Alec’s eyes fall to Eli. Ribbons of tension coil between them. This is new territory for me, this standoff. It’s like dogs fighting over a juicy bone. I’ve never been anyone’s bone before. The dark part of me – the same part that remembers the blood splattered on my reflection, the weight of earth pressing down on my tomb – likes it, but only if Eli wins.
“This isn’t your business, Hart.” Alec tries to smile, but it comes out more like a grimace. My skin buzzes with an electrical charge – a surge of power clashing as the two of them face off. Or maybe it’s Eli’s arm resting against mine. Maybe it’s the hint of danger in his friendly eyes – that carefully constructed facade of gentility crumbling away to reveal the feral animal beneath.
Eli tilts his head to the side, his tone friendly, his words anything but. “You’ve got your hand on a woman who’s not yours, and violence in your eyes. I consider that my business. Let go of her.”
Alec’s mouth twists up as he weighs his options. Two of his friends step forward, but from behind Eli, I notice a shadow move. Gabriel slouches up to my other side, peering down at Alec from over a pair of aviator sunglasses. With his leather jacket slung over his shoulder and the tattoos peeking out from his collar and cuffs, he looks tough as shit, but I doubt Gabriel would ever get into a fight and risk messing up his hair.
He doesn’t need to. At Stonehurst, power doesn’t come from your fists, and Gabriel has power Alec can’t buy.
A murmur ripples through the hall. Everyone has noticed who stands on my side. Alec’s two friends step back. Alec flings my arm down like he can’t stand to touch my skin any longer. “Well, Ice Queen. I see you put out for Hart and Fallen. Perhaps it is ghost slut after all.”
A snarl escapes my lips before I can stop it. Alec laughs as he turns back to his friends, but they slink off down the hall. There’s a palpable release of tension in the air, and students turn back to their friend groups. A warm hand slides up my arm. Eli’s dark eyes are full of concern. “He didn’t hurt you?”
Gabriel throws his arm around me. “I think Alec was the one in danger from Mackintosh here.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to thank them, but Mackenzie Malloy doesn’t thank people who come to her rescue – they’re doing a public service. So instead I fix Gabriel with my superhuman glare. “Don’t call me Mackintosh.”
“Why not? It suits you. A macintosh is what we English gentlemen wear outside when Mother Nature decides to piss all over us. You’re just like a mackintosh because you scare the rain away with your sunny disposition.”
I can’t help it. A laugh leaps out of me before I can stamp it down. Eli looks taken aback, while Gabe looks delighted. Behind them, Coal-Eyes lingers, glowering at me. I wonder how long he’s been there, and if his presence has anything to do with Alec fucking off.
“You laughed.” Gabriel squeezes me tighter. My whole body floods with warmth as the Alec incident flees my mind. “That means your nickname is official, Mac. That’s the rules, right, Eli?”
Eli nods. He’s studying me in that way of his, searching for answers to a question I don’t understand. It’s hella intimate and kinda sexy in this possessive, fucked-up way.
“That’s a terrible nickname. I refuse to accept it.” I fold my arms and glare at them both, but there’s no fire behind it. I’m not supposed to be doing this, getting close to people. I’m not supposed to have nicknames. And yet, I can’t bring myself to fling away Gabriel’s arm. I’m only human. “Try again.”
“No can do, Mac. Those are the nickname rules,” Eli’s smiling too, and it’s this warm, bright smile that turns my insides out. I don’t think anyone’s ever smiled at me like that before. “You should be happy. The first nickname Gabriel ever gave me was God Almighty, because he thinks I sound like a TV preacher. I’m so grateful he spread that one to the track team in our freshman year and then left for tour before I could force him to undo the chaos he wrought.”
Next to Gabriel’s aristocratic voice, the twang of Eli’s Southern roots is more pronounced. I get the sense that he tries to hide it behind an affected Californian accent. I never thought a guy like Eli Hart, who seems so popular and at ease with himself, would be self-conscious about anything.
