therapy appointment doesn’t go quite as I'd thought it would. While I'm doing better, I'm not getting a full release yet. I hadn't expected one, but my recent activities with the storage unit and packing up my apartment, not to mention since I've been at school, have set me back some. The physical therapist is worried about swelling around my breaks, especially my leg, and concerned that my back pain might be an issue with my kidney instead of just sore muscles. I couldn't exactly tell him that I'd been out spying on an evil, magical, cult— I'd get a referral directly to the psych ward. The silver lining is that it gives me more opportunities to get off the school grounds.

  When I'm done setting up my next several appointments, I go up to the third floor where they have rehab for long-term in-patients. I sometimes volunteer my time here and know I can't stay long with Ash waiting on me, but I still want to go up and at least say hello.

  Debbie at the front counter smiles and waves at me. "Go right on ahead, Cora. We've been wondering when you were coming back."

  "Thanks, Debbie!" I return her wave and walk into the room at the end of the hall. Sitting down in the chair next to the bed, I smooth the hair back off the occupant’s forehead; it's grown out quite a bit.

  "Don't worry, baby. I'll find out what they did to you, and I'll make them pay," I promise Kael as I place a soft kiss on his sleeping face.

  ***

  I'm fidgety, and trying to hide my frustrated anxiety on the ride back to school. I absolutely hated having to cut my visit short with Kael. Debbie had looked a bit surprised that I didn't stay longer but gave me a sympathetic smile when I briefly summed up my situation. She's a doll and promised to send me regular updates.

  Ash, noticing my restlessness, asks about my visit. "Did it go okay? You seem off."

  The last part elicits a snort from me. Who wouldn't be off in my shoes? "Actually, it didn't go okay, Ash." He keeps his eyes on the road, but his body tenses at my answer. "I've been doing too much, and it's caused some inflammation. The radiology department will be calling with an appointment for new scans, and hopefully there isn't any serious damage."

  His fingers tighten on the steering wheel even as a tic pulses in his cheek from clenching his jaw. After a few deep breaths, he gets his anger under control. I'm not sure what his malfunction is, but after discovering his extracurricular activities, I'm wary.

  "What exactly have you been doing to hurt yourself? Since you've been chaperoned, I'm assuming it was before you came to Blackbriar?" His tone leaves little doubt as to what he's getting at.

  Annoyed, I decide to press his buttons. "Gonna explain why you almost hulked out there, Ash? You'd think you were a caring or jealous boyfriend, acting like that."

  He doesn't find me amusing, and his answering brusqueness brooks no argument. "Answer the question, Cordelia." He flashes me a glower before returning his attention to the road, giving me a glimpse of dark brows pulled down sharply over midnight blue eyes.

  "Ooh, pulling out the daddy card." I mimic him, "Answer the qu
estion, Cordelia." Ash can't stand to be mimicked, it drove him up the wall when we were kids.

  Ash's nostrils flare in irritation. "Stop it. You're being a brat."

  "Gonna pull the car over and spank me, Daddy?" I think he chokes a bit with that one, and I have to look out of my side window to hide my grin.

  "I'll find out eventually, may as well fess up now. Besides, everyone knows your daddy couldn't hack it and took off." His barb hits home, but I force myself not to let it show, it's been years since I resolved myself to my father being gone.

  "Maybe if you take his place, the same thing will happen." Then I deliver the coup de grace. "In case you don't remember— he washed up in the river."

  Ash's fair skin pales, leaving the remnants of his angry flush standing out starkly on his profile. The rest of the drive passes in a tense silence, only briefly broken at the gate to the school. Pulling up into the lot, he parks as near as possible to the dorm. When we get out, he turns to leave me, but I stop him in his tracks.

  "Chaperone, remember, Ash?" He pauses, and I add, "I'm not the one that will be disobeying if you leave me here." Spinning on his heel, he changes direction, fuming as he passes me. "What happened to 'anything you need'?" I call after him, feeling a bit smug at the turnabout.

