Page 257 of Vile Boys

“What?” Blaine scoffs, offended.

“Shut it. Both of you,” Ares tells them. “We’re just going to school. Act normal.”

“Normal?” Blaine laughs in an exaggerated manner. “Good one, darling.”

“I’m serious,” I say. “I can’t have people thinking I’ve lost my mind walking around with you three. I just want things to go back to normal.”

Ares suddenly directs his stern gaze to me, making me gulp. “You will have your normal. But I will not allow you to walk around unguarded.” His gentle caress to my cheeks makes me blush too. “So go to your classes and we will be by the door waiting when it’s finished to take you to the next.”

He places a kiss on my forehead in front of everyone, unafraid to claim me while the school watches. Part of me is mortified, but another glows with pride.

“Now go on. Get to class, little rose.”

I blush and give him a kiss on the cheek before I turn around and walk off under their searing gaze, as well as pretty much everyone else in this hallway.

Good God.

I head inside for my first class and nearly faint when I see Penelope sitting there with bruises all over her arms. When she looks up, she drops the pen she was holding, and I can barely breathe.

“Crystal?”

She sounds shocked, and I don’t know how to react as Iapproach.

“Is that you?” She looks like she’s seen a ghost, and suddenly gets up and hugs me tight. “Oh my God, it really is you. I was so worried about you. Are you hurt?” She immediately pushes me away and inspects me.

“I’m fine,” I mutter. “At least, physically. I’m still a little shaken up from what happened.”

“How did you even get out of the Bonesmen grasp?” she asks. “Felix and I looked everywhere for you. We even scoured all the Bones Brotherhood locations we knew about.”

“I was taken to a different compound where they tried to sell me again. Luckily, the guys from the Tartarus House found me.”

“Caleb?” she asks. “Oh wow, I’m impressed he managed to find you.”

I nod. “And Blaine and Ares too.”

She hugs me again, and I sink into her chest, breathing out a sigh of relief. “I’m so glad you’re okay. We were all worried sick. I didn’t even know you were in there. No one did. We went into the first compound to get Lana out together with the Phantom Society boys, but then we lost you, and I couldn’t get to the van in time …” she says, lowering her brows in shame. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t there in time to save you.”

“It’s okay,” I say, rubbing her back. “I’m here. I’m safe. I’m not going anywhere. At least not without screaming at the top of my lungs.”

She sniggers. “When Caleb said he was going to ask his boys for help, I didn’t expect him to actually come through.”

I make a face. I don’t think she knows the full truth. “Yeah … about that …” I squeak. “We’re actually kind of, sort of, dating?”

“What?!”

I cover her mouth so no one hears her scream.

“Don’t make a scene, please. They already hate that everyone is looking.”

Her eyes widen. “They?”

Oh God.

“Are you telling me you’re datingmultipleTartarus boys?”

“Uhh … I plead the Fifth?”

The blush on my cheeks apparently gives it all away, and she grabs me and shoves me back and forth like a crazy person. “Oh my God,Crystal! A foursome?”

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