The Sainthood : A Dark High School Romance (The Complete Series)

by Siobhan Davis

  I don’t need to ask to know the guys did this to him.

  Warmth spreads across my chest until I shut that shit down.

  All of this could be for show.

  I cannot trust them.

  They are still my enemy. Maybe, they always were.

  Or it could be the truth, that annoying inner voice whispers in my ear.

  “As if I’d believe a word that comes out of your conniving mouth,” I hiss, gnashing my teeth at Galen.

  “I didn’t have all the facts when I made that deal with Knight. I never would’ve gone there if I’d known the truth. I swear.”

  Naked aggression blankets me until I’m almost drowning in anger. “Try peddling that bullshit to someone who buys it!” I roar, stalking toward him like the living embodiment of the avenging angel inked on my back. My hands clench and unclench at my sides, my lips curl into a snarl, and fury pummels me from all sides. I’m shaking with rage and a multitude of other emotions as I stand before him. My chest heaves in and out as I bore holes in his damaged flesh, and I’m seething, my entire body trembling, as we stare at one another.

  I could kill him.

  The thought has crossed my mind a thousand times.

  But then, I’d be no better than him.

  And I’m nothing like that reckless, arrogant asshole.

  My thoughts force me to calm down somewhat, reminding me to stick to the plan. But it’s challenging, because he wanted me dead. And besides the obvious, that hurts.

  Keeping his eyes locked on me, he straightens up even though it’s obviously killing him.

  “Who cracked his ribs?” I ask, glancing over my shoulder.

  “It was a team effort,” Caz says, walking to my side and lacing his fingers in mine. I let him only because it’s part of my plan.

  “I’m sorry, Lo. I—”

  “Save it,” I snap. I grip Galen’s chin, digging my nails into his bruised skin. “Not so pretty now, huh, Lennox?”

  “I fucked up.” The remorse on his face appears genuine. But I couldn’t give two shits.

  I slap him hard. “You didn’t just fuck up, asshole. You tried to murder me!” I shove at his shoulders, and tears prick his eyes from the pain. “Instead of, oh, I don’t know, asking me to my face if I betrayed you, you deemed yourself judge and jury and decided I was guilty with no trial.”

  “I was wrong, I shouldn’t—”

  “You were more than wrong, you fucking idiot!” I shout, and I know I need to rein my emotions in, but I was unprepared for the extent of my feelings when confronted with the man who wanted me dead. My entire body shakes with rage as I bend over, grab my knife from my boot, and hold the sharp blade against Galen’s neck. Tension is thick in the air as I glare at him. “I made a promise to myself when I was thirteen,” I say, pressing the blade in and drawing blood. “I promised that no one would ever hurt me again and live to tell the tale.”

  “Do it,” he says, surprising me. “I deserve it.”

  “Harlow.” Saint’s tone is cool as he places his hand on my arm. “You don’t want to do this.”

  “You’re defending him now?”

  “Fuck no. I want to gut him as badly as you do.”

  “I highly doubt that.”

  “Trust me, babe. I do. He betrayed all of us when he handed you to the enemy.” Saint moves his hand lower on my arm.

  I press the knife in again, slicing a thin line through Galen’s flesh. A muscle ticks in his jaw, but he holds firm, and his eyes almost plead with me to do it. A dart of pain flashes across his face, hinting at immense suffering, and there is so much I don’t understand.

  Saint uses my distraction to grab my wrist, forcing my hand to pull away. I battle him, because no one is going to fucking tell me what to do anymore. “Lo, stop.”

  “You fucking stop,” I hiss, crying out when he digs his nails into the tender flesh underneath my wrist, making me drop the knife.

  A shrill siren rings out, and a red flashing light blares from someplace overhead.

  “What the fuck?” Saint shouts, eyeballing Theo.

  “Someone has breached the perimeter,” Theo confirms, stabbing buttons on his phone.

  “That’d be me, asshole,” a familiar voice says from behind.

  Saint still has a grip on my wrist, and he roughly shoves me behind him. Sharp pain shuttles up my arm, and I cry out again.

  Diesel trains his rifle on Saint. “Let Lo go, or I’ll gladly end you.”

