Hearts of Darkness: A Valentine's Day Bully Romance Collection

by Joanna Mazurkiewicz

  “See, that’s where you’re wrong. You’re to follow all university directives, and you’ve been directed for the five of us to chaperone you. Damien was a big presence on this campus, and his father is on the board. There are more than a few board members and students very unhappy with you being here.” He’s matter of fact in his delivery, bored even, as he dashes my hopes to avoid them like the plague.

  “All of you? I have to be in the vicinity of one of you the entire time I’m here?” My raised voice brings the attention of a few students wandering the halls, and I shut up before my business is all over campus.

  Fishing out my ID, I swipe it to unlock the door and beeline for my room, ignoring the occupants still sitting around and the shadow behind me carrying the rest of my supplies. Jaeger comes in right behind me, depositing his armful on the bed next to mine. I turn to face him, hands fisted on my hips, waiting on his answer.

  “Yes, unless there’s a class or extracurricular that one of us doesn’t share, someone will always be on duty to escort you. Even to and from those classes you’re in alone. The only exception is when we’re in our meetings once a month, and during that time you’ll be in your room.” He’s barely done speaking before I let loose.

  Aggravation shines clear in my voice as I follow him back out. Fuck the audience. “I’m not a damned pet, Jag, and I don't need to be treated like one. Where do you, or the administration, get off on making me one?”

  The girls perched on Riggs’ knee snorts indelicately. “Don’t pets wear collars?” The bitch doesn’t understand that I will fuck up her veneers. Riggs does though, and he pushes her off onto the floor to intercept me.

  “Cora, enough! It’s what we’ve been instructed. Kelly,” he addresses the girl on the floor, “make yourself scarce. I’ll call you later.” Not even a reprimand, just a promise of a booty call, what a douche.

  “What happened to you all, Riggs?” I whisper, trying to avoid the others hearing me. “None of you used to be this way, not until Damien. Not until that night at the beach house. Why?” I should have known not to show vulnerability, that I still cared for those boys I used to adore when I was part of their circle.

  One cool fingertip traces my cheek, from the corner of my eye to the fullness of my lips. “Don’t you know, Cora? You happened. You wrecked our boy, then you spread your slut legs for your dead baby daddy.” His hand trails down to my chest as I stand in stupefied silence, only to shove me down into the chair he’s just vacated. “Karma, bitch.” His parting words echo in my head as he grabs his keys off an end table and walks out of the suite.

  Hitting me would have been preferable to his comments. Struggling to control my emotions and not cry in front of everyone left, I rush into my room, slamming and locking the door behind me. I can’t believe he’d said those things. Riggs was a playboy, but I didn’t think he was malicious. Not like that.

  His rakish dark looks had always been intriguing, but I wasn’t that kind of girl. The kind that pine for their boyfriend’s best friend, so he’d been firmly in the ‘safe-to-flirt-not-to-touch’ zone.

  While it was Jaeger and Damien in their own little bubble, the others were a posse. Drake, Ash, Riggs, and Blaise. Riggs is technically Calvin Rigby III and Ash is short for Ashton, but everyone calls them by their nicknames. They're all varying shades of darkness. Pale to swarthy skin and eye color aside, they could all be related from appearances alone.

  Actually, Kael had fit right in too with his black hair and blue eyes. A tendril of grief snakes its way around my heart, crushing in its intensity as I struggle for composure. I try so hard to avoid any triggers that might lead to a breakdown, and if today is any indication, being here is going to be more difficult than ever on my emotions.

  Chapter Seven

  I wait, silently weeping for all I've lost, until I hear the girls depart and the noises cease on the other side of my door, before getting up from where I'd stationed myself in front of it on the floor. After splashing cold water on my face, I find my list of things I still need to do and hook my purse over my head and across my body before braving leaving my room.

  Cracking the door and finding the area in my line of sight clear, I quietly slip out of my room, making sure to keep the knob twisted and slowly release it until it catches without a sound. Muffled music is coming from what I think is Ash's door, and other than that, it doesn't appear anyone is around.

