Page 24 of Brutal Prince

“You saw who she was with,” I snap, facing him in a rush. “Addison wasted no time.”

“Fuck,” Marcus mutters, hitting his vape. “Could be bad for you, mate.”

“Yeah, no shit.” I grind my teeth, staring back at the school building and wishing I could see through the walls.

Of course this is bad. Far from being afraid of me, it looks like this girl — Indi? — wants to rat me out for what happened last night. And it would be my fault, of course. Doesn’t matter I was protecting my property against a trespasser.

I lost control, just like before, and now I’m stuck with the consequences…just like before.

Marcus moves in my peripheries, and I start nodding my head. If it weren’t for him, I’d be in juvie, no doubt. Maybe even prison, charged as an adult instead of a minor, who the fuck knows?

I click my fingers for his vape. He hands it over, but even after what he just witnessed, I can see he’s distracted. Probably wondering how long he has to stay at my house to avoid his father. Or rehashing whatever led to last night’s beating.

“Thing is,” I say slowly, before taking a tug. When I speak, my words escape with faint puffs of vapor. “She wouldn’t be a problem if she’s not going to school here anymore.”

Marcus’s eyes dart to me. He smiles, but the gesture lacks any real mirth. “Gonna take a lot for her to quit. Especially if her folks are hard set against her going to public school.”

Lavish was so small, it only had two high schools — Lavish High and Lavish Preparatory School. The high school was probably just as good, education wise, but public schools in Fool’s Gold have a hectic stigma attached to them.

“Far as I recall, we can be a tenacious fucking bunch,” I say, sweeping my arm out to include Dylan and Zak. They chuckle to themselves, Zak elbowing Dylan in the side as if they’re sharing a private joke. “And honestly, I think she’s all bark and no bite.”

Marcus nods, and focuses to the distant horizon. Hopefully to start planning the imminent demise of one Indi Virgo.

And thank fuck for that. Using Indi as a distraction would be the best way to get him out of his slump. And it’d make my life a fuck ton easier if she wasn’t around as a constant reminder of just how little it takes for me to lose control.

“Think she’s really a virgin?”

I snap out of my thoughts and frown at Marcus. He’s wearing a strangely thoughtful expression, as if he’s genuinely curious.

“Fucked if I know.”

From what I saw last night? It’s possible. But she’s way too fucking beautiful to have not been a target of every single teenage boy in whatever high school she came from.

Except if she was homeschooled. She kinda looks like the type.

Hmmm.

“Love to pop me another cherry,” Marcus murmurs, but as if to himself.

I let out a low chuckle, but then cut off and frown to myself. “When did you ever fuck a virgin?” I ask through a laugh.

Marcus glances at me as if surprised I’d heard me. “What? Oh.” He laughs, and waves away the question. “Some fugly chick from MU.”

I shake my head at him. We sometimes get students from Mallhaven University in Lavish. Karma Lounge plays the best hard house and trip hop on the weekends, and MU’s students flock to it. Strange that I didn’t know about him taking someone’s v-card, but I guess Marcus isn’t sworn to tell me every fucking ass he pounds.

“Virgo. Virgin.” I pinch my bottom lip. “It’s almost too fucking easy.”

Marcus lets out a low chuckle. “Virgins usually are.”

When I laugh, Dylan and Zak join me.

“Got any ideas?” Dylan asks, stepping up to me and Marcus.

“Plenty,” I say through a grin. “Dylan, make sure that chick of yours knows something is going down in Homeroom today.”

Dylan nods as he slides his phone from his blazer and types out a text to his fuck-buddy, Cindy.

For the first time since I climbed through his bedroom window last night, Marcus’s lips curl into a genuine smile. “This is gonna be fun.”

I nod, having to force my own grin.

He doesn’t know it yet, but if she doesn’t back down then this shit’s going to go way beyond anything considered ‘fun.’

I’m sending Indi Virgo straight back to wherever she came from. She’ll wish she never fucking set foot in my town.

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