Ruthless: A Dark College Romance (Somerset University Book 1)

by Ruby Vincent

  He shook in my hold, wracked with guffaws.

  “Well played,” he said. His breath fogged the glass. “I did not expect this. My fault for losing my temper.”

  I lifted his arm higher, feeling the socket strain. His laughter cut off with a pained grunt.

  “Don’t make the same mistake, Ezra,” he forced out. “I’ll keep your brother’s secret. All you have to do is stay the fuck out of my fraternity and my life. It’s a fair trade.”

  “I don’t buy your bullshit. My brother doesn’t smoke, drink, or even cross lanes without fucking signaling! You expect me to believe he gambles and owes money to a cartel?”

  “We all have our vices.” His red eyeball rolled in its socket, seeking me out of the corner of his eyes. “It’s all there on his phone and laptop. The promises he’ll find a way to pay them back. The panicked emails to sweet Amina. Just say the name Sons of Slaughter and smell him shit his pants. That’s all the proof you need.”

  His words lodged in my mind, pulverizing my certainty. Sons of Slaughter? Could this be true? Did Brian do this?

  I shook myself. No. He’s my brother.

  “You’re lying.” I bore down harder. “I know my brother.”

  “Test me, Ezra, and everyone will know him,” he snarled. “The cartel doesn’t know where he is, but I can change that in a second. Your brother will spend the rest of his life in your gated ivory tower because the second he steps out, they’ll put a bullet in his head.”

  “You’re lying!” The scream tore from my throat.

  “Go on. Test my bluff. We’ll see who is lying.”

  My breaths eked out in hard, rough pants. The hands holding him trembled.

  I read people too well to not pick up on the smug, self-assured confidence lacing his tone. He believed he was telling the truth.

  “Why are you doing this?!” I reeled back and smashed him into the door again, again, and again. A side of me no one had ever seen, splintered and formed in a darkened classroom as a helpless child begged her to stop, broke free of its cage.

  I slammed his head onto the door again. Blood spurted from his ruined nose, staining the glass.

  “All this because I dug up your valedictorian speech and a photo of you at the town’s parade?” I shrieked. “And now I know without a fucking doubt that there’s more. There’s so much more,” I forced out. “You did do something to Sawyer.”

  Aiden laughed. A broken nose didn’t slow this psycho down. “Don’t worry about Sawyer. He’s in, what they call, a better place.”

  Shock made me loosen my hold. “You killed him?”

  He took his chance. Aiden spun and threw me off. I bounced off the opposite wall, punching the air from my lungs. Through a watery lens, I saw him dust off his robes. He wiped his blood on the sleeve.

  “Whatever happened to Sawyer,” he said evenly, “you won’t find out because you’re done. You’re not investigating him, Teagan, or me anymore. Say it.”

  My lips peeled back in a snarl. I should have snapped his arm when I had the chance.

  “Say it,” he demanded, “and the Sons of Slaughter won’t visit Evergreen. No one will find out about your brother and we’ll all go back to our lives like none of this happened.”

  “I’ll stop,” I croaked. “I’ll forget I heard your names.”

  He smiled—and the blood staining his face tainted it horribly. “See? That wasn’t so hard.” Dropping his head back, Aiden took a deep breath and let it out slow. “You know, I love this part of pledging,” he said conversationally.

  The change in tone threw me. My eyes narrowed as I balled my fists.

  “All you pledges are on your best behavior for ten weeks. Then a few sentences in an envelope reduces you to the crumbled pieces of your masks.” His eyes flicked over my head. “I wonder how your girlfriend is handling it.”

  “Valentina?”

  Is he saying they are...? Right now?

  I raced out of the house; Aiden forgotten.

  “Valentina!”

  VALENTINA

  “We are sisters in more than blood, friendship, or name,” Leighton said. “What binds us is even stronger—loyalty and trust.”

  Blair, Palmer, Keily, Mai, Sofia, and I knelt on the living room carpet. Twenty minutes ago, it was a cozy space of movie nights and study sessions. The candles, drawn curtains, and the long, dancing shadows of the women standing before us turned this space into something else entirely.

