Chapter 21
TWENTY-ONE
I drag myself through another week of classes and our work loads are so stacked that we’re forced to eat dinner in the dining hall every night.
I’ve gotten used to eating alone with Avery and talking about whatever fucking crisis we’re facing without having to censor myself, and I’m grouchy about having to be around the masses of spoiled assholes.
We arrive before the guys do, and I fill a tray with food while Avery grumbles at her phone. As I reach for a pitcher of the juice Avery likes, my shoulder is shoved out of the way and Harlow jams herself into the line in front of me.
“God, Mounty, you almost tripped me. Aren’t you going to apologize? Or doesn’t trash learn manners in the slums?”
Murmurs start up around us, but no one laughs as they all shoot terrified looks at Avery. There are way too many people here and I don’t want Avery caught in a brawl, so I take a deep breath and push down the urge to slam Harlow’s head into a wall like the bitch deserves.
Avery doesn’t even look up from her phone as she casually says, “Wipe your nose, Roqueford, you’re wasting my brother’s best blow on your face instead of in your blood. With any luck, the next line will burst your brain.”
Harlow sneers at her and shoves the pitcher of juice at us. “Run along and take your pet Mounty slut with you.”
I grit my teeth so hard my jaw aches, and the look on my face must be murderous because the other students practically dive out of our way as I lead Avery over to our seats.
The group of girls sitting there move before I can even open my mouth, clearly they have functioning brains.
If only Harlow could be trained the same way.
The guys all arrive as we sit, and they jostle each other as they line up for food.
When Blaise throws his head back to laugh at something Harley said, I find myself smiling over at them.
The slight reprieve in my shitty mood doesn’t last long before Ash catches my eye and sneers at me.
I groan because what I really need after a hard week of studying is to be snarled at by that asshole.
“Be gentle with him today, Lips,” Avery murmurs, and I frown at her, the fight evaporating from me.
“Harley had to peel Joey off him last night. He’s been escalating for months.
I think he’s starting to lose what little sanity he ever had now that his time at Hannaford is coming to an end.
Next year, he’ll have to find someone else to torment while we’re gone and he doesn’t like the idea of Ash being free of him. ”
A chill runs down my spine.
It sounds a little too much like the Jackal for my comfort and I’ve only underestimated that type of crazy once in my life and I’ll never do it again.
Once was enough. I almost lost my chance at freedom; never again.
We need to hit him and make sure he stays down, except that’s a big task when I’m navigating the Beaumont family minefield.
I glance over to check that the guys are still far enough away before turning back to Avery. “What does Joey like? That’s the quickest way to figure out how to get back at him. We need to stop being reactive and start being proactive.”
Avery’s lips quirk up at me as she starts to unload the plates off of the tray. “Nothing but himself and cocaine. And money, I guess, but we can’t touch that without also affecting Ash and me.”
Cocaine. Unfortunately, I have some experience with that shit and I’d give anything to be able to wipe it from the surface of the Earth.
“Okay, I think I can work with that. Give me some time with it.”
She nods, fussing with our plates until the guys all arrive and take their seats, because she always prefers for us to eat together.
If I told her outright about my delicate appetite, I’m absolutely positive that she’d find a workaround, some way to let me eat without any interruptions, but as thoughtful as she is, I’m just as self-conscious about my food issues.
Maybe if I didn’t have eight-thousand of them to navigate, it wouldn’t seem like a big deal, but I’m quickly discovering that having people I care about and who care about me is… well, a lot.
Instead of letting myself devolve into misery over it all, I focus on what’s urgent and fixable; Joey Beaumont’s death wish.
Ash is moving a little hesitantly and I share a look with Harley. Avery puts her phone away and rolls her eyes at some stupid joke Blaise is telling her. I don’t listen to any of them while I plan.
I grab my iced coffee from the tray then I pour out a glass of juice for Avery.
There's a filmy residue on the glass as I pass it to her.
It feels slick on my fingers but not soapy.
It's more of an oily texture. I think about wiping my fingers on my skirt but I get that pulling feeling in my gut.
I've completely tuned out the conversation around me and I don't even hear Blaise start to tease me about smelling my fingers. It’s minty. It smells like…
My hand shoots out and knocks the cup out of Avery's hand and directly into Ash’s lap before she can raise it to her lips. Avery gasps and lurches backward and Ash snaps at me, “What the fuck is wrong with you, Mounty?”
