Dirty Revenge: A High School Bully Romance (Hawthorne Holy Trinity Book 3)

by Eden Beck

  I was worried Dana might not like the idea of a party, especially given it was a party that got her here in the first place. It looks like my worries were misplaced.

  I laugh at her and point to the closet. “I have a whole new wardrobe, courtesy of my aunt Ellen, remember? It’s all yours. Anything you want to use. Have it.”

  She beams, and we turn our conversation to other things like classes, homework, and teachers.

  We’re still sitting there talking a while later when she gives me a funny look. “What’s this expression you’re giving me? What’s that look on your face?”

  I shrug. “It’s just nice to have you back here again. I missed my best friend. I missed these little simple moments, things like just chatting about nothing in general, or laughing at something stupid and silly.”

  “It’s so good to be back, Teddy. I missed you too.” She gives me a tender smile, and it warms my heart as I realize that she’s my family too, like the boys are. My chosen, much loved, precious family. How lucky I am to have her and the boys. I am so loved, and I am not alone in the world anymore.

  Chapter 11

  I walk into a classroom where four other students are seated along with Dr. Baxter, our principal, and three teachers. One of the other students is Victoria Waldorf, and she blanches dramatically when she sees me come in. I love that I’ve surprised her in an unpleasant way.

  “Miss Price … I mean … Miss White,” Dr. Baxter says with a sigh, looking pensively at me. He hasn’t liked me since I started here, and last year he threatened to have me permanently expelled. Now that I have a rock solid high society family, and more importantly—I’m a freaking billionaire—he seems to give me a wide berth and a lot more tolerance. I know he still doesn’t like me, but I don’t really care about that.

  “Welcome to the Valentine’s Charity Committee,” he says, almost under his breath.

  Victoria is furious, and I love it. It makes it all so very worth it.

  I purposefully sit near her and she scowls darkly at me as we listen to the guidelines and rules regarding the auction, the dinner, and the dance. I take copious notes and ask good questions until even Dr. Baxter looks begrudgingly impressed. If there’s a loophole in there to exploit, I’ll find it. I plan on beating Victoria fair and square … but if there’s a way to do it that ensures I’ll win, I’m on it.

  It isn’t long before I think I have an idea.

  “We’re trying to come up with a theme for the event this year,” Dr. Baxter tells us, looking at the group of us students before him. Victoria and I look at each other, but the other three students here are as silent and still as statues. They know better than to get directly in the thick of it.

  “I think we should do a ‘Love Boat’ theme. This is the yachting crowd, after all,” Victoria calls out like she’s just come up with a viable solution to create world peace.

  I roll my eyes. “That’s so basic.” She shoots me a dirty look and I speak up a little louder. “I think we should do something a little more fun. What if we went with the Greek or Roman goddess of love; Aphrodite or Venus, and Cupid. Columns and palaces, gods and goddesses, and Mount Olympus. Togas. Heroes and Heroines. Venus and Cupid would be a lot more fun.”

  Dr. Baxter looks between Victoria like we’re cats with our claws out, ready to pounce on each other. Neither of the other teachers looks anxious to jump in.

  He holds his hands up. “I think we’d be best to leave it to the student body. We’ll set up a vote for it. Everyone in the school can vote, and the majority wins.”

  Everyone agrees, and a new challenge is on. Victoria leaves before I do, and as I’m coming out of the meeting, I see her leaning against the wall opposite the door. She’s waiting for me. She glares at me with her hate-filled dark eyes, but I let it wash right over me. There’s nothing more that she can take from me than she already has.

  Even if she tried, I wouldn’t let her.

  “I want to talk to you,” she says coldly, coming toward me.

  I look over at Wills and Blair who are heading toward us down the hall. Each of them has their eyes trained on Victoria with a silent warning. Since the explosion in the cellar, they don’t trust her at all, and they don’t want her around me.

  I don’t blame them, but some things are necessary.