  Halfway to the door, I remember Jag's warning about going around without an escort. Him and Riggs have been complete assholes, and I'm not sure if Ash's music is covering up naked activities, but I don't particularly want to find out. Drake has been okay, and even though he and Damien were first cousins and not actual brothers, it's still enough to wig me out. Which leaves me with Blaise.

  If there was ever one of the guys that I hadn't gotten along with, it was him. And to find his room I was going to have to pick one of three doors. I'm fairly certain the one directly next to me is Jaeger's, and the other door is a small closet. Beyond that is Ash's with the music. Feeling like an idiot, I move to the door next to Jaeger's and press my ear to it, trying to decide if there's anyone in there. When it's silent, I tap a couple times and wait. No response comes, and I move to the next. Noises seem to be coming from inside, and I knock, this time getting an answer.

  The door swings open, and a scowl settles onto Blaise's face. "What do you want, Cora?"

  Spitting it out before he slams the door in my face, I tell him. "Jag said I can't leave the rooms without one of you escorting me. And I need my things out of my car. Please." I add on the last when he steps back, and my foot moves forward.

  With a raised brow and direct stare at the offending appendage, it's hard to maintain my confidence. But him being pissy is better than any of the alternatives. Waiting for someone else or not getting my things. Either isn't going to work with classes tomorrow.

  "What's in it for me?" I raise shocked eyes to his hard ones.

  "Are you extorting me for something I have no choice over?" I'm not really surprised, but damn. "How much? I'm not exactly well-off, but I can swing twenty bucks if you're going to be an ass about it." Devilment lights his eyes.

  "Oh, Cora. I don't need your money. I was thinking something more along the lines of—" He brings his fist up and pokes his tongue into his stubble covered cheek as he mimes the universal motions of a blow-job.

  Without thought, my foot comes straight out to kick him in the shin. I'd have aimed higher, but the door is in the way.

  "Fucking, pig! Screw you, Blaise!" I turn on my hero to stalk to Ash's door, uncaring what state I might find him in at this point. Except dumbass can't keep his mouth shut.

  "If you insist," he calls out. "Hey, can we do it bareback since I don't have to worry about knocking you up? I have it on good authority you're clean and barren."

  Fury ignites in my veins, and grabbing a standing lamp and heading in Blaise's direction is the last thing I remember before the haze clears, and I find myself being held back by both Drake and Ash in Blaise's destroyed bedroom.

  The shock of losing it so badly is quickly overshadowed by the fact that I probably just got myself kicked out before school even starts. Hell, I’m still packed. I start to giggle uncontrollably until I sag in the guys’ grip, burying my face in my hand while mirth dissolves into sobs.

  "What did you do, Blaise?" Distantly, it registers that Drake is demanding answers, and Ash is taking on my full weight and supporting me. "You said what? Are you serious right now?"

  Ash swings my legs up, carrying me bridal style before I can hear what Blaise's reply is. Not that I particularly care at the moment either. Ash carries me into my bedroom, setting me on the bed after pushing aside some of the books.

  "Cora, hey, it's going to be alright. Blaise was just being a dick. You know how he likes to run his mouth. Besides, you did a number on his room. You should have seen his face when we came in! I swear, he was two seconds from pissing himself. And the poor lamp, that thing
is mangled." His attempt at comfort and levity helps me settle.

  Regardless, I'm still worried. "I don't know what happened. I just got so mad. Am I going to get kicked out now?" I peer up through tear-soaked lashes to Ash's blue gaze.

  "No, Drake will set Blaise straight. And you've been through a lot, you're bound to get overwhelmed now and again." Something I can't name flits across Ash's countenance, and I know he's not quite telling the truth. Before I can call him on it, he continues. "What did you need Blaise for? You should have come to me."

  I don't want to explain why I hadn't, but he had rescued me. Or Blaise, rather. "Your music was on, and after earlier and last night, I—I didn't want to see—" Embarrassment flushes my already red cheeks.

  Ash laughs, genuinely this time. "I was working out. No girls for me, Cora. Not in my room anyway." He seems lost in thought for a moment, and I'm acutely aware I'm still on his lap. "Let's get you fixed up, and I'll help with whatever you needed."