  All I get in return is the bird, and I have to hurry to catch up. Well, hurry as much as I can with my new restrictions directing me to take it easy.

  ***

  Ash storms out of the elevator stomping to our door where he has to wait for the lock to disengage. He'd been annoyed enough on the ride up to mess up his neatly styled low-fade. Now the dark brunette hair on the top is in a disarray that looks like sexy bedhead.

  He flings the door open, nearly hitting Blaise with it. "Oh, good, you're here. Take her before I strangle her ass."

  Blaise flicks his gaze between the two of us, wariness taking the place of his previous annoyance at getting whacked with the door. I continue to bait Ash, ignoring our audience.

  "But, Daddy, I thought I was getting a spanking for being naughty?" My top lip tucks in, while the bottom one pokes out in an exaggerated pout.

  "See? I can't deal with that. She won't stop." When he points at me in aggravation, I give him sad eyes and flutter my lashes.

  A fit of coughing pulls my attention to Riggs, who's coming out of his room. He catches his breath and demands an explanation. "What the hell happened at that appointment, Ash? You're not supposed to be banging the bitch on field trips." The fuck did he say? Fuck taking it easy.

  I’m advancing on Riggs, murder in my eyes, when Blaise opens his mouth.

  "She probably likes it rough after slumming it with that dead gutter rat."

  My balled up fist pops him right on his smirking mouth. I was aiming for his nose, but he's too tall. Ignoring any thought of my injuries, I launch at him while he's bent over and off guard. We both tumble to the floor, and somehow, mostly by luck, I land on his back. Blaise doesn't have a chance to recover before my arm snakes around his throat, and he's the one getting strangled.

  Ash is yelling for Jaeger and Drake while I do my damnedest to choke out the asshole trying to flip me off of him. An arm comes around my chest as a hand pulls at my arm, and the pressure on my ribs has my breath sucking in. They're mostly healed but still hurt if they're pushed on.

  "Riggs, be careful!" Ash snaps, rushing to the human dog pile. "She's still hurt."

  Arm loosening slightly, Riggs growls into my ear, "Let him go, Sunshine." The old endearment makes me freeze long enough for him to break my hold on Blaise.

  Head whipping around, I glare at Riggs while he drags me off the coughing man. "Don't fucking call me that. You have no right. Not after everything you've done." I struggle until he lets me go then back away, hunched over my own arm wrapped protectively around my middle.

  My feelings hurt far worse than my physical body at the reminder of their betrayal. They used to call me 'Sunshine.' Not only for my pale bright hair, but because I was a happy, bubbly girl. Until they left me to Damien's care at a party.

  Jaeger barrels in, slamming the door behind him as Riggs helps Blaise to his feet. Ash just stands there glaring at everyone.

  "I could hear you all the way from the elevator. What the hell is going on in here?" Jaeger takes in the palpable animosity between me and the others before he zeroes in on me. "What's wrong with you?" I shuffle carefully past everyone to get my purse from where I'd dropped it by the door, ignoring him. "Is anyone going to explain why the door was open, and Ash was yelling for me?"

  "Ask your butt buddies, Jag." My finger jabs toward Blaise and Riggs. They've retreated to the kitchenette where Riggs is getting Blaise a bag of ice. "You all better remember some subjects are off limits."

  As I do my best not to limp to my room, Ash starts explaining to Jaeger. My stepbrother's groan is cut off by my door closing, but his demand filters through when he raises his voice.

  "Cora! Get your ass back in here."

  Yeah, that's likely. Not. Ignoring him, I strip my clothes off and turn the shower on as hot as I can stand it. With my entire body aching, I slide to the floor of the stall, wishing it were a bathtub instead. Tears course down my face as the day’s frustrations and the guys’ awfulness culminate with over-exerting myself. Something has to give because, as it stands, hiding out indefinitely is sounding like a pretty good plan.

