Page 15 of London Has Fallen

“Why the hell not?” I snap.

He pins me with a deadpan look. “Because your big ass mouth will just make everything worse. Go to bed.” He ends the call and I sit here seething with anger. If he thinks for a second that I will be left out of this meeting, he has another thing coming, I won’t allow them to make decisions about my life without me there. Too tired and feeling slightly queasy from the side effects of the drugs they used, I know I won’t be able to sleep, so I start digging into the Greeks and doing as much recon as I can.

Up early and ready to go for a jog, I head downstairs and outside, only to pause at the sight of students with their phones out. I frown as I push my way through the crowd, these bastards should be sleeping off their hangover not out here watching… Oh shit, I roll my lips over my teeth to keep from smiling at the sight of a tow truck dragging Artemis’s car out of the fountain. When I feel the weight of someone’s gaze on me, I look to the other side of the fountain to find the man himself standing there glaring at me. I shoot him a wink and purse my lips, blowing him an air kiss before spinning on my heel and shoving through the crowd to head into the woods where the best trail is.

I’m pissed off I don’t have my phone so I can’t listen to music while I run. I ordered one last night and it should be here later today but I fucking detest learning how to use a new device. I may only be eighteen but that doesn’t mean I love the idea of being stuck on a phone all day texting. There is more important shit to be doing, like planning my revenge against my new headmaster. I just need to figure out what his weaknesses are and exploit them.

I know I can’t do anything too drastic because it will fall back on me and my family. I thought about breaking into his room and dumping a shitload of fleas on his bed, but that seems so immature. I need something that will break his ego and tear him down from his mightier than thou complex. As I round the bend the sound of footfalls pounding the ground behind me have me spinning around and crouching into a fighting stance, I hear another set coming from the other side of me and shift but then I hear another set and smirk. I stand and cross my arms over my chest as I wait for the three dipshits to make their presence known. I’ve been coming to Blackwood since I was sixteen and it amazes me how I have never run into these three dumbasses before now.

Not a minute later, the triple A Three Stooges come at me from three different directions. I expected them to come and spew threats, not fight. Immediately I am at a disadvantage because there are three of them and one of me. Unlike the movies they don’t come at me one at a time, the three of them strike as a unit. I manage to block a few hits but they also land a couple to my sides, where my kidneys are but I won’t allow them to get in any more than that. I pull the dagger I had sheathed in the back of my Lorna Jane running pants and dart forward, slicing Adonis–I think it’s him—across the chest. He roars in pain and the other two falter in their attacks. I use that to my advantage and get the next one along the leg and the other across his arm. The three of them stand there holding their wounds as I smile.

“You fucking phsyco bitch, no weapons allowed!” Ares shouts. Out of the three he is the easiest to distinguish from the others as he has a slightly crooked nose, clearly he broke it before.

“Fuck you, bitch boy, you attacked me,” I snap.

“You deserved it after what you did to our brother.” Apollo sneers, standing next to Adonis, clutching his arm. Those two are harder to tell apart but the only clear sign is that Adonis's eyes are just slightly lighter than the other two.

I twirl the blade in my hand, loving how they now eye me skeptically. “You bastards drugged me, stripped me and planned to leave me in the woods. I think it was only fair that I return the favor and bestow the same courtesy upon your brother that he had planned to do to me.” They growl but say nothing as I continue. “The next time the five of you come for me, I will be prepared, that was your one and only shot to take me down. You are going to learn really fucking fast why I don’t need my last name to inspire fear in my peers.” I turn on my heel and head back the way I came, pissed off that I couldn’t even enjoy a simple run without those cock suckers coming at me. I know weapons are forbidden inside the school but if I didn’t have the blade Aunt Sin gave me, that shit would have gone way differently.

As I enter the school, I slow my steps at the sight of the students lurking in the entryway looking tense and uneasy. The hackles on the back of my neck raise. Darting my gaze around the room I try to find what has captured their attention and when my gaze finally lands on the source, I grit my teeth. Artemis stands there with his twin at his side looking smug with an evil glint in his eyes.

“Miss Murdoch, my office now,” he grits out in a stern voice.

