Brutal Titan: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Golden Olympus Academy Book 3)

by A. J. Logan

  “I don’t have a choice, and I sure as hell don’t want to hear about anyone being inside you but me.”

  “You’re the one who brought it up. I was just clarifying, so there’s one less concern.”

  “My only concern is you.” Bending forward, he brushes his lips over my shoulder, his palm caressing up my back before shifting away from me. Planting a quick kiss on my lips, he walks out, shutting the door behind him, leaving me standing alone, hidden away just as we are.

  I want to go on a date. I want all of it, but I don’t want to experience anything else with Elliot if it’s not going any further than being a dirty little secret we’ve hidden away with no intention of revealing.

  31

  Elliot

  Victoria casually saunters past me, and my eyes automatically trail down and back up her body before I propel off the locker. Slapping Asher on the shoulder before fist bumping Wade, I tell them I’ll catch up with them later. The school day hasn’t officially begun yet, but I’m ready for it to be over already.

  I don’t pick up my pace until I’m around the corner, out of view, just in case Asher was paying attention to my sudden departure. As I catch up, I walk beside her, not acknowledging her presence until I lightly clasp her hand, pulling her into a room, but I don’t flip on the light switch. Moving forward, I press her against the wall, my mouth over hers as she returns the kiss with the same intensity and desire I feel until she shifts back, breathing heavily as she speaks.

  “Someone is going to see us if you keep doing that.”

  “I couldn’t help it.” I swipe my tongue across her lip as my hand moves under her skirt.

  “Seriously, Elliot. I just left your house less than an hour ago.”

  “I know. It’s been an excruciating hour to bear.” And it had been. She’d left before me, making a point to arrive at a different time, so we didn’t pull into the parking lot at the same time on the nights she stayed at my place. “I plan to make up for it tonight though.”

  Her lighthearted tone turns frustrated as she pushes past me. “Yes, I’m sure you will when we sneak around. Again.”

  “Victoria—”

  “It’s Friday. It’s been a week. What happened to a few days?”

  The room is dark, but I can make out the angry pout on her face. “I’m sorry. I’m trying. I just don’t know what to say.”

  “You’re making a bigger deal out of it than it has to be.”

  “It is a big deal. He’s been my best friend for as long as I can remember, and I’ve been sneaking behind his back, lying to him.”

  “And it’s just going to get worse the longer we wait.”

  She’s right. The longer we wait the bigger throne of lies we’ll be trying to overcome. “I know. I’ll tell him tomorrow. Just give me one more night before the shit hits the fan. Please?”

  “Fine. But if you back out this time, I’ll tell him myself.”

  “No. He’ll probably take the news better if he heard it from me.”

  “I hope so.”

  Leaning forward, my lips press against her forehead as I whisper, “Me too.”

  “I have to get to class.” She moves away from me, slipping out of the room as I’m left standing there in the darkness. I know it’s time to come clean, but I can’t help but think I’ll be losing one of them at the end of this, or maybe even both.

  32

  Elliot

  Methodically, I move around my house. Victoria headed back to her house hours ago after I convinced her to come back tonight for the party. My theory that Asher won’t murder me in a houseful of people didn’t seem to humor her, although the partygoers will be arriving after I share the news. Hopefully by the time night falls, we’ll all just be able to have a good time. Together.

  My heart races when I hear the front door slam. I rotate around, expecting to see Asher, but all the air is pulled out of my lungs as Victoria rushes across the room in full-fledged tears. I can’t get the words out to ask her what’s wrong, but seeing the distraught look on her face makes me sick. She leaps into my arms, and I instinctively engulf her. I suck in a deep breath and ask, “What happened?”

  “It’s Quinn … her dad …” Victoria’s words come out in short spurts. I can guess the devastating news, and my original worry that Asher discovered the truth seems measly in comparison.

  “Where’s Quinn? Is she okay?”

