Chapter Thirty
Baxter
Monty is fucking braindead if he thinks I’m clueless as to why Amelie is here; he fucking drafted me to his cause.
All throughout my first year the guy tried to bribe me to do what he wanted, and like an idiot, I fell for his empty promises.
He recruited me alongside his own kids, and suddenly I was part of the ‘family’ - tattoo and all.
He knew exactly what buttons to press; knew that I was craving that feeling of belonging somewhere.
But I won’t conform to anybody; I’d rather be in prison or worse.
..anything would be better than what he tried to make me do.
Second year he resorted to more physical threats to try to get me back after I walked away, but this year we have reached an understanding: I’ll be his bitch, but I refuse to join them again.
Instead, he gives me some shitty jobs, but that’s as far as it goes.
Even though he always presses for more. Problem is, Monty needs to remember why he wanted me here in the first place: there is no information I can’t find, and being invisible when I need to be, helps my cause.
Monty wants to use my skill set, but he forgets that I can turn those skills on him too.
Amelie is special and he knows it, her bloodline alone is valuable to him and I’ll be fucked if I let that kind of power fall into Monty’s hands. He had that kind of power when he was married to Maggie, but not anymore, his hands are tied without her.
Watching his sons take advantage of Amelie has made me less ambivalent towards them, now I’m more angry.
During our first year, the twins and I were close, but then a little incident had them acting all holier than thou.
They really didn’t like me leaving their little ‘family’ either.
It wasn’t my fault our friend Fitzy - another Australian transfer - killed himself.
He was beyond our help, and I wasn’t here to babysit.
When I came back to our room, he had slit his wrists after taking a load of pills, yet that didn’t kill him.
He drowned after his body blocked the drain, he fucking drowned in two inches of water.
..and they all blamed me. They also didn’t like it when I left their little group after I figured out that most of the kids here at Knox academy had family come here way back when it was a prison camp for young wayward boys, too young to throw them in prison, so they sent them here to reform them.
We all knew the legends coming here; some of our grandparents told us stories growing up. Great Grandpa Knox bought the land and reopened it as a school, but no-one seems to know why. I have my theories.
They want to start up this legend again, but from what I hear the rules are very specific, and I'm presuming they didn’t have the bloodlines they needed.
Amelie is the damn key. Her mother might have sufficed, but Monty pushed away the people he needed to make it all real.
He has so far failed to follow his granddaddy’s dream.
Why people with money and power need more is beyond me; what good can come of that? I want no part of it.
Drugging them really wasn’t hard, one by one I waited for them to drop like flies, waiting in the shadows. Moving them to the underground bunker unseen was more of a challenge; Monty has eyes everywhere. Luckily, a small distraction gave me an hour window to get this all set up.
Watching the four of them start to wake up, I lean against the wall, the shadows keeping me hidden.
“What the hell is going on?” Sawyer asks angrily, but I don’t think he’s expecting an answer.
They all talk amongst themselves. Perfect timing to step out and make myself known.
“You all really need to be more careful, given your training and all, daddy would be mortified.” A cold smirk reaches my lips when they all throw daggers at me with their eyes.
“Untie us now, Branson,” Sawyer demands.
“Ever the protector, biggest brother. It’s a pity that your protection is of the wrong people.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Kalen whines. The twins stay silent; they know me well enough to wait for the information I plan to give them.
“Amelie. Who else?”
“You jealous? Didn’t peg you as the jealous type,” Kalen adds, trying to fight against his restraints.
“Very presumptuous don’t you think? None of you deserve a girl like her.”
“And you do?” Slate chimes in. I’m surprised, he usually hides behind his twin.
“Fuck no, especially not me. But you all have sins to atone for.”
“Who died and made you God?” Onyx snaps.
“Wouldn’t you like to know? But my friend has a very clear message for you all.”
I take my time and size them up, wondering where to start first.
