by Mae Doyle
“With pleasure, sir.” He walks up to me and grabs me by the elbow, forcing me out from behind my desk and pulling me along with him to the door. As soon as we’re out in the hall and the door is shut behind us, he lets me go but keeps walking. “Hurry up, Abigail. He’ll have called the headmaster by now, and you don’t want to keep him waiting.”
My body is screaming for me to turn and run in the other direction, but I hurry after Quinn. We make a series of turns without speaking but, before long, are in front of the headmaster’s office. Quinn sprawls in a chair in the hall and points at the door. “Go. Get.”
I nod at him and slowly open the door, peeking my head in. This is the first time I’ve been here and I’m honestly not sure what to expect. From what other people have said, the headmaster is a bit of a hardass. Searching my memory for his name, I let out a sigh of relief when my eyes fall on the nameplate on his desk.
“Mr. Britton. Hi, I’m – ”
“Abigail. I know who you are. Come in and shut the door.” He doesn’t get up from his desk while he waits for me to come in, but I can easily see that he’s in great shape. In fact, he looks positively out of place when compared to the rest of the staff, who all tend to be a bit more academic.
He’s younger than I would have thought, with dark hair and eyes. As he watches me, he leans forward, resting his elbows on his desk. I settle into the dark blue chair across from him and wait.
And wait.
At first, I assume that he’s going to speak, but when a few minutes have passed and neither one of us have said anything, I start to feel uncomfortable. Clearing my throat, I decide to start, but he cuts me off.
“Professor Thiel tells me that you caused a scene in his class.” When I sit up to interrupt, he holds up his hand, silencing me. “You and I both know that we took a risk allowing you to come to Trinity Prep. We don’t normally take students after they’ve started high school at another institution because we feel that their minds will already be formed in a way that we may not like. In fact, we can see evidence of that here, with you.”
What the fuck?
He pauses and I speak up. “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, Mr. Britton. It’s just that I had an incorrect syllabus for class and so I was unprepared. I don’t know how I got it, but – ”
“Before you even think about throwing another student under the bus on this one, I want you to stop and decide if that’s something you really want to do.” His voice is serious and I pause, thinking about what he said. “We want the students at Trinity Prep to handle any problems that arise between themselves, without involving the teachers or staff. Over time, we have found that this is the best way to ensure that problems are addressed quickly, and it also ensures that the students who don’t really deserve to be here don’t stay for very long. Am I making myself clear?”
“I think so.” From what he was saying, it sounds like I need to handle my shit with Alice and Quinn, but also sounds like they’ve been given carte blanche to deal with me however they see fit. It’s exhilarating…and a bit terrifying.
“Good. Then let’s make a deal, shall we? This is just between the two of us. You figure out whatever your problem is at Trinity Prep and get it under control. I have no interest in hearing about it. If you can’t, and you end up in my office again, then you’re gone. How do you like that?”
My fingers are picking at a weak spot in the fabric on the chair. I slip one inside and swirl it in the stuffing while I think about what he’s said. Even though he phrased it like it was something I could agree or disagree with, I have the distinct feeling that it’s nothing something that I have a choice on.
Finally, I nod. “That sounds great. Thank you, sir. But, just so that I’m clear on things and I don’t have to come back for clarification, students are allowed to take matters into their own hands, no matter what?”
This gets his attention and he sits up a bit straighter, locking his eyes on me. “We do not condone violence at Trinity Prep.” Before he sounded like someone I was having a conversation with, but now he suddenly sounds like he’s reading from a pamphlet. “Any violence against another person at this school will result in expulsion. Does that make sense?”
Not at all.
“Completely. Thank you for the clarification. I stand up, reaching to shake his hand, but he doesn’t move. Instead, he leans back in his chair, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Good. Then back to Professor Thiel’s class with you, Abigail, and remember – if you show up in here again then you had better pack your bags and be prepared to leave. You’ve had your meeting with me. If there is another then it will be me making sure that you leave your key to your room so that another student can move in without worry.”
What he says resonates with me and I pause. I know that I need to leave as quickly as possible, especially if I want to avoid an ugly scene with him, but I have to ask one more thing. “Sir, has anyone ever left with their key? What happens then?”
“Goodbye, Abigail. Stay here much longer and we’re going to have to count it as our second meeting, and you know what that means.”
He gestures to the door and I don’t hesitate. I let myself out as quickly as possible, practically tripping over Quinn in the hallway.
“How did it go?” He sounds too eager for information as he stands up and walks next to me, but I ignore him.
Mr. Britton may not realize it, but he’s given me a lot of information. I have to figure out how I’m going to survive the rest of the year if Quinn and Alice have the freedom to do whatever they want to me. But first, I have to pass an accounting test.
Chapter Fifteen
I haven’t been alone with Quinn since he had to walk me to the headmaster’s office. This has taken a lot of careful doing on my part to make sure that I don’t accidentally run into him in the hall or that we don’t’ linger after class together without me knowing it.
In fact, the past few days have gone by so smoothly that I’m whistling as I walk through the art department. Madeline and I decided to each work for two hours and then meet up for a movie in her room.
