Page 8 of Ruthless Blade

Ah, so the feisty cat was coming out of her shell. She was better off as a mouse, hiding in plain sight, waiting for the panther to attack.

I leaned in, my breath fanning over her face, “I can make it worse.” I leaned back and circled her. “I know you’ve been at the rink every day, sitting in the stands dreaming of your glory days. You think you belong on the ice, but you don’t. Maybe I haven’t made that clear enough for you...”

She huffed, her gaze turning to slits. “You’re a real asshole, you know that? What did I ever do to make you hate me so much?”

You fucking exist.

She crossed her arms over her chest, “I’m not breaking them up by myself. If you want them apart so bad, then you have to help me.”

I stopped my predatory circle and thought about it. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea...this way, I could keep an eye on her. She’d been avoiding me like the plague since her brother died, and I knew why. It was the reason I hated her, the reason I wished she would fucking disappear. Go to another town, another school, hell, even another state.

I want her fucking gone.

“Fine. You want my help, we play by my rules. You don’t get a say. Deal?”

“Fine,” she said through gritted teeth. “Can I go now, Your Majesty?” She threw in a bow, and a part of me wanted to laugh. That’s right bitch, you better bow.

“Run along, Little Mouse, wouldn’t want to be caught by the big, bad wolf.”

She rolled her eyes and went back on her walk.

I didn’t offer her a ride. I leaned against my car and watched her.

Observing.

Waiting until I could make my move.

When the time came, I would destroy her.

Chapter Four

LEXI

Age Twelve

“Mom!”

I found her in the kitchen cooking dinner, and my stomach grumbled. Oh man, it smelled so good! She was making her famous fried chicken. I saw her put some on a plate and in the microwave. I wondered if she would give me one before the stupid boys showed up?

“What do you need, Sweetie?” Her kind eyes met mine, and I almost forgot for a moment what I came in here for. Then my eyes drifted beyond her and my need for her fried chicken, and yummy fried pickles rushed back! Yum!

Wait! I gotta tell Mom that the boys are being mean again...

“Jake and Kayden are being mean again!” She’s heard me say this over and over, but she and Dad refuse to do anything about it! They always say, boys will be boys, but they are picking on me! Especially Kayden. That little buttface won’t leave me alone!

He pulls my hair any chance he gets and calls me names. And my stupid brother lets him! What’s the point of having a brother if all he does is pick on you and worse, let his friends pick on you? What kind of messed up system is that?

Mom sighed, “I know you think they are being mean, but they are just being boys, honey.”

“I’m serious! They called me a bitch! Now I don’t know what that means, but it doesn’t sound very nice!”

Mom’s eyes widened. “Scott!! Get your ass in here, please!”

“Mom! You said a bad word!”

She rolled her eyes, “Alexis, I am an adult. There’s a difference.”

I put my hands on my hips, “No there’s not! A bad word is a bad word, Mom!”