Twenty-Three
Levin
B ianca wouldn’t talk to me. Hell, she wouldn’t talk to any of us. I’d gone too far. I’d snapped on her. I was smart enough to know I’d fucked up. Dom had punched me in the face afterwards, putting me in my place, and Vincent had shouted obscenities at me.
I didn’t know how to fix things. I’d almost killed her.
Remorse was eating me up inside. I hated that I felt it for her. Fucking D’Angelou. I didn’t know how to make things right. Or if I even should. I was a piece of shit for doing it. That wasn’t me. I mean, it was, but it wasn’t, and for that, I was kicking my own ass.
Fuck .
“Let it go,” Dom said, watching as Bianca approached us with her head down.
Her blonde hair cascaded around her in soft waves. It made my heart beat harder.
I hated that she was so fucking beautiful.
Or kind. I wanted her to be a grade-A cunt just so I had a reason to hate her as much as I wanted to.
Truth of the matter was, she was a sweet girl.
Since being put on wasp watch , as Vincent had dubbed it, I’d witnessed her helping underclassmen struggling with homework.
I’d seen her stop walking to pick up things people had dropped.
I’d listened while she encouraged her friend, Aubrey, to wear a dress she was nervous about. Bianca had hyped her up.
Fucking bitch.
I grunted at Dom, my gaze in the same place as his. Vincent stared at her too.
It had been a week since my meltdown. The bruises on her neck had faded. Dom and Vincent were getting more pissed by the minute at her silent treatment. We’d taken to trailing far behind her just to stick to our promise while not interfering with or annoying her.
My hands balled into fists as Austin Lane, a douche from the basketball team, approached her. She stopped, listening as he talked, a smile on his face. She beamed back at him as they exchanged words.
“What the fuck?” Vincent growled, glaring in her direction as Austin reached out and touched her shoulder before pushing her hair off it.
My guts tightened as she laughed at something he said before she backed away. Dom got to his feet and gestured for her to come to us. We didn’t usually make her eat lunch with us. We let her sit with Aubrey and her two friends.
Today would apparently be different.
Bianca stopped at our table, not saying a word.
“What the fuck was that?” Dom demanded.
She shrugged.
“You don’t fucking talk to the trash around here, Bianca,” Dom continued.
“What did he want?” Vincent leaned forward.
When she didn’t answer, Dom let out a snarl which made her flinch. “Fucking answer,” he shouted, slamming his hands on the table.
A few students looked in our direction before turning to pretend like they weren’t tuned in.
“He asked me how I was. Asked me if I’d like to go see a movie and grab din—”
“He asked you out?” My voice was softer than I meant it to be. Deadly. And pissed the fuck off.
She glared at me, not answering.
“Did he, wasp? Did he ask you out?” Dom demanded.
“It’s just a movie. I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to make new friends—”
“You can make any friends you want,” Vincent said. “Just not ones who want to fuck you.”
A muscle thrummed along her jaw.
“Do you want to eat, wasp?” Dom’s voice was measured and controlled, signaling he was about to lose his shit, as he approached her and took her lunch tray from her hands.
“What are you doing?” she demanded, trying to snatch her lunch back.
“You want to eat with the nobodies and trash, then you can eat on all fours like a fucking mutt.” He dropped her tray to the floor. The salad bounced around, some landing on the ground.
“You’re fucking nuts if you think I’m going to get on all fours and eat like a dog,” she said, her hands balled into fists.
“Then get my mother fucking straight jacket, wasp, because I’m dead fucking serious.
” He lowered his voice so much Vincent and I had to lean in to hear him.
“Remember our deal. You do as you’re told or you can crawl back to Ivanov.
On your hands and knees right here and now, or I’ll fucking put you on them when I leave you with him. ”
She trembled where she stood, obviously contemplating what she was going to do. Then she dropped to her hands and knees beside Dom’s feet, all that blonde hair cascading forward to cover her face. It didn’t take a genius to know she was crying.
Something about that made my cock harden in my pants.
Dom took his seat once more as students stared. I caught Ivanov across the room, looking gleeful as fuck as Bianca remained hunched over at our feet.
It was one of his guys who stole my attention though. Fallon Vasiliev. He glared in our direction like he was going to pounce on us.
“He looks pissed,” Vincent said, following my gaze.
Dom cast a quick look in Fallon’s direction before placing his glass of juice in front of Bianca on the floor.
I nodded wordlessly before focusing my attention back on Dom and Bianca.
“Eat,” Dom commanded softly.
“Fuck you,” she whispered, shaking.
“You’ve been giving us the silent treatment for days now. It baffles me that you’re surprised to find yourself at our feet.”
“Your pet monster tried to kill me, asshole. How do you want me to react?”
“Maybe with a little respect. After all, it’s us who are keeping you safe and alive.”
“Safe from who?” She finally tilted her head up to look at us. Her makeup was smeared, and her eyes were bloodshot from her tears. “You’re just like them. Maybe worse.” Her voice broke, and she stared back at her tray, her face once again covered.
Frustrated, Dom rubbed his eyes and sighed before grabbing a French fry off his plate and dropping it onto hers. Vincent followed suit and added a handful. Some bounced off her head as her body quivered.
“Don’t act like a bitch, and you won’t get treated like one.” Dom straightened in his seat and glared at the sea of students still observing us. Most of them were smart enough to glance away, but a few kept staring, including Fallon.
Aubrey shot us death glares from her seat, but it was whatever. We had to get a handle on Bianca before she got a handle on us.
That was just how these games were played.