Page 93 of Heartless Legacy

“Holden’s ready now.”

A thud drags my gaze from her face to the table, which now has a butter knife sticking out of it. She leans down and hisses. “I am not a pass-around girl. Despite what your last companionyells from the rafters, I am not a whore, and I am not a chew toy. I don’t want to be your companion, or anyone else’s. I never wanted to be Pax’s companion, either. I’m glad I’m ineligible. So undo whatever shit you did.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Fuck around, and find out.”

She snatches her tray off the table, dumps the trash, and slams it on top of the receptacle on her way to the exit. I settle back in my seat, a huge ass smile on my face. Thea can’t possibly expect me to withdraw my request. And doesn’t she know her threat was basically a mating call? I can’t wait tofuck around.And find out.

A low whistle on my left reminds me the idiot is still here. Now that Thea’s gone, I can stop being nice. “Listen fucker. I don’t know who the hell you are-”

“Why would you? You never come down off your throne of entitlement long enough to notice anyone who’s not a top legacy family. Now, before you get to posturing and all that shit, I’m gonna introduce myself. I’m Ryland.”

“And?”

He climbs to his feet. “And I’m not some pussy ass motherfucker you can scare away with your knife and threats.”

“Wanna bet?”

He snickers as he walks away. Walks. The fuck. Away. From me. I pull out my phone and text Holden.

Finn

Who’s the dead fuck that just walked out of here?

He looks over at me and shrugs. I get to my feet and stalk out of the dining hall. There’s no trace of him when I step outside.He talked a good game, but obviously he ran the moment he was out of my sight. Smart man.

I’m dozing in my afternoon lecture when I get a text from Holden.

Holden

Ryland is a grad student here. A third-year prospect. He works in the archives. His family name is Montrose.

It’s the last sentence that drains the murderous rage from my body.

He’s Hailee Laurent’s cousin

Chapter 56

Pax

Eloise asks, “Aren’t you going to do something?”

“About what?”

“That.” She points toward the other side of the room where Finn has made himself at home.

“Something like what?”

“You need to tell him he can’t sit there.”

The pulse in my temple throbs. She’s been saying shit like this more and more, as if she really believes I have control over what Finn and Holden, or anyone else at this school, do.

Power is an illusion. We wield it until we don’t. I was only as strong as my friend’s support made me and the fear others had of us, of me, allowed me to be. It’s hard to maintain control over a group of people when you struggle to control yourself.

Do the other legacy families still have that fear of me? Probably, but I know it’s not as absolute or as strong as it was before. How can it be, when part of that fear was out of the imposing presence The Trium manifested? Now we’re barely speaking or looking at each other. God knows I’m surprised when Finn and Holden even show up to the dining hall or in the lobby at Vale Tower every morning.

“How is Finn’s choice of tables any of your business?”

---