Broken Empire A Reverse Harem High School Bully Romance - Callie Rose Page 0,23

a shiver of fear pass down even my spine. I knew he was thinking of my car wreck, of the cage of twisted steel and shattered glass my body had been pulled out of.

And I’d heard that tone in his voice before. I recognized the dark promise in it.

Maybe Adena did too, because she pressed her lips together, not saying anything else. She didn’t step back or cower, but the smug look on her face had evaporated.

Mason turned his head slightly, catching my eye. “Come on, Princess. Let’s get to class.”

The five of us turned and walked down the hall, and even though the crowd didn’t part for the Princes quite like it had before, no one stepped up to us or got in our way.

Of course, our exit was completely ruined by the plodding pace we set as I moved on my crutches. None of the Princes seemed to mind though, walking slowly alongside me as we made our way down the corridor.

“That fucking cunt,” Finn muttered under his breath. I could feel him seething, and I was sure if I looked close enough, I’d be able to see steam rising from his ears. “I can’t believe she had the guts to make fun of you for almost dying in a goddamn car crash.”

“Even if she didn’t have anything to do with it, that’s a low fucking blow,” Elijah added.

Mason didn’t say anything, but I heard the sharp sound of him sucking in breath through his nostrils, and I didn’t need him to speak to guess what he was thinking. He was sure Adena had done it. It was a miracle he hadn’t gone after her—and although it was hard to wrap my head around, I was pretty sure the only reason he hadn’t was because I’d asked him not to.

I still couldn’t decide what I thought. It wasn’t that I thought Adena was incapable of something so dangerous and evil—but if she really had been the one to fuck with my brakes, mocking me for the accident was so bold it was almost stupid. I would’ve assumed she’d pretend she knew nothing about it, that she hadn’t heard about it and didn’t know how I’d broken my leg. Gleefully taunting me about it seemed like an easy way to draw a connection between her and my accident—to draw suspicion.

Was Oak Park’s head bitch really that dumb?

Or did she just consider herself that untouchable?

The second thought made my stomach tighten nervously, but I pushed it away.

“There is one thing,” Elijah added as we reached my locker. He leaned against the next locker over as I spun the knob on the lock, the other three boys gathering close around us. “It turns out her family started a company around the same time our parents did. The one that failed—Element Investments. The Davenports’ company is still around though.” He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I dunno much else about it yet. And it could be nothing. Just a coincidence. But it could be something—maybe give us something to use against her. I’ll do more digging.”

“Good.” Mason still looked like he wanted to punch another hole in a wall, but he nodded approvingly.

We’d arrived at Craydon Hall early, but our encounter with Adena and my slow pace had held us up, and we didn’t have long before first period started. Cole swapped my books out for me before handing my bag to Mason, and the green-eyed boy lifted his chin, gesturing down the hall.

“Ready, Princess?”

“Uh, yeah.”

We split off from the other three, and I walked slowly alongside Mason, hoping he wouldn’t be late for his first class just because he’d insisted on walking me to mine. I could’ve carried my own backpack.

But when we reached my Earth Sciences classroom, he surprised me by following me through the door and taking a seat beside me. When I was settled at my desk, he stowed my crutches under his chair. I cast him a curious glance, but he just looked blandly back at me before tugging a textbook out of his own backpack.

What?

He hadn’t been in this class last semester.

I leaned over as the teacher, Mrs. Rades, entered the room. “Hey. Did you transfer in?”

His glittering emerald eyes warmed for a moment, and a ghost of a smile crossed his face. “Yes. I love the earth. And science.”

Mrs. Rades didn’t believe in a slow ramp-up at the beginning of the semester, so she dove right in exactly where we’d left off in December,