  A shiver went up my spine. Bound in loyalty and trust? What did that mean?

  “Reagan.” Leighton bowed to her. “If you would begin.”

  “Thank you, sister.”

  Reagan moved in front of us. “My stepfather and his brother raped me repeatedly from nine years old until a social worker took me away at twelve.”

  Gasps filled the room.

  “Reagan, oh my gosh.” I jumped to my feet and she gently pushed me down.

  “It’s alright, Valentina. I’m okay.”

  She walked back to the mantle. Confusion niggled me as Patricia took her place.

  “I used to shoplift,” Pat said. “Little things at first. But I graduated to pickpocketing when I realized I could get away with it.”

  “What’s going on?” Sofia asked. “Why are you saying these things?”

  “Do not interrupt,” Leighton said. “It will make sense soon.”

  I slowly sat back on my heels. Underneath the table, I reached for my best friend’s hand.

  One after the other, the sisters revealed their deepest secrets. Not a thing made sense... till Reagan revealed the envelopes.

  “I want to make it clear you do not have to reveal these secrets. If they mean more to you than your place here, you may walk out the door and no one will stop you,” said Leighton. “Only I know what is written, so I will know if you lie. Reveal your secret and become a Sally, or leave Zeta Rho Sigma and never come back. The choice is yours.”

  Leighton looked at me and I went rigid. Just as quickly she moved on to the end of the row. “Mai Nguyen.”

  Mai hesitated to take her envelope.

  “I suggest,” Leighton said smoothly, “that none of you beg, snivel, or plead. I won’t be impressed and it will not change your options. Your sisters named their secrets with their heads held high. Do the same.”

  Mai’s hand shook so badly she dropped the envelope on the first try. She picked it up again and ripped it open. “I slept...”

  Mai truly tried to hold her head up as tears dripped down her face.

  “I slept with my TA for a better grade on my midterm.”

  “Mai?” Keily breathed. “You wouldn’t—”

  She touched her shoulder. Mai roughly shoved away.

  “Keily Baas.”

  Keily was clearly torn between wanting to comfort her friend and running away.

  “I have two boyfriends and I... use both for their money,” she read. “I’m d-desperate to fit in with my new rich friends.” Shame burned her face. Rocking back, Keily drew her knees to her chest and dropped her head on them. She looked like a small child shutting the world out.

  “Palmer Holbrooke.”

  Palmer rested one hand on Keily’s head as she read hers. “My father has...” She stopped. Her eyes grew huge as she scanned the paper over and over. “This isn’t true.”

  “What did I say about sniveling?” Leighton’s hard, unforgiving tone was foreign to me.

  “This is a lie,” Palmer cried. “You can’t just make stuff up!”

  “We both know it’s not a lie, Palmer,” she replied. “I got the truth from you. You have two options. Choose.”

  “What does it say?” Mai croaked.

  “It doesn’t matter because it’s not true. My father doesn’t have a second family.” She leveled a shaky finger at Leighton. “Have you been spying on me? That’s illegal! I could—”

  Leighton waved her away like she was an annoying gnat. “Blair Davenport.”

  “I have no problem reading this,
” Blair said over Palmer’s noise. “I’ve done nothing to be ashamed of. Neither has my family.”

  She unfolded the envelope and tugged out the small cream card. She cleared her throat. “My b-boyfriend.”

  I caught the trip and the slight widening of her eyes. She recovered and kept going.

  “My boyfriend is my best friend’s father. He’s married and... we’ve been sleeping together... since I was... sixteen.”

  I cringed with every word she labored to get out.

  “I make videos... of... myself ma-ma-masturbating.”

  Tears filled her eyes. It was obvious to me Blair did not consider for a second that Leighton would unearth this secret.

  “And send them to him,” she finished.

  With deliberate movements, Blair put the note back in, stuffed it in her pocket, and knelt on the carpet. She held her chin up even as wetness dripped down her face and soaked her collar.

  “Sofia Richards.”

  I found my voice.

