Five
SCARLETT
W e head over to an empty picnic table toward the right side of the beach. Right next to it is a drink station complete with two beer kegs, a cooler full of ice and another of hard liquor and mixers. There are about ten of these spread out across the beach with teens crowded around them.
“Let’s get some drinks,” Stella says as she leads Jade, Ruby, Kai, and Jax toward the kegs.
“So how long till one of these pricks comes over?” Drake asks mockingly, but I laugh knowing he’s right.
Someone is bound to come over soon and give us a “proper” introduction. I noticed the curious stares and irritated scowls the moment we stepped foot on the beach, but everyone seems to wait for someone else to make the first move.
“I’d give it ten minutes at most,” I add, looking around at the teens spread out across the property. Everyone looks like they stepped straight out of some Hollywood high school movie. Perfect hair, banging bodies, gorgeous faces. They bleed privilege and wealth. Headmaster Servite was right, this is the crème de la crème of the world’s elite teens.
“Maybe a little longer, looks like the kings aren’t here yet,” Stella says, coming over with two drinks. She hands both Drake and me a cup.
“The Kings?” Kai asks as he hands one of the cups in his hand to Stella.
“The Kings of Servite Academy,” Ruby answers knowingly.
“Get this, they call themselves the Four Horsemen,” Jade adds, causing the group to laugh.
“The Four Horsemen?” Drake asks amused as chuckling loudly
“Apparently they are the four guys that were standing on the front steps when we got out of the Headmaster’s office,” I say.
“Those pricks.” Drake takes a large swig of his drink.
“Yeah, they rule the school. Their leader is the Headmaster’s son, and apparently they are the law.” We laugh but Stella’s face remains serious.
“Wallace Servite, Sebastian Silver, Aleksander Smoak, and Beckett Masters,” says Jade, memorizing the Horsemen’s names.
“They sound like condescending pricks,” Drake sneers.
“What’s wrong, Silver?” Kai asks, looking toward a pale faced Stella.
“The Queens are here,” she says, motioning to a group of four girls walking onto the beach.
“There are Queens too?” Jax asks curiously as his gaze travels toward where they are.
“Oh yeah, well I guess the kings need queens,” Ruby snickers following her man’s gaze.
“Man, they’re fine,” Jax says, just as Ruby smacks him on his head. “Ow, I mean they got nothing on you, babe. Y’all are my number ones.”
Their entrance is overly dramatic as expected, walking in unison not bothering to look at any of the surrounding people. In the center and a few steps ahead of the rest, struts a tall, long-legged blonde, with perfectly tanned skin and a body she obviously paid for. Nobody is naturally that perfectly proportioned. Two steps behind her are three more girls, three other blondes, equally beautiful but shining just a little less bright.
“The one in the front wearing the gold bikini is obviously the reigning queen, Carrington Prescott. Her daddy is this hot shot businessman and is best friends with Headmaster Servite. She and Ace have practically been bequeathed to each other since birth,” Stella says, turning to us. “The two shorter blondes on her left are Drea Smoak in blue, and my cousin’s ex-girlfriend Kinsley Carlyle in yellow. Drea tries her hardest to look like an exact clone of Carrington but fails miserably, and Kinsley is well,” she pauses, turning to face us.
“Perfect,” Kai mutters, looking toward them. Stella frowns slightly at his comment but continues.
“Yeah, well, Carrington’s the queen but everyone knows Kinsley is much prettier. However, she’s not allowed to outshine her monarch,” she adds, ignoring Kai. “But everyone knows who the crown really belongs to only she’s yet to claim what’s rightly hers. The platinum blonde to Carrington’s right, wearing the white one-piece, that’s Ace’s twin sister, Wynter Servite.”
“Wait, your cousin?” Drake asks, catching Stella’s earlier mention of Kinsley dating her cousin.
“Oh yeah, Stella’s cousin Sebastian is one of the Four Horsemen,” Jade says mockingly using air quotes around the Four Horsemen.
