Kings of Anarchy

by Caroline Peckham

  I gaped at him as the others laughed, but Blake's icy mood today meant he didn't even crack a smile. He deadpanned the whole freaking story. And I was like, kinda horrified.

  "After I found out she'd stolen my wallet, I invited her up to my dad’s mountain lodge during summer break and of course she agreed. I drove her all the way into the middle of fucking nowhere and dumped her ass at the cabin, figuring she'd have to call for help once she realised I wasn’t coming back. Didn't quite factor in that she wouldn't have cell service, but at least the message got driven home. I guess I should write a thank you note to the bear.”

  "Before you left her, I suppose you dipped your dick in the aquarium again?" Mila chipped in, leaning further forward and arching a brow at him.

  "Pfft." Blake waved a hand. "I did no such fucking thing. That's just what she told everyone so she didn't have to admit to why I really brought her up there."

  "Holy shit," Mila breathed. "She made you out to be such a monster."

  Blake shrugged. "I'm not denying that, Mila. I wanted to scare the bitch. Bet she hasn't stolen from anyone since though, has she?"

  Kyan cracked his knuckles, smirking and Saint had a glint in his eye as he drank in the thought of the girl's pain.

  "Why didn't you make her an Unspeakable?" Mila asked and the guys exchanged a look.

  "Because not everyone deserves that shit. She got punished, it was clear she got the message."

  "How comes Punch was in the Unspeakables then if all he did was hit you? Did he just wound your pride?" I asked Blake, narrowing my eyes, wondering how strict they really were on their guidelines or if it just depended on whatever mood they were in at the time.

  Blake pressed his tongue into his cheek. "I thought Kyan told you about what they all did."

  "Well I already knew what Punch had done, so..." I shrugged and Blake's eyes narrowed as he glanced over at the back of Toby’s head.

  "The kid has anger issues. He was going around flooring anyone in school who so much as looked at him the wrong way. He broke a kid's jaw once. We'd tried punishing him, which should have been warning enough but when he hit me, that was it. We gave him a timeout in the Unspeakables. I didn't ever think he was a real monster until what he did to you." His fists clenched on the table and I noticed the three of them were all glaring at Toby AKA Stalker like they were thinking up the next awful thing to do to him.

  Bait glanced over his shoulder from his spot beside Stalker, taking us in through the half mask on his face which was now sporting a large cock on it with the balls drawn below it on his cheek. His gaze fixed on me for a moment and there was an intense anger there that ate into my flesh like acid. I couldn't really blame him for hating me. I was just another one of his enemies now. But I hated him right back now I knew what he'd done.

  The bell rang and the guys stood as one, their shoulders brushing and an air of danger crackling around them that told me they were on the hunt. It was the end of the school day and it was rare that a day passed without them punishing an Unspeakable or two.

  "Bait, Deepthroat, Stalker, Freeloader, Squits and Pigs!" Blake hollered. "Your lot has been drawn today. Follow us." He strode across the room and Saint followed while Kyan grabbed my hand and pulled me along with them. I turned to wave goodbye to Mila and she waved too, looking slightly pale as she watched the Night Keepers round up the six Unspeakables and send them out the door ahead of them.

  Kyan walked at a fierce pace and I had to practically jog to keep up with him. He looked like he was about to throw me over his shoulder at any second, but I warned him off with my eyes.

  I sensed a crowd following behind us, perhaps wondering what fresh hell the Night Keepers were about to unleash and I was kinda curious too.

  "Are your little legs slowing you down, baby?" Kyan mocked.

  "Just because I don't have giant tree trunks for thighs, doesn't mean my legs are little. You're just abnormally tall," I said, grinning at him.

  "And you're abnormally fucking hot, so..."

  "So?" I smirked.

  "I forgot my point." He tugged me closer with an animalistic growl and I laughed.

  We followed Blake and Saint as they herded the Unspeakables to the courtyard in front of Aspen Halls. A crowd was forming there like they'd known this was coming and my lips parted at the sight of the benches pushed to the edges of the courtyard. In the central space was a coiled up chain, a lacrosse stick, a cheerleading pom-pom, a frisbee, a roll of toilet paper, a baseball bat, a pair of football shoulder pads, a pile of pine cones and a wooden stick.