  “That’s enough,” I cried. “This is wrong. Sofia, you don’t have to do this.”

  She squeezed my fingers. “It’s okay, Val. You know everything about me. I don’t have dark secrets. Nothing in this envelope can hurt me.”

  She opened it before I could stop her.

  “My mother sold my intellectual property to competitors for a cut of the profits. All in a bid to one day amass enough to buy them all out.”

  Sofia stuffed the card back and tossed it on the table.

  I studied her. She seemed fine.

  “Valentina Moon.”

  Reagan placed the envelope in my hand.

  I should walk out now. I can’t make a grand speech about not having secrets. My secrets have secrets. They have repercussions that can destroy lives and bring my world crashing to its knees.

  And you’re too well protected for Leighton to have found out, a voice whispered. She could never know the worst of it.

  I peeled back the flap, hanging on to my conviction.

  It shattered as my eyes landed on the four typed bold words.

  How...

  I stopped. Stopped breathing. Stopped moving. Stopped thinking.

  “Valentina.” Leighton’s voice reached me from far away. “Is there a problem?”

  Raising my head, our gaze connected in a spark that charged the atmosphere. I read the challenge in her eyes as plainly as the betrayal that shone in mine.

  I pressed the card to my chest and spoke without breaking our connection. “I was raped when I was fourteen. My rapist gave me an STD.”

  Keily gasped. “Oh my gosh. Adam—”

  “Don’t,” I snapped. “Just don’t.”

  She fell silent.

  Leighton inclined her head. “Thank you, ladies. I know how hard it must have been. It was difficult for me and the sisters who came before you. Believe us when we say, we appreciate the bravery you showed and the trust you put in us. After tonight, we will never speak of this again.” She held out her hands. “Rise, pledges, and become sisters.”

  The girls rose on legs that trembled and fell into the arms of the sisters.

  “The worst is over,” Pat announced. “We’ve got cupcakes, brownies, and wine in the kitchen. Let’s celebrate.”

  Reagan walked up to me, arms out. I sidestepped her and strode out the door.

  “Where are you going, Val?”

  I paused on the welcome mat. “I’m leaving,” I said blankly. “I’m out, aren’t I?”

  “Did I say you were?” Leighton turned me around. “It’s true you broke the rules and didn’t say what was on your card but”—she winked—“I won’t tell if you don’t.”

  I blinked. “Why would you give me a pass?”

  She leaned in so close her forehead brushed my nose.

  “Because I want you, Valentina,” she whispered. “I wanted you from day one.”

  “Wha—”

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  I stumbled into Leighton jumping away from the door. My heart galloped out of control.

  “Valentina! Valentina, get out of there!”

  “Ezra?”

  The doorknob rattled furiously. “Valentina!”

  “Get that,” Leighton said, sounding almost bored. “You can miss the celebration, but I expect to see you tomorrow to talk about your new responsibilities as a Sally.”

  She walked off, leaving me stunned.

  Who the hell is this girl? I don’t know her at all.

  I unlocked the door and Ezra shoved inside. My love’s perfect veneer had been broken anew.

  His hair was a mess. His eyes huge and bulging.

  “We have to get out of here. Their initiation—”

  “It’s too late,” I said. I gently cupped his cheek. “It’s done, baby.”

  “No.”

  Ezra took hold of me and pulled me outside. Out on the concrete steps of the neat shiny homes, he gathered me in his arms. We hugged tightly, our faces buried in each other’s necks, and drawing the only comfort that could sustain us.

  “What did yours say?” I whispered.

  “It said... that I was molested.”

  “Oh, Ezra.” Tears leaked from my eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” His voice was low and raspy. “It’s not like no one knows. What about you?”

  My nails dug into his shoulder. “I don’t know how but... it said I am a murderer.”

  Chapter Eight

  Ezra

  “They hacked us, Val. They got everything they needed from our phones, computers, all of it.” I punched the dash. “Shit!”

  Val put her hand on my thigh. “Ezra, why don’t you pull over? You shouldn’t drive like this.”

