Page 288 of Vile Boys

“My father’s going to kill me,” Alistair mutters, staring off into the distance.

“Relax, no one’s involving the police,” Penelope says. “As long as everyone keeps their mouths shut.”

“That’s going to be tough,” Milo mutters, tapping his fingers together.

“They need help, guys. We can’t just sit around and do nothing,” Crystal says.

“I’m with her,” I say. “I’m not going to let them die. If that means going to the hospital and risking jail time, then so be it.”

Dylan sighs, but then his eyes widen the moment he sees who steps through the door.

“No one here is going to jail.”

Mr. Rivera, the dean of Spine Ridge University, has us all standing.

“Dad?” Lana mutters. “What are you doing here—” Her eyes skitter around the room. “It’s not what it looks like.”

Rivera raises a brow. “Two injured students and my kids all covered in blood?”

“It wasn’t a fight between us, I swear,” Penelope says.

“Felix,” his father looks sternly at him. “Tell me the truth.”

Felix folds his arms. “We went to the Torres Casino to save Ares, who was being tortured by his father. We shot up maybe a hundred guards to get to him. Torres is dead.”

Their father groans in frustration and rubs his eyes, taking a pause. “And the guests?”

“They ran,” Milo fills in. “We didn’t kill any innocent people if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Did anyone see you?”

“We wore masks,” I reply.

“Can we hurry up, please?” Crystal asks. “There’s no time for any of this. They’re dying.”

“What if the doctors there tell the cops?” Kai asks.

Mr. Rivera clears his throat. “They won’t because the specialist working there is on the goddamn board.”

“Oh …” Dylan mutters. “Well, why didn’t you tell us sooner?”

Suddenly, two people knock on the door. “Who called for an ambulance?”

Mr. Rivera steps aside. “You’re just in time.”

CRYSTAL

It feels like the wait takes ages.

I just sit and chew on my lip while the clock keeps ticking and the doctors are busy trying to save both their lives. I pray they make it out alive.

A nurse here at the clinic kindly looked at my wounds from his father’s bullwhip and cleaned it up nicely, and she said I was lucky that I didn’t require stitches, only some medical glue.

Ares and Blaine aren’t as lucky.

The guys and girls from the Skull & Serpent Society and the Phantom Society have already gone back to their homes, patiently awaiting the news via text. I didn’t expect them to stay, of course, but it is rather silent with just the two of us in this waiting room and a clock slowly ticking away at time.

“Here.” Caleb pushes a can of Coke into my hands. “Drink.”

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