Chapter 31
THIRTY-ONE
FRANKIE
I fucking love Jack Anderson. He voiced what’s been on my mind since I met Cassie and they will blame him for it. I want her with me, in my home and in my bed, and this is the prefect excuse. Siri too. I will be able to honor my promise and show my uncle I am looking out for her and, with them under our roof, their safety is guaranteed. Not from me, though. Cassie is definitely not safe from me because what I have planned for her is nothing short of depraved.
She is fighting against the idea and I’m fully aware why. She wants me—more than she cares to admit, but she is struggling with her friendship with Jack. There is something between them she is holding onto and if I’m right, she has feelings for him she hasn’t faced up to yet.
Until she does, I intend on taking full advantage of the situation and facing up to the most delightful challenge of my own.
The door opens again and Santi appears with one of the cheerleaders and he groans. “Fuck, it’s busier out here than inside.”
She giggles as she hangs off his arm, and I wonder why these girls think they are so special. Santi will use her for sex and then ghost her. She’ll assume he’ll fall deeply in love with her well used pussy and she’ll be credited with taming one of the beasts that reside in this house. It’s a game I’ve played too many times already, which is why I resurrected The Claiming. It was the best idea I’ve had in a long time except for one thing. Somebody took advantage of the situation to commit a disgusting crime and catching him and making him pay is high up on my list of priorities.
I jerk my head toward the house.
“Let’s leave Santi to his fun and show the girls their rooms.”
The others follow me and, as I stride ahead toward the front of the house, Cassie catches up with me and hisses angrily, “I’m not agreeing to anything.”
“Relax, baby, you’ll have your own room and it’s way better than the dorm. Siri will be next door to you and it’s at the opposite end of the house to me.”
She falls silent and as we head through the front door, I note Ali turning away a group of students who didn’t make the list.
He raises his eyes and I say in his ear, “We have two new house guests. I’m just showing them to their rooms.”
“If you say so.” He rolls his eyes and leans back against the wooden beam by the steps.
As we head inside, the music thumps from the basement and I can only imagine what debauchery is playing out down there right now. It’s not uncommon for the guys to fuck their girls where they stand which definitely stretches the limits of the women who head there willingly. As I said, I’m bored with it and as we take the staircase, Cassie is silent beside me.
I don’t reassure her and soon stop at the first door to one of the guest rooms, of which there are four.
“Here you go Siri, home from home.”
I open the door and she laughs softly. “You got that right. This could be my room at–”
She stops as I throw her a warning glare because just saying the words will be like pouring gasoline on a fire. We don’t talk about our home for a reason. Not the one where we all meet up as one big happy family. People wouldn’t understand the life we live and it’s a secret best kept if we want to enjoy life at Rockwell.
She compensates by adding, “Home.” before directing her brilliant smile at the others.
“I’m not complaining. At least I’ll have my own bathroom and closet. Thanks for the add, Frankie.”
I prod the beast by saying, “You can repay our generosity by taking on laundry duty.”
“Fuck no!” Siri yells and her eyes flash as she sneers, “I wouldn’t want to put one of your groupies out of business. I’ll do my own, but you can fuck off if you think I’m touching any of your dirty smalls.”
My lips curve into a grin as I turn to Cassie. “It’s up to you then.”
She holds up her hand and her eyes flash as she bites back. “This was your idea and we are in the ‘guest’ rooms, so if anyone is providing laundry services, it’s you.”
I shrug. “We will negotiate the terms of the tenancy later. Come, I’ll introduce you to your room next door.”
We all head to Cassie’s room and it’s a mirror image of Siri’s and despite her animosity, I note the appreciation in her expression as she smiles. “It’s lovely. Thank you.”
Jack nods. “It’s a great place to stay. A little loud sometimes and there are endless parties, but the food’s good and the company is not so bad.”
He winks at Siri and once again I wonder about them. Will I have a problem with putting them together? Will Siri be compromised? I’m not my parents or my aunts and uncles. I believe Siri deserves to live her life as she chooses, not the archaic way our parents were brought up.
Women were expected to be virgins on their wedding night to a mafia don chosen by her father. Luckily for Siri and my sisters and other cousins, we have moved on since then, but it’s still understood that we watch out for one another. If anything happens to Siri under my watch, I don’t rate my chances against her father, otherwise known as The Savage, when he attended Rockwell Academy with the rest of my uncles.
Cassie sighs. “At least we’ll be on hand to help unravel the mystery.”
Jack nods. “It will be good to have you on board with that. Any ideas?”
Cassie perches on the edge of her bed and regards him with a thoughtful gleam in her eyes.
“I’m guessing we search the tunnels again. During daylight and with more powerful torches than our phones. We should also check out the boathouse and the route there from the dungeons.”
“But haven’t the cops cordoned the area off for evidence?” Siri says anxiously and I snort, “As if that will stop us. Give it until tomorrow and they will probably finish up. It will give us time to secure the place before the next claiming.”
“Are you serious, Frankie?” Siri’s eyes widen. “What if it happens again? I’m also guessing you won’t get many takers now they know what’s still out there.”
“Possibly, but there is always someone who’s up for the challenge.”
I shrug. “We will heighten security and put more centurions inside and out.”
“But one of them was dressed as a centurion.” Cassie adds, and I grin.
“Which is why we must stage another event. I will personally check the identity of every centurion there and if one of them has a serpent tattoo, he will find himself locked in the dungeon until I say so.”
“It could work.” Jack’s expression is grave. “But the one who took Abigail wasn’t part of the challenge. He must have been in there already waiting for her. I can think of no other explanation.”
I share his frustration because I’m still not sure how he did it, but I’ll soon discover his identity and by the time I’ve finished with him, any secrets he’s hiding will spill from his fucked up lips.