The Sinners - Ruby Vincent Page 0,49
gave a tantrum all the attention it deserved—none.
“Eat, princess,” Royal said lightly. “Crepes are your favorite.”
“How do you know that?”
He popped a slice in my mouth.
“You like all things sweet.”
I stroked the soft strands at the nape of his neck. “Are you going to be sweet?”
His grin was wicked. “Always. Unless I’m given a reason not to be.”
“This spot is nice, Julian,” Nolan spoke up. “Matter of fact, this whole loft is too nice for the OB trash.”
Raveners and OB kids traded looks.
“I have to agree with you. I think we’re all done with them.” Julian pushed back his seat. “Guys, how fucking sick are you of having to share your school with these OB charity cases? Everything has gone downhill since the academy stopped being Raveners only. There are drugs all over campus. A freshman was attacked and beaten. Fucking gangbangers sit behind us in class.”
He threw a hand at our table. “They don’t even deny it! The Horsemen are killers and they wear that angel tattoo like it’s an honor instead of a fucking insult to everyone in this town that’s been hurt by them.”
Royal’s grip constricted on my waist.
“We don’t want them here but everyone from the janitor to the teachers are afraid of what the Horsemen will do to them. Raveners built this school to get away from the violence. Get away from the trash! And I want my school back!”
Julian turned on us—that beautiful face twisted into something horrific. “OB kids, get out. You don’t eat up here with us anymore.”
“That’s right!”
“Leave!”
“Get the fuck out of our school!”
Most of the shouting came from Julian’s little posse. Although, more than a few Raveners nodded their heads during his speech, and they were getting to their feet.
I squeezed Royal in a near strangling grip. I trusted he could hold his own in a fight, but twenty against one or even four was not a fight. That was a trip to the hospital with the ambulance booked and the OR prepped and waiting for you.
“Guys, this isn’t good,” Gabriel whispered.
“And you know what else, this eating in an empty classroom garbage is over. The police cleared him. The thugs are out and Leo is coming back.” He threw out his hands, chest puffed out. “How is that for a lesson in respect?!”
It happened too quickly for me to react. Cassius shot up, tipping his chair crashing to the floor. He snatched his pudding cup and flung it at Julian’s contorted face. Sticky white goo exploded all over his chin, neck, and clothes. Julian didn’t get out the first shout before Clay nailed him with a second one. Then he stole mine off my plate and hit him with that too.
Julian practically leaped over Pomona rushing at the triplets. Royal stood and dropped me on the seat so fast the room blurred. My vision cleared on him seizing Julian and spinning him around. He got him under the arms and locked his fingers behind Julian’s head. The boy trashed and hollered but he wasn’t going anywhere.
“Your little speech was cute,” Clay said over his noise. “But you took a wrong turn at the end. The rapist fuck stays where he is.”
“Did you like his speech?” Royal asked Clay conversationally. “I didn’t like it. Hart here said a lot of mean shit. Almost hurt my feelings. Why don’t we ask everyone else?” Royal hauled him around. “You guys from the Outer Borough, what did you think of Julian’s speech? Of him and his friends calling you trash? Of them yelling at you in the halls, blaming everything that goes wrong in this place on you, and acting like they own this town and everyone in it?”
“Get off!” Julian bellowed.
“Go on, OB,” Royal said. “Tell us if the Angels have ever put their hands on you? Have we ever called you trash?”
“No!”
The force of the shout blew me away. It wasn’t just the Raveners on their feet now.
“Have we filmed your naked asses in the shower?”
“No!”
“Did we drug you and laugh while we sent you off with our wannabe rapist friends?”
“No!”
“Fuck the Raveners!”
“This is our school too!” This one came from Brandon. “You make this place a nightmare for no fucking reason!”
“They do, don’t they, Lacroix?” Royal hissed in Julian’s ear. “Don’t you?”
“So, what do you say, OB?” Cassius called. “Who should leave the loft?”
“The Raveners!”
Royal shoved Julian away. The boy stumbled into the middle of the space.
“Why don’t you help them get their shit and go?”
That was the cue they