“There are mistakes, and there aremistakes,” Mama says, but she smiles back at me, if wearily. “Try not to do anything you’ll regret. All right?”
I wonder if I could tell her what happened. If she’d understand.
But the thought of Mama knowing what they did to me makes the knives under my skin start carving.
It’s bad enough that most of Dyschord has heard about it. I’m livid that Kratos and Ares know.
There’s no reason for Mama, or Papa, or anyone else to find out what happened to me. I’d rather make hell rain down on everybody who dared to touch me, everybody who so much as looked at me, than have my family think I’m weak and vulnerable.
Because I’m not weak.
I’m not broken.
I’m going to show everybody that Pandora Pavone is not to be messed with.
Zayden already learned his lesson.
By the time I’m through, the entire university will be terrified of me.
“I’ve never done anything I’ve regretted,” I tell Mama earnestly. “You know that.”
She eyes me, clearly not believing me, but she nods. “If you ever need to talk…” She trails off. “I love you, Pandora. So do Papa and Daddy and Uncle Slayer and everyone else in this chaotic household.”
“Chaotic? I don’t know what you’re talking about. Everything’s always chill with you guys!” I make a show of nodding. “Honestly, I can’t think of any place more calm and peaceful than the Pavone household.”
Mama chuckles. “You’re right. We’re the shining example of peace and quiet, always.” She smiles at me. “I mean it, though. Anything you need, I’m here. I love you, Pandora.”
A warmth spreads in my chest.
I’ve never doubted that my family loves me, but hearing it has something melting inside me anyway.
“Yeah, yeah,” I mutter, a bit embarrassed. “But don’t you need to hurry downstairs before all the food is gone?”
“I ate before I came upstairs,” she says, the smile on her lips turning mischievous. “I know this game. Go on, do homework. And no sexual favors in exchange for good grades.”
“Yep. Bye, Mama,” I say as I end the call.
Well. That had certainly been a call to my family.
Although, Kratos and Ares had called first. I wonder who snitched to them, and who I need to murder so they stop spreading rumors in places that really don’t need to hear these things.
I glance over to the external drive I’d found in the ruins of the Chaos frat. It needs a password for me to get in, which I obviously don’t have. I wonder if Blaze knows it.
Crap, I should have asked Kratos if his not-girlfriend Anastasia would hack it for me. She’s great at computers and spends most of her time doing things online she probably shouldn’t.
It’s better if I reach out to her directly anyway. No need for Kratos to know that I’m hacking into shit. After a quick text to Anastasia, I fumble with the drawer on my desk and pull out my notebook. Not Rachel’s notebook, but a new one I’d started last week.
My revenge book.
I’ve got pics of Asch, Blaze, and River on separate pages, along with ideas on how to hurt them jotted down.
I also have notes about their cocks and their fucking prowess, because I might as well make this a comprehensive list.
Zayden has his own page. I’d drawn a few gory images, but I’m not stupid enough to glue real crime scene photos in there. That would be a bittooincriminating.
Each of the other frat members has their own page too. Declan—already stabbed, and that’s probably what saved him because I know he couldn’t have been at the gym that night. I think River said Brock had been taken out of commission after the whole Franklin thing, so I guess he wasn’t there.
Do I count Tate as already handled, since I burned his room down? No, that was a separate crime.