At the mention of the tour, Gabriel stiffens. A dark shadow shrouds his eyes. I think of what I read in the news about the drummer from Octavia’s Ruin, and realize that for all his silliness, Gabriel was still dealing with the aftermath of that horror. The darkness is gone in a moment, and the fun, flirty Gabriel is back. “I can’t take all the blame for that one,” Gabriel claps a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I might’ve planted the seed, but Noah was the one who yelled ‘God Almighty’ when you won that meet and spread the name to all the other schools.”
They both glance over at Coal-Eyes. So, his name is Noah. It suits him, somehow. Gabriel’s eyes flicker nervously back to Eli. There’s a silent conversation going on between the three of them – a battle of wills over an outcome I cannot fathom.
Noah glares at his friends and, with a final fiery draft of hatred in my direction, he shoves past us and storms off.
“Don’t mind him,” Eli says, his eyes searching me again. “He thinks you’re responsible...”
He trails off, his eyes flicking back to Noah. An awkward silence descends over the three of us.
“I have to go.” I shrug Gabriel off. I can’t stand to look into Eli’s eyes any longer. This is too much, too weird. Responsible for what?
“See you in homeroom, Mac,” Gabriel yells after me as I disappear into the bathroom.
“Mackenzie, wait,” Eli says.
I don’t wait.
I hide in a stall until the bell rings. In homeroom, students slide their desks away from me. I carry a bad smell around this school – I reek of trouble. I’ve only been here a day, and I have the blood of their king on my hands. Wisely, they choose to avoid me.
Well, most of them. Gabriel slumps into the seat beside me, and I catch a flash of his wicked smile before I angle my body away from him.
“You can’t ignore me forever, Mac,” he whispers in my ear. “It’s better to give up now, because I have a black belt in annoying the shit out of people until they pay attention to me.”
I stare at my books. Why does he have to be at this school?
Gabriel Fallen isn’t supposed to be a person. He’s an idea – a wonderful, discordant, calamitous creation. His music is the only thing that got me through the nights where the dark and loneliness clawed at me, leaving my skin torn in ribbons, my organs exposed. I’d turn on my headphones or the house speaker system and Gabriel’s voice made me feel… seen. He made me feel real – like I could separate the pieces of myself from my stolen life.
He’s not supposed to be a flirty guy with a touch that burns so good.
They say you shouldn’t meet your idols because they always disappoint. But I can’t imagine Gabriel Fallen ever disappointing anyone. Not with that wicked mouth and those long fingers. Not with the mind that forms such beautiful lyrics and those slate eyes that see more than they let on.
I try to focus on what Mr. Ross is droning on about – tickets for a senior class trip to Germany over the semester break available on the school app. It’s not compulsory, but judging from the excited conversations around me, everyone will be going.
Not me – I’d be working for one of Antony’s contacts that week, to try to make enough cash to pay the power bill for the rest of the year. Even though I drained the pool and turned off the circuit breakers in the wings I don’t use, the house still costs an insane amount to run, especially because I need to keep at least some of the security features operating.
At lunch, I pile my plate with food and make a beeline for the outdoor area. Unfortunately, that means walking past Alec’s table. Even that wouldn’t be so bad – I can handle Alec – but it also means coming into range of Eli’s savior complex and Noah’s dagger eyes. That guy oozes hatred from every pore. If only I knew why all his rage
is directed my way.
He believes I’m responsible… for what?
It doesn’t matter. Eli and Noah are not my problem. All I’m here to do is graduate.
I’m Mackenzie Malloy, and I don’t need anyone.
The more I repeat the mantra to myself, the less I believe it.
Now I see why the popular kids chose that particular table. Anyone wanting to eat in the quad has to walk past them. Two geeky-looking guys peel off the line in front of me and set off at a brisk pace, but Alec looks up at them like a hunter with prey in his sights, and at the last minute they veer off and take the unoccupied table in the corner. I see a girl in a wheelchair struggling to balance her tray on her knees while she wheels over the bump. Alec tosses a spitball at her head. It sticks in her hair. Her shoulders tighten. The wheels of her chair squeal as she surges forward, and she’s free.
Lucky bitch.
I try to sneak out behind her, but no such luck. Alec slides off the end of the table and stands in front of me, leaning in close. “Where you going, Malloy?”
