by Rina Kent
“Okay, always Rhiannon. I’m also a Rook.”
I raised a brow. “Am I supposed to be impressed by that?”
“Nope, I’m glad you’re not. Not too sound like an ungrateful bitch, it’s annoying being fawned over because of my name.”
What was I supposed to do with this information? I glanced down the halls, purposely avoiding all the curious gazes.
“I’m only telling you this because you’re with us now. I wanted to introduce myself personally,” she explained.
“I’m not with anyone,” I refuted, walking forward.
“If that lie makes you sleep easier,” she called after me with a laugh.
I was half-way back down the stairs when a hand clamped around my upper arm.
Not hard enough to bruise, but hard enough to make sure I stopped moving. I smelled his cologne before I turned my head to glare at him.
“Get off,” I stated as calmly and firmly as I could.
“You don’t know where you’re going. It’s not safe to wander the halls or property like that. Let me show you around.”
“Wandering them with you somehow changes that?” I scoffed. “Just give me what I need, and I’ll go.”
His eyes dropped to my lips. “I can give you more than you need, principessa. But you won’t be going anywhere. You’ll be coming blindingly hard all over my cock, fingers, and tongue.”
A soft gasp slipped from my mouth and resounded between us.
“You need to stop.”
“I’d rather keep going.”
I shook my head. “You’re a horny bastard, aren’t you?”
“No. I’m just a guy ready to rip apart the girl in front of him and fill every fuckable hole she has as she bleeds.”
My upper lip curled even as the space between my legs pulsed and my chest tightened. “You’re sick.”
He let go of my arm and moved further down the stairs so that he was on the one right beneath mine. His hand came up and cupped the side of my face. “If I’m sick, baby. So are you. You think I’ve forgotten about our night together?”
“Leave me alone.” I jerked away from him, my tone defensive.
“Can’t do that.” He moved with me.
“Judas,” I said his name sweetly. “If you don’t stop you might find yourself without those balls you seem fond of.”
He laughed lowly, and the sound sent chills rolling over my spine.
“You’re a habitual line stepper. You really wanna take me on that way?”
“Take you on?” I didn’t want to do anything but get him to leave me alone. This wasn’t Tomb Raider and I was no Laura Croft. I could hold my own well enough, but I couldn’t fight a guy like Judas and win, not with fists or flying objects.
“What do you want?” I practically yelled, catching the attention of everyone around us. He remained unruffled, amusement rising in his eyes. This all worked to make me look like a raving psycho. I was surprised some bimbo didn’t step up to defend him. I could feel daggers aimed at me from a few already.
“Right this moment? You to lower your voice. Pretend we’re at an elite prep school. Later?” he gave me a slow perusal, “Later I want every single part of you.”
Chapter Eleven
Rhiannon
Caution.
It’s not something I’ve ever had to use around anyone. No one’s ever given me reason to. Judas on the other hand, he had my senses heightened.
All of them.
Fear. Anger. Desire.
Following him around campus may not have been the best idea, but I didn’t know what else to do other than run to the front office and cry wolf. No pun intended. We’d left the first building behind about six minutes ago. Outside the sun was warm, shining down on the green grass, making it sparkle a bit.
“That building over there has gym A, the pool, guidance counselor, and a small tech workshop.” He pointed off to the right.
I nodded, adding that to my mental map.
“Hey, what did you mean when you said pretend, we’re at a prep school. Because, aren’t we actually at a prep school?”
He thumbed his chin, nudging me so I would take a path going left instead of right. “You don’t belong here.”
I didn’t object. That was true. When I remained silent, he kept going.
“This school is full of spoiled rich kids with fake ass friends, chicks with major daddy or mommy issues, and guys who think too much with their dicks.”
“Excluding Audrey,” I cut in quickly.
“Audrey has a shitload of daddy issues.”
She did, but this asshole wouldn’t be getting that confirmed from me.
“So, we’re pretending?” I fished.
“Something like that, but you’re much more committed to the act.”
“No idea what you’re talking about.”
“Cuz I haven’t told you yet.”
I side-eyed him. “Told me what?”
“Anything. The truth.”
I didn’t pry any further after that, didn’t even ask him about Dax. I let him show me around and surprisingly, he didn’t talk too much shit in the process or bring up a certain night.
My classes consisted of British Literature, AP Chemistry--still couldn’t understand how that happened, Theology, Lunch—the most important one, and Pre-Calculus. Thank god I’d knocked out World Language at my old school.
We were approaching the main building again, where my locker supposedly was. He’d been quiet for the past couple minutes, his eyes trained on some distant thought.
Quiet Judas was nice. And with the sun hitting all his angles, I had peeked at him more than what was socially acceptable.
I wished he wasn’t wearing a jacket, I wanted to study his tats.
If I were being honest, I wished he wasn’t wearing anything at all. Up until his lips twitched as if he were fighting back a smile.
“Can’t help it, huh?”
I wasn’t even about to pretend I wasn’t looking at him. “You know you look good, Jude. You’re probably the best-looking guy around until you open that mouth of yours.”