I quirk a brow and scrunch my face pretending to ponder his request. This arrogant fuck thinks he can bark orders at me, not today, bitch. “Hmmmm, last time we were alone together you had your tongue down my throat, then the next time I ended up naked and drugged in the woods, so I think I’ll pass.” Gasps ring out around and murmurs begin to surround us. Artemis’s left eye twitches and his jaw locks, my response has him shocked. Good, because who he met in that club isn’t the woman standing before him. I shoot the bastard a wink before stalking out of the room.

Artemis

I clench my fists at my sides, grinding my teeth so fucking hard they begin to ache as I watch the bitch walk away from me in her skin-tight leggings and sports bra with her tattoo on full display. I’m going to wrap my hands around her fucking throat and watch the life drain out of her. I stalk out of the crowded entryway and head for my new office. Cronos follows me inside. I hate this fucking place as it reminds me of something from a fantasy movie or some shit. Bookshelves line the walls and it even has one of those ladder things that trails along the length of them like in that god-awful Disney movie Beauty and the Beast. An open fireplace and wingback chairs, a large oakwood desk, filing cabinets and so much other bullshit that isn’t needed take up the space. The one thing I do like though is the floor to ceiling window behind the desk, it gives me a clear unobscured view of the lands.

“She is going to fight you at every turn,” Cronos says from behind me. I keep my gaze focused out the window and twirl my ring as I answer him.

“Costa heard that I failed last night. I have to meet him soon. Keep the triplets here with you and make sure you don’t let them out of your sight,” I ordered.

“You idiot, you can’t go alone—” I spin around and pin him with a look of warning.

“If any of you come with me, he will force me to watch as he dishes out his punishment. I will go alone and you will obey my orders and keep our brothers here with you where they will be safe. Don’t fucking push me, Cronos, this girl needs to tap out before the real trials begin.”

“Why are you so worried?” he asks as he stares at me, trying to see beneath the mask I wear. He will never be able to see what I’m hiding. I have perfected this mask since we were kids in order to conceal everything I feel from our father. “You think she could beat us,” he mutters.

I conceal the shock from showing on my face, opening my mouth ready to rebuke his claim but the door bursts open and the triplets stumble in, bloodied and looking ready to commit mass homicide.

“What the fuck happened to you three?” I snap. Cronos rushes to close the door as I stare down at my little brothers.

“London-fucking-Murdoch tried to kill us,” Adonis shouts, my brows jump to my hairline.

“Come again?” I grit out as anger begins to resurface inside me.

“So she randomly decided to come after you three?” Cronos asks them. The three of them begin shouting and calling Cronos a prick for doubting them. The fact they are all on the same side is a dead giveaway that they were the ones who are in the wrong.

“Shut the fuck up!” I roar. The three of them clamp their mouths closed and face me. “What the fuck did you do?” Ares opens his mouth but I raise my hand silencing him. “Don’t bullshit me. The three of you never agree on anything, there is always one man out when you’re telling the truth, so come fucking clean now before I have to meet Costa.” At the mention of our father the three of them pale and stiffen, the fight in them from a minute ago evaporates. It pisses me off that the mention of his name inspires this much fear in all of them. I always tried to protect them as best as I could from his wrath. I know they don’t see it, but I do all of this for them. They think I am selfish and just want the power of Costa’s position as the head affords me but that isn’t the case. I just want him gone so we can be free. Unfortunately for me, once he falls someone must claim his place as the head and I can’t allow that to fall to another family. It’s in our laws that all males from the head of the fallen leader will perish with their father.

“We tried to take her out on the trail but—” Cronos cuts Ares off.

“She beat your asses and sent you back here crying?” Apollo glares at Cronos.

“That is not what happened!” Ares shouts.

“Then break it down for me here because I am inclined to agree with Cronos, it looks like the bitch got the jump on you three and not the other way around.” The three of them bristle. I narrow my eyes and pin them with an impatient look. Adonis tells us what happened and how they planned to beat her. I grip the edge of my desk in anger, spying Cronos out of the corner of my eyes, turning red with rage.

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