  The offer has relief coursing through me, and I readily accept. Climbing off his lap, I tell him my issue. "I can't leave the suite without an escort, and I need to unpack, but my stuff is in my car."

  "Sure, let me get some shoes on, and we'll go down." No mention of the decree or reaction to it, so at least Jag hadn't been lying. Which sucked, but I'd figure it out.

  As we leave, I can still hear Drake and Blaise talking in his room behind the closed door. I hope Drake is ripping into him still.

  Conscious of my tearstained face, I avoid eye contact with the handful of students we pass on the way to my vehicle. Thankfully, it's only a few boxes and two rolling suitcases, and we manage to attach the boxes to the tops of them with the straps. Ash takes the loaded suitcases while I take the last box and lock up.

  Chapter Eight

  Back inside, we both unload the boxes onto my bed, still crowded with books and supplies, and I thank Ash for his help.

  "Not a problem, Cora. Do you need help unpacking or hanging anything?" I shake my head no, and he almost reluctantly leaves after reassuring me I can come get him if I change my mind.

  I start the daunting task of putting everything away, emptying the clothes and toiletries out of my suitcases and boxes and moving onto the books and laptop. By the time I'm done, the bookshelf is half full, the laptop is almost done updating, and the dresser and closet are no longer empty.

  I have one big box left with keepsakes and pictures and knick-knacks. And one small box, the one I'd carried, left. I sit at the desk and peel the tape off the smaller box. The tears instantly begin to flow as I open the cover on the pink memory book. Inside, on the left page are the tiny footprints, and on the right, a picture of Kael's hands cradling the little feet that made them.

  Before I can fully immerse myself in the box and its contents, there's a tap at the door followed directly by it opening. "Cora, I'm sorry about Blaise, I—" Drake stutters to a stop within arms reach and takes in what I have open on the desk and my, yet again, tearstained face. "Oh, I'm sorry for barging in. If you need anything, please let me know." He rushes directly back out, shutting the door behind him.

  With a heavy sigh, I close the box back up, storing it on the shelf in the closet. Tired and still needing to go over the syllabi before classes tomorrow, I put the other on the floor in the closet to deal with later.

  I'M HALFWAY DONE WITH the reading prep for tomorrow's classes when my phone buzzes. A reminder for my physical therapy in two days pops up, and I know I'll need to coordinate that with one of the guys. If I can't leave the rooms without one, I highly doubt I can leave campus without an escort. This time I go straight for Ash.

  He opens his door shortly after I knock and motions me in. I scowl when I find both Jag and Drake are in the room, and now I'm thinking maybe I should have waited until I knew he was alone.

  "Hello, princess," Jag greets me, earning him the middle finger. I don't bother to address him.

  "Ash, I have PT on Tuesday. Do I need an escort, or can I get a pass to go by myself?"

  Ash instantly turns to Jaeger for an answer. I fume at the smirk my step-brother gives me. And of course, he's the one that answers.

  "We'll arrange for one of us to accompany you."

  "Really? I can't even go to an appointment on my own?" This confinement is ridiculous and makes no sense to me. I don't bother to wait for an answer and back out the room.

  I'M ON AUTOPILOT FOR the rest of the day, and before bed, I pull up pictures on my phone of me and Kael. Getting lost in the past feels easier than facing my future at the moment, and when my scrolling lands on a particularly happy moment, I'm sucked into the memory.

  It was Valentine's Day, and I had been on pins and needles waiting for Kael to text that he'd arrived in town. It had been hard adjusting to living on my own and breaking the news to everyone that I was pregnant when I couldn't hide getting ill every morning. Now, with the thickening of my waist just beginning to become apparent, the reality of my situation was really setting in.

  Kael wanted to take me out to dinner, and I'd dressed for the occasion in a knee-length sweater dress that was just bulky enough to hide my tiny bump. It seemed I'd been waiting for ages, checking and rechecking that my phone had service. A knock sounded at the door, and I was hoping it wasn't one of the other residents needing a sitter. I'd been making a little extra cash on the side and getting some practice with watching the kids, but tonight was for me.

