by Katie May
He took a deep breath, shoulders stiffening, before glancing back at me. Coldness once more iced over his eyes, and I staggered back a step. Had I gotten this all wrong? Had I been stupid trusting Aiden?
“What I tell you cannot be heard by another soul,” he said curtly. His grip on my hand now felt almost punishing. “I don’t even know why I’m fucking telling you this, but if you tell anyone else, even that mute boyfriend of yours, I will kill you. Do you got that?”
All I could do was nod mutely. Whatever warmth had once emanated from Aiden’s eyes was gone now. In the brooding man’s face was a prowling tiger out for the kill. With a stiff bob of his head that indicated he heard me, Aiden ducked beneath the yellow tape, pulling me after him. I moved slowly, warily, my legs feeling like jelly.
“Are we supposed to be in here?” I whispered. Despite everything, I found myself clinging to Aiden like a damn monkey. My body was practically molded against his back, our fingers interlocked to the point of bruising. If it bothered him, he didn’t complain.
Ignoring my question, he stepped in front of an unmarked, opened doorway.
Mouth agape, all I could do was trail after him helplessly as he pushed the door farther open and stepped down a steep staircase.
Steep didn’t even begin to describe it. The staircase seemed to go on for miles, nothing but inky darkness as its destination.
Fear gripped my heart and refused to let go. I could feel my whole body shaking, a feat that became more obvious when pressed against Aiden’s sturdy, calm one.
“What’s down there?” I whispered.
The darkness seemed to go on and on forever. Never stopping. Never relenting. I could feel phantom tendrils snaking around my wrists and ankles, holding me captive.
Aiden, once again ignoring me, slowly descended into the darkness. I remained frozen on the top step, my body irrationally crying out when his warmth left me.
“Are you coming?” he asked, unable to mask his irritation.
“What’s down there?” I repeated stoutly. After everything I had seen with Kelly, everything I had experienced with these men, the last thing I was ever going to do was travel down a dark, never-ending staircase with a man who hated me. I had better survival instincts than that.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I waited impatiently for an answer. My foot tapped with increasing speed as the seconds dragged on and Aiden continued to stare at me, a quirk to his brow.
“Don’t trust me?” he asked. Like the asshole he was, he didn’t sound upset, only amused. That damn brow lifted higher, nearly touching his hairline, when I remained silent.
“Not as far as I can throw you,” I admitted unashamedly. He chuckled.
“Don’t you want the answers, Bianaca?” He practically purred my name, his voice smooth bourbon. “I’m offering them to you.”
Once more, he extended that hand of his. This time, however, I didn’t take it. Couldn’t. It wasn’t just fear and distrust, but some innate voice within me warning me against it. I knew that the second I followed him, he would lead me off a cliff. No, I had to play this game differently if I was going to emerge victorious.
Following a cruel, sadistic boy into a dark basement was not a move I could afford to make.
Shaking my head, I backed up one step. Then another. And then another.
Aiden watched my retreat with a strange combination of amusement and wariness. His pink lips pursed, but he allowed me to leave.
“I thought you wanted answers,” he said harshly.
“I want a lot of things,” I whispered. He prowled after me, stopping when his lean, muscular body was towering over my own. My back touched the wood of the shack, but I did not break eye contact. “And I think you want things, too. Things that you aren’t willing to admit to anyone, let alone yourself.”
When his brow furrowed, genuine confusion contorting his face, I realized I was closer to the mark than I had initially believed.
“I don’t need you to jump in and save me,” I continued raggedly. “I don’t need you to manipulate me with this whole hero act, Aiden.”
At that, his smirk returned once more. “Who said I was manipulating you? Maybe I actually am the hero.” That smirk grew into a brilliant grin, one that spread across his entire face and made the skin around his eyes crinkle. “Have you ever thought of that? I may not be the stereotypical Prince Charming, but what if I’m the hero in this scenario, not the bad guy?”