“To eat my lunch. Far away from you.”
Noah stands up, his shoulders tense, his eyes charcoal tossed in flames – a dark void of hatred ringed in fire. No way do I want another confrontation with him. I can’t see Gabriel anywhere, and Eli’s down at the other end of the table. He stands up, too, but he’s hemmed in by a group of girls. Besides, I don’t need Eli to rescue me.
“Fine.” I whirl around and stomp out of the dining hall, tray in my hands. A waiter yells that I’m not allowed to take food from the hall, but who the fuck cares? I stalk down the corridor to the bathroom, kick open the nearest toilet door, and lock it behind me. I flip the toilet seat down, balance the tray on my knees, and pick up my knife and fork with shaking hands.
I hide in that stall as other female students come and go, trying in vain to get the fire in Noah’s eyes to stop scorching my veins. But it’s no good – I’m intrigued by his ire. And by what Eli started to say, “He holds you responsible.”
What am I responsible for?
I pull out my phone and do a quick search of the Stonehurst website and social media. He’s not hard to spot – Noah Marlowe’s statuesque features stand out from every image. He’s president of the student council, captain of the debate society, and the center of attention at every party and social event. Noah Marlowe, son of Senator John Marlowe, a deep-pocket alumnus of the school. Now that I have Noah’s last name, I Google him, just to see what comes up.
Most kids our age don’t have much of an internet presence beyond social media pages. I’m the exception – at least, I thought I was. I’m surprised at the number of hits that come up for Noah. All of them news articles about a court case from four years ago.
I click on one and start to read:
–following the death of his son, Felix Marlowe, aged 18, Senator John Marlowe has sued Howard Malloy, billionaire CEO of the nutritional supplement company Malloy International, for negligence – citing supplements supplied to his teenage son during an unregulated trial were responsible for his death. The case will be heard on Friday, with key testimony for the prosecution coming from 13-year-old Noah Marlowe, John Marlowe’s surviving son.
I scroll down to another article from a few months later. My father won the case. The Marlowes claim of negligence couldn’t be proved. The accompanying photograph shows Noah – younger, but just as dark and brooding and beautiful, exiting the courtroom with a beautiful raven-haired woman on his arm. His mother, Corrine, according to the captain. Another article, from two months after that. CORRINE MARLOWE DROWNS HERSELF IN FAMILY SWIMMING POOL.
My head spins. Fuck. So much death. So much pain. Everything I read I already knew – Noah spoke it through his eyes. I’d unwittingly enrolled myself at the same school as a guy who blames my family for the death of his brother and his mother. No wonder Noah hates me. I’d hate me.
Fuck, fuckedy, fucklestein.
I have to be careful. I have to stay out of his way – Noah Marlowe has already made it clear that he’d take great delight in ruining everything for me. I’m not going to give him the chance.
11
Mackenzie
My alarm rings. Queen Boudica gives a ‘mew’ of disgust and snuggles against me. All I want to do is scoop her up in my arms and go back to sleep.
Groaning, I tear her off my face and dump her unceremoniously on the pillow. “I’m sorry. Blame Stonehurst – their stupid rules say cat gravity is not an acceptable excuse for tardiness.”
Queen Boudica burrows her head back under the covers, turning her butt to me and holding her tail up. It’s the cat version of giving me the finger. I grin as I pull on my uniform and start the process of painting on my armor. That cat couldn’t be more perfect for me if she tried.
Even with my alarm set extra early, I struggle to get out the door on time. I don’t really want to face Stonehurst Prep, but I have no choice.
As I’m jogging up the into school, Alec LeMarque steps out from behind a pillar, ruining my day before I’m even inside. He blocks the doorway with his bulk, leaning into my personal space in a way that instantly puts my back up.
“I think we got off on the wrong foot, Malloy.” Alec’s smile makes my blood freeze. He shoves his hands in the pocket of his letterman jacket, which the school jocks are allowed to wear instead of their blazer. “I’m having a few friends around to my place tonight – pretty casual. It’ll be fun. You should be there.”
“I’m busy.” I try to step around him, but he shifts his weight to block my escape.