  Monroe stood beyond them beside a picnic table with a smug look on his face that suggested he’d been the one to put those items there.

  "What the fuck is this?" I muttered to Kyan, but he just grinned in answer.

  Blake strode to the front of the group, shoving the Unspeakables toward all the items. He walked through the middle of them, picking up the stick which looked like it had come from a pine tree and jumping up onto a bench beyond the items.

  "Welcome to the Picnic Games!" Blake hollered and the gathered students cheered in excitement. How had word even spread about this shit? And why didn’t I know about it?

  I looked to Monroe with a question in my eyes, but he just shrugged, a grin playing around his lips. He was as crazy as the rest of them. And I totally loved it.

  Kyan led me across the courtyard to sit on the bench Blake was standing on and Saint sat down on my other side with a vicious smile as we faced the Unspeakables. Monroe moved to stand behind us, anticipation emanating from him and I turned my head, mouthing a hey to him which he mouthed it back, making my tummy swirl and flutter. Damn his beautiful face.

  "You will all have fifteen minutes to get your hands on this immunity stick," Blake explained as I turned back to face him, finding him waving the stick in his hands. "Whoever is holding it when the time is up will be immune from all further punishments for two full weeks!" he cried to another round of cheers.

  My jaw dropped as I took in the Unspeakables’ fearful faces, but as they looked between each other, that fear quickly turned to determination.

  "Saint, set the timer," Blake called and Saint took his iPad out, resting it upright in a stand so it was aimed at the Unspeakables with a fifteen minute timer ready to go on it. "May the odds never be in your favour," Blake jeered to a round of laughs, then he raised three fingers, putting them down as he counted and the whole crowd joined in. "Three - two - one - go!"

  Blake tossed the immunity stick towards them just as Saint hit start on the timer and my heart pounded out of rhythm as they all dived on it. Everyone except Squits who raced for the baseball bat and the football shoulder pads, pulling them on before running at the five who were wrestling on the ground. He released a roar as he hefted the bat above his head and my heart beat harder as the little guy went surprisingly apeshit.

  Stalker got the immunity stick, shoving the rest of them off of him with his superior strength, but Squits wheeled the bat around, smacking him in the back with it. Stalker cried out, twisting around in fury and snatching the bat from Squits’ hands.

  While he wasn't looking, Pigs snatched the immunity stick from Stalker’s grip and started running for the edge of the ring. He squealed like an actual pig as Deepthroat came at him with the lacrosse stick, wailing in rage as she smacked him with it again and again. He fell beneath her and she continued to hit him while the others all sprinted forward to try and get their hands on the immunity stick.

  Pigs grabbed the only thing within reach which was the toilet paper, throwing it at Deepthroat with a shriek of fear. Deepthroat snatched the immunity stick and picked up the toilet paper too, hugging it to her chest and turning tail. She tore away as Freeloader and Squits fell over Pigs, and Bait and Stalker came after her with nothing but desperation in their eyes.

  My gaze was riveted to the fight as Bait picked up the chain, giving Stalker time to make it to Deepthroat and try to wrestle the stick from her hand. She shrieked like a wi
tch burning at the stake, smacking him with the lacrosse stick as she tried to hold onto the toilet paper as well as the immunity stick. Stalker knocked her to the ground with a hard shove, plucking the immunity stick from her hands and attempting to tug the lacrosse stick from her grip too. She let go of it the same moment she lunged at his legs, sinking her teeth into his calf. Holy fuck.

  Kyan laughed loudly beside me and Saint's eyes were unblinking as he took in the violence before us. Blake was howling like a wolf and plenty of the football team echoed the sound. I realised Monroe was howling too so I figured fuck it, tipped my head back and released my own long howl. Kyan growled like he liked that, his hand dropping onto my thigh and I poked my tongue out at him before turning to face the game again.

