Chapter 44

Chapter Forty-Four

Vox

Fall is here and the gloomy fucking weather matches my sour mood. This time of year is my favorite—Halloween. It’s the one night of the year where we could all go out and wear the masks and never have to hide in the shadows. We could walk out in the open without anyone suspecting something was amiss, but this year, the excitement isn’t there. Instead, I sit here in the parking lot of Haven Prep alone, staring out the windshield at the fuckers that betrayed me. My three so-called best friends and my sister all stand around Ezekiel’s car, shooting side glances toward me but none of them make a move to come over. Good, because I don’t need them or my twin.

I have until Friday to fulfill my promise to Thomas. I have no plans to back out on my deal. If Ezekiel has to die to prove I am loyal to the Saints, then so fucking be it. The sight of Nexus’ emerald-green Audi pulling into the lot draws my attention. He parks next to my car. I don’t bother to even look at him or his pig of a passenger as I climb out and slam my sunglasses down to shield my eyes. Only then do I turn to face Nexus. He stands there with a broad grin on his face. When he pulls me in for a bro hug, I meet Nova’s gaze over the roof of the car, the sight of betrayal on her face has me smiling as I pull back.

“You back for real?” Nexus eyes me carefully as he waits for my reply.

“Yeah, man. I’m over fucking with your pig and those fuckers,” I answer as a devilish glint enters his eyes.

“Piggy!” he calls out. Nova rounds the car and stands beside him. “Like the collar I got her?” I take a quick glance at the black studded collar around her neck and smirk at the bright pink name embroidered on the collar, Bitch.

“The name fits.” Nexus laughs and smacks me on the arm, but it only takes a second for his laughter to die out and his face to take on a serious edge.

“She’s mine, Vox. You want to torment the fuck out of her, then go for it but you don’t touch her, understand?” The dominance he is trying to exert over me is fucking comical. The cunt thinks respect is bought and not earned, and that has been and will always be his biggest downfall.

“Been there, had that, fucked that and done with that,” I answer. Nova clenches her fists at her sides, showing me that my words affect her but she is too fucking stubborn to admit that I got under her skin. We’re in this position right now because she chose to blame me for the death of her bitch ass friend, but then turns around and goes and shacks up with the cunt that buried the fucker alive!

“Babe!” I fight not to growl at the sound of her nasally voice. I turn my head to the side in time to see Nicole, Pam and Brandy coming toward us. I spy my sister and the other’s glaring at me, good because I want their anger. I need it to fuel me. When Nicole comes to stand before me, I shoot her a cocky smirk that has the dumbass swooning and huddling into my side. Nova cuts a glance to me and the look of hurt in her eyes has me smiling. I want the bitch writhing in pain so I grip Nicole’s chin and force her head back, then angle my lips over hers. Nicole being the A-class actress she is, grips the front of my shirt and lets out a heady moan.

“I got class.” I hear Nova say. The moment she leaves, I release Nicole and brush past, calling out to Nexus that I’ll see him at lunch. I have a bitch to torment first period and I can’t wait. Hayze tries to call out to me as I pass by, but I ignore them as I zero in my sights on Nova’s retreating back.

By the time she makes it to first period, I’m already sitting in my usual seat, her eyes widen at the sight of me. “What the fuck are you doing here?” she grits out as she slowly makes her way toward me.

I don’t respond until she claims the seat beside me. “Getting to class early, that a problem, witch ?”

She scoffs and glances out the corner of her eye at me. “You never get to class early. Shouldn’t you be out there sucking face with your whore?”

I fight to keep the smile from my face at her jealousy. “And here I was thinking you wouldn’t give a fuck about who is sucking my cock since I ruined your life. If I recall, you are the one who promised to kill me and become Forever Filthy .”

She sucks in a ragged breath and her eyes burn with fire, but the bell rings and students begin entering the classroom, forcing our exchange to come to a stop. She can’t wipe the look of rage from her face even as the teacher begins speaking, I lean back in my seat and hum low enough for only her to hear. I can see her trying to fight against snapping at me but I know it’s only a matter of time before she finally breaks, so I decide to hurry her along. I grip my pencil and stab it into the side of her thigh. She lets out a loud shriek, garnering the attention of everyone in the room.

“Miss Quinlin, I don’t tolerate interruptions in my classroom, is that clear?” Nova is grinding her teeth so hard I can almost hear it.

“Yes, Ma’am.” She tries to sound apologetic but fails miserably.

“One more outburst like that and you will be out of my class.” Nova is as stiff as a board as she nods her agreement. The remainder of the lesson is spent with me jabbing my pencil into her side, thigh and forearm. When she stops giving me the reaction I want, I get pissed off and decide to up my game. When my hand grips the top of her thigh, she sucks in a ragged breath and tries to shove my hand away but I don’t budge.

“Get the fuck away from me, Vox,” she growls under her breath.

“Are you wet, witch?” I purr.

She snaps her head toward me and narrows her eyes to slits. “No.”

I smirk, I can see it in her eyes that she’s full of shit. I trail my hand up higher until my fingers skim the lace of her panties, causing her to jerk in her seat. “Even if you hate me, your pussy doesn’t.”

