by Josie Max
No. Oh God, no. I glanced around, looking for an escape. Something to get me out of the hole I was being dug farther and farther into. But there was nothing. More importantly, there was no one but me and him. A rich, powerful man who had the respect of other rich and powerful people. And me, a nobody from nowhere.
It was David and Goliath, but I had no stone and no slingshot.
I could tell Dahlia. She’d know what to do.
I was about to tell him to take his orders and shove them up his tiny dickhole when he appeared to read my mind.
“That aunt of yours is so nice. It would be a shame if she lost her job. I went golfing with James Tikon, the CEO of Tikon Industries, and I told him I was helping Dahlia’s niece.” His eyes landed on me with the same stony stare he had at the pond.
That was where she worked. Tikon Industries.
Images of my aunt and I laughing over milkshakes just hours ago flashed in my head. It seemed like years had passed since then.
I could run away. Pretend I was okay with everything and grab a few things from this place. I would pawn them if I had to—they had money and could easily replace anything I took. I was sure the artwork on the walls was worth something.
I never thought I would consider stealing. Even when my mom used what little money we had for drugs, I always had a can of beans stashed away in the woods. I made sure I kept anything important in a secret place in the woods near the trailer park.
But with that kind of threat, I’d steal to get out of it. I refused to let that man hurt me or my aunt.
“There’s no point to fight this, little girl. Unless you do what I say, your sweet aunt will suffer and you’ll never get a higher education. You and your kind will remain struggling until the day you die.”
My kind. He meant anyone who wasn’t wealthy.
“What is it you want me to do?” I asked with a sigh, realizing there was no way out.
His lips curled, causing the corner of his gray eyes to wrinkle. “That’s my good little girl.”
FOUR
Violet
I STOOD OUT FRONT OF the mayor’s home in my school uniform. Ms. Peterson barged into my room at six o’clock this morning to wake me. I was picked and prodded and combed so much my skin vibrated from the abuse.
As I discovered from Ms. Peterson when she interrupted the mayor before he could tell me what he wanted me to do for him yesterday, the whole pool house was mine to live in until the end of the school year.
That was a relief. It would be a nightmare to live under the same roof as that psycho, mafia-king wannabe.
The pool house had two bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. There was a full kitchen with beige granite counters and dark wooden cabinets.
Ms. Peterson apologized for the outdated décor. I laughed when she said that, assuming she was joking. Apparently, she was not. These people were on a different level of reality. Everything looked gorgeous and expensive. I hated them, but I loved that pool house.
I had yet to see the inside of the mayor’s home. From what I witnessed of the mayor and his wife yesterday, I had no desire to ever step foot in their home.
“The ladies should be here any minute,” Ms. Peterson said with a curt nod.
She looked just like she had yesterday. Her hair pulled back in a tight bun, red lips, and a dark suit that was fashionable yet understated.
“So, they all ride together to school?”
I was told by Ms. Peterson that I would get a ride from the local girls. They were all seniors who went to Green Hills Academy.
“Yes. Their families live in the neighborhood. Young mister Knight dates Seraphina. I’m sure you both will have much to talk about.” Her gaze slid down the back of my outfit.
I rolled my eyes. “I’m wearing the uniform you gave me. There’s nothing ‘outlet’ about it. I’ve been plucked like a chicken and painted like a—”
Ms. Peterson held up her hand to stop me. “There will be no foul language in the mayor’s home.”
I bit my lip to prevent me from pointing out that we weren’t standing in his home, but in his driveway. And the way the mayor treated me yesterday, I doubted profanity was high on his list of concerns.
I rolled my eyes and shuffled. “Whatever.”
I liked the uniform. It reminded me of something from Clueless, but blue and black instead of yellow and black. It had a very 90s feel to it. Even the wealthy could afford cute uniforms.
They had pulled my hair back into the tightest, smoothest ponytail I had ever worn in my life. There was a hairdresser brought in and a makeup artist—because of course there was. I was told they worked with Kiki and she was gracious enough to lend them to me.
I tried hard not to gag when the makeup artist and hairdresser gushed about Kiki’s generosity.
I heard a car rev and looked up to a red sporty car followed by a black SUV and then a silver sedan pulling into the driveway. They circled around the large fountain and the door to the red car popped open.
A girl that was my age stepped out. She had long blond hair that fell all the way down her back and a crimson fur capelet over her uniform. But it was her tits that caught my eye. You would have to be blind not to notice them. They looked unusually big and utterly fake.
Her pale pink lips frowned as she slid her sunglasses down her nose, staring at me.
She lifted her hand and waved. “Hi, Ms. Peterson, this must be Violet. I’m so glad to be taking her to school today.” Her voice was bubbling with enthusiasm.
“Seraphina, lovely to see you as always. I told Violet you would have lots to talk about.” She nodded at me and turned back toward the house, leaving me alone with the fur-caped, gargantuan-tittied Barbie.
I held up my hand and waved at Seraphina. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you. Am I riding with you?”
