22. Persephone

Chapter 22

Persephone

A s soon as I stepped out of the car, I knew something was different about today. Bruno had taken me to school because Hades had to be in the office early.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and glared at me. I could hear Hades' car idling at the curb, and I wanted to shoo Bruno away because it made me feel even more noticed, like I needed a bodyguard.

But then another part of me wanted to jump in the car for the protection it wielded, a shield against prying eyes and inaudible whispers.

Because I knew what all this had to do with.

Trevor getting his sexual-assaulting ass handed to him by Hades.

And I hadn't much cared for the fact I'd felt this pang in my chest that his side of the bed had been cold, meaning Hades had left probably before the sun had even risen.

I took a shuddering breath and wondered how Hades would handle this? Definitely with his head held high and his middle finger in front for all to see. But truthfully, no one would have given him this kind of reception. They were too afraid of him, and rightfully so.

When I'd tried sleeping in my bed the night after he'd taken my virginity, he'd made some inhuman sound and said I was to sleep beside him from now on.

And so that was what I'd done. And I enjoyed it. I loved how he wrapped an enormous arm around my middle and hauled me close to him, how he buried his nose in my hair and inhaled deeply, as if scenting me.

Not the time for those thoughts.

I garnered my resolve and pulled my shoulders back. Taking that first step was uncomfortable, especially when I noticed many of the girls all but snarling at me.

Maybe if they knew he was trying to actually assault me, they wouldn't be looking at me like I was the person who brought down the fall of one of their beloved. But I shook my head as my thoughts told me these people were like a pack of wolves. I was an outsider they saw as an enemy.

And I brought down one of their members. Today was gonna suck.

And by the end of the day, those four words had never been truer.

With the shoulder checks in the hallway from the girls, the nasty words being thrown at me in all directions from the guys, and every single person drilling holes in the back of my head, I was mentally and emotionally drained.

I skipped last period, not caring if they notified Hades, and certainly not giving a shit if he got pissed.

I went to the bathroom and locked myself in the stall without using it. I just needed a minute to gather myself and wait until the hallways cleared out as everyone went to class.

Then I'd leave. I'd walk back to the estate, because truth be told, I just wanted to be alone.

I heard someone enter and then the sound of giggling proceeded.

"She's the one who put Trevor in the hospital, the skanky bitch."

"I thought it was the big dude who showed up and kicked Trevor's ass?"

"Shut up, Beth. Trevor didn't get his ass kicked. He was drunk, so he wasn't at peak performance. If he'd been sober, he could have taken the dude."

Hard no.

"Of course it was that asshole. He put Trevor in the hospital. But clearly he did it for her ."

I didn't recognize the voices, but I peeked through the crack of the hinges on the stall door.

I could make out the trio of girls, all of them with blond hair that ranged in shade.

They primped and prepped, re-glossing their lips and touching up their eyeshadow.

"Like who even is she?" the one in the center said. "Some bitch who shows up at a brand-new school her senior year? I'm sure she had a lot of skeletons in her closet. She was probably a whore at her last school."

The one speaking gasped like she'd just come up with the most perfect conclusion.

She looked at the other girls. "I bet she got knocked up. Popped out the kid and had to transfer to a new school."

There was a round of laughter, a couple more insults thrown my way, and then two of the girls left. I could still see one standing by the sink. I realized she had said little the entire time her friends had been talking shit about me.

She exhaled and turned to leave, but she froze, her gaze trained on the ground. I realized she could see my shoes between the space underneath the stalls.

"You can come out. They're gone."

Her voice was soft and coaxing. Almost nice. I couldn't hide in here forever. I stepped out, and we stared at each other. She stayed by the sink, looking more curious than anything else. But there was a strange cast in her eyes. She averted her gaze and cleared her throat.

"I just want to let you know?—"

"If you're going to call me something colorful, save your breath. I've gotten enough thrown at me today. I really don't have the energy to entertain you."

She shook her head, her dirty blond hair sleek and shining as it coasted over her shoulders. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry that he did that to you."

I felt my eyes widen. "Excuse me?" My voice was threadbare. Of course, I knew what she was talking about, but as far as I knew, nobody had seen Trevor attacking me. Sure, the rumors on how he'd gotten his ass kicked had run rampant, all painting me in an awful light and making him out to be the victim.

She took another deep breath and looked down at the ground, tracing the edge of a tile with her Mary Jane. "I heard what that big man kept saying to Trevor. He was shouting loud enough the entire house could hear. They act like they didn't know what Trevor was doing to you, but they do. They all know because this isn't the first time he's done that to a girl."

