Chapter 29
TWENTY NINE
ASHER
I am positive about four things. I will be the CEO of the family business, even if I have to remove my father from the picture all together. I will always do right by my siblings, even at the detriment to myself. I am in love with Ruella Griffith. And most importantly, her father is a dead man.
If I wouldn’t have to deal with the consequences of breaking Ruella’s fragile trust in me, then I would already have her dear old dads’ blood under my fingernails.
After seeing the after math of his cruelty all I can think about is the punishments I can dole out on him.
Do I want it to be quick to show his life means nothing, he isn’t even worthy of my time.
Or do I drag it out as long as possible.
Maybe get Bishop to source me some medical equipment to keep him alive as I slowly rip him apart in one of my families many warehouses.
Ruella’s swollen face and bruised ribs flash through my mind and I feel my fists clench to a painful level, my nails no doubt leaving moon shaped marks in my palm.
It wasn’t even seeing the aftermath of his assault on her yesterday, it was her attitude about it.
Like it was the norm, and she couldn’t do anything about it but endure.
That ends now. I might not be in a position to kill him yet, but she will never be hurt by his hand ever again.
A knock on the door to my room pulls me from my vengeful imaginings. I stand from my small sofa, tipping the last of my coffee into the sink as I pass it.
Ruella was right last night, it’s time to join forces, especially now that I have proof that whatever happened to Piper last term is connected to the academy.
Her file being locked away in a drawer full of others who mysteriously ‘dropped out’ tells me all the bullshit Mr. Carmichael tells the staff and students is exactly that, bullshit.
Was I hurt that my little vixen didn’t tell me sooner, of course I was.
And I was pissed off. But then I remember all the things I have hidden, things I can’t tell anyone, including her.
We might have chemistry that could set the world ablaze, but there is very fragile trust between us at this point.
I need more time before I air all my dirty laundry.
That’s why I have called this meeting, to lay everything all out on the table. Well almost everything. And try and find out what is going on so that Piper is kept safe. That’s all that matters right now because I have worked too hard and done too much to let her be taken again.
I open the door and the sour mood I have been in since leaving Ruella’s room for class this morning vanishes.
Like the washing away of footprints in the sand by the tide.
Ruella is my ocean. Beautifully mesmerising and full of life, yet her trenches are full of mystery and just like the ocean, she is deadly.
I feel my shoulders relax at her standing before me. Every second we aren’t together, I itch to be next to her again, my thoughts consumed with all things Rue. Is it completely unhinged and stalkerish, absolutely. I just don’t give a fuck.
“Hey,” Her voice is soft yet gravelly.
“Hey,” I grin back, softly pulling on her elbow and leaning down to take her mouth. I keep it gentle, the cut on her lip is still healing and I know what a bitch those things are like. lacrosse may seem pompous, but it can be brutal as hell, especially the way I like to play it.
When I pull back from the kiss, Ruella closes the door behind her, before dropping her bag by my sports one. She examines my room in the daylight, taking in all the details with a smile.
“Did you panic clean?” She chuckles, swiping her finger across the side table where I lit a candle Piper gave me at the start of the year. The spicy smell is actually nice, I should light these things more often.
I shrug. “Maybe,”
She pulls the cuffs of her hoodie over her hands and wraps them around herself before sitting on the sofa.
I inspect her quickly while her attention is on the heater I turned on, and I am glad I did, she looks a little cold and tired.
The bruises on her face are covered by make up, but I can see by the way she holds herself, that she is still in pain.
I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from ignoring her request and reaching into my pocket for my phone to call Bishop.
He could find her father in minutes, but I made a promise.
“When are the others getting here?” She asks pulling her feet underneath her.
“They should be here any minute,” I grab the throw blanket from the bottom of my bed and place it over her before sitting down beside her. “Daylan’s bringing pizza from the dining hall. I told him to grab you a margarita slice,”
“How did you know I only like margarita?”
“I know everything about you,” I wrap some of her hair around my finger and tug. She turns away with a red blush dusting her cheeks. “Not everything,” I think she whispers, but before I question her about it there is a rap of knuckles on the door, this time more aggressive.
I hop up as Ruella pulls the neck of her hoodie up to her chin, making herself as small as she can, the free hand taps away on her thigh, giving away her discomfort.
She is still unsure of this alliance, who she can and can’t trust and I can completely understand why.
After starting off in a new place like this, finding some secret files with missing girls names, then an attack while running.
Honestly, I would judge her if she wasn’t a little wary.
I open the door to Daylan holding two large pizza boxes and a big shit eating grin on his face before he barges inside and dumps them on the table. He locks eyes with Ruella and frowns. “You look like shit,” He glances back at me with concern. “What happened?”
I open my mouth to answer but Ruella beats me to it, her face pleading from behind Daylan to keep quiet about her father’s abuse.
“I’m not feeling very well, I’ve been ill in bed the past couple days, but thank you for pointing out how terrible I look. Arsehole,”
I smirk, but Daylan doesn’t, he just inspects her.
“It’s none of my business, but if you are trying to hide the bruises note man left after attacking you again, you are doing a crappy job,” He opens the top pizza box and lifts a slice to his mouth.
“The makeup isn’t doing anything,” Then he shrugs and moves over to the seat next to the table by the window, scrolling through his phone as he finishes his slice.
I glance to Ruella where she sits fidgeting, her attention on the hands she twists in her lap.
I fight to keep my tone gentle but fail miserably.