Once Ms. Peterson had stepped into the house, Seraphina’s mega-watt smile fell. “Unfortunately. When you sit, don’t mess up the leather.” She flicked her gaze up and down my body and her lip curled. “I understand that trailer trash can stain.”
What the hell? I just met her, and she was already attacking me.
It went from bad to worse in North Green Hills.
I sighed and opened the door, throwing my backpack onto the floorboard of the front passenger seat. Sliding into the cream leather seat, it surprised me at how comfortable it was considering the size.
“You have a nice car.”
I pulled the door closed and Seraphina started the engine. My head jerked back as she slammed her foot on the gas.
“It’s a specially designed Mercedes that Daddy just had to get me. I wouldn’t accept anything else. There are Swarovski crystals in the headlights, that’s how you know it’s quality.” The corner of her pink lips curled.
“Okay.” I nodded because what do you say to that? “So, is there a nickname you go by or a shortened version of you name?”
I decided I’d give her a pass for the trailer trash remark. Rich people always had their heads filled with nonsense about anyone who wasn’t part of the top three percent. I found if you just took time to get to know someone, they weren’t as bad as they first appeared.
Except for the mayor. He was creepy.
“It’s Seraphina. Ser-a-phin-a,” she said, raising her voice.
“I’m not hard of hearing,” I grumbled.
She tilted her head and gave me a sad look. “Of course not. I know you’ve been through some stuff. What Knight told me, it’s just . . . ugh, I couldn’t imagine.”
I knew there was a heart under all that fur and plastic. Just took some conversation and I knew she wasn’t as bad as she first let on.
“Thanks. Yeah, the past several months have been tough.”
“I’d kill myself if I had a mother like that. I mean, seriously? Were you held in that trailer against your will?”
My eyes widened as I stared at her. She’d kill herself? Who the fuck talked like that?
“No . . .” I said slowly, “she
was my mother.”
Seraphina grimaced as if she ate some bad fish. “It’s lucky she died, then. Now you don’t have to worry about that shit life she gave you. And then Knight rescued you. He’s the best. Such a hero. My hero.” She pressed her hand to her heart and sighed.
“Your hero? But he rescued me.”
Her nostrils flared. “I know, stupid. Thank fuck you’re getting a better education at Green Hills Academy. I can’t imagine what sort of backward things you were learning at public school,” she sneered as she said the last two words.
I played with the charms on my bracelet. “I got straight A’s.”
My mom got the bracelet for me for my birthday two years ago and for some stupid reason, I thought it would give me luck today. But it’s not working as I was already dealing with a stuck-up bitch and I wasn’t even at school yet.
I narrowed my eyes at her. What. A. Snob.
“Yeah, but A’s at public school are like C’s at the Academy. I get B’s so technically, I’m smarter than you. Anyway, the reason I said Knight was my hero is because he’s my boyfriend.”
“Okay.”
Perhaps it was best if I just nodded and ignored the ignorant shit that spewed out of her mouth. I was positive she had a heart in her chest, but it appeared malnourished.
“I’m serious, Violet.” She took her eyes off the road for a moment to glare at me before turning back and almost driving off the pavement. “Knight and I have a history. There’s a hierarchy at Green Hills. Knight and I are the king and queen of the school. Then there are our friends; they’re like the aristocracy. And then there’s the rest of the school . . ..”
I rolled my lips together, trying to hold back my laugher. “And where do I fit in?” This girl was so conceited, it was hilarious.
“You’re a, uh, what did they call it way back when? Oh, I know. You’re a serf.”
“Wow. Good to know.” I nodded seriously, still holding back my grin.
“Look, I’m doing you a favor. Now you know that you can’t be seen with us. And as for Knight and his crew, just stay away. You may want to go up and thank him for saving you, but you’re nothing to him. Okay? Try to think of it like your walking on the sidewalk and you walk around an ant. The ant doesn’t matter to you, but you don’t want to kill it needlessly.”
She compared me to a serf and an ant. If everyone at the school was like her, my senior year was going to be the worst year of my life.
“Knight and I will graduate and then go to Winter River University together next year. Its almost a given we both get in; both our parents went. It’s expected.”
I wish I were that lucky. What I wouldn’t give to go there. What I’m giving up to hopefully go there . . ..
I nodded and turned to look out the window. It’s not like I had many friends back at my old school. Studying hard meant I couldn’t hang out much with people.
But I had a couple of close friends—Jenni and Kyle. They were bookworms like me. Kyle lived in the trailer park with me, but Jenni lived down the road in a townhouse. I thought her place was huge until I saw the mayor’s pool house.
Maybe I could invite them over. My heart gave a jump at the thought. I needed some friends now. Being surrounded with cold, shallow, movie-villain wannabes wasn’t my idea of happiness. Even with all the fancy clothes and beautiful surroundings.
The car came to a stop and I realized we had pulled up in front of what looked like a castle. It was made of gray stones and there were several towers. Towers.
The door opened and a man in a bow tie that matched my skirt waved me out. I grabbed my backpack and hopped out.
I watched as Seraphina ignored the man who bowed to her before he took her place behind the wheel.
“Oh my God, they have valet parking?”
