by K. G. Reuss
Enzo had that wild, dark streak in him despite his playful demeanor. I knew if he ever snapped, shit would hit the fan. Thinking that beneath the surface of the sexy jokester was probably the heart of a killer made me uncomfortable, but not necessarily in a bad way. It turned me on. Mortification filled me at the heat low in my belly.
I’m so fucked up. I might need therapy.
I logged that away as I thought of how all the guys seemed to have a dark streak, considering the sort of shit they were into. Cole was the only one who didn’t bother to hide it.
“Do you think Enzo really fucked Rosalie? He doesn’t seem like her type. She’s, like, a total loser, and he’s, well, Enzo De Luca.” Mary planted a hand on her hip and surveyed the girls.
“Can you imagine what she must be thinking right now? Like what would she say if she knew everyone was talking shit about her?” Macy let out a cackle that had me seeing red.
“God, how could she not know? Everyone is talking.” Jenna looked at the girls through the mirror’s reflection.
I’d had enough. I kicked the stall door open and walked out. The girls stared wide-eyed at me as I strode forward.
“I’d say if you’re going to talk shit, at least make sure no one else is in the bathroom with you,” I said calmly, turning the water on and washing my hands. The girls said nothing as I moved to wipe my hands on a paper towel. I pitched the used paper into the trash bin.
“Oh, and I didn’t screw the horsemen. Just Fox, although Enzo did taste delicious. And Ian never got any either. Get it right next time.” I walked out to their gasps, my head held high. I trembled on the inside, but it wasn’t from anything but anger.
I was sick of this shit. The guys were still gods. And me? I was slut shamed. Luckily, I hadn’t seen the guys yet. At the rate I was going, I’d probably punch each of them in the face. Apparently, they hadn’t tried to quell the rumors since they raged like wildfire. But what did I expect from four assholes who’d used me as a joke? I shoved down any feelings I had for them, letting my anger rule.
The bathroom was once again my sanctuary and even that had been penetrated now. Sighing, I walked down the hall, wishing like hell I could go home. I had revenge to exact. I just didn’t know how I was going to do it yet. Cole’s car had been a jumping off point, but hell, now what? Everything else seemed dim in comparison, and I certainly didn’t know what to do about Juliet. But I wanted that bitch to pay.
I let out a squeak of air as someone tugged me into a dark classroom.
“Ian,” I choked out, gazing into the eyes of the guy I thought was my friend only to find out he’d drugged me and tried to fuck me all while making threats that if I didn’t finish what had started, he’d hurt Jamie, my best friend and the girl he was dating. Well, maybe former best friend was a better description. She still wasn’t talking to me.
“Hey there,” Ian greeted me. “Been a minute, huh, Rosalie?”
“Not nearly long enough,” I answered back, gritting my teeth.
He rolled his eyes at me. “Enough with your innocent monologue. You know why we’re doing this—”
“How could I forget? You want me to wet your dick.” Ian had threatened to tell Jamie about everything that had gone down between him and me at Cole’s party months ago. How I’d made out with him. Touched him. How he’d touched me. How we’d almost had sex. The only problem was, he’d drugged my ass and I’d thought he was Fox because I was some whacked out lovesick bitch who couldn’t get over losing her best friend five years ago when his mom died and he’d cut me loose from our friendship.
I’d been avoiding Ian ever since, hoping he’d leave me the hell alone. Those hopes were dashed as we stared one another down.
“Such a foul mouth, Rosalie,” he admonished. “I thought getting fucked over by the horsemen might light a fire beneath you. I’m not disappointed.”
I didn’t have the time or patience for his shit. “Say I fuck you, Ian… Then what? You get off, I compare you to Fox, you fall short, and then you still tell Jamie. So the only fuck you’re going to get from me is this one.” I raised my middle finger at him.
His cheeks reddened. I let out a whimper as he struck me across the face, knocking me to the ground. I landed with a painful thud, crying out. He was on me in an instant, pushing me flat on my back, positioned between my legs. I winced as his hard-on brushed my center.
“Get the fuck off me,” I snarled as he pinned my hands over my head.