She turned off a few doors ago, but I have to walk to the end of the hall before I make it to the painting room. Turning the corner, I give a little sigh of relief when I see that the lights in the room are off. I really wanted to be here on my own.
Reaching around, I feel my way along the wall as I search for the light switches. I know that they’re back here on the wall somewhere, but the room is so dark that I’m having trouble finding them. Before I find them, something grabs my wrist, pinning me up on the wall.
Immediately, a hand clamps down over my mouth, stifling any chance I had of screaming. My heart starts to pound, but even though I’m unsure of what to do right now, I know exactly who it is that has me pinned up against the wall.
I can feel the bandage on his finger.
Quinn.
“Hi there, Abigail. What in the world are you doing down here all by yourself?” He smells delicious, like a mixture of turpentine and really expensive cologne, but it’s hard for me to breathe with his hand holding my mouth shut. I know that after last time he’s not going to make the mistake of putting his finger anywhere near my teeth.
I don’t answer, and he leans forward, using his knee to separate my legs. My skin suddenly feels hot and clammy, but he doesn’t seem to notice when he reaches out and runs his tongue up my neck. I shiver at his touch, but as much as I want to pull away from him, something pins me in place.
My body is turning on me. Every second that I spend so close to him makes me want him even more. I can feel my core tighten and a low throbbing between my legs.
It’s what happens every time I get close to Quinn.
“I’m ready to collect on our bet, Abigail.” His voice is soft, like it’s just for me, and the thought both thrills and terrifies me. “You ready?”
At this, I squirm away, twisting my head so that I can speak. “Never. You told me that you’d wait un
til I wanted it, Quinn, until I begged for it, and that’s never going to happen.”
He laughs, but the sound is hollow. “You think so? Because I have a feeling that right now, little Abigail, your body wants nothing more than my hands on it and my cock in it. What do you say about that?”
“I’d say that you’re wrong.” The words hang in the air between us, and even though it’s so dark that I can’t see his face, I know that he can tell I’m lying. Any idiot could tell.
“You don’t have to like me, Abigail. I know that you don’t, but you’re going to love what I do to you. How about just a kiss for starters?”
Just a kiss would be getting off easy with him, and we both know it. If I kiss him, then there is a very real chance that it keeps going and that I can’t stop it. I don’t know that it’s a good idea, but I don’t know how else to get out of this.
A kiss for my virginity?
All I’ve done since I came here was gamble.
After a moment, I nod. “One kiss,” I say, trying to keep my voice sounding firm.
He chuckles and runs his hands up my side, taking him to graze my nipple in the process. “One kiss,” he promises. “But I guarantee you that you’re going to be begging me for more, you understand?”
I promise myself that I won’t. Closing my eyes, even though I can’t see anything anyway, I try to disappear deep into my mind where he can’t follow me. He can have my body, sure, but there’s no way that I’m ever going to let Quinn into my mind.
His breath is warm and he leans forward, his hands now tangled in my hair on the sides of my head. He’s holding me steady, making sure that I won’t get away, but I’m not sure that I could even if I tried. Even if he stepped back right now and let me walk away I don’t think that I could make my feet move. I’m stuck here, and the only thing that will let me go is a kiss from Quinn.
Sounds like a fucking nightmare of a fairy tale.
“I bet you taste amazing.” He doesn’t give me time to respond before his lips find mine. I expected the kiss to be hard and painful, desperate as he tried to hurt me, but it wasn’t like that at all. It’s more tender than I ever would have though, his tongue sliding expertly between my lips, tasting and probing me.
I can’t help the soft sigh that slips from between my lips. Quinn hears it, though, and it spurs him on. He growls a little, a throaty sound that makes the hair on my arms and the back of my head stand up. Instead of gently holding the sides of my head now, he slips his hand around the back of my neck, squeezing so tight that I gasp.
All gentleness is cast aside. Quinn bites my lower lip, pulling it out until I cry and taste blood, then kisses me again, lapping at the small tear in my skin. I can’t help but reach up and dig my nails into his chest. He’s all muscle, sculpted from stone, and I grab his arms before sliding my hands down to his waist.
I want to take in all of him.
The throbbing in my center has gotten more insistent. Before we kissed, he shoved his leg between mine, opening them up, and I rub forward, grinding myself on him. There’s an instant shooting of pleasure that reaches up from between my legs to my entire body, and I lean my head back, completely giving myself over to the feeling.
In response, Quinn grabs my ass and lifts me, pinning me against the wall as I wrap my legs around his waist. I can feel his bulge against me, hard and huge, and I grind against it, wanting that same shock of pleasure from before.
He doesn’t stop kissing me. Nipping my neck, he works his way to my ear. The sensation of his teeth and lips on my skin makes it hard for me to concentrate. I’m breathing hard, my hands now wrapped in his hair, sucking in every breath and grinding against him.
He doesn’t stop me. Instead, he grabs my hip, helping me find my rhythm while he goes back to kissing me. The energy in my body is rising higher and higher. I can feel myself getting heady and light.
So this is what everyone is always talking about.
