Wicked Boys Read online

  “I’m doing what I can to protect the four of you,” he argues.

  “And yourself,” Chase shoots back.

  “Why the hostility?” Dom frowns at Chase. “We can’t be choosy about our friends now.”

  “You think he’s a friend?” Chase shakes his head. “You really are fucking clueless.”

  Dom narrows his eyes, but Jagan responds first. “Fighting with each other is what dumb people do,” he says, “Right now, you have to find a reason to stick together.” He looks at me. “So long as everyone keeps their mouth shut, you’ll make it through.”

  “Things wouldn’t be thigh-high in shit if you had had the police escort Marcy off the campus,” says Chase.

  “I wasn’t aware she was coming back on campus,” replies Jagan sternly, “I warned her about her actions, but she had gotten away with too much for too long to care.” The inference is there but will never be spoken. Chase turns and refuses to look at Jagan.

  Dom notices Chase’s distress and goes after Jagan. “There’s no way you didn’t know, Jagan. You had to have known she’d come back. She’s straight-up mental.”

  Jagan stares at Dom as Chase sulks quietly in his chair. Dom’s gaze hardens, and for Chase’s sake, he refuses to back down. I’ve mistaken the body language, and once again, I’m too far into my own head to notice they’re all on the defensive. They don’t respect Jagan as much as I do. Or maybe it’s fear? I watch in awe as Dom defends a sullen Chase.

  “You have security raiding students’ rooms, looking for drugs, but you can’t get one thug to shadow a nut of a teacher?” demands Dom.

  Jagan looks as if he’s had enough. He grips the edge of his desk as he speaks. “I told you I spoke to her, and I made it clear she wouldn’t work again—not in teaching or in the industry.”

  “You don’t have that power,” counters Dom.

  Jagan grins with a self-assurance that lights his face. “I don’t flash my power. I may not be on speed dial, but I know their numbers.”

  Dom sits back, and the anger deflates slightly as Jagan stares him down. Silas eyes Jagan with that calculating look that’s become his resting face. I’d never noticed before the way they work off each other, not even when we were making love. Yesterday, I was the object of their focus, and today I’m the observer fascinated by their maneuvers. I watch them fight with words.

  Silas watches Jagan with a steady gaze. “This is just another item to add to the pile of shit you sweep under the rug.”

  “Along with yours,” replies Jagan. “Don’t forget that. The gates are monitored, the woods patrolled, and it helps when students attend classes so I know where they are. You’re protected here. If you don’t believe me, go out in the real world and see how fast your safe but delicate bubble breaks.”

  “I need a drink,” says Dom. “You have anything to drink in there?”

  Jagan scowls at the inane question.

  “Nothing?” asks Dom, looking at the tidy mini bar in the corner. “Not even a beer?

  Jagan shakes his head in disbelief. “You clueless kids like to play with fire and gasoline. And when you get burned, you come running to me.”

  A cold chill races down my spine and shakes me. I wonder if Jagan and Dad ever talk. They probably do.

  “Stay on campus if you want to avoid controversy and mayhem,” states Jagan.

  “Are you going to make us?” asks Dom, narrowing his eyes.

  “I can,” says Jagan, “You’re minors, and you’re under my tender loving care.” He takes in a deep breath, and words rush out of his mouth. “You should know that Marcy’s phone is gone.” Jagan watches me for a reaction. “It was stolen by Talia Long.”

  “What does she want with it?” I ask. On the outside, I’m acting calm like the rest of them, but on the inside, I want to run out of the room like a harpy and hunt that snitch down.

  “To blackmail the school,” replies Jagan simply. “What do you know about her?” he asks Silas.

  Silas shrugs, careful to guard his emotions. “Not much except that she comes from a strict home.”

  “Not strict enough,” replies Jagan. “Her parents didn’t teach her not to steal. Well, she’ll be finding it difficult to leave campus.”

  “Should we dig for dirt?” asks Chase.

  Jagan shrugs and sighs. His forehead creases as he looks out the window as a security guard passes by.

  “Or do we make it?” asks Silas.

  Jagan walks to the door and opens it. “I’d refrain from making more trouble until we clear up some of the old ones.”

  We walk back to the suite slowly; the boys discuss ways to get Talia as I trail behind them. I watch, wondering if this was how they discussed me last year.

  I sleep alone tonight.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Vicki

  Jagan has set it up so every student has to have a written pass to leave the campus. It’s insane, but I stare in shock when I see a news van parked on the main road as we leave campus. My stomach lurches as we drive past it. The woman in the passenger seat stares into the tinted window, but Dom accelerates, and we’re gone. We’re on a field trip to nowhere in Dom’s Mercedes. We just want space away from the bullshit.

  “Why do you think they’re back?” I ask.

  The boys don’t answer me right away. Silas sits beside me in the back seat. He places his hand on my knee.

  “They’re probably just curious,” he replies, but he doesn’t look at me or reassure me with one of his slight smiles.

  The Bait Shop has become the default hangout if you want to leave campus. One hour for lunch. No exceptions. And a curfew has been put in place for 6 p.m. It only stops kids who aren’t sneaky enough to get back in without being caught.

