Cruel Devils

by Mae Doyle

  I’m just so overwhelmed, and at first, I don’t know what I’m going to say. There’s no way for me to be able to convince him that I’m not a bad person, not when he already seems so eager to think the worst of me. I don’t know how I’m going to make it through the next few days, let alone the next few years, by myself, here in Hawaii. Any hopes that I’d had that my aunt and uncle may have been friendly and would help to guide me were dashed as soon as we’d all met.

  They have no interest in me. I’m a minor inconvenience, but I guess I should be grateful that I’m going to a great school. At least, with a lot of hard work and some luck, I should be able to walk away from all of this with a degree that will let me do whatever I want with my life.

  “I’m sorry,” I tell him, trying to sound as honest and sincere as possible. “I got tied up in choosing something to wear. I can’t thank you enough – ”

  He cuts me off. “Meyer’s Grove will not suffer you to be late to classes because you got caught up in choosing something to wear. I’ve discussed this with you before, Kiera, but I want to make it clear. You are now our heir, and you are not, in any way, to embarrass us. It’s bad enough that my brother had to go and die and leave you to us, but – ”

  I know that I should watch my mouth, but I can’t help myself. “He didn’t go and die! He was killed!” I open my mouth to say more, but his phone begins buzzing at that moment and he holds up a finger to silence me.

  Fine. It’s probably better that I don’t say what’s on my mind, anyway. I can’t imagine that telling him the truth about how I feel to be here will really help to endure me to him, or my aunt. Nervously, I turn my head to glance at her. She’s staring at me with a strange expression on her face, like she can’t quite figure me out.

  It’s probably because she’s never seen anyone stand up to her husband before. Or because of my little outburst. People don’t really like to be reminded when someone is murdered.

  Murdered. The very word makes me sick to my stomach. Even though the police had promised that they’d call me as soon as soon as they had more information about what had happened to my parents, my phone has stayed silent all day long. I’m tired of checking it and finally just left it in my room when I made my way down here for dinner.

  My uncle hangs up the phone and slams it on the table, drawing my attention back to him. Before I look, though, I see my aunt flinch.

  Bastard.

  “Listen here, young lady,” he begins, and I already know where this is going. I don’t want to hear it, and I certainly don’t have any appetite any longer, even though just a bit ago my stomach had been growling so hard that it was embarrassing.

  Before he can get any farther in his lecture, I stand up, pushing my chair away from the table as I do. “You know what? We’re done here. I can’t thank you enough for letting me stay here and helping me get into school, but I’m done. I won’t do anything to embarrass you, but honestly? I’m more afraid that you may embarrass me.”

  My heart is pounding in my chest and I feel a flush rise up my neck, but I try not to worry about that right now. Both my aunt and uncle are staring at me like I’ve grown a second head. Before I can leave the dining room and make a run for the stairs though, Uncle Levi stands up, slamming his huge hands on the table so hard that a candle tips over and falls from its holder.

  He ignores it and turns his full rage on me while Aunt Serafina hurries to put out the flame.

  “You ungrateful bitch,” he seethes, reaching up to loosen his tie. “We’ve opened our home and wallet for you, and this is how you repay us? Just be fucking glad that we can’t send you back to that shitty little West Virginia town or we would. We’re doing everything in our power to make things right for you, and all we ask is that you learn how to behave and stop being such an unlikable bitch. Do you think that you can do that? Can you go and pretend to be happy at one of the best schools in the nation or have we made a huge mistake?”

  The shock I feel is as bad as if he had slapped me. My jaw drops open and I take an involuntary step away from him, but he’s not finished.

  “We’ll pay for your schooling. We’ll make sure you’re fed and clothed, but don’t you ever come to us with problems, do you understand? And the first report that we get of you fucking up or making anything less than an A will mean that you have to come home and deal with me. We brought you here to study, and you need to be compliant, keep your head down, and not ruin the family name.”

  He doesn’t elaborate on what it would mean for me if I don’t do as he asks, but I can tell from the look on his face that I don’t want to fuck with him.

