by Jaye Cox
Kalen isn’t in class today. Actually, I didn’t see any of the Knox brothers in assembly this morning, which was odd. Wouldn’t expect the perfect prefects to be truanting. I’m glad though; I’m clinging desperately to my anger, but part of me hopes it was all an awful misunderstanding. If they fell before my feet begging me to listen and to understand right now, I would be tempted to do as they asked. And I’m pretty sure that would lead to me cancelling my deal with Baxter. I can’t do that. I have to get out of here, and Baxter is my ticket.
I saunter out of the classroom like I don’t have a care in the world.
“Hey, lover,” I say to Sawyer, winking and startling him.
“Are you out of your ever-loving mind? Keep your voice down and close the classroom door,” he chastises.
“Sorry, Sir,” I smirk.
He storms off down the corridor and barely gives me a chance to keep up with him.
“Amelie, what did you do?” Sawyer asks me after a while. He sounds exasperated.
“Why do you assume I did something?” I ask defensively.
“Dad’s office was broken into this morning. We all know it was you.” He sounds so resigned, like I’ve let him down somehow.
“Where are the twins and Kalen?” I ask, ignoring his question.
“Busy. It’s no use acting out you know...he won’t send you home.”
Anger surges through me and I turn to Sawyer. I stare at his handsome face, and I miss him so much it hurts. I hate that maybe he was playing me too, just like his brothers. Rage bubbles to the surface and I’m helpless to prevent it boiling over.
“I wish everyone would stop saying that!” I throw my hands up in the air and strike his chest with every word. Ah crap, I’m beating on a teacher. I’m so screwed.
“Amelie...Amelie...STOP!” Sawyer, to be fair, doesn’t lay a hand on me, but I don’t listen to him either. I continue to hit him, angry hot tears burning my cheeks as they fall without my permission.
Sawyer eventually snaps and grabs me by the tops of my arms. I struggle and fight against him, but he's too strong. He drags me through the nearest door, which turns out to be one of the girls’ bathrooms. He checks it’s empty and locks the door, shoving me against the wall. All self-defence training has fled my mind; I just wildly kick out at him and struggle to break free. He shakes me, banging my head against the wall a little and I’m sure he’s about to lose his shit with me like he did in the kitchen at Monty’s house. Instead, he surprises me by planting his lips on mine.
Sawyer’s kiss is bruising, punishing, desperate. It shreds my soul and leaves me ragged and in tatters. His kiss is genuine; he’s not playing with me like the others, filling me with hope.
But his kiss is also as anguished as I feel. He wants me, but can’t have me. We can’t be together. This can never work. It’s a bucket of icy water wake-up call.
We break apart at the same time, like we both just had the exact same realisation.
“Amelie, I’m so sorry—” Sawyer begins.
“Don’t—” I warn him.
“I have to tell you this, sorry. But I really care about you. Way more than I should. Not as a student or as a step-sister. And it’s driving me crazy that I can’t be with you in the way that you deserve.”
A sob wrenches free from my throat and I push past him without speaking. I couldn’t even if I tried. What do you say to that? Instead, I unlock the door and bolt, and Sawyer doesn’t come after me.
I arrive at Monty's office out of breath and panting, but thankfully I’m no longer crying. He’s standing at the open door waiting for me.
“Where’s Mr Knox?” he asks me as I enter his office and take a seat. I see that my message has been cleaned off the mirror...no, actually, the mirror has been replaced. It’s similar, but definitely different. I snort.
“I’m glad you're amused, Amelie,” Monty says as he closes the door and rounds his desk to take his seat.
“It’s not like I need a chaperone. I know where your office is.”
“I was afraid you would run,” he tells me.
“Where to?” I snap. “We’re in the middle of nowhere.”
“And yet, that hasn’t stopped you from leaving campus without permission before.
“What can I say,” I shrug nonchalantly. “It’s taco day in the canteen. I love me some tacos.”
“Be serious,” he tells me. There’s almost heat to his words, like I’m getting under his skin but he’s desperate not to show it.
