Page 44 of Twisted Legacy

I look down at my feet and grimace. I’m wearing my new white sneakers. Now, they’re gonna get ruined. “Are you sure you don’t wanna tell me?”

“Game rules, man. Game rules.”

“Uh, huh.” I whip out my butterfly knife and jam it into his side. Not too deep and not enough to hit anything major, but it serves its purpose.

“I respect your loyalty to the rules. Now we’re gonna play a new game. One where we pretend that I am aTriumand I make or break the fucking rules. Now, instead of just wanting to know who dared you, you’re gonna tell me every other secret you’ve ever kept in your life, too.”

I pull the knife out, and drag it down the length of his body, ripping his shirt in half. “I’m short on time. So let’s get started.” I step back, surveying his form. “I usually go from the top down, but maybe we’ll switch it up.”

I yank down his sweatpants and make tiny cuts on his left thigh. The design I have in mind is perfect. I’ll take a picture when I’m done. I always take pictures of my art. Eventually, I’ll have the pictures turned to sketches and I’ll choose the one I like best for my next tattoo. I look up to see how Carter’s responding to the cuts. The sting of pain can be a minor annoyance or feel like a million fire ants chomping on your skin. It all depends on your pain tolerance.

Carter broke fifteen minutes in. I wasn’t even halfway through my design before he started blabbing. Other than telling me where his group hides their challenge items, he didn’t have much to say. The person who dared him is a nobody. A peon at their frat, but I’ll be paying him a visit too, and every other person who’s outed until I get answers.

I’m sure someone will complain that I’m overreacting, but I’d be questioning people even if Thea wasn’t walking around newly christened a legacy heir.

Nobody asked us if they could punish her, nobody notified us it happened, and nobody’s come forward to take the blame so we can get pledge season back on track.

The Trium should have been the first call when this shit went down on Mayhem Night. We weren’t, which suggests we’ve lost control. If the students aren’t afraid of us, then someone else has convinced them they’re a bigger threat. We need to find out who it is and prove that they’re not.

That idiot Zeus is taking the blame for what happened, but unless he’s suddenly hitting as hard as Pax or Holden, there’s no way he did all that damage to Thea’s face by himself.

Once I’m in my car, I shoot off a text to have someone pick up Carter, then drive to my parent’s place. Carter’s breathing. The cuts are pretty much superficial, but just in case he wants to make a big deal about me giving him a stern lecture, it’s better if my dad hears about this from me.

My father’s coming out of his office as I step out of the hallway that leads from the garage. Taking in my appearance, he says, “I suppose you’ll be leaving the car here to be cleaned and detailed?”

“Yes, but I didn’t make as big a mess as the Red Summer.”

The Red Summer was two years ago. Right around the time we learned about The League. Somebody decided to publicly challenge my position as a Trium member, based on me living overseas for thirteen years, and things got a little messy. We had to reupholster the seats and replace the carpet because I smeared so much blood on them.

He looks down at the shoes I’m holding in my hand. I took them off outside so I wouldn’t make a mess. “Why don’t you toss those in the car too and I’ll see if my guy can get them looking new again.”

I backtrack to the garage and toss them on the driver’s seat, then go to my room to get cleaned up before dinner. When I get back downstairs, I pass my parents in the hall. My dad has my mother pressed against the wall, devouring her neck. I roll my eyes, trying to block out her moans. “You guys have a room on the other side of the house for that.”

“And you have a college campus on the other side of town you can eat at, if seeing me be affectionate with my wife is a problem for you.”

Their marriage was a league contract, just like mine to Eloise. The only difference is, my parentslikeeach other. A lot. I’m no stranger to their displays of affection, hence the reason I’m not an only child.

“Tonight is family dinner night or else I would be on campus, or out rounding up new leads.”

My father drags his face away from my mother’s neck, muttering. “He’s always been such a cock blocker.”

My mother laughs and steps out of his embrace, coming to slip her arm around my shoulder. “Tell me what you’ve been up to.”

Some parents say that and don’t really want to know, but my mother is just as active in my life as my father is. Of course, I spare her some of the more explicit details, though I’m sure my dad fills her in. I’ve never known them to keep secrets from each other.

Which is why I’m confused by their choice of wives for me. Eloise and I won’t ever have a relationship like theirs. I thought we would when we were first matched. But the more I got into exploring what I like the less she wanted to do.

I’m giving my parents shit for dry humping each other in the hallway, but I’m not really upset about it. That’s the way they’ve always been. The way I figured I’d be with my spouse.

“I had to interview someone today. He alluded to having information about what happened to Thea.”

“And did he?”

“No. Someone dared him to say he did, and like an idiot, he took that dare.”

“And how is the girl doing?”

I heft my shoulders. “She won’t talk to me and just seems to get angrier every time I try to apologize. I don’t know how to fix it.”

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