Page 95 of Twisted Legacy

His words break through my panic. “Let me go and I’ll show you just how good my form is.”

He shoves me away, crossing his arms across his chest, and Finn asks, “What just happened?”

“Nothing.”

Pax says, “What happened is you proved my point. You’ve got no business being out in these woods by yourself. Now go back to the dorms and stop being a nuisance.”

“And if I don’t?”

“There is no don’t. You’re going, even if I have to carry you there myself.” He steps toward me. “So what’s it gonna be?”

I don’t want him touching me. Don’t want any of them touching me, but I know this isn’t an empty threat. They’ll do it. “Fuck you.”

“Never again. One time on the crazy train was more than enough.”

I ignore his attempt to insult me and head back to Vale Tower. I need to come up with another plan. They show up every time I go into the woods. Help my ass. Maybe they’re trying to stop me from finding clues and piecing together the details of that night.

Chapter55

Thea

Campus is abuzz with everyone packing their cars to leave for the holidays. In forty-eight hours, it’ll be like a ghost town around here, as the last students finish their final exams and leave for winter break. LJ and I shared a tearful goodbye this afternoon. She had tears. I kept mine on the inside. But it was still hard to watch her drive away.

I stare at the package wrapped with a huge silver bow outside my door. It’s not my birthday. It’s not either of my birthdays. My newest one and Christmas are still two weeks away, so why is my aunt sending me gifts?

I take it inside, grab a water bottle from the fridge, then sit on the couch to open it. I damn near fall out the chair when I see what’s inside. It’snotfrom my aunt. There’s no card or note, but it can only be from one person and the message is pretty clear.

Shit, shit, shit. I’m not ready to forgive him. Even after he interceded when I was roofied, but this is ahugeapology. I go from shocked to pissed off. How dare he. I grab the gift and stomp across the hall, banging on the door with the heel of my hand. He opens it and smiles.

“Don’t smile at me, you manipulative piece of shit.” I hold up the box. “I don’t accept your apology gift.”

“Oh-kaay.”

“That doesn’t mean you’re getting it back.”

“Of course not.”

“I’m only keeping it to teach you a lesson.”

“As you should. I’m open to any and all lessons, Pet.”

“I should use it to cut your heart out, but you don’t have one.”

“I've heard that. A lot. And I started to believe it. But I have one. It’s just walking around on the outside of my body, exposed to the world and I fucked up bad so I can’t be there to protect it.” His gaze drops to the knives. “I’m hoping they’ll do in my absence.”

A quick flick of my wrist has one of the blades at his throat, the other at his crotch. The crazy psycho just smiles. “What are you smiling about?”

“I’m glad you like the gifts, Pet.”

He backs away, humming to himself like I didn’t just tell him this changes nothing about how much I hate him.

I go back to my room and step onto the balcony to get some air. The gift is over the top, but it’s the most thoughtful thing he’s ever done and it’s exactly what I needed, even though I didn’t say anything. A small fracture heals in my heart. I miss Clint, but Finn’s just made sure I can protect myself. Even after fucking with his knife. He thought enough about me to arm me.

I’m staring off, watching the sunset, when I hear what sounds like grunts coming from his balcony. The grunts and moans intensify. Did he have someone in there waiting for him while we were talking? Once a man whore, always a man whore.

I walk closer to our shared railing to call him out on his shit. My steps stall as the full scene comes into view. It’s not Finn making noise, although he and Holden are on the balcony, too. It’s Pax with his dick out this time, with some chick. She and Moira have similar taste in underwear, because she’s wearing a bra and panty set like the one I had that went missing from my laundry when the guys were messing with my car and shit. Hers fits a little tighter than mine did. When Pax pulls her by the hair, forcing her to arch her back, I get a better look at the side of the bra and snort a laugh. The bra and panties don’t fit because theyaremine. In group homes and juvie, you learn to label your shit so it doesn’t get stolen. I still do it out of habit. Moira was appalled at the idea and sent all my stuff off to get little monograms on them. For some of the lingerie, she had tiny charms sewn on the front of them so I could thread a belly chain through it. This set has the charm.

There are so many thoughts I’m having about what I’m seeing. First. Eeew. I hope they burn that when they’re done. Second, and this is the weirdest thing that needs to be unpacked. Did Finn make her dress in my underwear, or did she steal my underwear to catch Finn? And uh, if she was after Finn, why is Pax the one pounding her into the concrete?

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