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“We could say the same about you guys,” Dylan says as he pulls out his own knife too.
“Motherfucker,” Kai grits and he homes in on Dylan. “You’re the fucker that made me lose an eye.”
“You tried to take my girl. An eye for an eye,” Dylan retorts.
“Put away those weapons,” my father says.
“Fuck that, don’t you know who those fuckers are?” I growl. “They threatened Penelope!”
“They lit the Alpha Psi house on fire,” Penelope says.
“And don’t forget Kai and his buddy tried to take advantage of her,” Dylan adds.
“Hey!” Kai growls back. “That wasn’t me.”
“You helped your buddy Josh,” Ali replies.
“You fucking burned him to death,” Kai rebukes.
“Boys …” my father tries to intervene, but all of us have our knives out, ready to start another fight. Until I hear the clicking of a gun right behind me. “Put down your weapons. Now.”
I glance over my shoulder to see the barrel of a gun pointed at us.
“Or I swear to God, I will pull this fucking trigger.”
“What?” Nathan scoffs. “That’s your son, you wouldn’t shoot him.”
I smirk. “Oh he would.”
Kai looks shocked. “What?”
My father turns off the safety. “I killed my own fucking wife.”
Kai and Nathan’s eyes widen and slowly but surely they lower their knives, so I do too. I still want to gut them of course, but it’s not worth my fucking life. And I know my dad would definitely put a bullet in us all just to prove a point.
“Good.” My father turns on the safety again and lowers his gun.
I turn to face him. “Why are they here?”
“I invited them here because I’m tired of your feud on this campus,” he replies. “You’ve both done abhorrent things.”
Dylan scowls. “Whoa, you can’t compare—”
“You set one of theirs on fire,” my father says.
Ali’s jaw drops. “How do you know that?”
“Because we told him,” Kai says.
“No one asked you a damn thing,” I say.
“Calm. Down.” My father’s stern voice booms through the office. “I will not have this fight go on any longer. All of this is a disgraceful stain on this university’s reputation to the public.”
“It’s not like most people already know this university is full of criminal families,” Lana muses, rolling her eyes, but father ignores her.
“Mr. Torres and Mr. Reed have confessed to their crimes personally,” my father says. “They were forced to do most of it.”
“Really…” Dylan raises a brow.
And I have to admit, this all sounds a little to convenient.
“Caruso said he’d have our families killed if we didn’t do his bidding,” Nathan explains.
“No wonder he wouldn’t tell us who,” Penelope says.
Nathan lifts his hand to show his four fingers and the stump. “You think I wanted to lose a finger?”
“I’d have taken more if Penelope wasn’t so fucking generous,” I reply.
His fist balls and he grinds his teeth, but my father’s strict gaze keeps him at bay.
“Wait, so you knew Caruso was a bad actor?” Dylan frowns.
“Yes,” my father replies. “I just didn’t know the extent of it, so I needed you to provide proof, which you have.” My father clears his throat. “All of you with the exception of Lana will be doing community service for this school.”
“What?” Ali, Dylan, and Penelope say in sync.
“No ifs. No buts,” my father says. “You actively harmed this school and the students. This is your only chance to make amends.” He looks each one of us in the eye. “So take that opportunity. It won’t be handed to you a second time.”
“That’s why you called them here?” I ask. “To give us all collective punishment?”
“So you stop the fighting,” he responds, looking each and every one of us in the eyes. “Now that the person responsible for your ill behavior is dead.”
Dylan swallows, while Penelope’s gaze connects with Kai and Nathan.
“We did what we had to … to survive,” Nathan grits.
“Even if it meant taking that diary and burning it,” Kai adds.
“Well am I glad you didn’t get the chance,” she retorts, clutching her seat so tightly her fingers turn white.
“The Phantoms and the Skull & Serpents will stop fighting. Is that understood?” my father’s voice booms through the room.
Everyone nods.
“I need answers.”
“Yes, sir,” everyone collectively mutters with a sigh attached.
“Good. There’s been enough bloodshed as it is. The focus must shift toward rebuilding this university and trust.”
“Trust,” I scoff.
My father continues with his speech. “Everyone will report to the groundskeeper Monday morning, seven a.m. sharp.”
“Seven?!” Dylan’s jaw drops.
“Yes. Or would you prefer not showing up entirely?” My father raises a brow. “That can be arranged.”
A laughably hopeful smile forms on Dylan’s face. “What as in I don’t have to help?”
“As in, permanently,” my father says, lowering his gaze, and Dylan immediately looks away.
“Fine …”
Suddenly the door bursts open and Pen’s father steps in. “That’s enough interrogating for one day.”
“Ricci … how nice of you to join us,” my father says with an obvious sneer as he picks up his glasses again and puts them on. “Kai. Nathan. Leave us.”