  CHAPTER 5

  Harlow

  “DIESEL, DON’T.” I attempt to extract my arm from Saint’s grip, but his hold is tight, and it’s clear he has no plan to let me go anytime soon. I bend down and bite his hand, burying my teeth deep in his flesh.

  He lets out a roar, dropping my arm and staring at me like I’ve gone crazy.

  Ignoring his expression, I step around him, striding toward Diesel. Slowly, he lowers his rifle, but the lethal look on his face remains. I stop in front of him. “What are you doing here?”

  “I told you I don’t trust those assholes,” he says, carefully lifting my arm and turning it over. The skin on my wrist has broken again, and a thin line of blood is pooling at the site of my wounds. “You fucking hurt her.” He stabs Saint with a murderous look before softening his gaze when it lands back on me. “I told you you should’ve let me bandage them.”

  “It’s nothing.”

  “Take your hands off her,” Saint says, coming up behind me.

  “Fuck off, asshole, before I put a hole in your skull.”

  “I’d like to see you try, old man,” Caz says, leveling a Glock at Diesel’s head.

  The flashing light and piercing siren die out, and I spy Theo repocketing his cell and walking this way. “Lo, you know this guy?” he asks.

  “Yeah. I can vouch for him.”

  “What the fuck is he doing here?” Saint growls, scowling at me.

  Diesel drops my hand, prodding his rifle into Saint’s chest. “Lose the attitude, punk, and stop speaking to Lo like that.”

  “Listen here, grandad.” Saint shoves the rifle away as if it isn’t loaded and couldn’t go off at any second. “You don’t get to show up on our turf and start making demands.”

  “I could wipe you all off the face of the planet in the blink of an eye,” Diesel says. “Don’t fucking tempt me.”

  “Let’s everyone cool their jets,” I say, stepping between Saint and Diesel.

  “Who is he?” Theo inquires, looking directly at me.

  “I’m her trainer,” Diesel says, and I know I shouldn’t add to that, but I’m in the mood to inflict pain.

  “And onetime lover,” I confirm, winking at Diesel.

  He arches a brow, and I grin just as Saint shoves me out of the way, lunging at Diesel. They tumble to the ground, throwing punches at one another, as they instantly get into it.

  “Twenty on the old dude,” Caz says into my ear.

  “You’d bet against your saintly leader?”

  “I know a crazy motherfucker when I see one, and I’m not talking about Saint. That dude is hardcore, and I’m intrigued.” Caz waggles his brows, shoulder checking me.

  “That makes two of us,” Theo says, coming up on my other side. “What the hell is going on, Lo?”

  “If they stop acting like idiots, I might get the chance to tell you.”

  “You fucking pervert,” Saint roars, landing a punch to Diesel’s nose.

  Diesel rolls on top of him, pummeling his face with a barrage of punches that’s got to hurt. “You fucking delinquent.”

  “Okay, enough.” I grab the back of Diesel’s shirt, yanking him off Saint.

  Saint sits up, spitting out blood as Diesel presses his fingers to his nose to check for damage. They sit across from one another, both with new cuts and grazes on their faces, spewing vitriol through their eyes. Any other time I’d find it funny, but we have shit to talk about, and we’re getting sidetracked.

  I loom over them, planting my hands on my hips
. “Stop this petty shit. It’s beneath both of you. We have stuff to discuss, and it can’t wait.”

  A few minutes later, we’re seated around a large rustic table, on mismatched chairs, facing one another over cold beers. Tension is so thick you’d need a machete to cut through it.

  I love the guys’ place although I haven’t seen upstairs yet. It’s got this edgy, industrial-type vibe, yet it’s homey, and I’m surprised because it’s not really a guy thing. I knew their bedrooms back at our house were only places to sleep, that they had somewhere else they called home. Where their bedrooms lack personality, this converted barn has it in spades.

  Framed movie pictures line the walls along with an assortment of biker pics, sports memorabilia, and the requisite naked chicks. Multicolored rugs are scattered around the vast space, taking the cold edge off the hard concrete floors. Two comfy-looking battered brown leather couches and a matching chair rest in front of a large open fire, and if things were different, I could visualize nights cozied up to all of them in front of a roaring fire, toasting s’mores and drinking beer and getting our sexy on.