  Bait suddenly lunged at Stalker from behind, wrapping the chain around his throat, a bellow tearing from his lips as he hung all of his weight from it and Stalker staggered backwards. Deepthroat leapt up, shoving Stalker in the chest to get him on the floor and Freeloader, Pigs and Squits all ran to help as they bound the chain around him, taking out their strongest opponent as a unit. The second he was immobilised, they all turned on one another again, scratching and tearing and kicking as they tried to get the immunity stick from Stalker's hand.

  Bait's mask was knocked flying from his face by an elbow from Freeloader and Blake whistled sharply.

  "Get it back on this second, Bait, or you’re out of the game!" he snapped and Bait dove forward to retrieve it, jamming it back into place and losing his chance of getting his hands on the immunity stick.

  Freeloader had it now and she zoomed around the edge of the ring, trying to keep moving as Pigs launched pinecones at her and Squits threw the frisbee with frightening accuracy, smacking her in the face and making her nose bleed.

  "Five minutes!" Blake called in warning and if they'd been desperate before, it was nothing compared to what they became. The Unspeakables were suddenly screaming and fighting with the ferocity of wild animals.

  Deepthroat smacked Freeloader's legs with the lacrosse stick, taking her to the floor so hard that a collective oooh sounded out from the crowd as she busted her knees and hands open. My heart skipped madly as I took in the carnage. Freeloader curled in on herself, giving up as Deepthroat plucked the immunity stick from her hand and turned to face anyone who dared try to take it from her again, the toilet paper still under one arm as she wheeled the lacrosse stick left and right.

  Pigs was limping and Squits was shaking beside him, dancing from foot to foot as he considered what to do. Bait had gotten the baseball bat and he ran at Deepthroat, clearly the only one left who was brave enough to take her on. He released a battle cry as he came at her, swinging the bat hard and it collided with the lacrosse stick as she swung it in defence. A splintering of wood sounded and the lacrosse stick snapped in half, leaving her with a pointy weapon in her hand. She immediately jabbed it at Bait and he narrowly missed being skewered as he gasped and jumped back. His leg caught on Stalker on the ground and he toppled over backwards with a cry of defeat just as the timer rolled down to the final ten seconds.

  The crowd started counting down as Deepthroat strode forward and pointed the broken stick at Bait's throat, her teeth bared and her eyes wild as she dared him to make another move. The timer dropped to zero and Deepthroat squealed in delight, racing to pick up the pom-pom and throwing her leg in the air as she cheered and jumped, waving the stick in her other hand. The crowd clapped and she drank in the sound, beaming around at them, her victory shining from her eyes.

  I glanced at Kyan with a frown, my gut tightening at the sight of her winning. Of all of them, I'd wanted to see her lose most.

  Saint was smiling though, and it was a twisted fucking smile which told me to beware. He rose to his feet, climbing onto the table beside Blake and clapping him on the shoulder.

  "This was a test!" Saint called out, his voice cutting and clear, making everyone fall deathly silent instantly. "You have all failed that test."

  "What?!" Deepthroat shrieked, the pom-pom falling from her hand as her jaw dropped.

  "We hoped to see some improvement in you all, but it seems you are still the same selfish pieces of shits we knew you were all along," Saint mused and I stared between the Night Keepers in surprise.

  "Did you know about this?" I whispered to Kyan and he nodded, smirking at me.

  Saint went on, "Not once did we tell you to use the items in this game as weapons. Not once did we tell you to turn on each other and draw blood."

  "But you said-" Deepthroat cried, but Blake cut her off.

  "All I said was that the one holding the immunity stick after the timer ran out would be offered two weeks without punishments. You could have discussed it between you and decided who was most worthy of that prize. Instead, you decided to turn on one another, show how little you really care for each other and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have earned your places in the gutter." Blake stared down at them and they all shared a look, horrified by being tricked this way. But he was right. They had never been told to fight for the stick. And the expression on his face sent a delicious shiver through me. Damn he looked hot when he was laying down the law.

  The crowd started laughing and jeering the Unspeakables and Blake jumped down from the table, snatching the immunity stick from Deepthroat and snapping it in two. He tossed the pieces on the ground. "Moral of the game: don't be a dick." Blake flicked her between the eyes then strode out of the courtyard.