  I hold my hand up and the boys stop, but they don’t leave. They stay right where they are, watching us with eagle eyes.

  “All right,” I say to Victoria. “You have two minutes, killer. What do want to say to me?”

  She narrows her eyes and growls venomously at me. “Don’t call me that. I’m not a killer!”

  “There are four dead people who prove you wrong, murderer, and you know it, but go ahead. What is it you want to say to me?” I look at her coolly, and she knows she cannot ruffle me.

  Victoria glances over at the boys and sees that they are growing impatient waiting for me. They want her gone. She leans closer and speaks with poison in her voice.

  “I just want you to know that you’re not going to win this event; not the vote for the theme or the crown. That Valentine’s crown is mine. It’s been mine since I started at this school. Don’t think for a second that you’re going to take it from me!” She almost spits at me.

  “Oh, you mean like you took my father from me when you killed him?” I shoot at her coldly. “Don’t think you’re going to stop me. You’re in way over your head, Victoria. You’ve got that defeat coming, and so much more. Later … killer.” I turn my shoulder sharply at her and walk toward the boys. They each sling a protective arm around me and walk away with me as they fire daggers back at Victoria over their shoulders.

  “What was that about?” Blair asks, his head still turned to look down the hall behind us.

  “Oh nothing,” I say, waving my arm again. “But on an unrelated note … have either of you ever run for office? I could use a little help swinging a vote.”

  Wills and Blair look at each other over my head and exchange a grin.

  “Good,” I say, needed no translation. “Time to get started.”

  Dane messages me later and tells me that he has meetings set up for me to meet some people. I grow excited, thinking of the possible prizes that I can get for the upcoming auction. His lawyer is still drawing up the paperwork for my trust, so I can’t just buy them out myself just yet. Besides, I want to win the right way. Victory tastes much sweeter that way. I’m so determined to win it, and I’m willing to work hard to get there.

  He says that he’ll pick me up on Monday, but I don’t mind missing a day of school. My grades are better than they’ve ever been, and I can make up whatever I miss. Even if I didn’t, I’d just promise to make the school a generous donation once my funds are unlocked, and I’m sure they’ll be happy to let it slide. That is how these things go, right?

  I’m dressed for business and ready to go when he arrives. I’m not surprised when I see a brand new sleek black limousine pull up to the school. Dane gets out to greet me and I give him a raised brow as I check out the car before getting into it.

  “A limo?” I ask, knowing full well that he could have driven his own car, which would have only been slightly less ostentatious.

  He gives me a serious look. “You’re meeting important people today. First impressions are lasting. You dressed for the part, and that’s good. Now you need to arrive with the confidence knowing that you are the most important person in the room.”

  I look at him like he’s an alien. “I’m not the most important person in the room.” I’ve never been the most important person in the room. Not in my whole life. “I’m going there to ask them for donations. I think I should probably do that with a little humility.”

  I’d already worked out a spiel about my tragic past. The underdog. The struggle. This new advice is the exact opposite of that.

  Dane’s eyes are locked on me. “Teddy, you’re very young and there are people in this world who might seek to take advantage of your naivete. If you sho
w them at the start that you’re not one to be trifled with, that you’re confident and strong, then you’ll have followers and teammates instead of usurpers. Do you understand?”

  I realize suddenly what it is that he’s saying. I might only be an eighteen-year-old, but I am coming into these companies as the boss. Or, their soon-to-be boss.

  “I wasn’t thinking about it that way,” I tell him, and he nods slightly. We climb into the limo and watch the school grow smaller as it pulls away.

  For the first time, my uncle doesn’t look awkward around me. I’m his business protégé, not his new niece, so he can actually talk to me like a normal person. He’s in his element, and for the first time, he’s in control.

  And of course I’m going to do whatever he says. He’s the one who helped build this empire, not me.