  But things won’t be like that anytime soon, because the trust is broken, and Galen’s betrayal is the colossal-sized elephant in the room.

  “How did it go down?” I ask from my seat at the top of the table. Saint is on my left and Diesel on my right. Theo and Caz are seated beside their leader, and Galen is by himself at the end of the table, slumped in the chair, in obvious discomfort. He needs medical attention, but no one has offered him any. It seems fitting. His actions have ostracized him from his crew, and he has no one to blame but himself.

  I tap my fingers on top of the table, drilling him with a look that challenges him to deny me.

  He puts his beer down and clears his throat. “Darrow approached me after the fight ended. I was carrying Parker’s body to the car when—”

  “Wait.” I sit up straighter. I can’t believe I forgot about that. “Where is the body?” I glance at Theo.

  “Who is Parker?” Diesel asks.

  “It’s taken care of,” Theo confirms.

  “How?”

  “The less you know, the better,” Saint says, and I slam my fist down on the table.

  “No.” I glare at him. “That is not how this is going down.” I point my finger in his face. “There are new rules, my rules, and we’re playing it my way from now on.”

  “I get you’re pissed,” Saint says, flipping the bottle cap between his fingers. “But I’m still junior chapter leader, and I’ll be calling the shots.”

  “Because that’s been working out so well.” I sneer at him, waving my finger in his face. “I wonder what Sinner would say if I told him Galen made a deal with our archenemy and deliberately went behind your back. Or how that psycho would react if he knew his precious son was planning on hiding me away instead of taking me to the training facility like he demanded.”

  I sit back, smirking as I pick at the label on my bottle. “I don’t think you’d be leader for much longer if I divulged all that.”

  “Lo, you can’t go to Sinner. He’s unpredictable as fuck,” Theo chimes in.

  I jab my finger in his direction. “Let’s get one thing straight here.” My gaze moves between them. “No one gets to tell me shit anymore.” I eyeball Saint. “You might be the leader, but I’m making the decisions now. Cross me, and I’ll have a little word in Sinner’s ear.” I narrow my eyes at Galen. “Betray me again, and I will take great pleasure in ending your miserable existence.”

  “Fuck, princess,” Caz says, pinning me with a lust-drenched expression. “My cock is hard as a rock.”

  I grin, because I can always rely on Caz to bring some levity.

  And to be horny.

  Out of all of them, I’m least mad at him.

  Saint is seething, practically vibrating in his chair, and I’m sure he’d love to wrap his hands around my throat and angry fuck me into obedience. He’ll soon learn I’m not so easily swayed with sex anymore.

  “Do you have to be so vulgar?” Diesel isn’t pleased, and that amuses me.

  “Says the pedo,” Saint snarls. He’s so observant, but I don’t know if he’s genuinely picked up on the very thing that pushes Diesel’s buttons or he’s just reaching an obvious conclusion.

  Diesel jumps up, but I grab hold of his arm, forcing him back down. “Ignore him. He’s pushing your buttons on purpose.” I lean into him and rub his arm in a soothing gesture, knowing it will wind Saint up.

  Saint grabs his bottle, guzzling beer like it’s water, and I pretend like the way his throat works as he drinks isn’t hella sexy.

  “Now that’s been sorted,” I continue, tossing my hair to one shoulder. “Let’s get back to Parker.” I turn to Diesel and explain. “Parker was Finn Houston’s girlfriend. Finn used to control Lowell High until these guys took control. She put my bestie in the hospital, and she made it clear she wanted my crown.”

  “She tried to take Lo out at the warehouse,” Theo adds. “But Lo killed her first.” There’s a hint of admiration in his tone, which is wrong on so many levels.

  “What did you do with the body?” I ask.

  “Theo messaged me to clean up,” Galen admits. “I put her in the trunk of the Eclipse and Caz and Theo took it from there,” he adds.

  “We burned the slunt’s remains,” Caz says, grinning, like burning a schoolmate’s body is an everyday occurrence.