He grinned, grinding his dick against me. “If you were wearing a dress, and we had five more minutes, that pussy would already be mine,” he breathed out, rubbing against me once more.
“Ian, get off me,” I repeated, glaring up at him. “I’ll scream. I fucking swear I will.”
“Rosalie, come on. We both know your voice is silent at this school. You’re just a slut, after all. No one cares about your shouts for help. They’ll just keep ignoring them like they always have. Besides, you can’t scream if you can’t breathe,” he said, grasping my hands with one of his and using his other hand to cover my mouth. I struggled beneath him, but he was far stronger than I was.
“Listen, Rosalie,” he said conversationally. “I got you out of trouble with your boyfriends. I fucking saved you. I’d say that at least earns me your pretty mouth on my cock. Don’t you think?”
I shook my head furiously beneath his hold. He pressed his hand harder on my face, cutting off my air.
“I’m going to kill you and fuck your corpse if you don’t start taking this seriously. Meet me at my place tomorrow night. I’m tired of playing. I let you have your little vacation. Now, let’s settle this.” He removed his hand from my nose and mouth, and I gulped a mouthful of air greedily.
“Do we have a deal?”
“No. Fuck you, Ian,” I snarled at him.
“You know I fingered Jamie’s pussy? I thought about you the whole time.”
“You’re sick,” I choked out.
“Tomorrow. Meet me.”
“I’m not meeting you at your place. No fucking way.”
He smiled down at me and cocked his head. “Fine. Tonight. Rocky’s parking lot. Nine o’clock. Deal?”
I stared up at him, wishing he’d get hit by a bus. “Fine.”
He moved off me, leaving me on the floor. He walked to the door before turning around.
“You should ice that.” He pointed to his eye and winced. “I hit you a little hard. It’s swelling.”
And with that he opened the door and walked out.
I trudged to my car after school the next day with my head down. I’d been arriving to school thirty minutes early to avoid the guys. Leaving wasn’t so bad because they had football practice after school, so I could easily avoid them. Two days in and I hadn’t seen any of them. I counted that as a small victory.
My skin tingled with the sensation of being watched, so I looked to my left. The guys were next to Fox’s Jeep. My heart jolted in my chest at the sight of them. They should’ve been at football practice. At least Juliet wasn’t around. My eyes locked on Cole’s then Fox’s. Both stared back at me with pain etched on their faces. I couldn’t bear to look at Enzo and Ethan.
Falling for their games wasn’t going to happen again. I steeled my heart and kept walking. I couldn’t even trust that their wounded expressions were real. Maybe the bonus round to their game was tricking me again. Regardless, the tears on Fox’s face the night I saw him in his bedroom still haunted me.
Somehow, I managed to get into my car and locked the doors. I’d barely gotten my seatbelt on when my phone buzzed. I lifted it and saw Ethan’s name on the screen with a text.
I licked my lips, my curiosity wild. Maybe I needed to know what he said so I could hate them all a little more.
Against my better judgement, I opened the text.
Ethan: I miss you.
I took that moment to look up. Bad idea. I locked eyes on Ethan’s. My heart broke once again. He’d been the kind, sweet one. He took a step for
ward, his green eyes wide. Pleading. He was usually so put together. Always smiling. But this Ethan looked sick. Exhausted. Not that beautiful guy I remembered.
I miss you too!
I just couldn’t…
I ground my teeth and forced myself to avert my gaze before driving off.
Six hours later, I sat in the parking lot of Rocky’s, the local hangout, waiting for Ian. My cheek was still swollen from him hitting me. I’d put ice on it, but it hadn’t done much good.
A knock on my passenger side window jolted me from my thoughts. Glancing over, I saw Ian standing there. I unlocked the door and waited for him to get in.
“You’re late,” I muttered as he closed the door.
“Sorry. I was trying to teach Jamie how to give a blow job. She sucks, and not in a good way.”
I scowled at him. “I don’t want to fucking hear it. Say what you came here to say, so I can go take a shower and wash the filth off me.”
Ian shot me a withering look before speaking. “You want revenge on the horsemen?”
