Page 9 of The Knight

It twists me up inside to know that he'll be forgiven for his DUI, and for untold things besides that night, when no one will ever forgive me for being who and what I am: poor, bitter, angry, and driven to immoral lengths by revenge. Holly Schneider will probably forgive Cole Masterson and break up with her new boyfriend for him before she'll forgive me for what I did to her, and I did it not knowing she was truly kind, a girl set apart from the rest who genuinely offered me her friendship.

I'll only be able to go back to Coleridgebecauseof Cole. Because of whatever "massaging" he claims he did with my student records. And I don't understand why he would do it, when he couldn't possibly want to be with me any more than he wants to throw me.

"Do I need a reason why?" Cole asks, aggressively staring down Blake. "Last I checked it was my decision to mark her, and it'll be my decision to change my mind."

Tanner drawls, "What're you, the president of a club I don't remember forming?"

"You don't get to make decisions for all of us," Lukas argues.

Frustration shoots through me, and I snap out, "None of you get to make decisions forme.Especially after everything you've done to me."

"Oh?" Cole stares me down. "So you're saying that youdon'twant to be allowed back into Coleridge? Because we both know your life has never been this good before, and never will be again if you're expelled from school. But if you'd like to return to the trailer park you came from, be my guest."

In a low voice Lukas warns, "Cole."

"Sorry, sorry." Biting smile on his face, Cole waves his hand through the air dismissively, as if erasing his own words. "The respectable mid-to-lower class residence in which you were raised. Or is that a pile of sticks now? I forget which of your homes was destroyed."

I loathe him. But as I clench my fists and he watches the movement, his eyes flickering, I get the sense that's the point. Hewantsme to hate him. He says these terrible, biting things to my face so that I'll despise everything about him. Why he would do thatafterensuring my place at Coleridge, I have no idea. Maybe it's just a game for when he's bored, like a cat biting the tails off mice. Or maybe he's playing some other, deeper game I can't quite see yet. Either way it's working—I feel sick just thinking about the kiss we shared.

Cole continues, "It wasn't much of a loss, though, was it? Losing your house in that tornado. A piece of plywood and two nails could replace it."

Even Tanner and Blake are looking at Cole as if he's gone too far this time. Lukas has an expression on his face that I've never seen before: pure, unadulterated rage. It transforms his model good looks, pale perfect skin, blue eyes and soft blond hair. Suddenly he looks less like a painting and more like a Nordic soldier about to roar into battle wielding an ax.

"Get out." He aims his words at Cole, his voice devoid of all warmth or emotion. "Go take a walk around the block and don't come back until you've grown a soul."

Flicking his eyes to Lukas, Cole looks him up and down dismissively. "You're one to talk. No one wants her gone more than you. She should thank me for what I've done for her." This is the moment when he looks at me with nothing but contempt in his eyes. "Thank me, Brenna, and you'll get to stay at Coleridge—for a little while."

I swallow, irritated with myself for being intimidated and afraid. I'm the fire and Cole should burn.Heshould be afraid ofme."Why?"

"Because you interest me. Because I want to see what you do next." Taking a step towards the bed, he adds, "And because when you decide to leave, it should be because ofme.Not some two bit low rate mafia wannabes with a little bit of chloroform. I want my name on your lips when you run out of this place for good."

Tanner shoots him an incredulous look. "Laying it on a little thick there, aren't ya Masterson?"

"He's been practicing his sociopathy," Blake notes dryly. "If you ask me it's a little heavy on the sadism and light on the coherency. Work on your flirting, Cole."

I find myself turning red; though I can't see my blush, I canfeelit, from my collarbones all to way up to my hairline. It's like my heart is beating just beneath the surface of my skin. "He's not flirting," I protest, "he's toying with me because he's sick. If you want to get rid of me, get rid of me already. Cut out the back-and-forth bullshit."

"So youdowant to leave Coleridge. Not even a fight to stay in?"

"I'll fight you," I warn him, but the words come out weak considering my current position in a hospital bed. "It's not you I want the most, though. I want to take down the people who did this to my brother. I want his murderers to suffer. And everyone else who stood by while he was suffering."

"To do that, you have to stay at Coleridge," the sadistic fucker points out. "So again, you're welcome. Just know that you have to leave when I tell you to, and I'll make you suffer if you don't."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Lukas's growl of a sentence jolts me, and I find myself staring at him in wonder. He's glaring angrily at Cole. "We were supposed to get Brenna to leave Coleridge for her own safety. Not as some kind of sick game. Bring her back if you intend to do something to protect her, but these half-measures will just put her in danger."

I tilt my chin up towards him, ego still bruised at the discovery that he doesn't want me around. "I can handle whatever it is."

"Can you? Because you would've died if the cops hadn't shown up tonight. From what I hear,Hassfound you, not thatthatmakes much sense. Unless you fought off your attackers and failed to mention?"

My pride is ticked further, and I have to look down and away, embarrassed—and more than a little afraid—to admit that he's right. When those men came for me I was completely helpless. For all my grand plans about revenge and the fire that I swore would burn the Elites to the ground, all it took was a little struggle and I was almost done fighting permanently.

If I go back to Coleridge, those men will know. They were waiting for me inside the school's gates. My face was familiar to them. And I already suspect that they're working with Hass or connected to him in some way.

But I want to go back anyway. "Who's to say I'll be in any less danger back in Wayborne? Besides, Lukas, it's not your choice to make."

He looks away at this, his jaw setting. "Fine. I just wish there was something we could do or say to convince you to leave—of your own free will, not because of some kind of torture plan."

Tanner offers, "I can get you pregnant and kicked out of school if you'd like. Dad would hate the optics of that—and I'm sure you'd love a piece of my trust fund."

---