Page 35 of Tainted Saints

“Just remember, your position at the pound is only guaranteed so long as you please me and my associates. We can withdraw our support very quickly, and if anyone were to find out about your extra side hustle…well…”

My heart pounds with the threat, and it’s that which finally unfreezes me and gets my feet moving silently again. I can’t be caught eavesdropping, I daren’t imagine what my punishment would be if I got caught.

Who was he talking to? Someone at the pound? Forest maybe? But I can’t imagine how he’d be involved in the clearly shady business the Ambassador was talking about.

You don’t know him, or the others, so how can you be sure?

God I hate that bitch known as anxiety, she colours everything in shades of uncertainty and makes me question my gut and heart all too often.

“Stop frowning, Aspen. You’ll get wrinkles and it’s not an attractive look on you.” My mother’s harsh voice cuts through my racing thoughts, and I realise with a start that I’m in the dining room, sitting at the table. Fuck, I really must have been thinking too hard.

“Apologies, Mother,” I mumble, seeing the way her light blue gaze cuts across me, assessing me, weighing me up, and no doubt finding me wanting. Something she confirms a moment later.

“I’ve hired you that personal trainer I got you for Christmas, dear. You need to tone up,” she remarks as a member of staff places what my mother has decided I’ll have for breakfast today. A plate with half a grapefruit sliced into segments and a glass filled with a green juice that no doubt is disgusting is put in front of me. I fucking hate grapefruit—it’s too bitter—but like the dutiful daughter I try to be, I use my small fruit fork and pick a piece up. “He’ll be here after you finish school, so come straight home.”

“Yes, Mother,” I reply softly, my hand clutched around the handle of the fork, tightening until the metal bites into my skin. I’m staring at the grapefruit, trying to control my breathing enough not to snap at her that it’smylife and I can do as I please. Though, that would be a lie, and I don’t know where it comes from, because it’s been drilled into me over the past few years that I most certainlycannotdo as I please.

“How was your time with Albert? You came back late,” she throws out, and my eyes dart up to hers to see a gleam in her eyes. “His father is a senator, a very important man, Aspen. Don’t mess this up for your father.”

“W–we went to the country club and hung out with some people from school,” I carefully inform her, my heart pounding in my chest as I prepare to tell the lie that Bobby gave me. “And then we went back to his house.”

She gives me a maniacal grin. “Excellent. Well, I hope you left him satisfied, dear. It’s important to keep men like that happy, and there is one surefire way to do that.”

My cheeks flush as I feel my eyes go wide at her words. She’s telling me to fuck him because the Ambassador wants to keep Albert’s father on his side…Jesus fucking Christ.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that, Aspen. Us women have to do what we can to get on in life, and often that involves some sacrifices, but it doesn’t have to be all bad, just think of being set up for life with a future senator,” she instructs me, and my mind flashes to the way Forest made me feel, the way Landon and Blaine made me come so hard that I saw fucking stars.

“Of course, Mother,” I answer, dipping my head so she can’t see that my eyes must reflect the way my blood currently burns in my veins.

The Ambassador joins us a few minutes later, ignoring me completely as he sits down with his mound of newspapers as he does every morning. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone on the staff has to iron them for him so they are crease-free.

I finish up quickly, bidding them both goodbye as I rush from the room and into the waiting car.

“Good morning, Miss Aspen,” Bobby greets me as soon as the door is shut.

“Good morning, Bobby,” I reply, still thinking about the conversation I overheard and what it means.Who was he talking to? And what did it have to do with the pound, the place that Forest’s aunt and uncle own?

Again, time seems to slip away from me and before I know it we’re pulling up outside the impressive gates of Fairview Academy. Just like yesterday, I can appreciate the beauty of the buildings as I pass through the gates. The way the modern buildings seem to blend with the old ones shouldn’t look so good side by side given how different they are, but it works.

“Aspen!” an Irish voice calls out, and I turn, the first genuine smile I’ve had since last night splitting my face into a wide grin.

“Good morning, Aoife. How are you?” I question, appreciating her quirky dress sense. She’s wearing head to toe black, chunky Doc Martens on her feet with a soft, jersey-style dress printed in a tarot card pattern covering her gorgeous curvy figure, all topped off with a fitted wool coat, also in black. With her sleek hair, she’s got the Wednesday Adams vibe going for her.

“Urgh, you know, fucking hate getting up early, like who actually enjoys the morning?” she answers, sipping from a travel mug, then pausing at no doubt the look on my face. “You do, don’t you? You’re one of those morning people me da always bangs on about, aren’t you?”

“Guilty,” I say, chuckling as we make our way towards the art building for our first class of the day.

“Just my luck,” she teases, nudging my shoulder with hers.

“Hey!” I hear a voice call, and turning around, my stomach drops when Albert storms towards me.

“He looks pissed…” Aoife muses, stepping closer to me until our arms brush.

“You left your shit in my car,” Albert spits out, throwing my bag and jacket on the ground with a look of disgust.

My body just freezes in the face of his anger, all of the bravado from the previous night disappearing as my body screams at me to run from the danger.

“Is there a problem here?” a deep voice sounds just behind me, and my muscles release all their tension as Landon, Forest, and Blaine come up on my other side.

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