“He’s also kind of Ace's right-hand man. We all grew up with the Servites. Ace’s dad, his uncle, my uncle, and Alek and Drea’s dad are best friends. They brought in Beckett when we started high school after his mom married my uncle, finally completing their foursome. ”
We turn back around and notice the queens have walked straight over to us and are approaching our table.
“Oh god, here we go,” Stella murmurs nervously under her breath.
“Well, well, I see the rumors are true, someone let in the strays,” Carrington sneers as she stands in front of our table causing a group who’s huddled around her to snicker.
“Who are you calling strays, bitch?” Ruby hisses as Jax holds her arm back before she slaps this twit. Damn Jaxon for having an ounce of self-control.
“My, my, that one’s a feisty one. Girls, we might have to check if she's had all her shots.” And now she’s pushed my buttons. Nobody insults Ruby like that, well unless it’s me.
“Look, bitch,” I shout, and Carrington instantly turns her attention to me. “You need to get off of your high fucking horse. The only catty bitch I see around here is you and your litter of skanks. So, I suggest you turn your pretty little fake ass around and leave us the fuck alone before I make you regret ever coming up to us,” I sneer, getting in her face.
“Who do you think you are?” She steps into me and pushes me backwards slightly with her shoulder. After the shit day I’ve had, seeing Agent Servite again, being dragged out of the Grayson’s house and brought here against our will, something in me snaps and I grab a chunk of her fake bleached blonde hair flipping her around and pulling her head back to meet my chest. She squeals and I tug harder.
“Let go of me, you psycho bitch,” she screams, but it only triggers me to yank even harder as she releases another cry.
The rest of her posse take a step forward but halt when I feel my guys and girls step up. Suddenly a loud clapping rings in the air and the small group that’s huddled around us scatters away as the Horsemen approach us.
The Horsemen. What a pathetic name. I look up and see it’s their alpha, Ace Servite, the one who was front and center earlier today, who’s clapping his hands as he walks over to me. That slight distraction allows Carrington to sneak out of my hold. I reach out trying to grab her, but she’s quick this time dodging me.
“You’re dead now,” she sneers, spitting at my feet as she backs up, stepping behind the king and his pack.
“Bravo! I’ve seen little action at these parties lately.” Ace eyes me closely. His deep blue eyes trace my exposed body making their way slowly down my legs and back up stopping a little too long at my chest. He licks his lips as his eyes meet mine and I hear Drake grunt as he steps up behind me. That causes Ace to look behind me.
“Look what the cat dragged in, or in this case dear old dad,” he snickers, causing the group around us, which has now doubled in size, to laugh.
I look around and notice the rest of the kings are spread out behind Ace, each one with a queen behind them. I notice Kinsley isn’t behind Sebastian, but Wynter is. Looking around, I notice how the kids standing here look up to them. Everyone is ecstatic to see their kings and their show of power, and well, these guys thrive from their followers’ admiration. It’s all pathetic.
“Look, dude,” I say, stepping into his face. “Like I told your skank over there, I don’t care who you think you are to these pathetic admirers, but you’re nothing to us. You’re pissed about us coming here, take that up with your old man. Leave us the fuck alone or you’re gonna regret it.” My remarks only cause him to smirk, slightly tilting his face to the right and my heart nearly stops.
This asshole is hot as fuck, and he knows it. His body covered in tattoos is on full display in his black board shorts and unbuttoned shirt. His face looks like the gods themselves carved it, with eyes a clear ocean blue and his lips nice and thick as he licks them. He steps closer, his chest nearly at eye level with me, causing me to tilt my head up to keep eye contact.
“You must be the one and only Scarlett Steele. My uncle has mentioned you,” he says with a wink, causing me to falter slightly. He notices my slight shift and laughs. Fuck me if it doesn’t send a shiver through me. I hear Drake grunt once again and feel him step up to me, his chest at my back.
“This must be your pet, Damon Drake,” he says, as he steps back and rounds us until he can clearly see the rest of my group. “Malachi Saint, Jaxon Wylde, Jade Wolfe, and you, my love, must be Ruby Drake.” At his movements, his boys step forward, and the girls fall back in line.
“So, you heard we were coming, dug a little dirt, and now you think you know us,” I say, causing him to turn his attention back to me.