“I don’t think you understand.” He’s still trying to be friendly, but beneath his facade simmers the full force of his humiliation. The dressing on his nose tugs up at the side. “It’s not your fault. You’ve been in the Caribbean or fucking Siberia or whatever, so allow me to help you out. I’ll throw a bitch a bone. In this school, this town, it’s all about who you know. You used to be somebody, Mackenzie Malloy, but now you’re just a freak ghost slut. I’m the guy you want on your side. Being my friend will give you all the connections you need to survive at Stonehurst. So, what do you say? Will I see you tonight?”
“She can’t. She’s hanging out with me.”
A warm arm drapes over my shoulder. Gabriel Fallen faces off against Alec with his chin cocked and that aristocratic smirk on his lips – the one that carries all the power of the lord of the manor demanding loyalty from his serfs.
She’s hanging with me.
“She your girl, Fallen?” Alec flashes him a smile that’s all teeth and violence.
Gabriel shakes his head. His cheek presses against mine, and the touch feels so intimate it sends a shiver of desire through my veins. “Mackenzie Malloy is no one’s girl.”
I turn to Gabriel, pushing through my fangirling to flash him a wicked smile. “You took the words right out of my mouth, Fallen.”
Gabriel turns back to Alec. “So, if we’re done here, Mac and I have to get to homeroom.”
I want to groan at that stupid nickname, but Gabriel shoves Alec aside and barges into Stonehurst, dragging me behind him. Students gape at us, stepping aside to make room. From the way he smiles and preens, Gabriel’s used to all eyes watching him, but I’ve lived alone in an empty house for four years, and it freaks me out.
“You don’t have to save me,” I hiss. My skin crawls as their eyes rake over me.
“Maybe I wasn’t saving you. Maybe I wanted to have the pleasure of your company.” Gabriel winks as he slides his arm from around me and leans against Eli’s locker.
Fuck, the way he says ‘the pleasure of your company’ in that British accent of his… I need to rescue this situation. I’m in serious danger of falling hard for this guy, the exact guy who could end up destroying me. I open my locker and collect the books I need. “I’m not hanging out with you tonight.”
“Sure you are,” he grins. “We have our chemistry make-up.”
Fuck. I completely forgot. An hour being stuck in
the chemistry lab with Gabriel. I lean my head against my locker, allowing the cold metal to drop my body temperature. This is a bad bad bad idea. But no matter how many times I say that to myself, when I think about Gabriel’s eyes fixed on mine with such interest and the feeling of his arm around me, I can’t see how it can possibly be bad.
I’m in trouble.
I need a cold shower and—
My locker door slams into my face, knocking the sense back into me.
“Ow.” I grab my throbbing nose with one hand and lean back to see who wants to die today. I find myself facing off against a girl who belongs on a magazine cover – deeply tanned skin, pouty lips, sleek black hair straight out of a shampoo commercial. She’s flanked by a triangle of other girls – their faces caked in makeup, their hair perfectly styled. Some of them wear cheerleading jackets over their uniform blazers. But my focus is on their leader.
“Oops.” She smirks, flicking her hair over her shoulder. Every strand falls perfectly in place, like it’s too afraid to disobey her. “I didn’t see you there. Melrose, was it?”
“Mackenzie.”
“Oh, right. Mackenzie.” She says my name like she’s talking about a new type of bathroom cleaner. “Mackenzie Malloy. The girl who used to be somebody. Allow me to reintroduce myself, since you seem to have forgotten the way things work around here. I’m Cleo St. James. That’s short for Cleopatra. As in, the Queen. It’s an appropriate name, because I’m Queen of this school.”
Jeez, what is it with these people and royalty? “That’s… quite some introduction.”
“I couldn’t help but notice you draping yourself over Gabriel.” She rolls her eyes. “You’ve been on a desert island or a mental asylum or whatever, so I don’t know if you know this, but we don’t appreciate it when crazy bitches break people’s noses just for being friendly. You should apologize to Alec – your actions cost him an important audition.”
My Stolen Life: a high school bully romance (Stonehurst Prep Book 1) Page 6