“I want revenge on your weasel ass,” I snarled at him.
He had the audacity to smirk at me. “Yeah, but Rosalie, I didn’t actually fuck you. And in my defense, you weren’t telling me no. It was you rubbing my cock. I didn’t force you.”
“You drugged me, you skeeve!”
Ian scoffed and shook his head. “Not really. It was barely anything. You’re just a lightweight. I didn’t even give you a full hit. I just wanted to test the waters.”
“How many others have you done that to?” I demanded. “How many girls fucked you because they couldn’t run away?”
Ian shrugged and looked down to his lap. “This isn’t about me. My numbers aren’t important.”
I surveyed him with disgust. “So what? You thought you’d get lucky with me and fuck me?”
“I wasn’t really thinking, Rosalie. I don’t make it a point to drug every chick I like. I do have some class. I just knew I fucking wanted you. Seeing you with Cole pissed me off. I fucking hate him. Taking you from him would be one of my biggest victories.”
I scoffed at his use of class. “Why? Because you can’t be him?”
A muscle popped along his jaw as he stared out the window. “Like I’d want to. Cole’s old man is the guy who put my dad in prison.”
“What?” I crinkled my brows at the information.
Ian looked at me, his mouth set in a firm line. “My dad is Daniel Hall. He’s the guy who got drunk and killed Fox’s mom. Cole’s dad was the lawyer on the case. My dad has been in prison for the last five years. so I have to take care of my mom and little brother. I do what I have to. Drug bitches, fuck, steal, run shit for bigger fish.”
My heart stumbled in my chest at the information. Revulsion washed over me. I’d known the man who killed Amy was named Daniel, but I hadn’t made the connection to Ian. Ian never spoke of his dad. He’d said his parents were divorced, and we never pushed the subject since it seemed to be a touchy one. And I knew Ian did odd jobs. But what the actual hell?
“Your boys didn’t tell you that?”
I shook my head and stared straight out the windshield.
“My family was torn apart over this shit.”
“So was Fox’s,” I whispered.
“My dad is a murderer. At least Fox’s mom isn’t suffering like the rest of us. Amen for that.”
“You’re unbelievable, Ian. Amy is dead, and you’re sitting here playing the victim?”
“Yeah, she’s fucking dead! She’s gone. She doesn’t need to deal with this shit. You have no idea how fucked up my life is because of this, Rosalie!”
“It doesn’t give you the right to be a piece of shit, Ian,” I snapped back, shooting him a glare. “You’re blackmailing me. You’re hurting Jamie. You’re doing unconscionable things to people. Just because your dad is a grade-A screw up doesn’t mean you need to follow in his footsteps!”
A squeak of air left me as Ian lunged forward and shoved me against my door, his forearm in my throat, cutting off my air. I fumbled trying to grasp the door handle, but Ian, sensing I was up to something, pushed harder on my throat, causing tiny stars to blip through my vision.
“I have it all, Rosalie,” he hissed, his eyes raking over my face.
I clawed at his arms as I tried to breathe.
“The videos? I have every single one they made of you. There’s more than one. More than two. They watched you for a long time. They recorded everything.” His hot breath blew over my face, his eyes wild. “It’s more than me being able to tell Jamie. I have everything that could ruin you. Cole eating your pussy in that dark corner at school with Fox’s tongue down your throat because they were so careless. Enzo and Cole in Enzo’s basement. You and me at Cole’s. I have everything, Rosalie. They gave it all to me with their carelessness. You know that saying, keep your friends close and your enemies closer? They fucked up.”
He released me. I coughed and sputtered, gulping in air. My guts twisted at the information he’d given me. “H-how?”
“Did you think I’d let them beat me and get away with it? That I’d let them humiliate me? Cole and Fox ruin anything they touch. My family is torn apart because of them.” He let out a dark laugh that made me flinch. He was crazy. Telling him that it wasn’t Cole and Fox’s fault wouldn’t do anything but provoke him, so I sat there, my hand inching closer to the door handle.