  “For fuck’s sake.” Saint rolls his eyes. “Seriously, dude?”

  My brow puckers as I look between them, and then a light bulb goes off. I burst out laughing. “Word of the day?”

  “Got it in one, princess.” Caz glances at the time on his cell. “Think that might be a record for me. It’s not even eleven.”

  “Can we move this along?” Diesel says. “Some of us have work to do.”

  “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” Saint says, smirking.

  “Where are the remains now?” I ask, ignoring the latest jibe.

  “Buried in the woods,” Theo confirms. “Don’t give it another thought. She’s gone.”

  I probably should feel bad for taking another life, but Parker would’ve had no qualms killing me, and it was self-preservation, so I refuse to feel any remorse.

  “Did Darrow see?” I ask Galen.

  He nods. “But he doesn’t know how she died, and he couldn’t give a fuck about her.”

  “Of course not,” Saint snaps. “He was preoccupied helping you plan Lo’s murder!”

  Galen’s Adam’s apple bobs in his throat, and he grips the table hard, digging his nails into the wood. “I don’t know what else you want me to say.” He throws his bottle at the wall, and broken glass mixed with sticky beer coats the floor. “I fucked up!” he shouts. “I’m fucked up. I never should’ve acted so recklessly, and I regret it, okay.” He leans forward on his elbows, beseeching me with his gorgeous green eyes. “If I could go back and do everything differently, I would.”

  “I’m done listening to your pathetic excuses. You gave me to my ex to kill me! That shit will never be okay.” I hold those steel walls firmly around my heart, refusing to let his words breach the new barriers I’ve built. “Just answer my goddamn questions. What did Darrow say?”

  He slumps in the chair, sighing, his face defeated. “He told me you were the one who gave up the location. Said you’d screwed both sides over and you’d continue to come between us if you weren’t dealt with.” He averts his eyes. “He suggested he could make you go away, and all I had to do was give him a ten percent cut of the next five shipments.”

  “Jesus fucking Christ.” Saint hops up. “Are you fucking insane? On what planet would Sinner have ever agreed to that?”

  “I was making it up as I went along,” Galen protests, pouting a little.

  “Thank fuck, you’re not in charge,” I drawl.

  A red flush creeps up his neck. “He told me she was the mole. That she gave up the location and she handed over evidence which
got Alfred freed. I figured Sinner would be pleased I’d eliminated the threat, and I’d no intention of giving them jack shit. They’re the fucking enemy, and we’re already at war. Not my fault he’s the idiot who believed me.” Galen’s legendary arrogance creeps into his tone, and I shake my head.

  “You’re the fucking idiot who took the enemy at his word without any fact-checking,” I hiss, enjoying watching the smug look disappear from his face.

  “You’re a damn fool, Galen,” Saint agrees. “Your jealousy and single-minded stubbornness made you vulnerable. You let that asshole Knight use that to manipulate you. I’ve never been so fucking disgusted with you.”

  “You think I don’t know that!” Galen yells. “You think I’m not disgusted with myself?!” He bites down on his lip, shaking his head, and looks away but not before I see the torment shining in his eyes.

  But is it real, or he’s tormented because he failed in his quest to get rid of me?

  No one speaks for a few beats. Tension and emotion swirl around us, and I’ve no clue how any of us come back from this.

  “Sinner can’t know you were behind Alfred’s release,” Saint says, breaking the silence. From the lack of surprise on Caz’s and Theo’s faces, I know Saint updated them on that part of our conversation from Friday night. But it’s obvious from the frown on Galen’s face that he’s still in the dark about all the other shit that went down between me and Darrow.

  Saint’s eyes bore into mine. “That was another reason I wanted you to go to the safe house.”

  Galen opens his mouth to offer some opinion, but he clamps his lips shut. Maybe he’s finally wising up.

  “And let’s not forget The Bulls,” Theo says, swinging back and forth on the legs of his chair.

  “What about The Bulls?” Diesel asks. He’s been quietly listening, taking everything in.

  “I accidentally shot one of their guys. They have the video footage, and now, they’re coming for me.”