Chapter 35
“You have to be kidding right?” Max hisses disproving of the plan Rain and I come up with.
“It’s the only way?” I argue.
“No, it’s a sure fire way to get yourself hurt.” he says, his jaw setting.
“Max you know as well as I do something is up,” Rain ushers with her hands trying to get him to see our point.
“Yeah but questioning The Monarch is one thing, going after the elders is a death warrant.”
“It’s not all of them, just Cranford.” I say trying to appease him.
A wry smile crosses his lips. “I’m not taking part in this.”
“We never said you had to.” Rain reminds him.
I knew Cranford had been hiding something and this morning after hearing part of a conversation about collecting and when the time was right he’d deliver the package.
I knew whatever it was, had to do with me or my mother.
I knew Rain and Max most likely knew more than they were letting on, but I have a feeling they’ve been sworn to some sort of secrecy. I had to find the answers myself.
I couldn’t go to Silas with this, what if he was a part of it? What if everything he’d done up to this point was to gain my trust only to turn me over to whoever Cranford spoke to.
I had a gut feeling. My father died for a reason and Cranford, maybe even Silas knew why.
I knew I had to find evidence or my mother would never believe me.
“Tenley swear you’ll be careful, god only knows what Silas and the others are capable of.” Max warns me.
I nod. Unsure how I’ll keep it because even I know going into the lion’s den is suicide.
Rain keeps watch in the hall as I open drawers and flick through everything I can. I’ve come up empty so far. Nothing. Zilch.
Suddenly my hand lands on something small and round.
I frown seeing a lighter, it’s old that much I can tell. It looks familiar like I’ve seen it before but I can't place where.
My phone vibrates and I quickly pull it from my pocket.
Rain: Someone’s coming, hide.
Shit .
I scramble for the bathroom just as the door to the office opens and voices drift across the room.
I slide myself into the cupboard, closing the door gently. Thankfully it’s not too small, hating that I had to even hide.
Listening carefully I try to place the voices but they’re hard to make out.
Suddenly the door opens and then an all too familiar sound echoes around the room.
Is someone taking a piss?
I listen as they flush and then the sound of running water is the last thing I hear before the door closes again.
I stay quite holding my breath, my heart thudding in my chest as the walls begin to feel small.
Don’t freak out, don’t freak out. I keep the mantra in my head trying my best to not let my fear get me caught.
The voices continue and then suddenly the light in the bathroom flicks on and I slap my hand over my mouth closing my eyes as my pulse goes haywire.
“I swear I heard something.” One of the voices says.
“Doubtful, this place is empty.” The other says.
“Let’s get out of here before someone sees us.” A third voice murmurs. They’re muffled like they’re drowning them out somehow.
I wait, not moving a muscle until I hear both doors open and close, and the voices are gone.
Taking a shuddering breath I slowly peel myself from my hiding spot. Opening the door as quietly as I can in case they’re closer than I think.
All too cautiously I move slowly, my legs cramping slightly from the small space.
I give it a minute before I begin to stand, my knees give way slightly but I catch myself holding myself up as I walk softly toward the door.
The room is in complete darkness and I struggle finding my way toward the exit .
Opening the door slowly I wait a beat before I take a peek, seeing nothing I make my escape.
I may have come up empty handed but it doesn’t mean there is nothing to find.
Making my way quickly down the hall, past the classrooms. I’m almost to the exit when four figures stand in my way.
Even with their masks there’s no denying who it was. Shit.
I stop, catching my breath when they take a step forward.
“Going somewhere, Princess?” His body stiffens while the bright green of his mask shines brightly, but there’s no denying it’s Silas behind the mask.
My eyes search them out, trying to find a way past them, unlike them I don’t know this school enough to make an escape.
It’s the thing that happens next that changes everything.
“Run.” a voice growls before I turn and do exactly that.
I don’t stop and I don’t look back as I keep going, slamming open a door I bolt up the stairs making it to the third floor as the door slams behind me, all of them giving chase the second they enter.
“You can run Princess, but we’ll always catch you.” Silas taunts picking up his pace.
Their heavy footsteps grow louder behind me as they begin to catch up, the heaviness of their breathing even louder.
I don’t doubt they can catch up to me, but I don't stop, I don’t let them catch me. I keep going until I make my way through a door and find another set of stairs, this time leading down.
I can hear them shouting as I descend the stairs. My chest feels tight as I run, my breathing rapid as I try to run faster.
“Come out, Little Bunny.”
“We’ll find you, Bambi.”
“Oh Princess.”
I stop for a second not hearing Jagger. My breathing is harsh as I force air into my lungs.
I step backwards watching for anything that gives them away.
Suddenly something clamps down over my mouth and wraps me into a solid body, picking me up like I weigh nothing and carrying me away. I scream behind the palm but nothing I do stops him.
A door opens and I’m put down, spun around on a desk. Standing in front of me is ghostface. Jagger.
“Ssh, Trouble, they’ll find us.” he whispers, holding his finger against the mouth on the mask.
Using his finger he drags it down my cheek, moving my hair from my face before his finger moves down the column of my neck running along my collarbone.
My heart is beating, my breathing slowing down as I stare into his mask.
“J-Jagger.” I murmur.
“Ssh Trouble,” he breathes. Lifting his hand his fingers grasp his mask and he slowly pulls it off showing me his face.
Placing it beside me on the table, he leans forward caging me between his arms. I stare into the depths of his gaze as his eyes darken.
My gaze drops to his arms, watching as he lifts off the desk and rolls the sleeves of his shirt up.
The veins in his arm protrude as he flexes the muscles. I have to blink to clear my vision as our gazes finally meet.
His lips kick up, the slight smirk doing all kinds of things between my legs.
Jagger trails a hand up my body, leaning forward his lips claim mine in a soft, yet possessive kiss. His tongue swirls into my mouth, claiming mine. A soft moan escapes me and I find my hand lifting to wrap around the strands of his hair, tugging him in closer.
Jagger’s fingers begin to roll and flick my nipple, one at a time alternating between them. Tweaking and twisting them, I whimper at the pleasure-pain sensation, every nerve in my body moving to an all time high.
“Fuck Trouble, the way you respond to my touch.” Jagger groans cussing again before his lips drop to mine again .
I try to convince myself that the way Jagger kisses me is anything but more than just a kiss.
“I’ll never get enough of tasting you Trouble.” he admits licking his lips as if tasting me there is enough to satisfy him.
“They’ll come back, you best leave before they do, Trouble.”
“I-I,”
Jagger catches my hand in his. Bringing it to his mouth and placing a kiss on my palm.
“I won’t let them hurt you, Trouble, I can promise you that.” Jagger breathes, his fingers trail across my cheek, the corner of his mouth lifts before he points his finger over my shoulder.
“Go on Tenley, before I change my mind and let them find you.”
He helps me off the desk and picks up the mask. I swallow hard when he lifts it, placing it back on his head covering his face before he walks out.
A messy ball of emotion clogs my throat as I watch Jagger walk out.
He could have ratted me out, why didn’t he?
He said he’d never let them hurt me? Does he mean Silas, Neo and Zephyr or is he speaking about someone else?
I don’t have time to think about the what if’s, I need to get out of here before Silas finds me, I know all too well my step brother enjoys punishing me and he’d take great joy in fulfilling a punishment for snooping on his father.
I just hope I’m not wrong about Cranford.
Because my gut was telling me, my father’s death was no accident and I think Cranford was involved.
And if he was, what other secrets was he willing to keep to hide the truth?