And that had nothing the fuck to do with me.
I was about halfway back to my room when I heard a faint “help.” I slowed, looking around to see where it had come from. There was only one door in this section, and since almost everyone was in class, the hall was deserted.
Another faint sound hit me, and I wondered if someone was in the room. Creeping forward, I turned the handle and let the door swing open so I could assess the situation. Only an idiot rushed in to an unknown danger. I’d be no “help” to anyone if I got myself hurt by rushing.
It was dimly lit inside, and I edged around the door, taking in everything, waiting for my vision to adjust to the low lights.
When I saw no immediate dangers, I edged my hand around the edge of the frame and flicked the lights on. A strong grip wrapped around my arm and yanked me into the room, smacking my head on the same frame as they pulled me inside.
Ambush.
Chapter 18
I knew a fucking ambush when I stupidly walked into one, and in minutes, I was in fight mode, jerking away from the person and freeing my arm. Brandon stood in front of the door, his face dark, a mocking smile tugging at his lips.
“Well, if it isn’t the trash that thinks she’s a princess,” he said slowly before he shut and locked the door behind him.
I wasn’t too panicked at this point. I could take this fucker down with one hand tied behind me.
Brandon’s eyes ran down my body, and I could have sworn he was staring at my hands, which were opening and closing as I pumped blood into them, preparing myself for this fight.
“Interesting,” he said, stepping forward. “I’d heard there was a new fighter that took on the Swiss guard.”
My heart plummeted in my chest, stomach twisting as what he said registered.
“And since we don’t have a lot of new students, it got me thinking. What would happen if that fighter was a trained non-royal?”
I relaxed my stance, already knowing that there was nothing I could do now. Brandon had me exactly where he wanted me, and if I fought back, if I showed him any more of my skills, I could find myself facing a royal firing squad. I’d already tipped him off with my quick move when he’d first grabbed me, so now… now I would have to take whatever he had planned.
Short of rape.
If he even remotely attempted that, I would kill him and deal with the consequences. But a beating? I’d taken those before and I could do it now.
“Claudette was in on this, wasn’t she?” I put it together, too late of course, but at least I knew who I needed to destroy whenever the chance arose.
Brandon’s smile grew, and it was so damn creepy.
“You need to learn your place, Victoria.”
I didn’t reply. Nothing I said would make a difference. Brandon had been gunning for this from the moment I’d shot his “offer” down. He wouldn’t rest until he’d proved his power over me—it was how men like him worked.
Time to give him what he wanted.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” he said conversationally, stepping even closer. He was within reaching distance, and I forced myself to not react. Sometimes the instinct to fight kicked in, and before I could even clear my mind, I’d already taken the opponent down.
That couldn’t happen today. Brandon might not be royal, but he was connected and he was vindictive enough to make sure I was removed from existence. The little I knew about him told me he was smart enough to be recording this room, gathering evidence to use against me.
I could not fight back.
“Submit to me,” he murmured, reaching out and rubbing a piece of my hair between his fingers. “Do what I want, when I want, and stay away from those fucking royals, and I’ll stop right now.”
“I’d rather die,” I said with a smile.
Brandon’s smile faltered, and I mentally went to the place where the world wasn’t quite as harsh. I’d had to escape there a lot in my life; what was one more time?
The first hit was to my face, and it was more of an open-handed slap, like he wanted to start out slow and work his way up.
It was hard enough to knock my head back and I could taste blood. But I didn’t go down and I didn’t let my expression shift.
The next hit was a closed-fist punch, and he aimed for my ribs. I moved minutely so that it was more glancing, but Brandon didn’t seem to notice, lost in the moment of power that he’d orchestrated.
This went on and on. He hit me, and I took it, over and over. Blood poured down my face, joining the animal blood on my shirt, and I knew there was a cut on my cheek that would need stitches.
I also had bruised ribs, a bruised collarbone, and a few more cuts from where the blunt force of his hits had broken the skin. But I’d managed to avoid anything worse because I knew how to move just enough to prevent broken bones.
When the bell rang, signaling the end of class, I was slumped on the ground, my head pounding as I fought unconsciousness. I couldn’t pass out. I had to stay in control and make sure that he didn’t do anything permanent. And no rape. I would never deal with that again, and I would kill anyone that tried it.
“I think you’ve had enough. For today,” Brandon said. “Guess you’re not the new fighter after all.” He laughed like the fucking sociopath he was. “Shame. Would have been fun to fight you properly. Not this pathetic excuse for a match.”
He shoved me roughly with his foot, and the fury inside of me was so great that I reached for my blade, planning to stab him in the femoral artery. Sanity hit just as the cold steel strapped in my boot grazed my fingers.
No! I’d already taken the beating, I’d kept my secret. Now he just had to walk away, and we could all get on with our lives. Until I planned my revenge of course, but that would be in a dark alley with my black mask in place. I was going to kill Brandon Morgan, but I’d be smart about it. I would not let him take me down in the process. I had too much to live for.
Some might think premeditated murder was a big deal, but I wasn’t one of them. Where I came from, we did what we needed to in order to survive.
“Pathetic,” he snarled, and I heard footsteps before the door slammed closed.
Letting go, I slumped forward; the cold floor pressing against my cheek made it the only part of my body not screaming and burning up. My palm reader buzzed and buzzed again, as it had been doing for the last ten minutes, but I couldn’t make myself move to look at it.
It had been a long time since I’d had my ass beaten like that, and I had to say, it was not at all fun. This was why I’d learned to fight—so that no one could hurt me again—and still I’d had to fucking take this shit.
Fuck. Fucking fuck! I wanted to scream. The world was so unfair, and I was damn sick of compromising my health and my life and my sanity just to keep surviving in it.
“What?” I barked out, not even glancing at the display when my aching fingers hit answer on the incoming call. I knew it would be Mattie.
There was a pause, long enough that I frowned down at my wrist, thinking the call had dropped out. Nope, still connected.
“Where are you?” Mattie asked, her voice tight.
I clamped my lips together, swallowing a grunt of pain as I rolled onto my back. “In my room,” I lied. “Why?”