  Victoria hastily shakes her head. “I don’t know. She ran off when the detectives told her. I tried to catch up to her, but she was gone. I called Asher, and he said he would find her.”

  “He will.” I hope, for Quinn’s sake. Almost losing my mom was devastating, I don’t want to think about what actually losing her would’ve felt like.

  Tucking my face against Victoria’s neck, I hold onto her as she sobs. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I call Asher.

  His panicked voice does nothing to settle my nerves. He thinks he knows where Quinn is, but he’ll call if she’s not there.

  Clicking the phone off, I tuck it back into my pocket before pulling Victoria closer to me. I struggle to control my emotions as concern for Quinn overwhelms me. Fully immersed in the harrowing memory of discovering my mom, I’m pulled fully awake into my nightmare. And this time, I can’t escape.

  33

  Victoria

  As I’m walking out of school and through the parking lot, I twist my hair into a knot on top of my head. I’d planned to skip out on swim, but I needed something to distract me from what I was planning to do this evening—visit Olivia. I skipped out last week but need to see her this week. I need to tell her about what’s going on between me and Elliot because he needs to see her. It’s been evident since Quinn found out about her dad—something inside of Elliot broke, because he hasn’t been the same since. He’s been caring and kind, but way too quiet. And his nightmares seem to be worse. I’m waking him several times a night and sometimes it takes a lot to pull him out of the disturbing slumber.

  We both agreed that it was best to wait and not tell Asher about us because there’s something else going on between him and Quinn, but he won’t tell us what even though it feels serious and important. I think it has to do with her dad, but that’s just a hunch.

  Dropping in my car, I’m almost in the clear until I spot Elliot pulling the passenger door open as he slides into the seat.

  “I know you said you have something to do but I need you … I need you to come somewhere with me.” He turns an anguished look to me. “Please?”

  “Where?” I already know the answer. He mentioned a few days ago that the only day he could visit his mom is on Wednesdays, which of course I already know.

  “To see my mom.”

  “But they only allow family in.” My nervousness spikes as I attempt to control my emotions, which are all over the place. I want to be there for him, but how can I considering the secret I’ve been hiding.

  “I know. But I need you to come with me. I don’t think I can go by myself.”

  “Elliot—” I can’t think of a good excuse because I want to be there for him, and when he turns his pained expression to me I know I’m going with him. I’ll deal with the consequences later. Maybe I can tell her somehow discreetly not to mention me visiting just yet, or maybe I can just wait outside.

  “Please, Victoria?”

  “Okay.”

  “Thank you,” he leans forward, placing a gentle kiss on my lips as I struggle to hold my composure. “It’s not far from here if you want to ride with me.”

  “Sure,” I agree, reluctantly stepping out of the security of my vehicle, stiffly following him as he lightly clasps my hand in his. Neither of us care that we are still surrounded by people heading out of the school parking lot. We both need something to hold onto, something to hold steady, even if for very different reasons.

  Watching out the window, the familiar drive is over way too fast as we pull into the parking lot. “I’ll just wait here.”

  “Come in. We can te
ll them you’re family or something.”

  Yep. That’ll work, unfortunately. “Okay.”

  I follow a step behind him as we make our way to the front desk. The receptionist asks his name, and he gives both our names, saying we’re here to see Olivia Bass.

  Thankfully, none of the employees give a second thought because he’s telling exactly the same story about who I am as I’ve said all along. Maybe no one will think anything of it, and no one will reveal what I’ve been up to behind Elliot’s back.

  We’re sitting in the room, waiting on Olivia to come out. There are several doors around the perimeter of the room, and I see Elliot glancing between them, but I know exactly which one she’ll emerge from, and she does just that. Shock on her face as she looks to us. She slowly walks over, giving me a strange look as she sits at the table before looking to Elliot.

  “Why are you here?”

  “To find out why you are here?” Elliot retorts, his words strained as Olivia flinches.

  “You know why,” Olivia softly replies, hanging her head down.