  “This is the day you set a precedence. Set the tone for the future. Make it clear who you are and what you want and expect of them.” He leans back in his seat and watches me, and I know he’s reading me like a book. I do that same thing when I meet new people for the first time.

  I can feel the confidence rising in me, buoyed by my strength.

  I can walk in with my head held high and meet these people eye to eye. If I go in with the confidence he’s talking about, the confidence of a queen, then everyone I ask is going to try to impress me … the new boss.

  That’s something I’d like to see. That’s something I could get used to.

  We come to the first company and I’m surprised to find that they’ve set up a big, fancy breakfast in a large conference room to welcome me. It’s loaded with people, all of them curious to see me and meet me. I’m suddenly so glad that my aunt took me shopping, because I know, for once, I at least look the part.

  I’m taken to a podium and I speak a little before we eat. I wasn’t prepared to say anything, but I’m good at going off of the cuff. Chalk it up to a lifetime of little white lies necessary to survive in my circle. My old circle, anyway.

  I don’t even remember what I say, but whatever it is, it does the trick. I could probably have gotten up there and squawked like a chicken and they still would have been falling over each other to pledge donations.

  “I can’t believe it! I think I’ve got everything I need for the auction,” I tell Dane as we get back into the limo while everyone waves at us just an hour or so later.

  He’s smiling, and I realize I haven’t really seen him genuinely smile before. “You were perfect,” he says, looking a little impressed. “Your father would have been proud of you. I think if you keep up that kind of confidence you’ll be just fine. And, I’m glad that you got so many things for your auction, but you’re not even remotely done.”

  I stare at him. “I’m not?”

  “No. You’ve got two more companies to visit today, and three more on Thursday. If we have to, we can even fly out to a few places in Southern California. It’s your shot though. I’d need a couple days to make the necessary arrangements with the school.”

  My mind is a cyclone of thoughts and emotions. I think my father would have been proud of the way that I handled his company today. I don’t know him, but I’ve heard about how good a man he was from his family, his friends, and now from those who worked for him. It makes me want to do my best for him.

  He built this empire, and now he’s given it to me. I don’t want to let it fall.

  Dane spends the whole day taking me through the next two companies where we have lunch and then a dinner, and at each one it’s the same thing. Everyone loved Paul White. It’s more than sucking up to his daughter and heir, there’s a genuine sadness at his loss.

  I wish I got the chance to meet the sort of man that had this sort of effect on people. My whole life, I’ve left little to no impression. I doubt anyone ever even noticed when I was gone, moved to another foster home yet again.

  For the first time, I feel comfortable in my own skin—here, with a member of my blood family. We don’t talk about my father much, and we certainly don’t talk about Sadie. It’s something, and at the same time, it’s everything.

  Dana is waiting up for me when I get back, and I collapse onto my bed as soon as I get my pajamas on. I miss my boys spending the night with me in my room, but I’m so glad to have her back too.

  “Well? How did it go today? Tell me everything,” she pleads wide-eyed with excitement.

  “It was … a lot. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of people whose livelihood depends on me. It’s kind of staggering, really.” I’m still dumbfounded by the perspective that I got today, just meeting the upper management employees. There are thousands of employees I have that I haven’t seen yet.

  “It’s a lot, but I know you can handle it. I know you can do it,” Dana encourages me. “How did it go getting prizes for the auction? Did anyone donate anything?”

  I start laughing. It’s all I can do for a moment.

  “Dana … we have more things to auction off than we’ll ever be able to get rid of, and they are fantastic things. Fantastic. You wouldn’t believe it.”

  I start rattling off the very best part of today. There’s no way Victoria can outdo me. I got pledges of every kind; everything from time shares to new cars boats, vacations, artwork, and antique furniture. All that just to name a few.

  “I even ran out of dinner tickets to sell. I had to save a couple of tickets for my aunt and uncle, or they would have been gone, too. I’m going to have to ask the school for more. It’s crazy, but you know what the funniest thing about this is?”