  “Do you understand?” Once again, he slams his hand down on the table, making the wine in his glass slosh on the sides. “You may not come home for fall, winter, or spring break. By the time next summer rolls around, we’ll discuss whether or not you may return here or if you need to find somewhere else to stay. You should be falling on the ground thanking us for what we’re doing for you, Kiera.”

  I’m not sure if he’s done with his tirade yet, but I don’t want to stick around any longer to find out. I nod and slowly back up, trying to reach the door to the hall before he starts yelling again.

  I don’t make it, but at least this time, he’s not yelling.

  “Isn’t there something you want to say?” His voice is practically dripping ice now and I swear that I feel a chill in the room. If I wasn’t so dependent on him and what he’s willing to do for me, I’d tell him how I feel about him, but I’m scared.

  He wouldn’t really kick me out, would he? Surely not, with his precious reputation at stake.

  “Thank you and I’m sorry.” I hate saying the words. I hate the way they feel coming out of my mouth, and I hate even more the satisfied look that spreads across his face. Even though he’s just shown me just how ugly he is on the inside, he still looks like he could grace the cover of any magazine.

  I hate him for it, and I hate my aunt for standing by silently as he screams at me.

  “Get out of my sight. I don’t want to see you tonight and I don’t want to see you after we drop you off tomorrow, do you understand?” He sounds less angry now and more tired, and I turn and run up the stairs, my heart pounding in my ears.

  I can survive one night here. Hell, I already survived a night in the most hellish place I can even imagine, so one night in a home where my parents weren’t brutally murdered should really be a piece of cake.

  Chapter 4

  Even though last night Uncle Levi had insinuated that he and Aunt Serafina would be the ones to drop me off at school, I really wasn’t surprised when Robert was the only one waiting for me when I came down for breakfast.

  He’s standing by the door, doing his best not to make eye contact with me while I skim a note that my aunt left on the kitchen counter. It has all of the usual good wishes that you could hope for on a first day of school, including reminding me once again that all of my actions play a role in how people in the community perceive them.

  Yeah, I got it.

  Sighing, I crumple the note up and toss it at the trash. It bounces off of the rim and falls to the floor, but I don’t bother doing to pick it up. They can deal with picking up a bit of trash for once in their lives. It won’t kill them.

  There’s fruit on the counter and I munch an apple while drinking an iced mocha from the fridge. It wasn’t what she’d said on the note that I could have to eat, but since I have no intention of being back in the house for months, I’m hoping that they’ll forget this little indiscretion.

  By the time I finish my breakfast, Robert has leaned in to check on me three times. He catches my eye not and nods at the door. “I know that you’re not worried, but if I don’t get you to campus on time then I’m the one in trouble,” he tells me, making my stomach drop.

  The last thing that I want to do is get someone as nice as him in trouble, so I shoulder my backpack and follow him out to the car. While I was eating, he’d packed up all of my luggage, and we
pull away from the house as soon as I shut the door.

  I don’t even look back.

  I have no idea what Meyer’s Grove is like, but there’s no way that it’s any worse than living here with my aunt and uncle. At least, when I’m there, I won’t have to feel like I’m a constant reminder of someone they hate.

  That thought sours my stomach, and I slip my earbuds into my ears for the rest of the ride.

  ***

  The car ride is a lot faster than I expected, especially given the way Uncle Levi made it clear that I wouldn’t be coming back to their home for breaks. We pull onto the school property and Robert guides the car up to the front of the school while my mouth falls open and I look up at it.

  Honestly, when I thought yesterday that my aunt and uncle’s house was amazing, I had no idea what a prep academy could look like. They just don’t make buildings like this in West Virginia. I have no idea how old it is, but the gorgeous stone buildings are dripping with ivy, huge stained glass windows are visible in the high towers, and all of the doorways are arches.