“Perceptive one, aren’t you?” he says with a sly grin.
“You heard what she said. Just turn around, walk back the way you came and there won’t be any trouble,” Drake says, only causing Ace to laugh maniacally.
“You think a couple of fucked up shits like you guys can scare me off. In case you haven’t realized it, we run shit around here. Not sure how things were in the fucked up, rat infested, piece of shit house you lived in, but here, we call the shots. We’re the Four Horsemen and you, son, are gonna feel the reckoning.”
At that, Drake throws the first punch landing his fist right against Ace’s temple, but Ace quickly straightens up and lands one against Drake’s jaw making Drake falter slightly. The Horsemen quickly step up as do Kai and Jax, but not before I grab Drake and step in front of him. Ace’s fist stops right before his hand comes into contact with my cheek. I can feel the rough graze of his knuckles against my skin. He stops and looks at me, surprised to see I’ve gotten in between their brawl.
“Enough, both of you,” I shout, turning to Ace, using his name for the first time. “Look, Ace,” I say, and he turns to me questioningly. “I get it, you don’t want us here anymore than we wanna be here, but it is what it is. They didn’t give us the choice to come or stay, so take that up with your dad but leave us alone. We’re not here to cause any trouble, but I can assure you we won’t step back or fall in line if you insult us again.” I turn to walk away from him, but he stops me before I can move.
“Not so fast, Red,” he says, grabbing my arm. I turn and throw a punch in his direction, but he catches my hand before it reaches his face. His grip on my arm tightens as he holds my fist in his other hand. “I’m not done with you. You’re coming with me, sweetheart,” he says, and it’s my turn to laugh maniacally. He scowls, clearly pissed off by my laughter as his grip on my arm tightens causing Jade to step forward.
“Let go of her or you’ll regret it,” she says, stepping right up to us.
“Back down, Little Wolf, or you’ll regret it,” Sebastian says, stepping into her and causing her to take a step back. Sebastian towers over Ace, who is clearly at least six foot two. Where Ace is lean, toned, and muscular, Sebastian is broad, ripped and clearly on steroids. His dark hair and gray eyes give him this eerie intensity, somewhat like the hotter of those two vampire brothers.
“The Little Wolf defending Little Red, how sweet,” Ace mocks thinking his childish nicknames are so clever.
Again, everyone has taken steps forward at his dig. This is gonna be a never-ending standoff if I don’t go with Ace.
“Fine. I’ll go with you. But you need to get your dogs to stand down.”
“The fuck you call us?” the blond, thinner of the four that stands to the right of Ace says as he steps closer. Aleksander Smoak, I believe. Ace whistles, causing Alek to stop in his tracks, and I chuckle and wink at him. That’s right, down doggy.
“Follow me,” Ace says and I step forward but am halted when Drake grabs my arm.
“Scar,” he growls deeply when I turn to face him, placing my hand on his chest. I hear Ace groan behind me in response and something makes me step closer to Drake .
“I won’t let you go with him,” Drake snarls, scowling, his brows meeting in the middle of his forehead.
“Let me?” I ask, raising a brow with a bewildered expression.
“You know what I mean, Scar, I don’t trust him,” he adds, glaring behind me at where Ace stands. And there it is, Drake’s need to be in control, thinking he can be in control of what I do.
“Neither do I, Drake, but I have some questions about his uncle that he might give me answers to,” I say.
“I’ll go with you,” he says, but Ace steps forward.
“No can-do, Dragon Boy, I only want Little Red,” he says with a smirk.
“I’ll be quick. Come on, Drake, you really think I can’t take this prick?” I turn to find Ace scowling at my words.
Drake reluctantly steps back as I turn to follow Ace through the crowd that has now scattered away. I hear Carrington snicker something to Ace, but he ignores her just the same. Turning back, I notice the other Horsemen following us as well and can see Jade and Kai arguing with Drake, while everyone else seems to have gone back to partying.
I follow Ace across the sand to the large white three-story house with the floor length glass windows that sits at the farthest end along with a deck leading out to the ocean. Great. They’re gonna throw me in, probably with weights tied to my feet. I was right to believe this one belongs to the Servites.