  “I can’t. I have to keep moving. I want to be as far as possible from that place.” I veered through the lanes, pushing my speed to the breaking point.

  “Aiden told you they couldn’t crack Maverick Tech,” she reminded. “So how did Leighton know to put that in my card?”

  I shook my head. “I doubt Leighton cracked what Aiden couldn’t. There’s one way she could have gotten it and it’s from the person sitting in a jail cell cursing you for ruining their life.”

  “Oh my gosh, you’re right.” Val let out an audible sigh of relief. “That’s the only explanation.”

  “I’m done with the frat, Val. I didn’t read my card. Aiden kicked me out.” The half lie ached like needles in my throat.

  I have to tell Val the truth, but I can’t until I talk to Brian. There’s a chance Aiden is wrong. I need my brother to tell me he’s still the man I know.

  “He’s disgusting for manipulating you,” she said. “If and when you tell people about your assault is your choice. Holding it over your head to become a brother was a line he shouldn’t have crossed. It’s a line Leighton shouldn’t have crossed either. She made them reveal terribly personal information.”

  “Is Sofia okay?”

  “I’m not sure. I’m going to call her as soon as we get home.”

  “I’m going to drop you home.” My white-knuckle grip on the wheel tightened. “I need to go to my mom’s.”

  “All right. But then come back and let me make you feel better.”

  This is Val. She knows me. She knows when I need her.

  The suffocating pain began to ease.

  “I love you,” I said.

  “I love you too.”

  I took Val home and waited for her to go inside.

  My head was a tangled mess driving to my mother’s house. What do I say to Brian? What if it’s true? You don’t get a name like Sons of Slaughter for trafficking in fluffy kittens. How much danger is my brother in? And my sister-in-law and nieces?

  Austin’s threats were too specific to be false. And Brian was still here. Weeks and weeks when his longest stay since he was eighteen was two.

  I burst through the front doors.

  “Are you alright, Master Ezra?” asked our butler.

  “Where is Brian? I need to speak
to him now.”

  “Let me get your mother,” Evan replied. “She wanted to know the minute you arrived.”

  I put him out of my mind as he scurried off.

  “Brian?” I called. “Brian!”

  “Ezra?”

  I skidded to a stop just short of the living room. Mom stepped into my path. She beamed at the sight of me.

  “Sweetie, you came.”

  “Mom, I can’t right now. I have to find Bri—”

  She grabbed me in a strangling hug. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. Our fight got out of control and I was not at my best. I should have heard you out.”

  Her apology burrowed beneath my single-minded focus. “I appreciate it, Mom. Thank you.” I tried to pull away. “Can we talk about this later?”

  “Yes, we’ll talk later.” She cupped my cheek, smiling at me like my eyes held Christmas morning. “I have a surprise for you.”

  “I can get it later too,” I said. “I need to talk to Brian.”

  “Brian is in the dining room, love. He’s waiting for us to start dinner.”

  “Okay.” I made to go.

  “No.” Mom snagged my sleeve. “Come with me.”

  Frustration pounded my patience. “Mom, give me a minute. Brian and I—”

  “Hakim, he’s here.” She pulled me into the living room. “Ezra is here.”

  My feet planted to the spot. A man with a neatly trimmed salt-and-pepper beard and sparkling obsidian eyes rose from the armchair.

  “Meet your son,” Mom said.

  “My son,” he repeated. “My Ezra.”

  I willed moisture into my throat. “Who... are you?” I asked dumbly.

  Mom laughed. “You know who he is, sweetie. Go ahead.” She gave me a tiny shove right into his arms.

  Hakim enfolded me to his chest—whole and real and warm.

  “My eldest son,” he whispered, voice choked. “So long I’ve waited for this day.”

  My nose buried in his blazer, inhaling a scent of ginger, lemongrass, and fresh clean soap.

  My father’s scent, my dull mind supplied.

  His beard tickled my forehead.

  Hakim’s beard on my forehead. His arms around me. Him here... in front of me. Not a voice in my ear or a face on a screen.

  “I’m sorry, Ezra,” he said. “For more than I can name. I love you.”