Page 106 of Cruel Legacy

“I already said no to doing your laundry.” She looks over at me. “But I will teach how to do it yourself, because you don’t need bitches using you like this to elevate their status.”

“You’ve got it wrong, Pet. I’m using them.” When she laughs, I ask, “What’s so funny?”

“What’s funny is you’re supposed to be this larger-than-life entity on campus. Bullying and torturing people into submission, and yet you have no idea that the people you should pay attention to are the randoms who you have no connection or established relationship with. The ones who are happy to do you favors without asking for anything in return. Especially if they’re women.”

Someone comes in and takes their clothes from the machine to the right. I ignore the look I get when I stand in front of it and start fiddling with the knobs. “Okay, show me what to do.”

Pax is waiting in my room when I get back. He looks at me when I walk in, and says, “I thought we were heading off campus for drinks.”

I forgot I asked him to hang. Holden’s working on a paper, and we won’t see him for the next few days. “My bad, man. I lost track of time.”

“Doing who?”

“Laundry.”

“No seriously. What’s her name?”

“Iamserious. I was doing my laundry. Did you know fabric softener is how you get the towels fluffy?”

“Why would I know some shit like that?”

I pull out one of my fluffy towels and rub it against my face. It’s soft and smells amazing. Pax goes through a ton of workout clothes and does his own laundry, but his towels have never felt like this. “I’m just saying. It’ll change your life.” I toss it at him so he can see what he’s missing out on. He throws it right back.

“Are we going out or what?”

I no longer need the outlet, but since he’s here I say, “Yeah. Lemme get changed real quick.”

Chapter48

Thea

Istep out of my bathroom with my towel held up to my chest as I hurry across the floor to grab my phone off my bed. I reach it too late to answer, and check the number. It’s from an unknown caller. When the voicemail chime dings, I put it on speaker to listen to the message while I dry off and get dressed.

I might not know the number, but I know the voice on the other end of the line, and the words she says lets me know she’s in trouble. I’m gonna kill whoever came up with these fucking initiation tasks.

But first, I need to go rescue LJ from her chastity vow ceremony.

I already knew that each pledge’s experience would be different. I’m just glad that wherever they dropped her had a phone available for her to use. It’s one thing for the Coxsuckers to try to seduce me into submission, but LJ is sweet. She’s innocent. She’s what the Zeta Nu’s are looking for. I don’t want her first sexual experience to be like this.

I replay the message. Thankful she wasn’t blindfolded and was able to give me the cross streets to where she is. A quick search tells me it’s in Red Cliff. I call a cab. This place is on the other side of town from where Club Dredd is. There’s no way I’m driving my car there.

The rundown neighborhood brings back so many memories of Nags Creek. Memories I’d rather avoid. Still, I push my shoulders back and slap on my “don’t fuck with me face”. No matter how far you move away, you never forget how to operate in these types of spaces. Sliding into that role comes easily.

As soon as I approach the back of the boarded up house, an acidic taste hits the back of my throat. Chills slide down my spine. I know that taste. I know that smell. It makes my stomach turn and my blood boil, knowing my friend is in here. Knowing some asshole brought her here.

I approach the cracked stairs, and take shallow breaths. The air is permeated with the smell of excrement, and body funk. There are people hanging out on the porch and in the living room when I enter the house.

Nobody cares that they’re sprawling across discarded furniture covered in piss, shit or vomit. It doesn’t bother them that the stiff substance they’re rolling around on is probably someone else’s cum.

I avoid eye contact. I don’t have time to deal with tweekers offering to eat me out for five dollars. I didn’t even bring a wallet with me, my money is hidden in my phone case which is stuffed in my bra, held there by tape. Carrying anything else is the fastest way to get robbed.

I find LJ in the back of the house. She’s in the corner against a wall, doing her best not to look at all the fuckery going on around her. If she wasn’t squeamish about sex before, this will definitely convince her to never do it.

“What do you want?”

I dart my eyes away from her to glance at the guy who walks up to me. This is his show. He’s got that vibe about him that screams pimp. When I find the guy who brought her here…

I jut my chin towards LJ. “I came for my girl.”

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