“I never joke about food.”
“Why did you do it?”
“Do what?” I bat my eyelashes at him with a pantomime of false innocence. I’m enjoying myself.
“I don’t know what you hoped to achieve by breaking into my office to leave that petulant message.”
“Why don’t you have a picture of Laura in here?” I ask, throwing him off guard. He blinks rapidly for a moment, stunned.
“I don’t like to mix home with work.”
“Well that’s bullshit.” I snort. I don’t give a fuck about using bad language around him now. I’m done playing nice. “It was my headmaster who bribed me with a credit card on the proviso that I played nicely with my mother.”
“Amelie, I know why you’re at the school, but under normal circumstances your rap sheet wouldn’t be enough to warrant a place at a school like this. You are here as a favour to your mother who was looking for an opportunity to get closer to you and mend bridges. Not all pupils are the same. There are some very...unsavoury characters here at Knox Academy. Some who would use your mother to hurt me, given half a chance. And that is why I don’t keep a photo of her in my office.”
He’s good, I’ll give him that. But I survived on reading people, and I know that he’s playing me right now.
“You have to be punished for your actions,” he goes on to tell me. I sit back in my chair, stretch out my legs and cross them at the ankles. I fold my arms over my chest defiantly.
“So send me home,” I challenge. Monty shakes his head.
“I won’t do that,” he tells me. “Many students have done worse than you and I’ve not kicked them out. In fact, I’ve never kicked any student out. I don’t intend to start with my daughter.”
I do not like the way he calls me his daughter. My anger rises to the surface again.
“Besides,” he continues. “There are harsher punishments I can dole out, than sending you home.”
“Like what?” I challenge.
“Like holding you back a year...indefinitely...and making it so that you never leave. I’m pretty sure if you’re a flight risk, I have grounds to confiscate your passport too.”
A sick sense of dread fills me, and I make a mental note to hide my passport as soon as I get back to my room. Oh God, what if he’s already taken it? I need to get out of here.
“You can’t do that!” I cry.
“I can. I don’t want to. But if I have to...I will.”
“Please don’t. I won’t do it again. I promise. What’s my punishment, Sir?” I bow my head, put in my place. Acting the part of a truly remorseful good little student.
“You’re in detention. And as your headmaster, I have had to alert your mother. Expect further punishment at home too.”
“Are you going to tell her what I wrote?”
“No. But not as a favour to you. I don’t want to hurt Laura. And this would devastate her. She’s done nothing but try to get to know you since you got here, and despite your assurances to me that you would at least try, you’ve done nothing but throw it back in her face at every turn.”
That is not true. Since I arrived Laura has done nothing but try to control and manipulate me. I say nothing.
Monty’s phone buzzes and he looks down at his message.
“Ah. That’s your mother now. She’s very disappointed in you and agrees with your punishment. I am sorry, Amelie, but we are cancelling your family’s visit at Christmas.”
Tears prick my eyes but I don’t argu
e.
“Can I earn it back?” I ask quietly.
“No,” Monty tells me sadly, looking at me with pity. “There has to be consequences to your actions. I really am sorry that it had to come to this, Amelie.” He looks like he means it. Swallowing the huge lump in my throat, I simply nod my understanding.
“May I leave please?”
“Yes. I would like you to go back to your room for the rest of the day and stay there. I will have meals sent up to you. I think a period of reflection would be beneficial right now. Please report for detention with Mr Knox on Saturday morning. I believe you know the drill.”
I nod again and get to my feet. I’m not acting when the tears fall for the second time today. I race along the corridor and back to my room, heartbroken.
Prisoner.
Chapter Thirty
Baxter
Monty is fucking braindead if he thinks I’m clueless as to why Amelie is here; he fucking drafted me to his cause. All throughout my first year the guy tried to bribe me to do what he wanted, and like an idiot, I fell for his empty promises. He recruited me alongside his own kids, and suddenly I was part of the ‘family’ – tattoo and all. He knew exactly what buttons to press; knew that I was craving that feeling of belonging somewhere. But I won’t conform to anybody; I’d rather be in prison or worse...anything would be better than what he tried to make me do.
