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After all theshit that had happened in the last four days, going to class felt like the biggest waste of time, which was why when Becca and the guys banged on my bedroom door at Briar Hall exactly thirty minutes ago to wake my and Rook’s asses up, I’d almost bitten off all their heads.
“Are you sure there’s been nothing from Diesel? Nothing at all?” I asked Corvus for the third time since I’d peeled my eyes open.
Fuck, you’d think after all the sleep he and I had yesterday I’d be raring to go, but somehow, just after two in the morning, I’d sunk into a deep and dreamless sleep next to Rook as he finished sweating out the toxic substance still lingering in his bloodstream.
We hurried down the stairs to the front atrium with only minutes to spare until the bell, Becca breaking off from the rest of us with a blown kiss to rush off to her homeroom class.
“Nothing,” Corvus confirmed. “The Aces are underground, Sparrow. They won’t be poking their heads out anytime soon, not after losing that many men. They’re dead, and if they know what’s good for them, they’ll stay that way.”
I frowned. They weren’t all dead.
Diesel had sent pictures of the deceased to Corvus late last night for Becca to flick through. He wanted to be certain her man was dead. But he wasn’t among their corpses. All the morbid slideshow had accomplished was to make Becca barf up the meager dinner she’d managed to choke down an hour earlier.
I rolled my shoulders back, trying to let the lingering feeling that we should be doing something roll off my back, but it wouldn’t leave. Something wasn’t right. I could fucking feel it.
“Excuse me,” called a man’s voice from the front office, and as one, the four of us turned to find the principal sticking his long neck from the door, indicating toward me. His balding flaxen hair clung to the sides of his head like a bird’s nest befitting of his long thin nose. “Miss Mason, may I have a word please.”
I sighed heavily, turning to retrace my steps to the office as the bell sounded through the halls. At least with my new status as a Saint I wouldn’t be marked tardy.
Unsurprising to me, but very surprising to the principal, the guys followed behind me, flanking me on either side.
“Problem?” Corvus asked before I could speak for myself.
The principal blinked, pushing the door the rest of the way open to stand in its mouth uncomfortably. “Uh, well, I believe it’s a conversation better had in private.”
I didn’t budge.
“Whatever it is, you can say it in front of all of us,” Grey said.
I nodded my agreement, just wanting whatever this was over with so I could nap behind my textbook in homeroom.
The principal’s Adam’s apple bobbed and he patted the front of his pressed slacks. “All right then, if you’re sure.” He cleared his throat, jerky eyes meeting mine. “It seems your aunt has unauthorized all future tuition payments.”
He left the sentence open, hanging with something like a question, waiting for me to fill in the blanks he didn’t have answers for, like who would be taking up those payments going forward for the next term.
I couldn’t say I was surprised. I figured after the other night, the bitch and I were finally through with each other, which was good because I didn’t con or steal from my family. And the things I intended to do to that woman would go a step above either of those.
“I fail to see the problem,” Rook said, slinking between me and Grey to put himself nearer to the principal, his dark gaze fixed to the small man’s face. “Perhaps you can enlighten me?”
The principal recoiled from Rook’s nearness, glancing between Rook and me like I might do something to help. To stop any attack. I wouldn’t.
“Oh, well, you see…”
“Yes?” Rook prodded, his body tightening, coiling like a snake.
The principal fell back a step. “I just wanted to congratulate Miss Mason,” he blurted. “I wanted to, um, personally let her know, uh, that she’s qualified for our scholarship program… and that her final semester of the year will be fully covered, including boarding fees.”
The principal let out a small gasp as Rook slapped a hand down on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Well, isn’t that nice,” Rook said, giving the man a little shake as he turned to face the rest of us. “Isn’t that nice?”
“Very,” I agreed. “Thank you. I’m glad I qualified.”
In all reality, if I’d applied, I probably would’ve qualified for the program. If such a program existed. Though I supposed it did now.
“Yes, yes,” the principal said, dropping his shoulder to get away from Rook and back into the office. “Just wanted to let you know. You’ll get an official letter emailed to your academy address later this week.”
He couldn’t get away fast enough and as the office door closed, the four of us burst out laughing, rushing away from the office and down the hall to homeroom.
“Fuck,” I said, shaking my head. “You guys didn’t have to do that. I could’ve just paid for it.”