  “What the fuck am I seeing?” I gape out the window.

  I’m still in the car, watching my mother with Talia, walking side by side, deep in conversation, out of the Bait Shop. My mind spins as my anger pushes me out of the car and sends me racing toward them. Talia’s eyes widen as I bear down on them. My mother looks calm, as if I was expected.

  “Why are you here with her?” I ask my mother while pointing at Talia.

  Maya looks at Talia as if she were an ant at a picnic. “Go wait in the car,” Maya tells her.

  Talia hesitates as if she wants to say something first. I’m not sure if she’s stupid enough to challenge Maya or me. I fold my arms over my chest as the boys join me. But my mother doesn’t care who’s with me. The stern glare on her face would shatter glass. Her car beeps, and Talia hurries to get in it.

  I watch my mother as she adjusts her purse strap on her shoulder. She’s a poor imitation of an Orange County housewife, dressed in a white suit with gold accessories. She looks like she bleached her black clothes white. Maya looks too hard, like a transplanted East Coaster who’s too jaded to enjoy the sun. People here can be hard, but they put it in a sunny package.

  “Vicki,” she nods to the boys who remain behind me, giving silent support. “Not in class?”

  I hold up my hand. “Why are you here?” I don’t wait for an answer. “I spoke to Dad. He won’t have to fight you in court because I will. By the time I’m done, I’ll own you.”

  Maya gets this look on her face that is a cross between amusement and disgust. Her twisted smirk and those dark, unblinking eyes make my throat tighten. I know she doesn’t suffer fools lightly, but I’d like to think I’m not a fool.

  “Very brave, little girl, but I’m the mother here,” she replies.

  “Give it up,” I tell her, “I don’t need one.”

  “Not according to your friend.” Maya looks at Talia, staring back at us. Quickly, Talia turns her head and looks straight ahead.

  “That girl is not my friend,” I hiss.

  “She’s a better friend than you think.” Maya tilts her chin. “Talia did her part for you, and now I can do mine.”

  “Did what? Since when have you known one another?” I demand. “This makes no sense unless you
’re trying to steal my money.”

  “I’m not,” Maya tries to smile sweetly, and it hurts to watch. “Vicki, this isn’t the place for us to have this discussion. I’ll call your father, and we can sit down as a family.”

  “A family of what?”

  She’s so fucking out of her mind. Maya’s not troubling with reality anymore. Silently, I watch as Maya gets into her big white Lexus. I can’t hear, but I can see her ask Talia a question, and then she stares at the boys as the little snake answers her.

  “Fuck her!” I shout my frustration out loud.

  My stomach can’t handle anything heavier than a coffee. Dom eats a roast beef sandwich. Chase has noodles with no meat, and Silas has soup in the heat to keep his weight down. I’m amazed and revolted that men can eat anything and everything while the world tips off its axis and free falls out of control.

  “Is that all you’re going to have?” asks Dom.

  “Not hungry,” I whisper.

  On the way back in the car, my phone buzzes with a text

  Dad: Call ASAP.

  I sigh, knowing that if Dad wants me to call now, I just better do it. Dom parks in the faculty lot. We have permission to park close to the classroom, and he and Chase have to rush to class. I step toward the tree line while Silas stands in sight of me. I feel safe knowing he’s there, but I also want him to give me more privacy. Am I sure about living with three men?

  “Vicki.” Dad speaks immediately, not giving me a chance to say yes or hello. “Your mother stopped by. She told me about a teacher in a coma. You should’ve told me everything.”

  “I did,” I try to argue with a lie. This time Dad will lose to Jagan, but I know Jagan will fix it.

  “No.” His voice cuts me off. “You didn’t.”

  “Maya’s talking to another student,” I explain breathlessly. “She’s looking for trash and probably making it up.”

  “She says there is a video,” replies Dad.

  I bite my lip so hard I taste blood. Shit. I have to tell the truth. “She stole it, and I was being attacked. It’s my only proof. I need it back.”

  Silas starts walking toward me as my panic rises along with my voice. Watching him, I back up into a tree.

  “I didn’t see a video,” replies Dad. “Maya told me it exists. And she intends to use it to gain custody of you.”

  Pulling my hand through my hair, I shut my eyes. “I’m an adult.”

  “It has nothing to do with age,” replies Dad with a hard tone, “A person can be declared unfit at any age.”

  My legs can’t support me, and I slump against the tree, heading for the ground. Silas runs toward me and tries to catch me before I fall, but we both end up tumbling to the ground. Something hard digs into my calf, and I let out a yelp as I fight to get back up.

  “Vicki? Vicki!” Dad shouts into the phone, but I can’t speak as the pain shoots along my nerves. The thought of being so close to proving that I can make it on my own and having it snatched away makes me numb. I teeter on the edge of giving up or trying one more time. Someday I might not choose to try again.

  Silas takes the phone out of my hand. “Greg, I’m with Vicki. I need to get her back to her room.” There’s a pause, and Silas says, “I will. I’ll call later.”

