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He might’ve even gotten away with it.
But he didn’t, and I let out a breath as his fingers retreated, shivering. Telling myself I’d have had his hand nailed to the table with six inches of sharpened steel if he tried it.
“Yeah,” I said, wetting my suddenly dry lips. “And it better be a nice one. The one you so rudely stripped me of was a gift.”
He grunted as though amused, and I sensed more than heard him sitting back in his chair, leaving the conversation only half finished. If he thought I was kidding, though, he was dead wrong.
Not wanting to incur the wrath of the teacher and earn myself another week of detention, I decidednotto poke the bears any more than I already had. At least for today. Surprisingly, they seemed keen to just lounge in their chairs and stare at the back of my head.
I had to admit, it had me feeling a little...special?
No, maybe that wasn’t the right word.
Powerful.
Yeah, that was the one.
I’d hardly done anything to warrant it, but apparently speaking your mind and not letting bullies push you around was enough to make the notorious Crows sit up and take notice.
It’d be easier for me if theydidn’ttake notice. I knew that, but taunting them was kind of...dare I admit it?...fun. I hadn’t felt this alive since what happened to Dad. Maybe longer than that if I were being honest. Maybe all the way back to that night at the train tracks.
Run,the rational part of my brain demanded, at war with the dominant part that whispered to push them to their edges and see what they did when they fell.
Like a cat pawing a glass of water, nudging it to the edge of a countertop. Unable to help myself. Wanting to crouch down and peer over the edge to see the broken pieces after it fell. Tail flicking with satisfaction.
Stupid? Definitely.
Tempting as fuck? Hell yes.
I gathered my books and left before the teacher was through speaking at the end of class, not wanting to linger there with them barely a step behind me. Not trusting myself enough to not say anything more than I already had.
Be good,I reminded myself, mentally fighting those dominant urges. Just one fucking school year of this bullshit and I would be free, but only if I followed Female Hitler’s rules.
I got to the front atrium, almost to the stairs when I was jolted to a full and complete stop by his voice alone.
“Hey, Sparrow,” he said, his voice booming in the cavernous atrium, drawing a lot more attention than just mine.
I gritted my teeth as I turned to find him standing in the elevator, Rook and Grey behind him. Students scurried past the gaping metal doors as he thrust an arm out to hold them open.
They cast me worried and curious stares as they went.
“Join us,” Corvus said. Not a question. Not a command. But somehow both at the same time.
“I’m good,” I replied, sending him a beaming smile I hoped screamedfuck offas loudly as I was screaming it in my own head. “But you boys have fun in your little box of privilege. Wouldn’t want to spoil your VIP sausage fest with a street taco.”
Corvus lifted a brow as a dark grin pulled at his mouth. “It was good enough for you on Friday,” he said, and my lips parted but no sound came out as I choked on another sarcastic reply.
How had he found out? Who the fuck told him?
Reflexively, my gaze swept the atrium, hunting for the telltale red glow of surveillance camera lights. But I found none.
This was so fucking stupid.
Corvus stepped out of the elevator and Rook held the door as his brother crossed the floor to me. All six-foot five of him radiating the kind of smugness that only came from an overabundance of power.
The VP, Mrs. June, stepped out of the office for a moment but turned around the instant Corvus locked his eyes on her. He hadn’t even needed to say a word and she wasgone.Closing the door behind her and averting her stare.
Maybe I’d underestimated these three just a smidge.
