Page 191 of Ruthless Legacy

I expected people to not understand my choice, but I didn’t care. A bunch of old folks complaining and passing out from the scandal? Not my problem. They were mine, and I was excited about letting everyone know that.

But it’s not true. None of it is true. I’m a business deal. A way to get a quarter of Joshua’s company. A company I know nothing about and don’t want any part of it.

How involved was Joshua in this scam? Is my match to Pax just to make me more desirable to someone else? That’s The League way, right? Take what you want, and steal someone else’s points. That’s supposedly why the first forty-eight hours after our match were so dangerous. Because someone might try to hurt me.

Didn’t Moira warn me it’s all just one big game? A game the high council is at the helm of. Clearly, they’ve been waiting for me to fail their challenges.

I’ve come close to quitting. Two girls and a guy already have. But I’ve hung in there, thinking it would all be worth it in the end. To be on equal footing with my guys.

I scoff at those words.My guys.They’re not my anything. They’re my competition in The League of the Daggered Raven, and equal footing isn’t enough. Now, I want more than that. I want revenge for everything they’ve put me through. Everything The League put Moira and my mom through.

I thought the path of least resistance was best. Now I’m ready to fuck shit up. They’ve been trying to erase me, now they’re gonna get every piece of Nags Creek rebellion I have buried inside.

I’m gonna shove that picture perfect life they’re trying to suffocate me with, right down their uptight little throats. I’m done trying to make myself small, so that I can avoid whatever fate was awaiting my mom. Both of my moms.

I tried it their way. It didn’t work. Now, I’m gonna deal with them my way.

* * *

Knife Boy

How did it go?

I consider ignoring the text, but I don’t want to make them suspicious. I’ve used cramming for final exams as an excuse to get time to myself.

As soon as I finished my last exam, a challenge alert was blowing up my phone. I knew there was gonna be another challenge. I was just wrong about the timing.

Having to jump into challenge mode after sitting through a two-hour exam isn’t ideal, but I guess I should be grateful they waited as long as they did.

A golden state

Two dozen different blooms

Adorn a plate, morning, night and noon.

Then coordinates that lead me to Palm Springs

It took a three hour drive and an hour walk, before I figured out the clue was referring to a flower. Then talking to the florist, led me to the flower. The poppy. California’s state flower.

I finish paying for my dozen poppies (this shop only had one kind in stock) then stare at the riddle again. Adorn a plate. Is this a license plate or a food plate?

Two patrol cars are parked in front of the flower shop when I exit. What the hell is going on here? I glance over my shoulder at the florist. She looks just as confused as I am.

I step to the side to let the cops pass. Instead of routing around me, he steps towards me, one hand hovering over his gun. The other cop is on my left, gun already raised. I make eye contact with each of them and slowly raise my hands in the air.

The one closest to me steps forward and rips the flowers out of my hand -tossing them to the ground. He yanks my arms behind me with more force than necessary since I’m not resisting. I scan the street and see someone on the sidewalk taping me.

What kind of league test is this? I’m sure interrogation is a part of their process, but they wouldn’t want anyone filming it, and… these are actual cops. The extra rough way I’m being handled and the sneers on this one’s face are familiar.

I keep my body relaxed and let my mind go blank, as he says, “Theona LaReaux. You’re under arrest for the attempted murder of Michael Pearse.”

He drags me to the back of the squad car and shoves me inside. I’m silent on the drive to the precinct. I have nothing to say. Even if I did, I wouldn’t. I file away the faces, names and badge numbers of everyone I come into contact with.

I’m booked and fingerprinted, then shoved into an interrogation room to wait it out. I sit in the chair, waiting for hours, but no one ever comes to question me. Next, I’m tossed in a cell, where I wait some more.

The next time the cell opens, it’s to let another prisoner inside. She’s got a wild look in her eyes. She takes one look at me and I know some shit is about to go down. She doesn’t even wait until the doors are closed before coming over to me. “That seat’s mine.”

I’m not in the mood for the dominance shuffle. She can have this end of the bench. She follows when I move to the cot. “That one’s mine.”

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