He took another step closer, his leg going between my own. I hated how my heart picked up speed, hammering erratically beneath my ribcage. It was seconds away from breaking free entirely.
“Prove it. Prove to me that you can be a hero, not the bad guy.”
“I stopped you from hurting yourself, didn’t I?” he whispered. His hand reached out to push a strand of blond hair behind my ear, and I couldn’t help but shiver delicately. “I didn’t like seeing you hurt, and I did something about it. Doesn’t that make me a hero?”
He sounded so confused just then that I wanted to comfort him. To tell him he was a hero, not a villain.
But the words got stuck in my throat.
“I think…” I began softly, pushing past him. He moved away easily, hand still extended as if he wanted to brush another tress behind my ear. “I think you need to figure that out for yourself.”
Before he could respond, I hurried out the door. I didn’t know how to deal with Aiden, but one thing was certain.
I wanted to.
15
Bianaca
My breaths had evened out by the time I returned to my room.
The initial panic and inconsolable grief had ebbed, leaving me with nothing but an icy numbness. This avoidance of emotion wasn’t the healthiest coping mechanism, but it was all I had. It had helped me through my childhood, and I knew it would help me now.
Stumbling, I peeled off my wet clothes and ambled to my closet. I felt as if I was drunk. Intoxicated. Drugged.
All of which I might actually be.
Perusing my options, my sardonic grin faded when I took stock of my school uniforms.
Each and every one had been destroyed by scissors. The white blouses required for us to wear by the school had holes in them, directly over the chest. The skirt was nothing but threads, each one hanging precariously from the waistband. Fuming, I ripped open my underwear drawer.
The assholes had even touched my bras and panties, too! Did they not realize how fucking expensive that shit was?
I held up my favorite lacy red bra and nearly burst into tears when I noted the holes carved into each cup. My underwear had a similar one in the lining.
My anguish transformed into blistering anger. With a scream, I threw the clothing across the room.
I had been stupid to believe the guys, even for a minute. They were animals, predators, and I was the helpless prey they had set their eyes on. When would they get sick of messing with me? When would they realize that I wasn’t going to fight back?
Fight. Back.
There was no denying how appealing that option sounded. I wanted nothing more than to give them a taste of their own medicine.
Wasn’t there some saying about playing with fire? Something about getting burned? Well, those assholes weren’t going to just get burned. Oh no. That would be too easy. They were going to get obliterated until they were nothing but a pile of ashes. Ashes I would happily piss on, if I had my way.
Smirking cruelly, I considered the destroyed clothes once more.
Oh yes. I would get my revenge.
In the meantime? I would show them not to fuck with me.
All eyes were on me as I stepped into the cafeteria, a sway to my hips and my chin held up imperiously. The boys gaped, lust emanating from their eyes in palpable waves. The girls just looked aghast.
Piling my plate high with salad, I winked at the boy standing beside me. His eyes were trained on my chest before lowering. He couldn’t seem to decide where to look. Not that I blamed him. I imagined
I was quite the show.
As I moved through the throng of students—some boys whistling in appreciation and almost all sporting boners—I stopped at Aiden’s table. His mouth was opened, eyes wide. Tanner sat beside him with a similar expression on his face. Kace, once more, was noticeably absent.
“Nice try, boys,” I said lightly.
I plopped my plate down, finally catching sight of myself in the window.
My white shirt and destroyed bra revealed my breasts to the entire world, my nipples beaded nubs. My skirt was in similar disarray, my ass and pussy entirely visible. I only had to spread my legs for someone to get a good look at my pink lips.
“What the fuck…?” Tanner breathed. His eyes were trained on my nipples with a carnal hunger. Aiden, on the other hand, looked furious. His eyes narrowed into thin slits, and his hand clenched into a fist.
“Why are you wearing that?” he asked darkly. He glared at something over my shoulder before settling his gaze back on me.
“Apparently, my wardrobe got an upgrade when I was out. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?” I asked with feigned sweetness. I even batted my lashes for effect.