  “No. I don’t,” Elliot chokes out. I reach for his hand, and Olivia’s eyes land on our interlaced fingers before looking to me and then back to Elliot.

  Olivia looks away to the employee standing nearby, monitoring the conversation as always before meeting Elliot’s eyes with a pained expression. “You need to go. I told your father I didn’t want you here. Didn’t want you to see me like this.”

  Gasping, my hand tightens around Elliot’s as he shoots up from the chair, sending it crashing to the floor behind him. An employee waves a hand signal to another guard at the checkpoint behind the glass.

  “See you like this?” he screams, shrugging me off. Leaning forward, he glares at his mother. “I see you lying in a pool of blood, bleeding to death every fucking night when I close my eyes.”

  “Elliot,” I unsuccessfully try to pull him away from his mother as I notice a security guard and two other employees headed our way. Panic fills me. “Elliot, let’s just go.”

  “I’m so sorry, Elliot,” Olivia sobs as her hand clasps over her mouth. She stands from the table, backing up until she hits the wall behind her.

  He jerks his arm out of my grasp, slamming his fist against the hard surface of the table. “Save your apology, because you are dead to me.”

  “Elliot.” I suck in a breath as the sting of his words are evident as tears stream down Olivia’s face.

  A guard approaches, telling Elliot it’s time to go. I fear it will set him off further, but instead, he pauses for a moment, looking to his mother as she sobs, hatred the only thing clear on his face before he steps away without a word.

  My feet are frozen in place as I watch him calmly walk away, leaving his mom in tears and a roomful of people looking to him with concern. He never looks back as the guard escorts him out the room.

  Stepping toward the door, I move to follow him, but Olivia’s voice halts me in my tracks.

  Looking to her, I stand still, unsure what to say as her eyes dart around the room. Fixating on the employee across the room who is usually standing over her shoulder. “Do not let him come back here. Whatever you do, keep him away.”

  “What?” Disbelief fills me, my stomach dropping at the fear on her face. “I don’t understand.”

  “If you care about him, you’ll keep him away from here. And I know you care deeply for him—I’ve suspected it for years.”

  My mind can’t catch up with anything she’s saying. The only thing that registers is that she doesn’t want to see her son. “Why?”

  “It’s not safe for him, and now it’s not safe for you. Don’t come back here, Victoria.”

  “Please tell me what’s going on,” I beg, not understanding what’s happening.

  Her eyes fix on the guard as she speaks lowly. “Promise me you’ll keep him away and I’ll tell you.”

  “Yes.” I agree because I have to make some sense out of this.

  “I didn’t want to die, someone wanted me dead, and I can’t protect my son while I’m in here.”

  “Who?” I don’t anticipate an answer, but she gives me one I never would have expected.

  “Richard.”

  “No, it can’t be true. We have to tell someone, call the police.”

  “It is true, but you can’t say anything until I’m out of here. Elliot’s life depends on it. Richard had the police report doctored, so I don’t know who I can trust. As long as Richard doesn’t know I remember, Elliot will be safe. Richard wanted me gone because if we divorced, I’m entitled to his shares of the company and his father didn’t give him many. I wouldn’t agree because I didn’t want to leave Elliot behind.”

  “But what about Elliot? What if he tries—”

  “Elliot has had a will in place since Lawrence decided to pass the company onto him. Even Lawrence Bass doesn’t trust Richard, his own flesh and blood. If something happens to Elliot, the shares return to Lawrence or divert to me, unless I’m dead.”

  “What about Lawrence? Maybe he can help.”

  “I’m not trusting anyone until I escape this hell and can make sure he doesn’t harm Elliot or buy his way out.”

  I have so many questions, but the guard is walking back in our direction as Olivia takes note. “Please, Victoria.”

  The guard grabs her arm, leading her to the side door. I nod, affirming I will keep my promise, although I’m not sure how I’m going to.