  Robert stops the car, and when I don’t immediate get out, he turns around to look at me. “You okay back there?” When I don’t answer, he continues. “It’s a lot to take in, I know. But your aunt and uncle think that this is the best place for you, and you and I both know that they’ll do anything they can to take care of you.”

  I unstuck my tongue from the roof of my mouth. “They’ll do anything that they can to make sure that I don’t have to live in their house,” I correct. “And, for some reason, that means sending me here. It’s gorgeous, but ridiculous, don’t you think?”

  Robert winks at me, and I wonder exactly how much money he’s getting paid to do his job and not gossip.

  “I’ll help you with your bags, but I imagine that they’ll send someone out to meet you,” he tells me, popping the trunk and getting out before I can argue with him. By the time I meet him at the back of the car, he has all of my luggage out on the ground and has already shut the trunk with a satisfied slam.

  I glance at my bags. Aunt Serafina had insisted on buying me matching luggage, and while I’d packed all of my new clothes in the ones she’d bought me, I’d packed one of my old bags with some of my clothes from home as well as a few trinkets that I’d managed to sneak out of the house before everything went for sale.

  It’s not there.

  “Robert, did you bring all of my bags? One’s missing.” I don’t want to accuse him, but there’s no way that I can keep the note of terror out of my voice.

  He flinches and takes a deep breath before looking at me. “There was one bag that I was instructed not to put in the car, miss. It’s still at the house.”

  Panic squeezes my chest. “I need it. I need you to get it, Robert, it has my things in it. I can’t…” My voice fails me and I wave my hand at the matching luggage from my aunt. “I can’t survive with just what’s in here.”

  I can’t tell if he’s looking at me with pity or disdain. He locks eyes with me for just a moment but then looks up over my head and behind me.

  “And here I thought that someone coming from West Virginia would be a little more down to earth and less concerned with her appearance. I’m sad to tell you that I’m a little disappointed.” The voice behind me makes me whip around.

  The woman standing behind me has her black hair pulled into a tight bun on the back of her head. She has on glasses but they don’t hide the fact that her dark eyes are boring right into me. Dripping wet, she’d probably weigh less than 100 pounds, but I have the distinct feeling that she’s not someone to tangle with.

  But who the hell is she?

  She sweeps her eyes over me and it’s obvious that, even though I’m dressed like I could fit in at a movie premier, she’s not impressed with what she sees. Without saying another word to me, she turns to Robert. “Thank you for delivering Miss Lampley to me. I’ll take care of her from here, so you can tell Levi that everything is alright.”

  He nods at her and then turns back to the car. I know that I shouldn’t call out to him, but I can’t help it. I don’t know that I can stay here at Meyer’s Grove without some of my things.

  “Robert, please, bring me that last piece of luggage,” I beg, hating the way I sound, but knowing that he’s my best option for getting it back. There’s no way that I can reach out to Uncle Levi or Aunt Serafina and expect that they’d be willing to help me out and bring me my things.

  They’re just so glad to see me gone that I doubt they want to hear from me ever again.

  Robert doesn’t answer, but simply gets into the car and pulls away from the front of the school, leaving me alone with the most severe woman I have ever seen. Taking a deep breath, I turn to face her.

  “I’m Kiera Lampley,” I tell her, holding out my hand. It’s obvious that she already knows who I am, but my dad was big on manners and I know that if I’m going to make a good impression, I need to start now.

  She eyeballs me but shakes my hand, giving it a firm squeeze and holding it a bit longer than I thought necessary. “Headmistress Decker. I was so surprised when your uncle called me and told me that he had a niece who would be coming to stay with him. As long as I’ve known Levi and Serafina, they’ve never mentioned that they had family.”

  I nod, even though I have the feeling that she’s trying hard to get a rise out of me. “He and my dad weren’t close, but I’m so grateful that they are willing to open their home to me and help me get into your great school so I can finish out high school.”

  I sound like I’m simpering, but whatever. This woman looks like she enjoys making people’s lives hell, so I’m willing to do what it takes to survive here.