“The one thing they want more than anything is you. At first, I wanted you because you’re so fucking beautiful. And smart. And funny. The fact you don’t even realize these things about yourself is a huge turn on. But then I saw you with Cole. He soiled you by touching you. As the days wore on, it became about more than just wanting you for myself. The more I saw them pulling you in, the angrier I got. They always get what they want.” He laughed again and shook his head before glaring at me. I flinched away from him as he took my hand in his.
“I watched too. I’m good at watching. I took a page out of their book and used a camera. I recorded you with them that day when Cole made you come on his face behind the school. Figured a little extra insurance never hurt anyone.” He brushed a curl away from my face.
I flinched at his nearness, so disgusted by what a piece of shit he was that my stomach roiled.
“Now, you’re the piece I need to take them down. And it just so happens, they fucked you over too. You’re the school slut. They fucked you in more ways than one, Rosalie. You want revenge so bad I can smell it on you. We can play a little game. What do you say?”
Ian was right. I did want revenge. But the thought of teaming up with him revolted me.
“Let me put it to you this way. I have all the videos because I knew I’d need them. I enlisted help to get them—”
“Who?” I rasped, wincing at the pain in my throat. “Who did you get them from?”
Ian chuckled softly and cradled my face in his hand. “Someone who wanted what you had, Rosalie. Someone you stole from.”
“Juliet,” I whispered.
Ian nodded, smirking. “We all want something at the end of the day. It’s all part of the game, baby. You’re just the fucking pawn for us to get what we want.”
I shook beneath his touch, bile clawing its way up my throat.
“But I can offer you revenge. They hate me. Be with me. It’ll save Jamie too, a minor victory.”
“She’ll hate me forever.” A tear slid down my cheek. Ian thumbed it away before pressing a kiss to the edge of my lips.
“But you’ll be a hero. And she already hates you. Trust me.” Ian trailed his lips along my jawline before he whispered in my ear, sending shivers coursing through my stiff body, “I’m all you have left, Rosalie. I’m the way to either save you or doom you. How much does your future matter to you?”
I swallowed down a sob as Ian’s hand moved to cup one of my breasts through my shirt, his lips still at my ear.
“Unfortunately, I’ll need an answer tonight. No more waiting around. What wil
l it be? All I have to do is hit send on this outgoing message and everything you’ve struggled for is gone. Yes or no. What will Rosie decide?
His lips moved to my neck. I squeezed my eyes closed, trying to control my breathing as tears slid down my cheeks. Everything. Scholarships. College. Respect from my parents. Friendships. My entire life, wiped out with one foul swing.
But then, a thought swept into my head. Revenge. Power.
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
I’d bring all the fuckers down, Ian included, so I said the only word I knew how to say now.
“Yes.”
Three
I stared at myself in my bedroom mirror the next morning. Ian said he was going to break up with Jamie last night after our meeting. Worry gnawed at me for my friend. She’d be devastated. It didn’t matter that she hated me right now. As far as I was concerned, she was still my friend. I hated I was doing this to her. Reasoning that this was the best way to keep her safe was my only solace. I had to save her from heartache by breaking her heart.
How screwed up was that?
Ian promised to keep what happened between us a secret. But at this point in the game, I didn’t know if it mattered. The only thing that kept me hoping she never found out was that she’d hate me even more, making our friendship unsalvageable. There’d be no way to come back from it if she found out.
Sighing, I went downstairs to find my parents at the table eating breakfast.
“Morning, hon,” Mom greeted me as she buttered her toast. Dad didn’t look up as he sipped his coffee.
“Morning,” I mumbled, grabbing a pancake and placing it on my plate.
“What’s going on with Fox?” Mom asked after a moment.
I paused, my fork halfway to mouth. Dad glanced at me, a brow raised. “What do you mean?” I swallowed thickly.
“I mean, he was here this morning looking for you. We didn’t know you guys were friends again.”
“I thought we were, but it was a mistake.” I finally took a bite of my pancake.
“Fox is a good kid. Damn good kid,” Dad said, spearing a sausage. “They did a write-up on him in the paper this week.” For emphasis, Dad pushed the paper at me, Fox’s face smiling at me. My stomach clenched.
