I brush off what he said and choose to ignore it. Nothing in this fucking life is free and if that cuntflake thinks he is getting any form of gratitude from me, he’s fucking wrong. I skate over to Brady and tell the weak ass bitch to skate. When he questions my reasoning, I silence him with a look. Cas comes to a stop beside me and watches for a second before saying. “He’s digging his skates in.”
“No shit,” I bite out. “Coach wants me to show the fucker how to be lighter on the skates. He isn’t using his whole body to propel him forward.” For the next hour and a half I tried to teach Brady how to complete an axel and every single time he failed. Figure skaters know how to use their entire body and keep light on the ice, trying to convey that to this dipshit is like trying to explain to a newborn you can’t suck your mom’s tit to eat.
Cas and I arrive at school with plenty of time to spare as we had to be out before Somerset got there for their training. I’m worn out and tired but don’t let it show. Some of these cunts may be loyal to me but I know others are looking for an opening to take a shot at me. Only a select few in this school now know who my family truly is, but the others still speculate and think they know. I allow the rumors to continue circling because the fear alone keeps them in line.
As we enter the building, the first thing I notice is the crowd of students lining the hall. I follow their line of sight to see what the fuck is going on only to freeze mid step at the sight ofhersmiling at something Brady said.
Her standing there isn’t what has the crowds attention though, it’s what she’s fucking wearing!
She has her long blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, her face free of any trace of makeup. The fact she doesn’t need it irritates me. She should be fucking hideous and look like damnroad kill. Even her fucking button nose suits her perfectly. Her blue eyes shine with mirth but I can see the pain of her loss lurking beneath the surface.
I know the second she feels me, she grows tense and subtly shifts away from Brady to stand closer to Harper. The stupid fuck hasn’t noticed the change in her body language but Harper has. She flicks her gaze up and spots me and Cas. I stalk toward them, ignoring the stares of the others. Her smile becomes strained as I get closer, her body growing taut in anticipation. She knew she would get a reaction out of me wearing that fucking shit.
The jeans she wears hang low on her hips and suction to her legs like they are an extension of her skin, but it’s the jersey she wears that has everyone’s attention captured. It’s certainly not mine or Cas’s, it’s not even her fucking brother’s or his dead fucking best friend’s.
When I’m a foot away, she turns and faces me with a devilish look in her eyes and a smile on her plump lips that can only be described as triumphant.
“Took you long enough,” I snarl at the bitch, which just makes her smile wider. She steps forward and places her hand on my chest. Cas whistles between his teeth at her bold fucking move. I’m itching to rip her hand off me and break her wrist, to teach her a lesson for thinking she can touch me. But, I refrain when she pushes up onto her tip toes and ghosts her lips over mine, drawing resounding gasps from everyone watching and recording this exchange. “I can see it in your eyes that you want to rip this jersey off me,” she says low enough that only Brady, Harper and Cas will be able to overhear. “If you do that, then you will have to explain what I’m hiding beneath it.”
I grip her waist in a bruising hold that makes her flinch, but she doesn’t cry out or fight against my hold. I press my forehead against hers and use my strength to push her down so she standsflat on her feet. To everyone watching we look like a couple and the thought alone makes me sick to my stomach.
“I’ll rip that fucking thing out of you,” I warn.
Her eyes harden and fire swirls in those blue eyes. I savor the challenge that look is sparking inside me. “Hurt my baby and next time I will shoot you.” I bare my teeth at the cunt, ready to tear her fucking head off but she continues on before I get the chance. “Don’t do anything rash… Because you and I both know these videos are going to go viral and my dad and brother will see them.”
“Toren!” At the sound of her name being yelled, she reels back out of my hold and spins around. It fucking grates on every one of my nerves that she feels safe enough to turn her damned back on me!
She goes as still as a statue at the sight of Masen storming through the halls of my fucking school, toward her with his teammates trying to pull him back. The murderous look in his eyes has me smirking and taking a step back, to allow him to have some fun with her before I intervene and show this cunt what happens when he crosses into my turf. The smug prick probably thinks he’s almighty and powerful because the guards never stopped him from crossing the boundary, but he’s wrong. I told them to let him cross if he tried and not to stop him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
TOREN
The plan this morning was to get under Xaden’s skin by wearing Vox’s old playing jersey from when he played as the QB at Haven Prep. Carnage said wearing another man’s number would tip him over the edge and the fact the guys had his jersey on hand was a bonus. I just hope Nova doesn’t lose her mind if she finds out I’m wearing her man’s name across my back.
I was gleeful at Xaden’s reaction and thought I executed my part perfectly. I knew he wouldn’t expect me to show up at school after what he did, but I need to be unpredictable and being here is doing that. It’s fucking hard to be in his presence, knowing what he did but I have—no, I need to do this. Kellan trusted me. He told me the truth about what he was doing and gave me the intel I needed to have a chance at surviving this war. I’m doing this in his memory. I just need to remind my pussy to stop clenching and getting wet every time I see the asshole who murdered my friend in front of me to teach me a lesson.
I was doing so well until I heard my brother shout my name.
Masen’s eyes are red-rimmed and bloodshot, telling me he’s been crying. His blond hair is disheveled. He’s still in his uniform and has clearly come straight here from practice. His team mates try to grab their captain but he shrugs them off, he’swild and too unhinged to hear reason. He’s coming straight for me.
I don’t cower. I straighten my spine and keep my head high as I meet his furious look. I can see the truth in my brother's eyes. He hates me and is here to cause me harm. If he wants to fight, then so be it, I’ll go down swinging. Before he can reach me, Harp tries to step in front to shield me but I shake my head, forcing her to remain where she is.
Masen lifts his arm and I fight not to flinch, thinking he is about to strike but he presses his forearm against my throat and drives me backward until I collide with the lockers behind me. My head bounces from the force and I grunt in pain. Harper screams for him to stop and let me go. Cas is there holding her back, refusing to let her come to my aide. When I spot Maddison rushing toward me to help out of the corner of my other eye, my heart warms, but Xaden cuts her off and mimics Cas's move, holding her back, leaving me to face my brother on my own.
Good.
It’s about time he and I had this out. I’m not weak anymore. I know how to get out from beneath him but choose to remain where I am, giving him the illusion of control. He bends so he is right in my face, the hatred I’m seeing in his eyes burns like acid. I may be furious at him and want to sever all ties to him and my father, but it still hurts to see that look in his eyes.
No matter how much you prepare or think you are ready for the person you once loved more than anything in the world to turn on you, you never will be. My own flesh and blood looking at me like he wants to tear me in half and piss on my corpse, it stings like a blade slicing through my flesh but like a cut, that wound will heal and so will my heartache.
“You killed my best friend!” he roars and spittle hits my face. “You left him there on the ice!”
His arm presses against my throat harder but I don’t let the pain show. If he thinks he can come in here and place blame on me, then he can fuck right off with his holier than thou attitude.
“What are you talking about?—”
“I saw the photos!”