Seraphina’s brow creased. “Yes. This isn’t a garbage school like where you went.” She chuckled.
I noticed the girls who were in the other cars that had followed us here saddled up to Seraphina and joined her in laughter. Each looked like a different version of Barbie. Seraphina was blond Barbie, then there was Barbie with long raven hair, and the other with light auburn hair.
There was another set of laughter that came from the other side of the cars. It was deeper and fueled with testosterone. I glanced over to a group of guys. All of them smiling, except for the one in the middle.
He wove his fingers through his inky waves. My mouth went dry. His eyes, a wintry gray, narrowed as they raked over my body. The way he stared felt like a knife had slid straight into my heart. As if my heart was meant to be pierced all along and finally found the blade that belonged there.
He stood tall among his group of friends, but they were all big. He was gorgeous from his fitted black uniform pants to his blazer and tie, which was casually loosened.
I was seventeen. Seeing guys in anything resembling a suit did nothing to me. But on him, it hit me in all the right places.
“Knight. Hey, babe. I was hoping I’d see you this morning.” Seraphina’s voice rose until she sounded like a child. It was both revolting and irritating, like listening to nails on a chalkboard while someone puked in your lap.
His cool gaze slid to her before returning to me. Seraphina noticed that too because you would have to be deaf not to hear her growl as she cut a glare to me.
“She looks like lots of fun. Maybe we can play with her at lunch,” one guy with short blond hair who stood near Knight said.
He was hot, too. They all were. Perfectly chiseled cheekbones and pouty lips. I was sure that each had at least one parent that was a model. They were all too perfect.
“What the actual fuck?” I pushed my hands on my hips.
“That sounds like fun, Caleb, but I need to focus on football this year. It’s senior year, time to grow the fuck up,” the tallest of the guys commented as his brown eyes slid up and down my body before shaking his head.
“You’re no fun, Briggs. At least Knight’s with me. Right?” Caleb asked, never taking his blue gaze off me.
“You all know I am standing right here,” I pointed out, tiring of being ignored.
Sure, they were genetic oddities that caused my mouth to salivate, but I decided who I wanted to be with, not them.
Knight shook his head. “I don’t stick my dick in trailer trash.”
He walked toward the school and bumped my shoulder as he strolled past, shoving his hands in his front pants pockets.
“Watch it,” I snapped back.
What an asshole. I couldn’t believe that was the guy who rescued me. Seraphina was right, I had wanted to thank him. Most of that night was foggy so I couldn’t remember what he looked like, but now that I met him, he could go suck a bag of dicks.
He turned back to face me. My skin hummed as his gaze licked up my body. The air was electric. I did not understand why my body was acting like this around him. He practically knocked me down.
“It’s you who needs to watch it.” Something dark passed over his face as he said, “You don’t belong here and you never will, trash.”
I didn’t get a chance to tell him off like I wanted because right as I opened my mouth, Seraphina pushed past me, too. Only she wasn’t as gentle.
I propelled forward and tried to catch myself, but it didn’t work. I went face-first onto the ground.
The wind was knocked out of me and I struggled to breathe for a second. It caked some charms on my bracelet in dirt. I pushed myself up with shaking arms to the sound of more laughter.
The surrounding students saw what had happened and joined in on the merriment of making fun of the new girl.
“Oh my god, you are so gross,” Seraphina yelled for all to hear. “Stop making out with the dirt. I know you’re dirt poor, but that doesn’t mean you need to eat it.”
The chuckles grew louder as I wiped my mouth. Blood smeared the back of my hand.
School hadn’t even started, and I was already humiliated and bloody.
FIVE
Violet
I HELD THE ICEPACK to my lip. That damn bitch caused me to have a bloody lip.
A grand, wood-burning fireplace framed Principal Lyndon as he leaned back in his black leather chair. “This isn’t a good start, Ms. Adler.”
The principal’s office was like something I’d expect to find in a castle. Green Hills Academy looked old and a little spooky.
“You can say that again,” I mumbled into the icepack.
The chair squeaked as he sat up.
“I am serious.” He pushed his thick red hair back as it fell into his eyes.
He was another overtly handsome person. Maybe it was the water? If I drank from the faucet, would I grow several inches and become hella gorgeous?
But the principal was older. Someone who would be around my father’s age, if I knew who my father was. That was a tidbit my mom took to her grave.
Now I won’t ever know who contributed the second half of my genetic makeup.
“You’ve already been in a fight before class. This doesn’t look good for you.”
My brows shot up. “Fight? You think this bloody lip is from a fight? Seraphina pushed me to the ground—”
He held up his hand as his cell phone went off.
Tapping at it, he smiled.
“We can discuss this another time, Ms. Adler. My daughter is here.”
I nodded, thankful to get out of my morning conversation with Principal Lyndon.
The door opened and in walked a gorgeous girl with shoulder-length red hair.
“There’s my girl. Violet, I would like you to meet Arabella, my daughter.”
I nodded. Was she like the rest? Nice in front of adults, but then turned into a complete asshole? I suspected with a principal as her father, she had an air of protection around her. Easier for her to get out of trouble.