“The glass is oily. Smell it. It smells like Harlow does after gym class. She rubs down with Wintergreen oil.” Harley’s eyebrows shoot up but the others look at me with blank faces. “It's a type of natural aspirin and she's put it in your juice. That bitch poisoned your drink, Aves.”
Silence.
Stunned, no one speaks or moves until, finally, Ash lifts the glass out of his sopping wet lap and smells it. A storm rolls in over his eyes.
“That. Fucking. Cunt.”
I stand abruptly and look around the dining hall. Blaise gets up to look as well, and Harley starts drilling Avery for answers.
“Did you drink any? Are you sure it was her? I need to know I'm fucking killing the right bitch.”
Harlow is nowhere to be seen. Ash’s face is starting to crack, the perfect mask he puts on everyday shattering and leaving behind only a ruthless predator.
I see the same fire burning there that I’ve seen in Joey dozens of times, and it sends a shiver through me.
I have to admit to myself that with Ash at least, it's not a bad shiver.
“I'll handle this. Avery. You guys go back to our room and get cleaned up.” I turn my attention to the others. “You need to walk her up and stay with her until I get back,” I say, and then I slip away from the table. I get three steps before Ash’s hand wraps around my elbow and wrenches me around to face him.
“Mounty—”
I cut him off, all of the anger and hurt bubbling out of me without a care for who I am talking to. I’m angry that he’s been hurt again and now Avery’s had another close call. I can’t help but direct it at him.
“How could you ever think I was in on this? How could you think I’d want to hurt her? You've spent months watching us together, do you really think I'd try to kill her?”
His eyes flash and then, finally, the soft edge creeps back in. “I don't. I… fuck, you’re in. You’re family now. I'm coming with you and I'm helping you deal with Harlow. Whatever you’re planning—I’m in.”
The girls’ dorm is a hive of activity and Ash’s presence only makes it worse.
I duck into my room to grab my lock picking kit and then I break into Harlow’s room, unconcerned by the whispering audience.
She’s had the locks changed and upgraded but nothing could keep me out, not with the fucking rage I feel now.
Ash watches me carefully, his glacial mask dropping so I can see how impressed he is.
Once we’re in, I find a much cleaner room but there’s still stolen shit everywhere. I scoff and poke around for a second.
“What’s the plan?” Ash asks as he grimaces at the clutter.
I bet he’s a neat freak like Avery. There’s also a weird hesitancy in him, like this is the last place he wants to be standing right now, only I know it’s not about the task at hand.
Fuck, if I’m certain about anything, it’s that Ash loves his sister above all else.
It’s the entire reason we got stuck in this stalemate to begin with.
His sister… the same one he watched die right in front of him after Joey choked her. Of course, it’s so obvious I almost want to shake myself for not seeing it coming.
Violence is this guy’s forte—just not when it’s directed at women or girls.
My heart does this weird thumping thing and I want to yank it out of my chest.
“I’ll deal with her. I’m just checking to make sure the psycho bitch isn’t the one stealing my panties.”
Ash grunts in acknowledgment and starts moving piles of clothes around, but we both come up empty-handed. Dammit. I find one of our assigned textbooks for history, a huge hardback, and grin as I heft it into my arms. Ash eyes it warily.
“What do you want me to do? I don't hurt girls but I will help with anything else.” He doesn't look at me as he talks but the sincerity is clear in his tone.
Called it.
Without missing a beat, I nod back to him. “Go sweet talk Chastity next door and get her to turn her music up loud enough that no one will hear what happens. Once Harlow gets here, you can keep watch by the door, just make sure she doesn’t see you before I get my hands on her.”
Ash nods and then hesitates. “Don't accidentally kill her… come get me if you need help, I’ll make sure you don’t get caught.”
If I kill her, it won’t be an accident, and I definitely won’t need his help, but I can appreciate the thought. I nod, still steady and sure, and he gives me a curt one back as he leaves, shutting the door quietly behind him.
He's much faster than I expected. Less than a minute later, the throbbing bass line of the shitty electronica Chastity insists on listening to starts vibrating the walls. I grimace but it'll do the job.