It’s the thing I swore to never talk about. Our most precious, most beautiful secret. Our sweetest memory of summer camp, and now, I’m using it as leverage. It doesn’t feel right, but I’m enjoying the stunned look on his face. He wasn’t expecting this. Good.
“Cat got your tongue, Gage?” I insist, narrowing my eyes slightly, gauging for his reaction.
“I’ve done my best to stay out of your way. I understood from day one that you three are just self-entitled, obnoxious pricks. That’s the role you’ve assumed upon setting foot in this place, and I don’t belong anywhere close to you. I got that. I didn’t like it, but I got it. So why in the everliving fuck are you still poking and prodding me, huh? Used condoms in my locker? Seriously?”
He stares at me, eyes wide with shock. Maybe I’m being overly aggressive, but it doesn’t matter. It’s definitely doing something, because his gaze softens slowly. A smile tries his lips. For a moment, I’m transported back to summer camp and instantly curse inwards, because my vision is hazy. I remember these lips of his. How they feel. What he tastes like. Shit, Elly. Get a grip!
“Come on, Gage. I’m waiting. What do you want from me?” I ask.
“You don’t belong here, Elly,” he finally says, his tone cold, despite the warmth in his playful blue eyes. “The sooner you realize that, the better.”
“That’s a piss-poor response,” I reply. “Is that the best you’ve got? I remember you being brighter, kinder, better than this.”
His hand shoots out, and he grabs me by the throat. I’m pushed against the wall, and my heart jumps, my stomach clenches, liquid heat spreading through my veins. He’s aggressive and assertive, and I underestimated him. Nevertheless, I cannot let him see my fear. He’ll use it against me.
“I’m better than you will ever be,” he mutters, his face too close to mine. I’m breathing him in, and the fear turns into something else, blazing in the pit of my stomach, consuming everything in its path… moving downwards, and I clench, ever so slightly. How the hell is this turning me on?!
“Gage, please,” I manage, my voice lost. “Stop hurting me.”
“You don’t belong here, Elly. Leave, and we’ll stop. It’s that simple.”
“Fuck you. No. You don’t get to bully me out of school. Who the hell do you think you—”
He tightens his grip on my throat, his thigh slipping between my legs. His hard muscles push up against my pussy. I can feel the rough fabric of the jeans through my panties, instantly regretting that I wore a skirt to school. A groan escapes from his throat, as he uses the full weight of his body to keep me pinned against the wall.
“Elly. Maybe I didn’t make myself clear. I remember you being slightly more obedient.
Leave this school, and never turn back,” he says, darkness settling beneath his eyebrows. The air is so hot around us… Electricity crackles. My skin tingles as he lets go and steps back, straightening his pale blue shirt. “You won’t have peace until you leave.”
My lower lip trembles. I’m confused, and I am deeply hurt. The more I try to understand what’s going on, the murkier the waters I am forced to tread. “Why are you doing this?” I murmur, swallowing back tears. “We used to be so close…”
“We were never close. The guys and I were just trying to see if all three of us could fuck you at once, that’s it,” Gage says, and his words feel like daggers to my heart. My knees are weak, but I refuse to let him see that he’s getting to me. I keep my chin up.
“That was your end game, huh?”
“We almost got there, too, didn’t we?” Gage scoffs. “If only they’d extended summer camp by a few more days. I know we would’ve put a lot of miles on you, between us. You were practically begging for it. Remember?”
My hand flies out so fast, he doesn’t even see it coming. I slap him hard, throwing his head to the side. He stills, his cheek turning red, almost instantly.
“You’re a miserable little man,” I say to him. “And you’ve messed with the wrong girl.”
I go back into class, aware that all eyes are on me. Gage doesn’t follow me in. I hear his footsteps as he walks away. I’m shaking like a leaf, and all I can do is take deep breaths, torn between wanting to cry and wanting to laugh. His words sting. His words break me. But I will not let him see that.
No, I gave him just a sliver of what he deserves.
