Chapter Eight
Amelie
The start of a new week has rolled around quickly. Elsie managed to get Adrianne’s house set up with everything her and her brother needed. I made Sawyer take me over the weekend to check it out. The house isn’t anything flashy, but it’s a hell of a step up from where she was staying.
Baxter is still MIA and hasn’t returned my texts all weekend, which is really starting to piss me off.
I even asked Sawyer to see if he was on Order business, but he isn’t.
Sawyer even offered to call in a favour to weed him out, but I want Baxter to understand how friendship actually works.
I can’t force him to come to me, but I hope that if he’s in any kind of trouble, he would know to reach out to me.
I also managed to convince the guys to let me stay in my room.
Even though Jasper is my detail for school, there has been more security added so that he and Frost can have some time off.
They deserve it, but I’ve not warmed to the new security detail like I have to them.
Probably for the best, as Onyx is twitchy as fuck about new guys being around me.
Even though they’re Order, I swear he doesn’t trust anyone but his brothers where I’m concerned.
There’s a knock at my door, but before I can respond, it opens. I turn to see who has been able to get past Jasper. The list is fairly short.
Elsie walks in and throws herself on my bed.
“I screwed up.”
“You’ll need to elaborate, I’ve not had a coffee yet,” I say, giving myself a once over in the mirror.
Before coming to Knox I didn’t care about things like hair and makeup, or how appearances matter.
I hung around with Smalls and my brother, and they preferred it when I didn’t gain attention from outsiders.
Now it’s become somewhat of a habit wearing makeup and making sure my hair is tame. I swear Elsie is rubbing off on me.
“With Jasper,” Elsie explains. “He still isn’t talking to me, and having to see him everyday sucks… Can we fire him?”
I laugh at her dramatics. “No, I can’t fire him. He’s damn good at his job. You could talk to him, or I could force him to come in and he would have to listen, even if he didn’t want to.”
She sighs and sits up. “I will give him more time to cool down.”
“Let’s go and get some breakfast. Adrianne is meeting me there.”
Elsie slides off the bed and follows me to the door. Jasper falls in line with me, ignoring Elsie.
“Well, this isn’t awkward at all.” I laugh when they both make a noise but ignore my comment.
I’m grateful as we walk through the doors to the dining hall and the smell of bacon hits my nose. Jasper goes about getting my food, and I spot Onyx standing by his table scowling.
That’s when I see Adrianne is in his seat. Elsie follows Jasper to get food and I rush over to Onyx’s side.
“Can you tell this gutter rat to get out of my seat?”
“Adrianne move your feet from the table, please. And you need to get out of his seat. I don’t need to deal with him being moody all day.”
She looks up at me and smiles. I feel a headache forming already and wonder if I’m going to regret hiring her. Kalen isn’t even here yet to make everything a thousand times worse. I sigh.
“We could always fire her and send her back to where she came from.”
That statement has her jumping from his seat.
I take in her uniform but don’t comment.
Kalen is going to have a field day. It’s un-ironed and she’s wearing combat boots.
Her hair has chunky purple streaks through it and that won’t fly here.
He’ll be pulling blue slips out of his budgie smugglers left, right and centre.
Which reminds me, I really must go and watch him practise on the swim team again soon.
Onyx takes my hand and pulls me down onto his lap.
From his seat you get a good view of the entire room.
He wasn’t just being a dick, it’s a safety thing, and I appreciate it.
Adrianne sits on the other side. Elsie takes a seat beside her with her tray of food and Jasper slides mine down in front of me.
He then places a small bag in front of Adrianne, which earns him a frown from Elsie.
“What is this for, big boy?” Adrianne asks, winking at him. Elsie hisses under her breath and I quickly step in.
“You’re a student here and you get free food. Take advantage of that.”
She smiles, taking out a muffin.
Slate wanders in and sits down beside Onyx and me. He places his head on the table and closes his eyes, and I instantly know that he’s been having nightmares again. Guilt gnaws at my stomach and I push the food around my plate, untouched, as I try to figure out what to say to him.
I spot Kalen as he waltzes through the doors.
It’s hard to miss the high fives and whistles.
He makes a spectacle everywhere he goes.
He looks my way but his head snaps to Adrianne and a sinister grin hits his face.