“I can remember a specific time when you couldn’t get enough of the things coming from my mouth, or what I was doing with it.”
Heat bloomed in my cheeks. I was not a prude, but too hear him speak about it so casually… I hadn’t thought of my V card as a holy grail, but he was still my first. In more ways than one.
“Are you going to keep reliving that one experience?”
“No, I’m going to surpass it.”
I rubbed the back of my neck, debating if that assured statement needed a response.
It didn’t. He could say whatever he wanted. A soft whir interrupted the elongated silence that had reformed between us and I watched yet another guard zoom by on a golf-cart like buggy.
“I get this place is huge, but why did you say it wasn’t safe? There are security guards circling around on those cart things every fifteen minutes. Or was that just to get me outside?”
He stopped walking and turned so that his body was facing mine. “You think they could protect you from me?”
“Not this again,” I muttered. “Your empty threats don’t work on me.”
In the blink of an eye he had his hand on my neck, thumb stroking the base of my throat. He didn’t squeeze, but the threat was there. “These aren’t threats, principessa. They’re promises. And I intend to make good on every single one of them.”
I stared up at him feeling a very different emotion than fear. My pulse was going haywire, internal temperature rising.
“Making me bleed? That’s a promise?”
“You act like that isn’t something you’d want.” With that, he stepped away and continued our path, not bothering to look back. Discomfort wrapped my confidence. He knew more than I ever wanted someone to, and I wasn’t sure what to do about that.
After Judas showed me my locker, he ditched me at the library and went about his merry way without an explanation.
Not that he owed one. At least he was ‘kind’ enough to give me my things.
This space was just as big as everywhere else on this damn campus. Two floors of books half these kids wouldn’t read. Nothing like Hermits High, my old school. Not that I was looking down my nose. Thinking about it made me feel a bit lonely for some reason.
There, I had a few friends in all my classes, and the teachers knew me. Sure, Audrey was here, but she was in all AP’s so I knew we wouldn’t have any together.
Besides, I loved her, but I couldn’t cling onto her like a fungus to get me through the day. Even if outside of her I had zero other friends. After the spectacle Judas and I made, I wasn’t sure how successful I would be in that department.
I knew how girls were. Especially this type. I had too many strikes against me before I could even get to know anyone. I was some new chick infringing on their delusional territory of a guy that more than likely didn’t want them.
Because he’d paid me, the new girl, extra attention I’d be enemy number one. Didn’t help that my body was poppin, and my face was cute. And this wasn’t vanity speaking, it was the hard-earned self-confidence I was still becoming acquainted with. I refused to let some bitter bitch or dick take that from me.
Thing is, I didn’t want Judas. His seductively cruel disposition drew me in like a moth to a raging inferno. The enigmatic allure behind him excited the wrong parts of me. That’s all it was.
That didn’t matter much either, though. Let’s be real, most people in elite circles had a severe hierarchy complex.
Was I poor? No.
From the wrong side of the tracks? No.
Did that matter to them? Hell no.
My parents drove a Hyundai and an Impala, both new, but still not able to join the ranks of the badge whores or Mercedes.
The credit card in my wallet had a spending limit, and I’d never in my life get away with some of the things they did.
I wasn’t bitter about any of this despite how it may have seemed. All I wanted was everyone to just be happy and shit, no matter what they drove or where they lived.
I’m sure this would likely happen in alternate universe. There was no use hoping for the unachievable. I sighed and took a seat at a table in the corner, pulling out my phone.
Monday, August 12th, 2019
Auds: WTF? 8:45 AM
Auds: WTF? 8:47 AM
Auds: Bitch!! WTF? 8:49 AM
Auds: What was THAT? 9:01 AM
I read Audrey’s multiple messages, all along the same lines, laughing to myself.
I sent her a quick reply and checked the time before opening my social apps.
One of the first things I saw was that Dax had posted a picture of a lake. A tire-swing was off to the right and a canoe on the left.
His dad’s lake.
He didn’t live in Crudele, but Dax had described the lake behind the house to me so many times I felt as if I’d actually been there before. The pic had gone up twenty minutes ago with the caption, freedom.
I read it twice.
So, Dax was gone?
What the hell?
That made no sense. He loved it here. Why would he suddenly want to go? There were way too many variables that all screamed Judas fucking Barron had something to do with this. I grabbed my things and stood up, exiting the library before the librarian could look up and see I was gone.
Chapter Twelve
Rhiannon
What was I thinking?
I would march across Pesadilla’s campus until I found Judas, and then what? It’s not like he would tell me anything.
As soon as clarity overcame my loss of common-sense, I gave up my determined charge and wandered around for a few. No one stopped to acknowledge me or demand to know why I wasn’t in class. I thought that was rather odd. Surely, they didn’t let the students here muck about. Whatever, I wasn’t going to throw a fit.
Finding a girl’s bathroom, I entered, immediately grateful and impressed with how clean it was. Seriously, they had mouthwash and dental strips. I swung into the first stall, hanging my satchel on the back of the door.