Soon enough, they’ll all get more. Enough to last them a lifetime, to teach them that you don’t push Eleanor Fox around. I’m not their fucking punching bag.
“What happened?” Kyle asks as I take my seat and continue doodling in my notebook. His gaze drops on my neck. I think my skin is still red from Gage’s grip. “I heard a loud slap. Did Gage hurt you?”
I look at him, stone cold and more determined than ever. “No. I just declared war on the Hotshots…”
My only hope is that I emerge victoriously from what’s about to come. I know Gage will tell Rhett and Kellan about what just happened. There will be consequences. It’s okay. I’ve got this. I’m not the only one who will feel the consequences of my actions. They’re not getting off easy.
If The Hotshots thought they could screw me in some kind of perverted ménage, then discard me like one of those condoms they threw in my locker, they’ve got another thing coming. I may not be able to rely on the school system to protect me, but I’ll be damned if I’ll let them get away with this crap.
It’s time for The Hotshots to pay their dues.
14
Elly
I spend the rest of the school day only marginally listening to what the teachers say. My notebook is filled with doodles and a highly detailed action plan regarding The Hotshots. Fortunately, my dad taught me how to handle myself in such situations. He might be a bit of a deadbeat now, but I do appreciate the lessons he’s left me with.
If I’m to make The Hotshots pay for what they did to me, and if I’m going to stop them from doing more, I need to be ruthless and I also need to cover my tracks. The last thing I need is a stain on my school record. Kyle occasionally glances back at me, likely wondering what I’m doing.
By the end of the last period, he’s downright curious. “What are you scheming?”
“If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you.”
He stares for a moment, then bursts into laughter. “No, come on, seriously now… What are you up to? Is this about the war you mentioned earlier?”
I smirk. “You make it sound like such a… trivial thing. It’s almost adorable.”
“Come on, Elly, dish. Maybe I can help,” he replies.
The others are up and on their way out of class. As soon as we get a smidge of privacy, I decide to share my plans with Kyle. He’s right. Maybe he can help me, after all. “I need them to suffer humiliation. The kind that says I did it, but that they can’t prove. If they try to retaliate, I’ll go straight to the principal. At least then I’ll have done everything in my power to defend myself from their attacks. I mean, I am very good at playing the victim card, if push comes to shove.”
“Elly, you are already the victim,” Kyle says.
“Yeah but… The principal won’t do anything about it, will he?”
Kyle sighs and shakes his head. “There we go. So things need to escalate to the point where The Hotshots are so angry, so out of control, that they simply have no other choice.”
“What if you get hurt in the process?” Kyle asks.
I shrug it off. “I’m a very fast learner and I’ve already memorized all the exits and access routes to and from school. What do you think I’ve been doing all day?” I shoot back, showing him the browser window on my smartphone, open on Google Maps and focused on our school building.
Even thinking about revenge has had some kind of cathartic effect. I feel better, the stress oozing out of me as my resolve grows stronger with every minute. Kyle thinks about it for a while and gives me a soft nod.
“Okay. How can I help?” he asks, prompting me to put on a huge conspiratorial gri
n.
“You told me about the rumors. Their mob ties and whatnot. Can you dig into that and find out exactly who they are? I’ll do some research of my own, but I could use an extra pair of eyes on this,” I say. “I need to know exactly who I’m up against.”
Kyle raises an eyebrow. “What, you think you can take on the friggin’ Irish mob?”
“Hell, no. But I’ll know how far I can take things. I doubt a mobster family would be okay with their legacies being interrogated by the police over bullying.”
Once he realizes the angle I’m playing, Kyle’s expression changes, going from innocent and helpful friend to Mephistopheles himself, ready to summon all the hordes of hell, if that’s what it takes to get me my revenge.
“I’ll make some calls. See some friends. I’ll let you know as soon as I’ve got good information,” he finally says.
“Thank you, Kyle,” I reply, fluttering my eyelashes. “I’ll buy you a big strawberry milkshake when this is over.”