Nothing good can come from that look. When he gets to our table he slaps a blue card down on the table in front of Adrianne.
I knew he would enjoy himself, but this look is one you would give an enemy and I forgot to ask him what their deal is.
“You need to go and fix yourself…and you have detention.”
“Who died and made you king?” she snarks at him. We all watch on in amusement.
“It’s the rules, whether you like it or not. Go and iron your uniform, change your shoes and fix that atrocious hair.”
Hurt flashes across her face for a second but she stands and looks at me. “Sawyer emailed me a list of things I need to do for you. I also messaged you my number in case you need anything.”
She steps away from the table and slightly past Kalen, and I watch her carefully. When his back is to her she smiles.
“Oh! Kalen?”
He turns around to face her and he looks her up and down like she’s trash. Adrianne throws a sucker punch straight to his gut. With an oomph he bends, placing his hands on his knees to catch his breath. She walks away and Onyx barks out a laugh along with Slate.
“You know you need to tell us what that’s all about, and why you insisted on helping her.”
Kalen nods and takes his seat. “It was just after she turned eighteen that we met. She’d just managed to get custody of Falon, but god only knows how.
We boosted a car. She didn't know who I was. We got busted and instead of taking the rap, Dad came in and took me home. I just left her there and she nearly lost custody…”
“Kalen Knox. Why on earth would you want to steal a car?” Elsie chastises.
“Dad kept talking about sending me to that elite school, and I was pissed they all got to come here while I was supposed to go there. I just wanted to be with my brothers.”
“Aww, shucks little bro, we love you too.”
“And what, you’ve kept tabs on her ever since?” I ask.
“Something like that. My guilt kept eating at me, so I made sure she was able to get jobs. Her attitude isn't exactly welcoming to employers.”
“Baby Knox has a heart. Who would have thought,” Elsie jokes.
“Shut up, Vagitarian. Can I even call you that anymore, since you’ve been porking the help?”
Elsie throws a carrot and Kalen ducks with a laugh.
The warning bell goes for class and we all stand. I don’t have Kalen or Elsie in my first class, but Slate is next door so we all say our goodbyes and we head to our respective classes.
I don't understand why we have an etiquette class. It’s only one of those mandatory classes we have to take before we graduate. Why I need to know which damn fork to use is beyond me. One does the job perfectly fine. Especially in the back of the hand or in someone’s eye.
Slate and I walk hand in hand until we reach my class.
He pushes me up against the wall and both his palms lean against the plaster with me trapped between them.
I stare up at him and he leans in and presses his lips against mine.
I love getting the twins one on one, but they are so different when they are separated.
“I’m still mad at you,” he complains against my lips.
“I love you,” I counter.
My words make him lose control and he ravishes my mouth. When a cough interrupts us, we slowly pull apart and Slate growls.
“Amelie, that is no way for a lady to act,” the teacher chastises. I giggle.
Slate opens his mouth, but I place a hand over it. He doesn’t need to come to my rescue all the time.
“Sorry, miss, I would say it won’t happen again but I have no control over a Knox. They do what they want.”
She huffs and walks into the classroom. I giggle again, then push off the wall. Slate gives me one last peck and walks backwards with a smile. I shake my head and follow the teacher into class.
The teaching space is set up as a formal dining room. I groan. Fucking forks again.
“Welcome everybody, please take a seat.”
I sit at the end of a table so I’m not stuck between two people.
The teacher starts droning on about napkin placement, and I tune out as Jasper waltzes into the classroom and takes up his usual position at the back of the room.
I know his presence pisses off a lot of teachers, but not many ever say anything.
A bunch of girls giggle and gush over him, but he’s accustomed to it so he ignores them.
“If having him in this class will cause this much of a distraction, he will have to wait outside,” the teacher snipes.
“With all due respect ma’am, you will have to take that up with Mr Knox. He would like me to have eyes on Amelie at all times.”
Some girl at the opposite end of the table whispers, “What is so special about her?”
They keep whispering to each other as the teacher argues with Jasper, wasting all of our time. My phone vibrates from inside my skirt, I slip it out and see Monty’s name pop up on the screen.
“Hello?” I answer, ready for the teacher's wrath when she catches me on a prohibited device.
“You need to follow my instructions, immediately. You are to give Jasper the slip and head to the west border of the school.”