Second year he resorted to more physical threats to try to get me back after I walked away, but this year we have reached an understanding: I’ll be his bitch, but I refuse to join them again.
Instead, he gives me some shitty jobs, but that’s as far as it goes. Even though he always presses for more. Problem is, Monty needs to remember why he wanted me here in the first place: there is no information I can’t find, and being invisible when I need to be, helps my cause. Monty wants to use my skill set, but he forgets that I can turn those skills on him too.
Amelie is special and he knows it, her bloodline alone is valuable to him and I’ll be fucked if I let that kind of power fall into Monty’s hands. He almost got his hands on that kind of power once, but not anymore, his hands are tied without her.
Watching his sons take advantage of Amelie has made me less ambivalent towards them, now I’m more angry. During our first year, the twins and I were close, but then a little incident had them acting all holier than thou. They really didn’t like me leaving their little ‘family’ either. It wasn’t my fault our friend Fitzy – another Australian transfer – killed himself. He was beyond our help, and I wasn’t here to babysit. When I came back to our room, he had slit his wrists after taking a load of pills, yet that didn’t kill him. He drowned after his body blocked the drain, he fucking drowned in two inches of water...and they all blamed me. They also didn’t like it when I left their little group after I figured out that most of the kids here at Knox Academy had family come here way back when it was a prison camp for young wayward boys, too young to throw in prison, so they sent them here to reform them.
We all knew the legends coming here; some of our grandparents told us stories growing up. Great Grandpa Knox bought the land and reopened it as a school, but no one seems to know why. I have my theories.
They want to start up this legend again, but from what I hear the rules are very specific, and I'm presuming they didn’t have the bloodlines they needed. Amelie is the damn key. Her mother might have sufficed, but Monty pushed away the people he needed to make it all real. He has so far failed to follow his granddaddy’s dream. Why people with money and power need more is beyond me; what good can come of that? I want no part of it.
Drugging them really wasn’t hard, one by one I waited for them to drop like flies, waiting in the shadows. Moving them to the underground bunker unseen was more of a challenge; Monty has eyes everywhere. Luckily, a small distraction gave me an hour window to get this all set up.
Watching the four of them start to wake up, I lean against the wall, the shadows keeping me hidden.
“What the hell is going on?” Sawyer asks angrily, but I don’t think he’s expecting an answer.
They all talk amongst themselves. Perfect timing to step out and make myself known.
“You all really need to be more careful, given your training and all, Daddy would be mortified.” A cold smirk reaches my lips when they all throw daggers at me with their eyes.
“Untie us now, Branson,” Sawyer demands.
“Ever the protector, biggest brother. It’s a pity that your protection is of the wrong people.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Kalen whines. The twins stay silent; they know me well enough to wait for the information I plan to give them.
“Amelie. Who else?”
“You jealous? Didn’t peg you as the jealous type,” Kalen adds, trying to fight against his restraints.
“Very presumptuous don’t you think? None of you deserve a girl like her.”
“And you do?” Slate chimes in. I’m surprised, he usually hides behind his twin.
“Fuck no, especially not me. But you all have sins to atone for.”
“Who died and made you God?” Onyx snaps.
“Wouldn’t you like to know? But my friend has a very clear message for you all.”
I take my time and size them up, wondering where to start first.
The baby; it’ll hurt them the most. I take my knife from my boot, tapping it on my hand as I move closer. Sawyer starts putting up a good fight, threats of death slung in my direction.
“I’m not going to lie to you guys, this is going to hurt. Sawyer? It’ll hurt you most of all because you have to watch this happen to your brothers, powerless to protect them. Isn’t that the crap you all sprout? Where were you when I needed my brothers’ protection? Turning on me, that’s where.”
Luckily for me, Kalen wore his hair down. I wrap my left hand in his hair and yank his head back. He cries out in pain, his three brothers going wild. Pathetic. I didn’t even touch him yet.