“What is he talking about Ruella?” I place my hands on my hips and shift to her line of sight, forcing her to look at me. “Note man? Has something more happened than the day you were running alone?” I demand an answer while she sighs.
“You didn’t tell him did you,” Daylan snorts shaking his head.
“You told Daylan, and you didn’t tell me?” I ask through clenched teeth.
She stands. “Hang on, it wasn’t like that at all,” She points to Daylan who is still paying us no attention. “I thought he was the one who attacked me, and I confronted him about it at the fundraiser. I accused him of the note that was slipped under my door but he…”
“Why did you think Daylan attacked you?” I growl. Daylan is one of my best friends, but I know he is a little unhinged and tends to do things I don’t agree with. He has his secrets that not even me and Jacob know about, but if he has included Ruella in his business, I will kill him.
She rolls her eyes. “I made a mistake. I saw him in the same trainers as the man that attacked me. I was wrong,”
“She thought it was me because of the sports issued trainers we all have,” Daylan sits back acknowledging us finally. “Every student in a sports team has them, plus the staff,” He looks at me pointedly.
“So, it could basically be anyone then?” Ruella huffs and sits back down on the sofa.
I stroke my fingers through the stubble growing on my jaw, its longer than I usually leave it, but I have too much going on to care right now.
“We will figure this out, I promise,” I try and comfort her, knowing we have little to nothing to go on.
“I hope so,” She leans her head on the back of the chair and closes her eyes.
“What did the note say?” I push.
“Last chance. Leave Marrowton Academy,”
Fuck. Now it’s not only Piper I need to protect, its Ruella as well. They may have taken Piper, but I got her back, they won’t succeed a second time. And if they ever lay a finger on Ruella, I will kill them like I did last term. No one touches what is mine without consequence.
***
It doesn’t take long for everyone to demolish the pizza and chips Daylan brought up, the chatter light and friendly as Piper and Corden filled Ruella in on what she missed when I threw her over my shoulder the other night and kidnapped her.
Jacob sits silently beside Piper as usual, only showing a hint of a smile when she jokes along with him.
Tonight, he seems a little too quiet though, and his mood is lower than usual.
It can’t be the news that my sister is still under threat because we haven’t got to that part of tonight yet.
I will have to grill him later about it.
“Why is Deena not here again?” Corden asks as I collect the rubbish and switch the kettle on. I glance to Ruella as she speaks up. “We have things to discuss that I don’t think Deena should be a part of. We don’t want to drag anyone else into this,”
Corden’s mouth opens. “But you will drag me into it?” his eyes widen in fake shock.
Ruella throws a pillow at him. “You are already involved dickwad,”
His brows furrow as he looks around the room. “I don’t understand,”
“You will in a second,” I interrupt as I walk over and hand Ruella the warm mug.
She peeks inside and rewards me with a small smile. “You drink Horlicks?” She asks.
I shake my head as I retake my seat beside her. “I got that in for you little vixen,” I place a kiss on her cheek as her eyes bounce from person to person around the room, a blush working its way up her neck, and it reminds me of when that same pink flush filled her face as she came around my cock.
“You didn’t have to do that,” She whispers.
“I know I didn’t have to, I wanted to. The more I have here to make you comfortable, the less likely you are to go back to your room. I can keep you here forever,”
“That sounds a little captor-ish mate,” Daylan snorts as he sips his whisky. “You hoping for a little Stockholm syndrome to kick in,”
I smirk and open my mouth to reply but Ruella beats me.
“I wouldn’t mind being your captive,” Her irises shine. “I don’t need the Stockholm though,” she leans in and whispers. “I’m already there,” Then she kisses my neck and I almost explode in my pants.
This is the future Mrs. Vander.
“Okayyyyy. Can we get back to the reason we are all here,” Corden interrupts as I shift under the blanket with her to hide my growing erection.
Piper side eyes me with a wide smile a little shimmy in her shoulders.
She is clearly excited I am spending less time being a grumpy bastard and more time showing someone else the softer side of me she always gets to see.
She has seemed a lot happier and bubbly since meeting Ruella, the old Piper is starting to shine through again.
I hate what I am about to put her through but protecting her and now Ruella is the most importing thing.
I clear my throat and shift closer to the white-haired beauty beside me.
“Listen,” I give Piper my full attention.
Her smile vanishes at my change and her hands tangle in her lap.
Jacob catches it and stretches his arm around the back of her chair, rubbing soft circles with his fingertips on her delicate shoulder.
“We are about to bring up things that are going to be uncomfortable for you, but just know that if I had another choice, I would never willingly put you through this,” Her eyes fill with tears as the vein in her neck pulsates wildly. She eventually nods.
“You don’t have to tell these guys anything about what you personally went through, but I will have to mention the parts from my point of view. It’s to make sure what happened never happens to you or anyone else ever again. Is that okay?”
“Yeah,” Her voice is soft but sure. “I feel ready to talk about it and I trust everyone in this room,” She takes a deep breath. “I just want this to all be over and for no one else to be hurt,”
Jacob leans closer and whispers something in her ear, the rest of us miss it but the calming effect he has on Piper means I don’t care what it was. He has been her rock through this, and I will never be able to repay him for his help.
I glance around the room and everyone’s attention is on my sister, their face’s filled with curiosity but more so concern, especially Ruella’s. Her eyes are watery with unshed tears, but not for herself, for whatever she sees in Pipers. Almost an understanding before she has even opened up to us.
I swallow away the lump in my throat.
“Ready?” I ask my sister.
She rolls her shoulders, straightens her spine and lifts her slightly wobbly chin.
“Ready".