When we reach the front of the house, Ace opens the door and turns to me. “After you, Red,” he says, motioning for me to go through the door.
“I’m not going in there with you. Anything you gotta say to me, say it here.” I cross my hands over my chest and dig my feet into the ground, holding my ground. Ace turns to me again, stepping into my personal space. I try to take a step back but find another hard body at my back.
“Scared of me, Little Red. Think the big bad wolf’s gonna hurt you? Because you should be. You came into my home and disrespected me, not to mention you've started causing some problems. Now get in before I pick you up and take you in myself.”
“You wouldn’t,” I sneer, scowling up at him.
“Careful, Red, you don’t want to tempt this wolf,” Sebastian answers from behind me. “He bites.”.
I scoff and push through Ace making my way into the house with them close behind me. Inside the house is sleek and modern, with dark gray walls, black furniture, and metal accents. The floor is a dark, almost-black wood, nothing compared to the pristine white exterior. I hear the door close behind me and find that both Alek and Beckett have stayed outside. It’s only Ace, Sebastian, and me inside this immense house which now seems like a terrible idea.
“What do you want with me?” I ask, falling back onto the leather couch behind me. If I’m gonna be here for a while, I might as well get comfortable.
“That’s a loaded question. One I’ll have to get back to you when I have the answer. Not sure what we’re gonna do with you yet, Little Red.”
I stand up pissed at the little pet name he’s given me. “Enough with the nickname. My name is Scarlett, my friends call me Scar. You can call me Scarlett.”
“Feisty little one. My uncle was right,” he says, and my blood is boiling at the mention of his uncle.
“What the fuck does your uncle have to do with me?” I shout.
“Bingo.” His smirk turns sour at my question. “That’s what I want to know.”
“Then why don’t you ask him?”
Ace steps in closer, his face coming down to meet mine making me awfully aware of his closeness. My hands shake at my sides, in both anger and something else that feels quite enticing only I’m trying really hard to suppress that emotion.
“I’m asking you. Why are you here?”
I let go of a breath I didn’t know I was holding in, as a chuckle escapes me. I sit back down, cross my legs and lean back on the couch. “I’m here because your old man came in and took me and my friends out of our home to bring us to this pathetic place.”
“Servite pathetic, compared to the slums you were living in,” Sebastian sneers in disgust.
I turn and scowl at the jerk. “At least we didn’t have some arrogant pricks walking around calling themselves kings, oh wait… my bad, Horsemen.” I laugh harder and I can tell I’ve hit a nerve.
Sebastian scoffs and turns away sitting down on the couch across from me while Ace continues to hound me with questions.
“I don’t believe you. I heard my dad and uncle arguing about the stupid little charity program my uncle suggested we implement at the academy. Bring the poor kids from the rundown neighborhood into our pristine halls.”
“That was your uncle’s idea?” I ask like he’s gotten my attention.
“And it was all to get you here. His exact words were, ‘ I need the Steele girl close .’ So, I ask you again. What is your deal with my uncle?”
I contemplate his answer, and it sickens me. Why does Agent Servite want me here? To make sure my mom doesn’t contact me? I think it’s a bit much for that. He knows she hasn’t tried to contact me in years, why would she now?
“I asked you a question,” Ace says again as he leans forward to meet my level.
“First, you need to get the fuck out of my face.” I say, standing and making him straighten up. I must admit being this close to him is doing weird things to me, sending heat throughout my body to all the wrong places. And fuck when he licks his lips I nearly moan. “And second, I already told you I have no fucking clue why I’m here. All I know is that your uncle is a sick son of a bitch with a hard-on for little girls. So, fuck me if I don’t care to entertain his nephew.” Without another word, I push through him to get away.
Ace grabs my arm and spins me to him, my body clashing with his hard chest before I can get away. The impact makes my breath hitch and I look up into his eyes. Big fucking mistake. His eyes, now a deep blue color, stare intensely at me, looking for answers they won’t find.
“Careful, Red, you don’t want to provoke me.”
