“Yeah. And she looked hot as fuck doing it, too. Doesn’t mean you can lay a hand on her though,” Kyan said casually, using his bulk to completely block Pearl’s view of Tatum.
“And that goes for the rest of you assholes,” I added in a loud voice. “She’s our girl. Which means anyone who has any ideas about trying to hurt her better forget them. Anyone considering trying to fuck her had better maintain a nice, healthy relationship with their own right hand. Because none of you have permission to even talk to her, let alone touch her, unless you want to answer to us.”
“She’s our property,” Saint added darkly. “And I will personally collect my pound of flesh from anyone here who disrespects that.”
A heavy silence fell among the crowd and Tatum looked like she was wishing the ground would just swallow her whole. But there wasn’t much chance of that. Every single eye in the surrounding students was trained on her with either hate, rage or envy.
I just hoped that Tatum hadn’t been too attached to the idea of having any friends here at Everlake Prep. Because sadly for her, I just ensured that would never happen.
I strolled forward and threw my arm around her shoulders as I directed her towards the Redwood Dining Hall.
“Looks like it’s just you and us now, Cinderella. I hope you’re not too disappointed with your not so charming princes,” I said, leaning down to speak in her ear. “Welcome to your new life in hell.”
I headed into the dining hall flanked by the Night Keepers as Freeloader and Punch opened the doors for us. Punch gave me a look of horror before quickly bowing his head and my gut knotted as I dropped my eyes to my feet.
I’d watched a documentary on training wild horses once. The mustangs fought, bit and kicked, but their new owners continued to push at them day after day. Until eventually, they dropped their heads, walked up to their master and nuzzled them. Just like that. It had looked beautiful from the outside, but maybe they knew it was the only chance of living a semi-bearable life. Or maybe their spirit had been crushed to dust and scattered to the wind. Until all that was left was obedience.
I hadn’t been an obedient child. Hell, I’d never been an obedient anything. But like those horses, I’d been corralled, tethered, caged. And there were only two choices: continue to weather the pain, or take the path of least resistance. So which was it for me? Well…
Like I said, I knew what broken looked like. I could slip into the mask of it as easily as wearing my resting bitch face. Alright, maybe not quite as easily. But in the dead of night, curled in those asswits’ bathtub, I’d realised something. I’d been devastated, brought to my knees, brought to fucking tears. But I hadn’t been broken.
I’d spent hours in the dark, looking for a crack of light. And I’d found one. A sliver. Something I could clutch onto just enough to draw me back from the brink. The one thing they all wanted from me was compliance. And yet, whether they realised it or not, they also found compliance boring. It was why they ignored the Unspeakables. It was why it pissed them off every time I dropped my eyes like a good girl and answered to their beck and call. The joy was in the breaking. So broken I would be.
But they wouldn’t get bored that easily, so I had to protect myself too. I retreated into that quiet place inside me, fleshing it out and hardening it, ensuring they couldn’t touch it. That was where I’d stay. So that once this was over, there would still be a part of me left to grow. It was like planting a daffodil bulb in the earth, keeping it safe until the winter was over. This was my winter. And survival was key.
The Night Keepers moved to their table, dropping into their seats and I waited for them to dismiss me, fixing my gaze on the ceiling. My knuckles were aching from the punch I’d landed Pearl, but the pain was a strange kind of relief after the night I’d had.
“I said- Plague!” Saint snapped and I blinked out of my stupor, turning to him. “Are you fucking deaf?”
“No,” I replied simply and his eyes narrowed.
Kyan was looking at me with a taut frown and I knew it was bothering him that I wasn’t talking back anymore. That bullshit he’d pulled in his room to get a rise out of me had proved that much. He wanted me alive and kicking. Torture was no fun for the torturer if their victim didn’t react.
If I kept this up, I estimated that they’d tire of me after a week or two. Maybe they’d loosen my leash and let me go back to my dorm if I bored them enough. It was the saddest fucking plan I’d ever come up with, but right now it was all I had.
“Go and fetch Bait,” Saint snarled, pointing at the table of Unspeakables.
That got my attention. My heart jolted and I wet my lips as I headed across the room towards my friend, hating myself for ever asking him to run with me. If they punished him, it was on me. And of course they were going to punish him.
He rose from his seat before I even reached him, walking toward me with creases in his brow. He had bloodshot eyes like he hadn’t slept, like he’d been up all night waiting for this moment to come. And now it had and I was so very fucking sorry for it.
“Bait, I-” I started but he shook his head firmly.
“Don’t blame yourself,” he said gently. “You gave me a chance, Tatum. I owe you everything for that.”
I nodded, not feeling any less shitty about it as I turned to walk at his side in solidarity. An air of excitement filled the room as the rest of the students perked up to watch and I tried to ignore the fluttering of my heart.
We slowed to a halt in front of the Night Keepers’ table and it felt like everyone in the room was holding their breath as they waited for what was gonna happen next.
“Did you bring it?” Blake demanded of Bait.
He nodded, reaching into his blazer pocket and taking out an electric razor. He placed it down on the table and Kyan leaned back in his chair with a smirk, settling in for the show.
My heart beat wildly as I thought of that razor being used on me. But they wouldn’t take my hair, surely? Saint had said himself he didn’t want me looking like shit.
“Pick it up, Plague,” Saint commanded in a cool tone.
I swallowed as I reached for it, taking the surprisingly heavy lump of machinery into my grip.
“Now kneel before our girl, Bait,” he hissed and Bait dropped to his knees without a moment’s hesitation.
My heart pounded out of tune as I stared down at him. But this was okay. Shaving a guy’s head wasn’t the end of the world. He’d survive it.
“Slice a nice little line down the middle, baby,” Kyan instructed and I jerked around to look at him in alarm.
I opened my mouth to protest when Bait said, “Do it,” through his teeth.
I clenched my jaw as Kyan laughed and Blake banged his fist on the table, starting up a thumping tune as everyone joined in around the hall.
Bait lifted his head to look up at me and guilt clutched my heart.
“I’m sorry,” I breathed before turning the razor on so a loud buzzing filled the air.
As gently as possible, I pushed it through the middle of his thick copper hair, running it right over the crown of his head and all the way down the back. The loose hair tumbled around him, the bald strip glaring up at me and making me grimace while laughter clashed against my ears from around the room.