She looked up at me then, that sadness something I instantly was familiar with. She empathized with me. Because she'd gone through the same thing.

She lifted her hand to her throat, and I could see her fingers shaking. "He did the same thing to me last year. We were at a party. We all had too much to drink. The only difference is…" She turned away from me and gripped the edge of the sink, staring at her reflection. "I didn't have somebody to protect me."

"I'm sorry, not only because Trevor tried to take from you what you weren't offering, but because everyone thinks you're to blame." My voice was soft, my tone laced with all the empathy I had for her.

My heart was racing, and I took a step toward her, but she faced me and shook her head, putting on a fake smile that I knew she probably perfected to hide how she really felt. The truth was in her eyes.

"Nobody knew what he'd done to me. I told no one because he said nobody would believe me. And he was right. Not only is his father a judge, and a corrupt one at that, but Trevor is adored in the school. It doesn't matter that what he did to me was wrong. Doesn't matter that he took things from me I didn't consent to. I could've shouted it from the rooftops, and it wouldn't have mattered. Because it was my word against him and his family."

"I'm sorry," I whispered again, but she cleared her throat and shook her head. "What's your name?"

She hesitated before finally answering. "Bree." She smoothed her hands down her skirt. "This school is a cesspool, and everyone in it are piranhas. Guard yourself and know that the only person who has your back is you."

With that, she scurried out of the bathroom, and I was left standing there in stunned silence.

By the time I left the school, there was still half an hour of last period left. My mind replayed what she'd said.

At first, a small part of me had felt a little bad that Trevor had gotten the shit kicked out of him. But now? Fuck him. I hoped he didn't make a full recovery.

I was lost in thought when motion in front of me had me stopping and glancing up.

A dark luxury SUV pulled up to the curb. Everything happened so quickly as the passenger front door opened and a beefy man came out.

The back passenger door was already open, and another large man dressed in a suit stepped out. I retreated, instinct in me screaming something was wrong.

And then they grabbed my arm and started pulling me forward.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I struggled, about to yell for help, when I was shoved inside. I let out a gut-wrenching scream just as the door shut.

"Shut the fuck up, you little bitch."

The venom in his voice was tangible.

"The glass is soundproof. You can scream all you want. It'll only accomplish pissing me off more."

The locks clicked into place, and I pressed myself against the back passenger side door to see an older man staring at me with hatred.

He was overweight, his suit stretched across his body so his potbelly stuck out. His salt-and-pepper hair was slicked back and thinned at the top.

He watched me as if he knew me, as if he hated me.

"Who are you and what do you want?" I reached behind me blindly and tried to pull on the door handle. He exhaled in exasperation and ran a hand over his lapels. Was he going to kidnap me? Would he do something heinous to my body?

But the car didn't move. It just idled at the curb in front of the school, which was a slight consolation that maybe I'd actually get out of this vehicle in one piece.

Faster than I expected, he reached out and grabbed my wrist, tightening his hold so hard I cried out and started pulling back.

"You're hurting me. Let go." But his grip was iron.

"I don't know what kind of hold you have over Hades to where he bites the hand that feeds him, but my message needs to be heard loud and clear."

He leaned in and the rancid scent of his overpriced cologne filled my nose.

"I'd say maybe he actually cares about you as family. But my guess is it's your young golden pussy he can't deny."

"The hell," I whispered. "I don't even know who you are." The words were a hiss as I kept trying to tug my hand back, but he just gripped it harder. The pain became unbearable, like he was crushing my wrist.

"I want you to tell Hades that if he doesn't fall in line, there will be repercussions. And those are going to be in the form of making you hurt."

He tightened his hand so hard on my wrist I felt my eyes water.

"He hurt my boy, so I'll hurt something that he holds precious."

"Oh God. You're… you're Trevor's father?" He bared his teeth, not in a grin, but in something wholly sadistic.

"Make sure you pass my message along." He let go of my hand so suddenly that my body banged against the car door. The locks were disengaged, and I scrambled out. Just as I shut the door, the SUV was peeling away and speeding off.

I stood there stunned as I stared at the departing vehicle.

It was then when I looked down at my wrist, at the angry bruise forming on my flesh in the shape of his fingers. He wanted me to tell Hades. I wasn't going to.

Because if I knew anything about Hades and my short amount of time with him, it was that things would escalate to where everyone and everything would drown in violence.