I smirk, licking my lips as his gaze drops to my mouth and I can see the desire grow in his eyes. Two can play at this game.
“But it’s been so fun,” I whisper, leaning my face closer to his. We’re now only centimeters away from our lips touching and although I can feel an ache building up inside me, I know I need to stand my ground to prove I can’t be easily pushed around.
He steps back slightly, loosening his grip on me, and I pull away.
“Next time you put your hands on me will be the last time,” I spit out at him, walking away, and leaving him standing there in disbelief.
Though it doesn’t last long. “Next time I put my hands on you, it’ll be to make you cum for me,” he says, causing me to halt. I turn around slowly, raising a brow at him.
“Only in your dreams, Horseman.” I wink just to fuck with him and hear a groan escape him as I walk away and out the door.
Outside I find Alek and Beckett sitting on the porch, but they quickly stand when they see me approach.
“You better be careful, new girl. No one fucks with Ace and lives to tell the tale. You remind your boy of that next time he wants to lay his dirty hands on him, or any of us,” Alek growls as he scowls, his eyes alight with rage.
I scoff at him and brush him off. “Don’t worry, little mutt, I’ll keep out of your hair as long as your alpha stays out of mine.”
“Fuck you,” he sneers, as I turn away flipping him off making my way back to my people.
Back at the party, I find Drake and Kai leaning against the table, while Jade and Stella sit on the tabletop with drinks in their hands. Stella spots me instantly calling out my name causing Drake to turn possessively.
“Scarlett, over here,” she squeals, waving me over. Looks like someone’s had a few too many.
“What’d you guys do to her?” I ask.
“Oh nothing, Silver here thinks she can hang with me. Little does she know daddy was an alcoholic, gave me my first drink at eleven,” Jade says laughingly.
“That’s pretty fucked up, kind of cool though,” Stella says, giggling just as Kai takes the cup from her hand. “Hey,” she squeals, reaching back for it, but failing miserably.
“Why don’t Jade and I take you over to the water, get you to cool off a bit,” Kai says, holding his arm out for her. Jade laughs as Stella snuggles into Kai's neck.
“Babysitting duty at my first Servite party. We’re gonna have to figure this out, Silver, not cool,” Jade jokes, handing me her drink as she climbs off the table. “You cool?” she asks.
“Yeah, I’m good, sis.” She nods and takes off after Kai and Stella while I turn to Drake who’s still leaning against the table looking way to cool for his own good, drink in hand, and a deep sexy scowl on his face.
“Just say it,” I say to him, taking a swig of my drink.
“That was reckless of you, going with those guys. Scar, you don’t fucking know them.”
“Reckless is my middle name, Dragon.”
“I’m serious,” he snarls, straightening up.
“So am I. Look, Dragon, guys like them, they’re harmless. All bark, no bite. Rich pricks who think the world should grovel at their feet, and we’re just lucky to be breathing the same damn air they are. Throw in a couple of fucked up poor kids and their order gets shifted. They just gotta show everyone they’re still in charge.”
“Unlucky for them you’re not one to bow down to anyone,” he says turning to me, his scowl slowly disappearing.
The crowd around us is getting rowdier, not even an hour in and everyone is nearly drunk off their asses. Ritzy neighborhood, kids with six times the number of zeros in their bank accounts but some things remain the same.
“Yeah, well, they’ll figure that out sooner or later.”
“Did you find out anything about Agent Servite?” he asks genuinely curious.
“Only that his nephew is as clueless as I am as to why we’re here. Anyway, enough talk about them. Are you going to take me out to the water or what?” I ask, drinking the last of the liquor in the cup.
He bites his lip and moves into me, his arms wrapping around my waist. “Looks like you have an admirer. Horseman doesn’t seem to like me putting my arms around you,” he says as I turn to look their way. And Drake’s right. Ace’s face is fuming as he looks toward Drake and me.
“Let’s give him something to watch,” I say, giving Drake a kiss on the lips before turning and pulling him with me toward the water. I turn to look at Ace and notice he’s gone, but his three boys, the Horsemen, are glaring down at me.
I can’t help the wide grin that creeps over my mouth.