“No,” Aiden stated in the same, malicious voice.
“Hmm…that’s strange. I could’ve sworn…” Shrugging, I leaned over the table, my breasts bouncing with my momentum. Aiden and Tanner both groaned—and so did the table behind me. I knew that this position gave them a perfect view of my slick folds. “I like this style. It’s…airy. Freeing.” I smirked at my own joke before throwing myself into the seat across from them.
Aiden had once more diverted his attention from me to glare at each and every guy who dared glance my way. His body thrummed with an almost incandescent fury.
“I didn’t do this,” he hissed.
I merely quirked a brow at him in response.
“Oh? You sure?”
Because I sure as hell didn’t believe the little asshole.
“I don’t want others seeing what doesn’t belong to them,” he answered easily, and my stomach plummeted, clenching tightly.
“Is that possessiveness I hear, Aiden?” I asked. “Because I don’t belong to you.”
“Not yet,” he mused. He picked up his sandwich, eyes fixated firmly on the bread. “But soon, you’ll belong to the Four Horsemen.”
I snorted at that. I would rather belong to the devil himself than to the asswipes who think they own the school…and me, apparently.
Wait…
“Four? I thought there were only three of you?”
Before Aiden could answer, a hulking figure stood over the table. I batted my eyelashes innocently, smiling up at Beau, who glared down at me.
“Like my new wardrobe?” I asked coyly. His scowl only strengthened. Kace stood behind him looking wildly disheveled. His shirt was halfway unbuttoned to reveal a splattering of chest hair, and his pants weren’t zipped. Dark bags belied how tired the man actually was despite his easygoing grin. “Are you okay?” I asked, concerned.
And then I mentally chastised myself for being concerned in the first place. For all I knew, Kace was behind my wardrobe malfunction. These guys were dangerous, and I couldn’t fall for their pretty faces and pouty lips. After all, hadn’t Lucifer been beautiful? The most beautiful men were the most dangerous.
“Fine,” Kace answered briskly. Dismissively. Despite his tone, his eyes were latched onto my heaving chest. His tongue absently traced his lips.
Beau raised an eyebrow at me, demanding answers I wasn’t sure how to give him. Instead of saying anything, however, I straightened. The movement pulled his attention to my breasts, and I could’ve been mistaken, but I thought his eyes flashed with heat. Just as quickly, the heat diminished from his face, and his expression shuttered closed.
Without a word, he removed his jacket and shirt. He draped the jacket over my shoulders, buttoning it shut, before making me stand and tying the shirt around my waist. He was so tall that the shirt was easily able to turn into a makeshift skirt.
“Thank you,” I whispered hoarsely, finally recognizing what I had done. Embarrassment didn’t encapsulate what I felt, but it also couldn’t be described as pride. A part of me was ashamed of my childish behavior while the other part felt good that I had stood up for myself. The two contradicting emotions clashed within me, battling for dominance. I wasn’t afraid of my body—despite the various scars I knew were on display—but I was afraid of what people would think of me. Still, I couldn’t regret what I had done.
Behind us, some of the guys booed and groaned at the show being over. They were quickly quieted by four simultaneous glares.
Sitting back down, I picked at my lettuce.
“I didn’t do it, you know that, right?” Aiden said suddenly, interrupting the silence we had all grown accustomed to. Beau and I both tossed him a glare.
“Oh really?” I asked darkly. “Then who else would’ve done it?”
He shrugged, but his eyes took on a dark, predatory glint. No, not predatory. Murderous. “No idea. But I can find out if you want. Make sure they never do it again.”
“Um…no thanks.” I rolled my eyes at his alpha, macho display. I didn’t know whether or not I believed Aiden, but I knew for sure that I didn’t trust him. Not one little bit. “I’m going to get something sweet.”
“Salad not working for you, little gymnast?” Tanner asked in amusement. His eyes flickered to my chest as if he was visualizing my breasts once more. My rather full breasts. In response, I gave him my middle finger.