  My surprise turned to joyous excitement when I'd opened the door to find Kael with a beautiful bouquet of flowers waiting in the hall. A laugh escaped him when I'd thrown my arms around his neck, squashing the blooms and releasing their fragrance between us.

  "You were supposed to text me! I'd have met you downstairs." I hated that he had to come here, but on the other hand, I was just too excited to see him.

  "I wanted to surprise you. And you deserve to be picked up at the door not have to meet me outside. Are you ready to go, or do you need to finish anything up?" Kael pecked my lips, uncharacteristically shy. It made me wonder what he was thinking.

  "Yes, I'm ready. Let me put these in the kitchen before I damage them any more. They're lovely, by the way. Thank you for bringing me flowers." Thankfully, the Shasta daisies he'd brought had their own vase as that wasn’t something I had on hand, and they were too pretty for the Mason jar I'd have had to use.

  Soon enough, we were in Kael's rental car and on our way to a local steakhouse.

  During dinner, I'd kept half-expecting Kael to get down on one knee and propose, and even though I knew my wish was outlandish, I was still a bit disappointed that it didn't happen. After dinner, we went to the movies and found an old showing of Casablanca. We settled in our seats, loaded up with popcorn and drinks, to watch the old-timey reels that advertised the concessions. In the middle of them, a message popped up on the screen. "Cora, will you marry me?" When I'd looked back from the screen to Kael, he was holding out a ring box that held my wedding band and engagement ring, and of course, I said yes amid the applause of the sparse moviegoers. It had been hard to sit through the rest of the movie, but I did it, beaming from ear-to-ear until well after the final credits rolled, and we were on our way back to my apartment.

  The memory fades as I come back into the real world, and I wonder if the thought of that Valentine's Day will always be so bittersweet.

  Chapter Nine

  Getting up the next morning for classes, I'm still struggling to shake off the thick blanket of depression that always accompanies getting lost in memories of what was and could have been. Drake accompanies me to my first couple classes, and it goes like, with them trading me off throughout the day.

  To my surprise, especially after the last few days, the classes aren't terrible. , I'd thought they would be hell. Riggs ends up in my final class where the instructor speaks with fervor during his lecture and has a bit of a maniacal gleam in his eyes as he continuously glances up at me during class. It's one of the weird random electives I have to take: Arcane Ar
ts and Theories. It's not at all what I thought it was going to be. I'd figured it would be some kind of history of things like the Salem Witch Trials or the Spanish Inquisition and the impetus behind them. Instead, it's about the application of magical practices and the modern cults that have utilized them in their daily lives, if the professor is to be believed, anyway. And he used the word ‘communes’ and ‘religion’, but let's call a spade a spade here. Men using the excuse of magic and religion to oppress women isn't a new concept—insert eyeroll here.

  After sitting through that hot mess, I finally escape the last class of the day and head back to my dorm room to get started on the massive amount of homework that I have to complete before my next class rotation. We're on an A and B schedule, so every other day I have one set of classes, and the other's on the opposite until the semester switches.

  When it comes time for dinner, Jaeger accompanies me to the cafeteria, and I stiffly keep my distance from him as much as possible. Even the students that seem to have magically appeared overnight keep their distance though that doesn't stop them from staring curiously at me while the whispers fly. Some of the guys have that same look the Arcane Arts professor had earlier, and I have to steel myself from moving closer to Jaeger for comfort. Looking around at the crowd, I find that apparently everybody, including the teachers and custodians, all get their meals at the same time.

  I'm standing with my tray in my hands, waiting to fill it, when Jaeger gets waylaid by one of the administrators I haven't yet encountered. While he's busy, the same girl that had been on his lap the other day in the dorm room stalks up to me and lets loose when she's well within my personal space.

  "You'll find out what your place here really is soon enough, you stupid bitch, and then you won't be thinking you're so far above the rest of us. You've only been brought here to be used, remember that." Hair flipping over her shoulder, the girl spins to leave, only to find the administrator much closer and glaring at her. Jaeger is uncharacteristically pale, and I'm confused as I'm not sure what he should be so concerned about at the moment. I'm the one that was insulted not him.