Broken Trust A Dark High School Romance - Tate James Page 0,47
those assholes.”
I felt the tiniest bit bad then, because she clearly wasn’t like the rest of the animals in this school.
“Uh, thank you,” I said softly. “I appreciate you reaching out.”
She shrugged. “In this fucked up world, women need to stick together.” She brushed back her long blonde curls. “I’m Sami. Just holla if you want to take it further.”
Sami left then, and I blinked at Evan. “What do you know, some rich people do have souls.”
Evan snorted. “Yeah, for now. It never lasts.”
Wasn’t that a sad, screwed up truth.
It was time for lunch, and I dumped all my crap in my locker. Maybe now it’d all actually be safe there. Everyone was already waiting for us, and I grabbed a plate full of food—teriyaki chicken with hokkien noodles—before sliding in next to Eddy. Beck, Dylan, and Jasper were on the other side, right across from me, and all three of them checked me out like they were searching for new injuries.
“No troubles?” Beck asked. The intensity he was throwing off had me all off balance.
I shook my head. “Nope. Except for a lot of staring, it was uneventful.”
Eddy leaned in closer. “Have you heard what happened to the guys? The ones who dragged you into that classroom.”
Jasper groaned. “For fuck’s sake, sister. Can you seriously not keep your mouth shut for five minutes?”
Eddy looked contrite, but she had piqued my curiosity. “Did any of them die?”
We were whispering, and I could sense the tables around us leaning closer, trying to hear our conversation. That was until Beck lifted his furious gaze, and they all backed right the hell up.
“All of them are still in the hospital,” Dylan said, his tone somber. “Most of them with serious injuries. Beck broke two jaws, four arms, twenty ribs, and about eighteen teeth between the six of them.”
Something hot and primal stirred in my gut, and I should have been scared that he was capable of that much carnage, but I really wasn’t.
“Will we be pressing charges?” Eddy asked, louder and more pissed off. “Those fuckers should be in jail. Or dead.”
She didn’t sound like she was kidding, and I remembered exactly why we were best friends.
“Delta is cleaning up the mess,” Beck said, sounding like he was over this conversation. “All six of them will be shipped out of the country, forced into the sort of reform school that makes the army look like an amusement park, and their parents are leaving Jefferson for good. In all the ways that counts, they’re dead to Delta. Dead to our companies.”
I shook my head. “And you’re not going to get into trouble at all?” I checked with him. I hadn’t really asked him last night, and I realized now that was kind of an asshole move on my part. I’d just been so overwhelmed with everything.
He shook his head, leaning back, relaxed. “Nah. The council asked for a favor from me, and for that, they’ll make sure that this all disappears.”
Unease twisted in my chest. “A favor? What sort of favor.”
Delta leaders were evil little snots. I wouldn’t trust them as far as I could throw them. “I find out tomorrow,” Beck said shortly. “Actually, we will all find out. They’ve requested a full meeting again. In the New York offices. Apparently, this favor is going to require all of us.”
I paused. “Even me?”
He nodded. “Yep, it’s an all heirs request. Pack a bag, Butterfly, you’re going to New York.”
16
My official summons came later that night, when Beck had illegally entered my apartment, refused to leave, and was now watching me pace as he sat on the couch.
“Catherine is such a fucking bitch,” I snarled, trying to walk off my anger. “This is her message.”
I held the phone up and scrolled across to the text.
Debitch: You will be in our offices in New York tomorrow by 9am. Or I will burn your apartment to the ground.
Another angry sound left my mouth. “Who the fuck says things like that? And the worst part, she actually means it. Goddamn psychopath.”
Beck’s eyes were amused, even though he was smart enough not to actually laugh at me. “You should take that message as a positive sign.”
I stopped walking and narrowed my eyes on him. “Say what now?”
He shrugged. “She’s scared by how little she can control you. I mean, these are no small, idle threats. She has her work cut out for her trying to keep you in line.”