  Instead of the suite, we head straight to Jagan’s office. He’s not there, and Rudi won’t allow us in, but she unlocks a door to an empty office across the hallway with a desk and two chairs. It’s used by teachers during their breaks. There’s nothing to look at on the walls, no bulbs in the light fixtures, and a ton of outlets and cords. It’s perfect. I lay my head down on the desk.

  “I’ll let Jagan know you’re here when he gets back,” Rudi pauses. “Vicki, it will be okay.”

  I want to shout at her dumbass optimism, but I won’t. Rudi waits for a response, and there’s concern in her eyes that puts guilt in me for thinking she’s naïve. She just cares and wants me to know it.

  “Thanks,” I croak. It’s all I can manage to say. Rudi closes the door as she leaves the room. As soon as she’s gone, I break down. Big wet mucus tears cover my face as I bawl inconsolably. Silas pulls me into his arms and strokes my hair. I feel safe in this little dark room to be myself and express the pain I guard behind snarky comments and hard glares. Fuck them all. I need to cry.

  Wiping my face on the hem of my shirt, I scoff. “There was a time I wouldn’t have cried in front of you. I would’ve punched you in the face before I’d let you see me cry.”

  Silas tugs me closer. My head rests against his chest. “There was a time that I wouldn’t have held you either,” he replies, “and I wanted to make you cry like this in front of me. I’m sorry for being that jerk. Vicki, we’ll figure it out. We know the truth.”

  I pull away. “But no one else does.”

  Silas pulls me back into his arms and kisses the top of my head. Soft kisses as I bury my face against his chest. Caring kisses from a boy who used to hate me enough to hurt me, and took pleasure in it. I hold him tighter, inhaling his scent and letting it relax my body. I let myself believe him.

  The door swings open suddenly, and Jagan walks in. He pauses as we pull away slowly, but Jagan doesn’t care about PDA. He’s upset about something else. He talks to Silas as if I’m gone already.

  “Greg called on my cell,” says Jagan, “Take her to her father’s house. It’s about to get ugly.”

  “I won’t run away anymore,” I reply, sitting up straight, “Not this time. Never again.”

  Jagan told us about his encounter with Talia. He didn’t bend to her insane demands. Talia wanted Redwood in exchange for the video. She wanted online access to all school records, including counselors’ notes and the health centers. Jagan said no and reminded her that what she planned to do would have dire consequences for her as well. If Talia messes with the wrong people, she’ll disappear. With a nasty laugh, Talia called Jagan’s bluff and sold the video to a rising news site.

  The first part of the exposé goes live Wednesday night. I don’t watch it, but I read the reviews. No, I don’t look for them. They’re sent to me on my phone. I don’t know how people got my new number, but they have it. One nasty word keeps appearing. Slut. Among all the other insults, it’s repeated the most, in bold caps.

  Jagan excuses me from my classes, but only for a day. I go to my classes anyway, wearing dark glasses and a hoodie. If I hide in my room, then I might as well say it’s all true. I’m fucking glad for curfew at six. Theo sneaks over fifteen minutes later, after security completes a visual check. All they do is sit in a golf cart and drive by, telling kids to go inside. Lame, but today I’m glad for it.

  “Did you watch?” I ask as we sit on the couch, drinking a bottle of Merlot I swiped from Dad’s.

  Avoiding eye contact, Theo hesitates, but he doesn’t lie. “Yeah, I did.”

  I grab him by the shoulders so he has to look at me. “Tell me. What did they say?”

  Twisting out of my grasp, Theo shakes his head. “I can’t tell you.”

  “I’ll watch it later then.” I shrug, picking up the remote.

  “Don’t do that, Vicki.” Theo reaches for my hand as he tries to take the remote away. I let him because he looks upset at the thought of me seeing it. How am I going to rise up from this shit?

  “Then tell me,” I shove him with my foot to make him talk. My cool is gone, and I’m the brat I was when I was getting my ponytail pulled by Troy because I wanted to play my video game. But in my defense, I’m going out the door clueless. I have to know why I’m being called a slut every step I take across campus.

  It pains Theo to tell me the truth, and I actually feel bad for him. “You were portrayed as a seducer who manipulated an innocent teacher.”

  I gawk, collapsing against the couch. “I never touched the bitch. She had me pinned to the floor. She was…” I cover my face with my hands.

  “The video must have been edited.” Theo winces a little. “I’m sorry, Vicki, but they made it look like yo
u were enjoying what she was doing to you.”

  I pull my hands away and shake all over with rage. “The bitch was trying to break me. She had me pinned down. How could I possibly look as if I wanted to be raped? As if I enjoyed it?”

  Theo stares wide-eyed, unsure of how to respond without making me totally lose my shit all over the place. “The vlogger implied it was some BDSM role-play that went wrong.”

  “I had proof,” I plead, “She was hurting me. It was there on video. There was no way to mistake what she was doing to me. Fucking Talia.”

  Theo squirms and places the wine bottle on the floor, far away from me. “She doesn’t hang at my suite like she used to. She hangs with Rhys, but she knows that I’m still your friend. She only sneers when she sees me, and then asks Rhys to take her out.”