Page 14 of Ruthless Legacy

Verity blushes when she catches me watching her. “Well, we should get going. See you tomorrow, Miss Hammond.”

Miss Hammond waves at us without looking up from her notes. As we walk to our next class, I study my guide. “So, Miss Hammond’s, a favourite of yours, huh?”

Verity looks up and blushes. “Is it that obvious? She is just so beautiful. Have you seen the way her blue eyes turn a shade deeper when she’s talking about books?”

I chuckle and shake my head. “No, I can’t say I did.”

Verity sighs, her mind somewhere else. “What I wouldn’t do to be locked in a library alone with that woman for a night.”

I almost choke on my tongue. “Oh, I see. I thought you were just girl-crushing over her.”

Verity laughs and winks at me. “I like boys and girls. Why choose one when you can have both?”

“Whatever floats your boat,” I reply with an arch of my brow and a smile. As we walk to our next class, I decide to try to do a little digging. “So, what can you tell me about the Aces?”

Verity stiffens at the mention of them. “What do you know about the Aces?”

I shrug and try to look nonchalant. “Not much, just that they run the school and have some stupid club that everyone clambers to become a part of.”

Verity looks straight ahead and nods her head. “The Aces are the four founding families of the bay.” She stops in her steps and places her arm on mine. “What you heard is correct, Eliza. They rule this place. Don’t mock what you don’t understand. This bay is old and steeped in tradition.”

I’m somewhat taken aback by the change in her demeanour. Is she a part of the elusive Aces club? Maybe she’s a Club, and she hangs off every word of the three Aces.

My steps falter when we walk into our next class, and I catch sight of the three boys who have been playing on my mind, sat right there at the back of the class. Verity leaves me at the door, and takes the last spot at the back, sitting down next to Rafe. He grins at her as he pulls his things out of his bag.

Okay, so now I understand loud and clear. Don’t bad mouth the Aces around Verity. I take a seat three rows down from the front and pull out my things. A piece of paper hits me on the back of my head and I whizz around to look at the three prime suspects. Savage sits there with his arms folded, leaning back in his seat, looking like the king, lording over his domain. I meet his icy glare with one of my own before I turn back around to face the front. I lean down and pick up the crumpled piece of paper that has landed by my feet.

You’re in trouble, Scarlet.

I scoff and shake my head; I lift my hand over my shoulder and give him the finger. He can kiss my arse if he thinks threatening notes will have any effect on me. You don’t move from foster home to foster home, and new schools, without dealing with bullies. Bring it on Savage. Do your worst.

When I head out into the hallway at lunchtime, I’m met with sneers and snide comments. One girl calls me a tramp, and it takes all my strength not to charge her to the floor and pummel my fists into her face. When I reach my locker I sigh, it has a string of bin bags hanging of it and the words dirty written in red across the front. I pull the bin bags off my locker and open it to put my things inside. I can tell they’re all waiting for some reaction, but they’re going to be disappointed if they think a few bin bags and derogatory words are going to break me.

“Hey.”

I look to my side to find Verity hovering.

“What do you want, Verity?” I ask her sharply. I will not waste my time on people who pretend to befriend me. Besides, she’s one of their little Clubs.

“Seb’s my brother,” she blurts out. “I’m a Collings. I’m sorry I snapped before, but I’m an Ace and well, you may find our traditions a joke, but here it means something.” She looks over my shoulder and stiffens. “I’ve grown up with the others. They always have my back, because it’s Aces before everything else.”

I dare a look over my shoulder and I see Archer, Rafe, and Seb, standing by their lockers, glaring down the corridor at me. “So, why am I being treated like a leper? I mean, technically I’m an Ace, too. By blood I’m an Alderman.”

Verity looks at me, conflicted. “Look, it’s way more complicated than it seems, Eliza. I wish I could say more, but it isn’t my story to tell, but heed my warning. Don’t go up against Archer. He hates you.”

“Why?” I ask, throwing my hands up in the air. “Because I’m breathing his air? What have I ever done to him to deserve this hatred?”

Verity chews on her bottom lip. “It isn’t anything you did. It’s more what your family did.” She holds her hand up to stop me before I speak. “Like I said, it isn’t my story to tell, so please don’t ask me. I love Archer like another brother, but he can be a mean bastard when he sets his mind to it. Just keep your head down and don’t rise to it.”

I snigger. Verity clearly does not know me well enough yet. “You think I’m scared of him?” I glare back over my shoulder at the person in question.

I pull my shoulders back and turn and walk down the hallway to where he stands.

“Oh, fuckity,” I hear Verity curse as she rushes to catch up with me.

By the time I reach them, they are all standing shoulder to shoulder glaring at me. “Oh, look it’s the Aces.” I tap my chin. “Let me just remind you what the first letter in your little acronym stands for. Alderman. You may not like that I am here boys,” I say as I reach up and flick Archer’s tie, and his jaw tightens, “but let me assure you, I am here to stay.” I swivel on my feet and head off in the other direction. I don’t have a clue where I am going, but so long as it is away from those arseholes, I don’t really care. The sound of someone clapping stops me in my stride, and I find a guy leaning against the wall next to the exit.

“Got to say, you like playing with fire princess.” He’s tall about six-one and he’s wearing his school shirt sleeves rolled up to reveal tattoo sleeves up both his arms. His dirty blonde hair flops into his eyes. The tatts and the feeling that he’s not like the rest of these rich pricks has my attention.

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