The baby; it’ll hurt them the most. I take my knife from my boot, tapping it on my hand as I move closer. Sawyer starts putting up a good fight, threats of death slung in my direction.
“I’m not going to lie to you guys, this is going to hurt. Sawyer? It’ll hurt you most of all because you have to watch this happen to your brothers, powerless to protect them. Isn’t that the crap you all sprout? Where were you when I needed my brothers’ protection? Turning on me, that’s where.”
Luckily for me, Kalen wore his hair down. I wrap my left hand in his hair and yank his head back. He cries out in pain, his three brothers going wild. Pathetic. I didn’t even touch him yet.
“Tut, tut boys. I would think very carefully about your next move, I would hate to slip with a blade as sharp as this pressed against his throat.”
“You don’t want to hurt him, it’s me you have an issue with. I turned my brothers and father against you. It was me,” Onyx yells. “Don’t be a bitch and hurt them to punish me.”
Letting go of Kalen’s hair, I shove him away with force and move over to Onyx. I use the back of my fist to shut him up and his head snaps to the side. He spits the blood from his mouth.
“Is that all you have?” he goads.
“That was for pissing me off...this is for tripping Amelie and spilling her blood.” My knife is slipped back into my boot before I throw a right hook to his already messed up nose.
“And this,” I say moving over to Slate, “Is for thinking that spilling your secrets could manipulate her into trusting you.” I don’t mean to hit him more than once, but I do. Again and again until I hear him groan.
“I will kill you, Branson,” Sawyer spits.
“I don’t think you will, you all know better. You’ve witnessed what I can do. There’s a reason your daddy only calls me in when things get really bad.”
Each time they threaten me, I will take it out on Kalen; everyone has a weakness. People learn fast when you exploit that.
My handy knife is returned to my grasp and pressed tightly against Kalen’s throat.
“I wonder if the girls will still find you so pretty if you’re cut up a little?”
I move so that blade knicks his cheek, a surface wound at best. The scaring will be minimal but his pretty face will bear a permanent mark.
“You think my face is my best asset, aww, I’m flattered.”
I lean in and whisper in his ear, “I know better, it’s the hair.” Kalen fights under his restraints, but I wind his hair in my hand and draw my blade beneath, a swift flick of the wrist and he has a haircut made for a man.
“I won’t be too hasty with you though, I actually think you care about her.
I know you think you love her, but a real man wouldn’t bow down to other men, if it puts the girl he loves at risk.
Men should be their protectors, not their fucking predators.
Amelie is not your fucking prey. Remember that. ”
I decide that’s enough talking. A few love taps isn’t enough. They need to realise my message is serious.
It’s time to leave some damage on three of them, the twins and Kalen can explain away some bruises. For Sawyer, the pain of watching his brothers should suffice.
Blow after blow rains down and I blank out.
I’m sure some shrink mentioned this being a problem once or twice before.
But by the time I’m done, blood paints everything in sight: them, the floor, me.
It’s a sight I’m familiar with, but this may just be my favourite work of art yet. A mural in Amelie's honour.
Sawyer has managed to knock his chair to the ground. I move to him and squat so he can hear what I have to say.
“Clean your brothers up, keep your mouths shut. I’m the least of your worries when it comes to her.
You think your family has reach? You have no idea about her.
And if you so much as fuck with her emotions anymore, let alone actually fucking touch her, I won’t be the one paying you a visit next time. ”
He doesn’t say anything, he just nods in defeat, realising I hold all the power here. Standing, I deal him a swift kick to the ribs, enough to incapacitate him whilst I get away.
I owe him a solid from a year ago, cutting him free, I make it known we are now even.
Leaving the bunker, I pull a burner phone from my pocket, dialling the number I was instructed to.
“It’s done,” I say before snapping the old flip phone in half and throwing the bits in opposite directions. I look down at myself and realise that I really need a shower. It can wait though, I decide. First, I have other fish to fry and the blood will certainly make a statement.