“Is your cock not working for you?” I retorted with pseudo-sweetness. Aiden and Beau both snorted out a laugh while Tanner’s eyes narrowed.
“My cock works just fine, as you are well aware.”
“Am I? Hmmm. Maybe I saw something different than what you saw?”
Before he could respond, I hurried out of my seat. Every eye was on me as I perused the food choices. My body was craving chocolate. Chocolate cake. Chocolate brownies. Chocolate ice cream.
“Don’t get the pudding,” a soft voice rumbled in my ear. I didn’t jump, despite him startling me. Glancing over my shoulder, I met Kace’s bright eyes. This close, I could see flecks of whiskey and gold swirling in the irises.
And I could also see the sadness. Grief. Pain.
Why had I never realized it before?
“But I like pudding,” I answered calmly, stunned by my own revelation. I recognized the haunted look in his eyes because I wore it as well. Was he the kindred spirit that called to my own? Like recognized like, after all. And there was no denying the pain emitting from his body in palpable waves.
“This pudding is disgusting.” He lowered his voice to a mock whisper. “I heard they make it out of human blood.”
Elbowing him lightly in the stomach, I laughed. “They do not.”
“Do too,” he protested. “Sacrificial ravens.”
“So how did the blood go from human to bird?” I asked cheekily.
“Spoiler alert: Maybe the humans are the birds.”
“Plot twist: Maybe the birds are the humans,” I countered.
Movement out of my peripheral ensnared my attention. The professors were once more gliding gracefully into the room. The chatter and whispers diminished in the cafeteria like a flame being blown out until the room was utterly still. Fear prickled beneath my skin until I was shaking with the force of it.
Kace grabbed my shoulder and harshly pushed me to the ground, behind the buffet line. His body protectively covered my own.
Once more, the mechanical voice grated over the loudspeakers.
“Tiffany Mehal.”
Screams. Cries. Pleas.
I was suddenly grateful that I wasn’t witness to this horrific scene. My nails dug into my palms even as my face burrowed inside the crook of Kace’s neck. His hand automatically tightened around me, holding me to him.
“Jeffery Lirrent.”
“Mallory Kent.”
Another scream. The
sound of flesh hitting flesh. Feet dragging across the linoleum tiles.
“Tobias Matter.”
At the last name, the speaker abruptly cut off, and silence descended. I pressed my face farther into Kace’s skin, breathing him in deeply. For some inexplicable reason, I felt comfort in his arms. The sense of safety. I couldn’t entirely understand it myself nor did I want to.
Fear continued to strangle me long after the teachers left and conversations resumed like normal. It held me in a chokehold, refusing to release its tenacious grip. I was trembling when Kace finally helped me to my feet, eyes staring blindly ahead at the door the majority of the professors and selected students had disappeared down.
My stomach was a tumultuous mixture of fear and desperation. I wanted to vomit, to scream, to cry, to rip my hair from my head.
Because if the guys were telling the truth, if what I had seen with Kelly was reality, then those students were going to die.
They were going to get sacrificed to a monster.
16
Bianaca
I didn’t know whether I was surprised or not to find Kelly towering over my bed, black hair cascading around her in soft waves. I blinked rapidly, attempting to remove the remnants of sleep from my brain.
Body heavy with fatigue, I awkwardly gaped at the small girl standing over me. After everything that had happened, I was positive I had locked the door.
So how the fuck had she gotten in?
“Kelly?” I asked in disbelief. She blinked her crystal blue eyes at me.
“Between,” she whispered softly. The familiar word made me freeze and tense. I sat up in bed, somewhat reluctantly, and I turned toward her fully. Tiny hands gripped my wrist, nails digging into the sensitive skin. “Between.”
“Are you trying to tell me something?” I asked, my voice just as quiet as hers had been. “Do you know something about the school?”
I didn’t know how to phrase my questions in a way she would understand. Fear was an iron claw around my throat, cutting off my breath. My heart beat rapidly beneath my rib cage.