  Saint headed after him and I stood up with Kyan, following along behind them as Monroe moved to my other side, leaving the Unspeakables all licking their wounds and exchanging guilty looks.

  "That'll stop any little uprisings they might have had in mind," Kyan murmured to me and I nodded, still shocked by what I’d just watched.

  "They’re going to second guess any friends they thought they’d made amongst one another,” Monroe said with a smirk.

  "Clever," I remarked. "And fucking psychotic."

  "That pretty much sums up which one of us came up with this idea, baby," Kyan said, chuckling.

  "Saint," I said simply, no question in my voice.

  "Obviously," Monroe growled, his arm brushing mine and sending electricity rushing along my skin.

  Kyan laughed harder. "I love that unbalanced motherfucker."

  Blake paused as we reached the path which split around the lake and I realised he was looking out at it with his muscles bunched.

  "Did that not cheer you up, brother?" Kyan called, leading me over to him. I glanced at Kyan with a question in my eyes.

  "Why? What's wrong?" I asked, stepping to Blake's side.

  "It's his mother's birthday today," Saint explained with no emotion to his voice. But I guessed the way he showed he cared was by setting up an elaborate death match for his friend to watch.

  "Oh," I breathed, my heart clenching tightly in my chest. I took Blake's hand, squeezing. "I didn't know."

  "I didn't say," he countered, looking to me with a shrug, but the pain in his eyes was impossible to miss.

  "I'm sorry," I breathed.

  "Not your fault, Cinders," he said, tugging me closer.

  "You can kiss my wife if you want to," Kyan said seriously, pressing his hand to Blake’s back.

  "Kyan, you don't get to give permission for that," I growled, glaring at him. Monroe shot him a pissy look that only I caught. I really needed to drive this point home once and for all.

  "As your husband, I beg to disagree," Kyan said simply and Saint shot him daggers, not that he would ever lay a hand on me anyway, so I didn't know why it bothered him so much.

  "I may be your wife, but I say who I kiss and don't kiss," I said firmly, moving to tip-toe up and offer my mouth to Blake. Kyan got between us, tugging me back against his chest and a snarl escaped me as I readied to fight him.

  "This isn't funny, Kyan," Blake snarled, reaching out and taking my arms, trying to yank me out of his grip.

  "Look, you can kiss her. Jus
t know that I'm allowing it. As a gift," Kyan said, smirking like a dickhead and I elbowed him in the gut as he released me, pushing me into Blake's arms.

  "Come on Blake, let's go for a walk." I caught his hand, tugging him away from the others and I was sure I heard Kyan saying you're welcome as I went, so I tossed him the finger over my shoulder.

  We walked in silence, taking in the quiet lap of the lake against the shore. The air was slightly warmer, the promise of spring in it and the sky was a bright blue that was slowly starting to pale with the coming twilight.

  Each of us understood the other's pain on a deep level. I knew he didn't want to dwell on his mom's death, but I wondered if he might want to talk about the good times instead.

  "What was she like?" I asked him. "Your mom?"

  He sighed long and slow. "She was...full of life. She always had so much energy. My dad can be a moody fucker at times, but as soon as she walked into the room, she lifted everyone's spirits. Especially his. She just had one of those personalities that shone."

  "Like you," I commented and he frowned at me.

  "I don't think I'm like that," he muttered.

  "Then you're not seeing yourself right. You make me laugh fifty times a day, Blake. Your smile is like...like a beam of light. You always know how to cheer me up or just make the day brighter just by being you."

  "You think so?" he asked hopefully.

  "I know so," I said firmly, squeezing his fingers. "You've just been through a lot of bad shit, you’re still healing."

  "I guess," he sighed. "Sometimes it feels like I'm back to my old self, but half the time it still feels like an act."

  "I know what you mean," I said gently, my heart sinking. "Sometimes I worry what people will think of me if I let myself be happy. Like it means that I'm not thinking of him, that I've moved on. But I haven't, I don't think you can ever move on from something like that. It's left a wound in me that will always split open...just less often than it did at the start."