“Tut, tut boys. I would think very carefully about your next move, I would hate to slip with a blade as sharp as this pressed against his throat.”
“You don’t want to hurt him, it’s me you have an issue with. I turned my brothers and father against you. It was me,” Onyx yells. “Don’t be a bitch and hurt them to punish me.”
Letting go of Kalen’s hair, I shove him away with force and move over to Onyx. I use the back of my fist to shut him up and his head snaps to the side. He spits the blood from his mouth.
“Is that all you have?” he goads.
“That was for pissing me off...this is for tripping Amelie and spilling her blood.” My knife is slipped back into my boot before I throw a right hook to his already messed up nose.
“And this,” I say moving over to Slate, “Is for thinking that spilling your secrets could manipulate her into trusting you.” I don’t mean to hit him more than once, but I do. Again and again until I hear him groan.
“I will kill you, Branson,” Sawyer spits.
“I don’t think you will, you all know better. You’ve witnessed what I can do. There’s a reason your daddy only calls me in when things get really bad.”
Each time they threaten me, I will take it out on Kalen; everyone has a weakness. People learn fast when you exploit that.
My handy knife is returned to my grasp and pressed tightly against Kalen’s throat.
“I wonder if the girls will still find you so pretty if you’re cut up a little?”
I move so that blade nicks his cheek, a surface wound at best. The scaring will be minimal, but his pretty face will bear a permanent mark.
“You think my face is my best asset, aww, I’m flattered.”
I lean in and whisper in his ear, “I know better, it’s the hair.” Kalen fights under his restraints, but I wind his hair in my hand and draw my blade beneath, a swift flick of the wrist and he has a haircut made for a man.
“I won’t be too hasty with you though, I actually think you care about he
r. I know you think you love her, but a real man wouldn’t bow down to other men, if it puts the girl he loves at risk. Men should be their protectors, not their fucking predators. Amelie is not your fucking prey. Remember that.”
I decide that’s enough talking. A few love taps isn’t enough. They need to realise my message is serious.
It’s time to leave some damage on three of them, the twins and Kalen can explain away some bruises. For Sawyer, the pain of watching his brothers should suffice.
Blow after blow rains down and I blank out. I’m sure some shrink mentioned this being a problem once or twice before. But by the time I’m done, blood paints everything in sight: them, the floor, me. It’s a sight I’m familiar with, but this may just be my favourite work of art yet. A mural in Amelie's honour.
Sawyer has managed to knock his chair to the ground. I move to him and squat so he can hear what I have to say.
“Clean your brothers up, keep your mouths shut. I’m the least of your worries when it comes to her. You think your family has reach? You have no idea about her. And if you so much as fuck with her emotions anymore, let alone actually fucking touch her, I won’t be the one paying you a visit next time.”
He doesn’t say anything, he just nods in defeat, realising I hold all the power here. Standing, I deal him a swift kick to the ribs, enough to incapacitate him while I get away.
I owe him a solid from a year ago, cutting him free, I make it known we are now even.
Leaving the bunker, I pull a burner phone from my pocket, dialling the number I was instructed to.
“It’s done,” I say before snapping the old flip phone in half and throwing the bits in opposite directions. I look down at myself and realise that I really need a shower. It can wait though, I decide. First, I have other fish to fry and the blood will certainly make a statement.
Chapter Thirty-One
Saturday morning, crack of dawn, sees me leaving my room for the first time all week. I’m dressed in my workout gear, needing to run before my detention starts. After being sent to my dorm Monday morning and being told to stay there all day, I cried myself to sleep. I woke up later that afternoon with a killer migraine which seems to have brought on a full blown cold. I knew it was only a matter of time before the dismal weather in this Godforsaken country made me ill. Elsie has visited me all week, bringing me schoolwork and meals, homework and gossip. The Knox boys have not. I guess that says it all. They really were fucking with me. I refused to ask her about them, and she refused to mention them. So we danced around the elephant in the room.