I didn’t care how damn clean a public bathroom was, my bag would never touch the floor.
I was well and prepared to go until someone else came in. They took the stall next to mine and released a soft sigh. Silence descended upon the bathroom and just as I began to wonder if we were each waiting on the other to go first, there was a zip, followed by a small tearing sound. A crinkle, the gentle ping of the sanitary bin. Each a arduously long interval apart.
Why the hell were they moving so slow? My bladder was about to explode. I only needed to pee, but sometimes gas came out and I refused to have an audience for that. TMI? Oh, well. I was human.
“Don’t try to be cute, slap that pad on, or shove it in, and get out!”
“Riri?” There was a snort, and then loud laughter.
I tried to withhold my own and lost the battle, relieving myself in the process.
When I stepped from the stall Brianna was already at the sink, still laughing under her breath. “You know we have to be friends now, right?”
“Is that so?” I questioned jokingly, moving to one of the open basins.
“Yeah, that’s definitely going down as one of the best, So, how did you two become friends? stories.
I laughed as that played out in my head.
“I promise I’m not a stuck-up bitch.”
I flicked my gaze towards her in the mirror’s reflection. “You’re being serious?”
A nod.
Since the sink was one of those sensor types, I stepped back and moved to the automatic paper towel thing-y. There was a hand blower, but I’d seen a documentary once and was still traumatized about the germs inside those things.
I took the time drying my hands to contemplate this peculiar request. I knew this girl didn’t have a shortage of friends.
“Why do you want to be my friend so bad?”
“Do you have something against them? Friends I mean” She ambled up beside me to get her own paper towels. “I know it seems suspect, but you’re a girl, and all I’ve had is the guys this whole time. You’d be the first real friend I get to have. And keep.”
Woah. So much to analyze with that. “And you can be friends with me because? Judas?”
She shrugged. “He’s part of it, but, you’re…I can tell you’ve got a cool personality. You aren’t superficial. And you’re prettier than--.”
“Hey! No ass kissing,” I laughed, cutting her off. I studied her, not seeing anything malicious or picking up ill-intent.
She was just a girl who wanted a friend. I’d never really deny a person that.
We could all use someone.
“Fine, we’re cool. K?”
She beamed at me and I braced myself in case she tried to go in for a hug, relaxing when she didn’t.
“So, now what?”
A different kind of bell than the one from this morning chimed, interrupting us. She waited until it was finished and then grabbed my hand.
“Now, we go to lunch.”
“How do you know I have lunch this period?”
“Judas,” we said at the same time, entering the hall now bustling with activity.
“I don’t know what you did to that boy, but he is so smitten I will never let him live it down. It’s so damn cute.”
Cute? She called what he was smitten? I frowned at the back of her dark head. I guess Bri would be joining Judas and I in therapy.”
“I gave it up to him two years ago in a shed, not sure that counts as anything mind-blowing.”
I kept it casual, doubting she knew the truth of that night. She glanced over her shoulder, a grin on her face and sparkle in her dark brown eyes. “Oh, you and I are going to get along just fine, Riri.”
Any and all comebacks dissipated the moment I saw Pesadilla’s food court. It was the only area Judas had failed to show me. I’d smelled the various food a mile away. No joke, I was a bloodhou
nd for some carbs.
“Oh, my god.”
“Amazing right?” A familiar voice came from just behind me.
I looked back, silently rejoicing when I saw my soulmate standing there with a smug grin.
I was happy as hell I got her for a little out of the day. She’d never said a damn thing about how awesome her school’s cafeteria was. Could be because no one cared about food as much as I did.
“I can feel my ass getting fatter already,” I exclaimed loud enough that a few jock-looking guys heading for one of the tables laughed.
Brianna shook with silent laughter beside me. “You know what you want?”
Everything. “Whatever you’re getting. Take the choice away from me.”
“Good girl,” Audrey joked.
“Come on then.” Brianna nodded towards the left side of the room.
Audrey fell in step beside me as she led us to wherever she wanted food from. This place looked like a mall food court, not a school. All the best spots were set up inside.
We grabbed some subs and our drinks, and I stupidly followed Brianna to a table.
Reality clicked when I saw who was already seated there.
“I’ll catch up with you later, Brianna.”
“Don’t make a scene, principessa. You can sit at the table or I’m planting that ass on my lap.”
Audrey looked at me with her brows raised. “You have so much explaining to do,” she mumbled.
“You to, Dollface,” another deep voice joined Judas’. If it were possible to see steam coming out of someone’s ears, now would have been that moment. That was clearly directed at Audrey, who to my knowledge had never been called that by anyone else.
“Looks like you’ve got a lot of that to do yourself,” I quipped, going back without argument. I was starving and the food looked good. It was just a table.
I took a chair diagonal from Judas. Audrey sat left of me, placing herself across from the guy with indigo eyes.
Bri took the seat on the right, making her diagonal from the last guy. The one that had called me kitten.
I paid none of them any attention.