  Darting out of the room, I impatiently pass through each checkpoint, fearing Elliot has left without me. Shock stops me in my track as I exit the automatic door and see him leaning against the NSX, arms folded across his chest, ankles casually crossed. Spotting me, he shoves off the car, approaching me with an emotionless stare that is more ominous than his angry one.

  He steps up to me, lightly clasping my hand. “I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have come. I shouldn’t have made you come.”

  “It’s okay,” I say, disbelief at his calm demeanor after the rage I’d just witnessed. “Elliot, are you okay?”

  His jaw clenches, showing the first emotion since his outburst upstairs.

  “Elliot,” I step closer to him, but he turns, walking away while still holding my hand. Not saying a word.

  “Hey, Victoria!” Jack calls out. All the blood drains from my face as Elliot looks between us with utter confusion.

  I curtly nod, moving to head to the car but Jack doesn’t take the hint that I’m trying desperately to get away from him, and Elliot stands glaring at Jack as he walks closer to us.

  “I didn’t see you last week. How’s your mom doing?” Jack looks between Elliot and myself, probably waiting for an introduction because that’s what polite, nonliars would do.

  “She’s okay, but we really have to go.” I wave, successfully giving Jack the brush off I wish would have taken place after Hey, Victoria. He tells me he’ll see me next week, then makes his way into the building. Oh, shit.

  Moving towards the car, I avoid looking at Elliot. He jerks his hand out of mine. Slowly, my eyes meet his, and I see a mix of shock, sadness, and anger as he looks toward the building before pinning a dead glare on me.

  “Last week? Next week? He knew your fucking name!” he yells, causing me to flinch. Stepping back as he surges forward, I can’t bear to meet his angry glare. “How long? How long have you been visiting her?”

  I can’t find the words to respond, and it doesn’t take him but a second to figure out why.

  “The entire time.” He takes a step back as I reach for him, his fingers catching my wrist with a harsh grip as he continues in a flat tone. “You’ve been coming to see her the entire time.”

  “Please, let me explain.”

  He leans forward his face in mine as he speaks with hatred, “Please explain to me how you’ve been visiting her … the source of my nightmares. The reason I can’t close my eyes without seeing her lifeless body on the floor. The reason I’d rather sleep on a lounge chair in my backyard than in my own bed. T
he person who chose death over me.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “Thank you.” He releases my hand. “You just made the choice easy. Now I know for a fact that you’re not worth any of the trouble.”

  “Stop it. I understand that you’re upset with me but don’t do this. I came to visit her because no one else was. She needed someone to ask her if she was okay.” I throw his words back at him, knowing it’s a low blow, but I can’t let him walk away, hating me, not knowing the truth about his mom. The words are on the tip of my tongue, but I fear more for Elliot than I do for myself, so I remain silent.

  “You chose her. I’d decided to choose you. I was going to throw a lifelong friendship aside if it meant staying with you. But now, I realize that you’re a manipulative, needy bitch.”

  “Stop it. I didn’t choose her, and I never asked you to pick me. You wouldn’t leave this alone,” I say, my voice breaking as I point between us. He laughs, completely disregarding that he’s ripping my heart from my chest, and instead of just walking away, he stomps it into the ground further.

  “You’re nothing but a convenient piece of ass that can and will be easily replaced … and won’t cost me someone I actually care about.”

  Watching in disbelief, he drops down into his NSX and speeds away as I stand in the parking lot.

  He left and I know for a fact that he’s not coming back. Reaching into my pocket, I debate who to call, staring at the screen. I won’t bother Quinn with something as stupid as a ride when she is dealing with so much. I can’t explain to Asher what I’m doing here and why I’m stranded and all my other friends are somehow intertwined with Asher, which is directly tied to Elliot. His brash comment about me being a convenient and replaceable piece of ass echo in my mind.

  “Is everything okay?” Jack asks, as I jump, spinning around to face him.

  “Oh, yes. Just waiting on my ride.” The one I request as Jack looks at me with fatherly concern, the same look I’ve seen him give his son in the visiting room upstairs.