  “They didn’t help you get into Meyer’s Grove,” she corrects, finally dropping my hand and wiping hers on her skirt. “They paid for you to get a spot here. It just so happened that you’re lucky – another student had to leave last week, so the timing worked out perfectly for you. What a fortuitous turn of events to bring you to us, Kiera.”

  The murder of my parents was anything but fortuitous, but I manage to keep my mouth shut by clamping down on the inside of my cheek. I’m already uncomfortable in the clothes my aunt picked out for me, and I know that arguing with this woman or correcting her will only make my life worse.

  “I have a student guide coming to help you to your dorm. I hope that he brings his friends, because you didn’t pack light, did you?” She chuckles to herself and turns away from me. Following her gaze, I see four guys walking towards us from around the dorm.

  They’re far enough away that I can’t get see their features, but I can see how big they are. I remember reading in the brochure that Meyer’s Grove has an excellent lacrosse team, and I get the feeling that these four guys are on it. They take big steps, eating up the space between us, and when they finally get close enough for me to see their faces, my heart stops.

  They’re gorgeous.

  I mean, I know that sounds ridiculous since everyone in Hawaii is ridiculously attractive, but these guys are on a whole different level. Tall and strong, they’re all dressed in shorts and t-shirts that show off their strong shoulders and legs. My eyes flit form one to another as they get closer, and I can’t help but think that maybe Meyer’s Grove isn’t going to be as bad as I thought.

  Back in West Virginia, none of these guys would have looked twice at me, but here…here, dressed the way I am, with my hair curled and a bit of makeup on, I look like the kind of girl who could be seen with them.

  It’s crazy.

  They all stop in front of me and I feel their eyes raking over my body. It makes me nervous and I glance at the headmistress, who clears her throat for introductions.

  “Asher Reed, Parker Keaton, Luca Erickson, and Caspian Weston, this is Kiera Lampley. Her aunt and uncle had her dropped off this morning, and she needs a little help getting to her dorm and then finding her first class. I knew that you boys would be thrilled to help out.”

  “Of course.” T
he one she called Asher steps forward and easily picks up some of my luggage without looking at me. “Thanks for the opportunity to help, Mrs. Decker.”

  She smiles faintly at him and then flaps her hand at the others. “Go on and help her out. When you are all finished make sure that she makes it to homeroom this morning. Your late arrival will obviously be excused, but I don’t want the group of you to dawdle on your way to class, okay? Take good care of Kiera and let me know if you run into any problems.”

  Luca lets his eyes slide over me and I feel my face flame. He stares at my tits for just a second too long, but with the way I’m dressed, I’m not sure that I can blame him. I’ve never had a guy look at me like this before, but then again, I’ve never worn clothes like this before.

  “Don’t you worry, Mrs. Decker. There’s no reason that I can see to dawdle. We’ll get Kiera set up right away and then give her a tour later, how does that sound?” His voice is light and airy, and for a moment, I get lost in how he’s talking and not what he’s saying. When I realize what he just said about me, I can’t help but narrow my eyes at him.

  A tour? From this foursome of gorgeous guys? It sounds like heaven to me, but only as long as they’re not all really jerks. While they take time getting my luggage, I have a few moments to look at them and see what they really look like.

  It’s awesome.

  Asher looks like a surfboarder. He has blonde hair that’s obviously bleached by the sun and bright blue eyes that sparkle like he wants to say something dirty but knows that he’ll get in trouble. I can see that he has calluses on his hands from lacrosse, and his muscles are out of this world. Parker is almost as tall as Asher and has the strongest jaw ever. His dark hair is a little long, and I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to run my fingers through it.

  And Luca and Caspian? Just as hot. Luca’s dark brown eyes are dreamy and I want to reach out and touch the scar that runs up his cheek. He looks a bit more edgy than the other guys, and I can’t help but wonder how he got the scar. Caspian, on the other hand, looks like he walked off of a catwalk. Even though he’s wearing a t-shirt and shorts, he still looks ready for a spread in a magazine.