  Dana is grinning so widely at me; her eyes dancing with happiness over my success. “What’s that?”

  “Everything Victoria has done to undermine me and destroy me has backfired on her. Every single thing, and this explosion she caused is no exception. There’s literally no way she can win this. I have three more companies to visit later this week. It’s kind of poetic justice, really,” I say thoughtfully, and I love the truth of that.

  I just wish my father hadn’t died. It was a hell of a price to pay.

  Chapter 12

  I’m pleasantly surprised when there are a lot more people at Dana’s return party than any of us anticipated. I thought that it would be just the drama club, the boys, and some of our friends.

  Instead, there are so many students that we barely fit on the stage area of the theatre and some of it spills down into the seats facing the stage.

  I give Dana a bouquet of flowers, and she hugs me. “Thank you so much for this. I’m so glad to be back!” she tells me happily.

  “We’re glad you’re back, too,” I reply, and the boys chime in with me.

  “It hasn’t been the same without you, and I’m so glad that you’re healing okay,” Blair tells her earnestly. “I know Teddy was worried out of her mind.”

  “We all missed you,” Wills adds with a grin. “Not just Teddy was worried.”

  Laura, who is standing beside Dana, slides her hand into Dana’s and entwines their fingers. “I’m glad you’re back because it means I get to see you all the time now, instead of just visiting. Plus, I want you healthy and strong.”

  She leans close and kisses Dana tenderly on the lips, and they stay that way for a lingering moment before they both turn to look back at us. The boys and I smile widely at them.

  “So, you two are official huh?” Blair asks with a twinkle in his mischievous green eyes.

  “Absolutely!” Laura confirms, giving Dana’s hand a squeeze as she winks at her. “She’s my girl, and I’m keeping her!”

  Dana blushes and beams so happily, and it warms my heart. “Good! That’s so good. I could not be happier for you both.”

  “Me too,” Laura sighs with a smile, “the only person who’s serious pissed about this is Victoria. I think she’s just mad that Dana isn’t pining for her anymore. Not that she ever cared.”

  “Well, she’s right. I can’t stand Victoria, and you are the only woman I want,” Dana agrees. “And no one here cares if Victoria is mad. She ca
n be mad all she wants, as long as she leaves us all the hell alone.”

  “She’s never going to do that. She isn’t capable of it,” Wills says darkly.

  “I just wish Astor would come to his right mind,” Blair says.

  “Yeah, if she wasn’t with him, he’d probably be with us. I miss him,” Wills replies with some dejection.

  I miss him too, but I’m not going to say it out loud. I’m too mad at him still. He chose Victoria over us, and I’m not about to forget that.

  “Hey, Teddy!” I hear my name and I turn to see a group of the unexpected party guests standing near me. Since my true identity has come out for a second time, I suddenly have no end of friends at the school.

  “We wanted to tell you that we’re going to vote for you in the Valentine’s theme race!” one of the girls says exuberantly. Her friends nod excitedly in agreement with her. She laughs, and her friends laugh with her.

  “Well thanks, ladies. I appreciate it,” I tell them with a smile.

  “Just so you know, so many people are voting for you,” the girl tells me as if she’s giving me an inside scoop.

  I thank her again and they leave, going off to join some of the others.

  “You know, it’s one thing we can’t cheat on. Everyone is going to vote, and that’s going to be that. In the meantime, though, no matter what the theme ends up being, I know I’ve got the auction and the crown at the dance in the bag.”

  “We’re getting rainbow togas,” Dana confides in me. “Laura and I want to show a little pride when we come to the dance.”

  “Oh, I love that!” I encourage them. “I have to win the theme first, so don’t buy togas until after the vote.” I laugh a little.

  “You’ll win! I know you’re going to win!” Laura assures me. “People have been tired of Victoria ruling over this school for so long. They’re ready for a fresh new face to lead the students, and you’re the perfect candidate.”