It’s enough to make us both double over with heavy laughter.
The next day, we’re back in class. The air is thick enough for me to cut it with a knife and blunt the blade in the process. Rhett, Kellan and Gage are present, though none seem to be
paying attention to me. I’m understandably relieved, but I am also a firm believer in the calm before a storm, so I mentally brace myself for a potential tornado after school—or worse, at lunch break.
Fortunately, mom packed a sandwich again, so I’m steering clear of the cafeteria today.
Kellan is busy flirting with Prestley. She looks my way, sometimes, though I don’t think they’re talking about me. Maybe she knows what happened at summer camp. She’s closer to the Hotshots than anyone else. Maybe they shared their plans to share me… Ugh, the paranoia’s ugly head begins to rear, as I take deep breaths and look away. I can’t stand seeing Kellan with another woman, anyway. The thought alone makes me want to squirm.
I’m crying on the inside. Longing for the hot days of July and his hands on my body, his fingers working me over, his teeth nibbling my earlobes. Shaking the memories away, I shift my focus on Gage. He’s texting someone. Smiling. It must be a good conversation. Maybe it’s one of the girls he screwed this summer. Bangles, maybe? Or Belladonna. She seemed like the kind who’d like to keep in touch after that epic fuckery.
Kyle turns around while the teacher is busy writing something about the independence war against the British. Dates and names, mostly, and certainly not what I’ll remember from this class.
“I did some digging,” Kyle whispers, occasionally glancing around to make sure no one is watching. Of course, someone is bound to notice us talking, eventually, so I motion for him to use his phone instead.
He nods and starts texting me feverishly.
“The Flanagans have legal businesses worth millions, but they’re said to be fronts,” he tells me. “For example, they sell their own brand of whiskey, but word is they’re also expert with bootlegs. They sell counterfeit stuff worth hundreds of thousands of dollars a bottle. Since Quinn Flanagan died, the whiskey business went to Rhett and Kellan.”
I look at The Hotshots. Kellan’s still wooing Prestley, and she’s loving every second of it. Gage is still tapping away at the touch screen of a new smartphone… And Rhett… Rhett is watching me, his hazel gaze dark and full of danger. My heart starts beating, and I breathe in, then out, slowly, in a bid to calm myself.
He has that effect on me, even now, and I hate myself for being so weak. That black shirt hugs his torso and arms in all the right places, and my mind wanders back to him shirtless in the woods around Lake Tahoe. The deep conversations we used to have, till late into the night. How did that man become such a vile and hateful creature like him? I have given up trying to figure him out.
“So what kind of illegal stuff are they into, besides the booze?” I ask Kyle via text, then glance back at Rhett. He won’t let go. He keeps staring, monitoring my every movement. I think Gage told him about yesterday, and Rhett is now plotting a hit job on me. Whatever comes next, I’ll need to be ready for it. Thank heavens I put on sneakers today. If I’m to run, I will Usain friggin’ Bolt my way out of this school before any of The Hotshots get to me.
“Mind you, it’s mostly rumors. No one has the balls to tell it to me straight. But gun trafficking, jewelry fencing, counterfeit money and bonds… white collar stuff, mostly. It’s a big organization, though, and apparently, they don’t mess around, either. They’ve got enforcers, too.
Massive Irish chunks,” Kyle says. “Oh, they loan money, too. Cops in their pockets. You know, the classics.”
“What about drugs?” I ask him.
Kyle looks at me and shakes his head, then continues texting me. “This guy I know… His dad works for Connor O’Donnell, Gage’s father… He says the Flanagans don’t allow any drugs or prostitution in the family business. It’s a family honor kind of thing.”
I nod slowly. Go figure. The mobsters have an ethical code. Slap me twice and call me Sally. Looking up again, I find Rhett’s eyes still on me. They burn through, consuming my skin and my flesh, aiming for my very soul. The problem is that I don’t understand what he’s after. What is he trying to tell me with this constant glaring?