  Admittedly, I probably shouldn't have baited Ash, but his high-handed demand and assumptions got on my nerves. It isn't anyone's business but my own if I decide to move on from Kael— which definitely isn't the case.

  Chapter Eleven

  My appointment excused me from classes all day, but the assignments still have to be done and turned in on time. I use them as an excuse when Jag knocks on my door.

  "Cora, we still need to talk about what happened at your appointment. It doesn't only affect you, you know."

  Confused about why that is yet not wanting to see any of them until I'm sure I won't flip out, I put him off. "Jaeger, I can't afford to get bad marks the first week of school. We can discuss it after dinner."

  He doesn't reply, but the retreating footsteps indicate he's giving me a short reprieve. Frowning at my textbook, I let out a fatigued sigh-- everything for the last year has just been so freaking hard. Including this damn chapter that talks in circles about those in a position of power leading the masses. Having no clue why it's required reading, I dutifully take notes to write a summary.

  By the time I finish with my algebra work, a stress headache is forming. Probably a hunger one as well since I skipped lunch again. With nothing left to do and my stomach gnawing a hole through my back, I put my school work away and brace myself to face the impending inquisition. If I'm careful about it, maybe I can slip in some questions of my own.

  ***

  The empty living room is a brief but nerve-wracking respite. I'd prepared to face a bunch of grumpy men and...nothing. They couldn't have needed to talk too badly. Debating if it's worth knocking on doors for an escort to the cafeteria or finding something here, I settle for exploring the kitchenette.

  Noodles in a styrofoam cup takes care of the food situation, but while I was hunting, I found a cupboard full of odd implements. Now I'm wondering if the kitchenettes I thought to be over the top for a college actually have a dual purpose— and the classes are making more sense as well.

  While the water heats in the microwave, I line up the contents from the lower corner cupboard on the counter. A beep signals the water is done, but I'm engrossed in the mortar and pestles, empty glass vials, beakers, measuring implements, and other various items that look like they're straight out of a science lab. Or a sorcerer's workshop. I attempt to shake off the outlandish thought, but something is definitely not within the realm of logical explanation. Unless that logic comes with weird glowing tattoos, a dead girl, and a husband in a coma with one of those tattoos. Not to mention the crazy, scary men in robes that run the school.

  Realizing it's too qui
et in the suite, I put everything back in its place as best I remember and reheat my water. As soon as it's done, I fill the cup, leaving it to sit, and go to find the guys. Knocks go unanswered, and none of the doors are unlocked. There's only one conclusion— they're not here.

  ***

  Jaeger

  "Is the girl showing any signs of ascension yet?" Dean Atwater's chin rests on his steepled fingers, blue eyes inquisitive, but his relaxed manner is deceiving— the man is a deviant. Even for one of the Order his pursuits are licentious. With his respectably styled blond hair just going gray at the temples and pale skin still mostly line free, he appears to be in his mid-thirties, but from what I've gathered he's closer to three times that.

  Drake glances at me, silently asking if I want to answer, but I shake my head. We all need to get used to the new dynamic. In a twist none of us saw coming, Drake had taken Damien's place right there at the crash site. All of our marks had flared, but while Damien's had faded quickly, the rest crescendoed in a flash of blue light before one by one settling back into their tattooed appearance, Drake's being the last to go dim. The clearing of the dean's throat brings me back to the matter at hand, causing me to raise my brows expectantly at Drake.

  Expression devoid of anything but a pleasant boredom, Drake answers the question. "Not that we've noticed. So far she prefers to stay in her room. She wasn't pleased to find we were her roommates, nor is she particularly interested in being in our presence."

  That last bit would have been better being left off. Dean Atwater's brows beetle together in warning. "The Malbec girl may have taken the deal, she'd have been an idiot not to with what we offered, but in case you gentlemen didn't understand the first time— keeping her here is on you. The agreement has made it prudent for her to do well with her academics, the rest— pushing her to ascend prematurely, is on you. The board would have already dealt with your little anomaly if it weren't for who she is."