“Every single part of me loathes you,” she spits.

“I told you before, little witch, I always get what I want. I’ll be fucking you whenever and wherever the fuck I want and you are going to take it like a good bitch, or I’ll slit your brother’s throat.” She searches my gaze for a second, wanting to call me on my bluff but she can see it in my eyes and hear in my words that I mean what I say.

“My mom or my brother, are those my only options these days?” She doesn’t give me a chance to answer. “I fuck you, I save Ezekiel. I get caught fucking you and my mother dies. Seems like either way I lose, so I will take the chance and save my mom because there is no way you are sneaking into my room anymore.”

“Want a bet, witch?” I sneer.

A cocky glint enters her eyes just as the bell rings. “Yeah, I do, considering I sleep beside Nexus every night in his room, I don’t like your chances, two horns.” Her words are laced with so much hatred, then she smacks my hand away and stands, gathering all her things and practically running out of the room to get as far away from me as she can.

I sleep beside Nexus every night in his room.

Those words play over and over in my head as I head for my next class. She could be lying but I know Nova is a lot of things and a liar isn’t one of them. I can read her. She used that shit to get under my skin but I heard the hint of hatred in her tone when she said it. She hates Nexus so that means he is forcing her to obey his rules.

“You seem lost.” I slam to a halt and roll my eyes at the sight of Ezekiel leaning against the lockers. I frown when I notice the hallway is deserted, am I late? Did I miss the next bell? “Your class is on the other side, dumbass.”

Fuck!

I was too caught up in thinking about Nova to register that I had gone the wrong fucking way, I have English this period and that’s across the other side of the fucking school!

“What the fuck do you want?”

Ezekiel pushes forward and comes to stand a foot away from me. “Pull your head out of your ass, Vox. You're angry because Vivian?—”

“This has nothing to do with my sister.”

“Then why the fuck are you acting like a bitch who got her feelings hurt?”

I chuckle but there is no humor to it. “Because, unlike you dumb fucks, I have a way out and I’m taking it.”

Ezekiel’s face drops. “What the fuck did you do?” The disbelief in his tone is crystal clear and that brings a smirk to my face.

“I chose the winning side.” I reach out and pat his cheek a couple of times until he shoves me back. “I’ll be seeing you real soon, brother. ” I turn and head back toward my English class. Just as I round the corner, I bump into Nicole who looks like she was just caught in the act. Rather than call her on listening into my conversation, I sling my arm over her shoulders and continue walking. She says nothing and melts into my side.

By the time I reach the cafeteria, it’s already packed with students hooting and hollering, I scan the area to see what the cause of everyone acting like this is a fucking circus. As I walk in further, everyone parts for me, they all know not to get in my fucking way. I spy Hayze and Archer out of the corner of my eye, dragging Ezekiel from the room who is fighting against them but the instant my sister reaches them and says something to him, he quits fighting and stalks out of here with his head down.

Fucking pussy.

When I break through the crowd I see what all the noise is about, Nexus has Nova on her knees beside him but that isn’t what has everyone riled up. It’s Nicole placing a dog bowl in front of Nova that is piled with wet dog food. When Nexus spots me, I blank my face of all surprise and plaster a bored look in its place and cross my arms over my chest.

“Make the pig eat the fucking food or get rid of it, the sight of the mutt disgusts me,” I snap. Everyone begins laughing and cheering, Emmet even claps me on the shoulder, but the instant I shoot him a glare his face falls and he melts back into the crowd.

“Babe, a good show takes time and you are just in time for the main event,” Nicole coos. I roll my eyes in response. “Daddy said she has to say sorry for being a bitch to me. I don’t want her words. I want her to prove to me that she means her apology and the only way to do that is to eat what I made for her.” Nova’s chin is against her chest and her long raven hair is acting as a curtain, shielding her face from everyone.

“Eat the fucking food, piggy,” Nexus says in a cold tone that causes Nova to cringe. I inhale sharply as she slowly lowers her head toward the bowl.

“Piggy, Piggy, Piggy,” everyone begins to chant. This is fucking pathetic and designed as nothing more than a tactic by Nicole to try to break Nova. Nexus doesn’t give a fuck either way, he’s just punishing Nova for fucking me… My brow furrows as a thought hits me.

Nexus isn’t just punishing her for hooking up with me, he’s punishing her for fucking two horns which means, he has no fucking idea who the members of the Filthy Few are.

I’m yanked from my thoughts when the fire alarm sounds out through the room. I look back to Nova to see her face an inch from the food. Nicole screams in frustration and shoves Nova’s face into the bowl, screaming out how she is a fucking bitch and this isn’t over. I dart forward. Nexus shoots me a look of warning that I ignore as I bend at the knees and lift Nicole, slinging her over my shoulder.

“Vox!” she tries to sound angry but we both know she is loving that everyone is going to see her with me like this. I ignore her offers of sexual favors as I carry her ass outside, my gaze instantly locking with my twin, who is shooting balls of fire at me with her eyes. We all know there is no fucking fire, those four pulled the alarm to save Nova’s ass.