Rolling my eyes, I check my phone again. “Rhett keeps eyeing you like a hawk,” Kyle says through his text.
“I know. His face can melt off, for all I care,” I message him back. It makes Kyle chuckle softly, which draws Rhett’s attention. Now, he’s watching us both, and I raise my eyebrows at him, in return.
I am definitely asking for an ass whooping, but the plan must go forward. I will set it all on fire and get the police involved, if I have to, until The Hotshots understand that I am not their chew toy.
Rhett ultimately looks away, moving his attention to the teacher. I’d give anything to be able to read his mind, to understand how he can possibly condone all this.
Out of The Hotshots, Rhett has always struck me as the tempered one. The kind of guy who thinks twice before opening his mouth. Who’ll rip the head off anyone who disrespects or assaults a woman. Rhett hates bullies more than anything—or so he told me during summer camp.
Which version of him is the real one?
Ironically, I’m still holding out hope that this Trinity High variant is the fake one. That I met the real Rhett, the real Kellan, the real Gage back on Lake Tahoe. Then again, if they’re part of this huge mobster family, why didn’t I know anything about it until I got here?
We talked about a lot of things, back then. Why’d they keep me out of the loop on this one?
And why are they even bothering with a pipsqueak like me, if they’re so powerful and connected and on the wrong side of the law? What sort of trouble am I, that they feel the need to punish me, to persecute me this way? I mean, there’s no way my family is involved in the same kind of shit they are. My mom works at a Jewelry store for crying out loud! So, they’re not stomping down competition by picking on me.
It all just proves I need to keep going with my plan, until they cave in and tell me the truth, or they back away. There’s a piece missing from this puzzle, and I have a feeling I’m not going to get to it until I pay them back in kind for what they did to me.
I text Kyle. “Okay, cool. Thanks for the intel. Moving on to stage two of the plan.”
“What’s that?”
“The actual planning…” I add a grinning smiley face.
He stifles a laugh, prompting the teacher to turn around. In an instant, our phones are down, and we’re both pretending to take notes. If there’s a pop quiz following, I’m pretty much screwed.
Looking to my right, I find Rhett staring again. Only, it’s not just him with his eyes on me, now. Kellan and Gage are watching me, too. Their expressions terrify me. They spell trouble—the kind that might require hospitalization.
Maybe I’m exaggerating. After all, they haven’t hit me or hurt me, physically speaking. My little altercation wit
h Gage was disturbingly arousing, in fact, and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who thought so. A milkshake, some tampons and condoms don’t constitute a serious assault.
Would they escalate things, though? Would Rhett use violence, actual violence, to teach me a lesson? Would he make me bleed?
And if he did, what would I do about it? How much more am I willing to take from them? Not much, obviously, since I’m already plotting their social demise—but there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to fight, and I’ve spent the past few days ignoring her, completely. Now, she’s back, a loud voice in the back of my head, telling me that I should maybe reason with them, instead.
She’s the one who takes me back to summer camp, to the moment that Rhett and I shared… a moment I would never forget… a moment he would never be able to destroy, no matter how hard he tries. This voice in my head reminds me that I can always talk to Rhett, even when he’s in a foul mood. Perhaps I can give civility one last shot before I bring out the heavy artillery? What if I get better results with Rhett than I did with Gage and avoid this whole thing from blowing up in everybody’s faces?
15
Back in Summer Camp, Day 12
Kellan and I are an item, and I did not see any of this coming. I’m all giddy and bright smiles, my heart filled with butterflies, but at the same time, I’m baffled by how it all turned out. On top of that, my eyes still wander towards Rhett, even when I’m with Kellan. Not to mention Gage, whose sexual displays have stayed with me since the creek.
“You look pretty in yellow,” Kellan says as he greets me outside the cabin. I’m wearing a short summer dress with spaghetti straps and a white, oversized daisy sewn to the pocket, and he can’t take his twinkling eyes off me. He’s so sweet and gentile. We can’t get enough of each other.
Trinity High: High School Bully Romance Page 11