A slight gasp escapes my parted lips and Quinn stops kissing me, grabbing me instead by the neck and squeezing. Immediately, my eyes fly open and I panic, but he has his hand on my hip, guiding me against him.
I can’t stop now. He won’t let me.
“Quinn!” I’m only getting snatches of air right now and my voice is quiet, but he has to hear me. It’s silent in the art room except for his breathing.
“Come for me, Abigail,” he says, kissing me harder than before, now taking me for his own. His hand is digging into my hip but he doesn’t stop pulling me to him.
My body betrays me.
The feeling shoots through me and I collapse over the edge, shattering against him, pinned up against the wall. Crying out, I grab at his hand on my neck, trying to rip it away from my skin, but he doesn’t let go.
I can imagine how dark his eyes are right now as they bore into me.
I shudder and then drop my head down, unable to move. Gently, almost too slow, Quinn slides me down his leg and I drop to the floor. I’m panting, and I look up, trying to see him in the dark.
He drops down next to me and leans over, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. I have no idea how he can see me in the dark, but he seems to know exactly where I am at all times. He’s the ultimate hunter and has just shown me how focused he is on his prey.
“Now imagine what I’m going to do to you with my cock,” he whispers. “And then see how much longer you can tell yourself that you’re not going to beg me for it. You’ll beg me to fuck you, Abigail. I know your body now, better than you do, and I can make you come again, but only if you do what I tell you to do.”
I don’t realize that I’m crying until I feel the tear drip off of my chin and land on my hand. Hurriedly, I wipe them away. “And what’s that? What do you want me to do so badly? Wasn’t this enough for you?”
He laughs, the sound booming around the art room. “You think that this is all that I want from you? Poor thing. I want to take you and break you, Abigail. If you don’t think that you can handle what I’m going to do to you, then leave. But either way, I’m going to tear you apart. Then, when you realize that you can’t live without me, I’m going to take the internship and leave.”
He stands back up and walks off before I have a chance to respond. I hear his footsteps echoing away from me and then he slams open the door to the art room, letting in a shaft of light.
Too quickly, he’s gone, and the light with him.
Sitting on the floor, I try to figure out what the hell I’ve just done. Quinn wants my virginity, which he hasn’t taken yet, but he almost did. Hell, I was almost ready to give it to him just now.
But he’s evil.
I shouldn’t feel this way about him.
Finally, I stand, sliding my hand along the wall for the light switch. When I find it and turn it on, I stand blinking in the light before walking to look at my painting.
I still have time to get some work done. Painting is going to be the only thing that’s going to help me get my mind off of Quinn.
And what he did to me.
Whipping back the curtain to my area, I’m looking forward to seeing my painting. I know that I have a lot of work left to do, but this week has been good for me. I’ve gotten a lot done and I’m happy with the progress that I’ve made. Also, I know that this is the only thing that will be able to take my mind off of what just happened with Quinn.
He’s all-consuming.
I used to only think about my art, but since he came into my life, he’s taken that spot. I can’t stop thinking about him. I can’t stop imagining his body on mine.
It takes me a moment to come out of my haze and look at my art.
As soon as I look at my canvas, though, my heart sinks.
“No.” Nobody is here to hear me, and I say it louder. “No, no, no!” I’m yelling now, and I run over to my canvas, my heart pounding again.
My canvas is ruined. All of the hard work that I’ve put into it – all of the hours and the study and the technique, all gone. All ruined
.
All wasted.
Someone has slashed through the canvas, cutting holes all the way through it. It’s barely hanging on the frame, shredding so completely that it’s impossible to see what I was working on in the first place.
Who the fuck would do this?
There’s only one person I can think of who is this honestly evil.
He was just in here.
I turn and run out of the art room, not even worrying about stopping to turn off the light. Quinn has a huge head start on me, and I’m not sure where he’ll be hiding.
What rock he’ll have found to crawl under.
Doesn’t matter. I’m going to find him, and I’m going to send him to hell, where he belongs.
Chapter Sixteen
I can’t believe that I can see him across the quad.
If I were him, well I would have started running as soon as I’d gotten out of the art department. But, as I have to remind myself, Quinn doesn’t think that anything bad could ever happen to him. He’s untouchable.
Not any longer.
I run, pumping my arms to cross the quad faster. Even from here I can see that he’s talking to Carter and Trae. They’re laughing. Something he’s telling them is hysterical, and my stomach twists as I think about what it could be.
Even though they were a long way from me, I’m gaining on them. He may think that he can…attack me like that and then ruin my painting and get away with it, but he has something else coming.
But was it really an attack?
The thought makes me slow my pace as it drifts through my head.
I mean, honestly, I enjoyed it. How fucked up does that make me?
Shaking my head, I kick the thought out. That’s something that I can worry about later. Right now, though, I need to catch up with him and see what the hell he thought he was doing. He’s the one who ruined my painting, I have absolutely no doubt.
“Quinn!” To my surprise, he spins around to look at me. He has a look of disbelief on his face, like he can’t believe that I chased him down through the quad. Trae and Carter turn too, their faces full of glee.
