Page 12 of The Revenge

“It’s a stupid plan.” Syn snorts at me.

“What was your plan?” Royal attempts to cross his arms, but when the handcuff stops him, he plants his hands on his hips.

“What do you mean, my plan?”

“You’ve had Gemini trying to hack Salaway’s phone records in a blind attempt to confirm that the XXXVII was involved. Clearly, you thought that was going to be the case, so what the fuck were you going to do next?”

Syn glares back at Royal. “As I said, if it was the XXXVII, why has nobody called us? Either way, the college has been compromised. Trying something again here would be foolish and have too many people asking too many questions. Whoever wants her dead would want her off campus. The safest place she can be is here.”

“What a brilliant idea.” I toss the crop to the side, and with a grin, skip towards the door.

“Gemini, you fuck. Uncuff us.” Royal snarls at me.

Ooops.

I’d forgotten they were cuffed to my bed, but when I turn and find both of them glaring at me, I hold up my little finger. “Only if you pinkie promise to handcuff me to the bed later.”

“Unlock the fucking handcuffs, Gemini,” Syn yells at me.

With a dramatic sigh, I walk over to the desk drawer I got the handcuffs from and root around for the key. Then I turn back and grin at them. “Do you know if Moran keeps bolt cutters in this house?”

V

Tori

Lissa’s words seem to cut through everything like a knife. Including whatever final thread was keeping me attached to the last shred of my patience.

I raise my foot, resting it on the lip of the table, and then kick it hard. The table glides a short distance across the tiled floor before it slams into Lissa’s thighs, and her yelp pierces the air. With a lunge forward, I manage to grab a handful of her immaculately straight, shoulder-length hair.

She attempts to jerk back, but I grip her hair and yank her forward, then she lands face first into the table. Before she can recover, I push her head down, allowing it to turn to the side as I hold it in place. Her face is smeared with blood from the puddle that’s still dripping all over the floor.

Grabbing the only piece of cutlery that had fallen off the table—a fork—I clutch it in my fist and bring it so close to her eye that if she were to blink, her eyelash extensions would brush the prongs.

“I didn’t kill Declan, but if I did have anything to do with him taking his own life, it’s only because he felt guilty for thinking he’d killed me first. So if anybody here makes me need to repeat myself on this matter, you’re going to find out whattwo years in a public school really teaches you. Starting with you, Lissa. Do you understand?”

“Y-yes.” She whimpers.

“What the fuck is going on—move your ass out of the way, Roberts.” In the strangely quiet room, Penny’s voice is loud enough to be heard clearly.

Before I release Lissa, I move my face level with hers, making her finally switch her focus from the fork to me. “I mean it, Lissa. I’m done taking shit from you, and everyone else here. Next time, I’ll have you lying in your own blood.”

“Holy mother of mother-fucking god. Tori, what the hell?”

Moving the fork away from Lissa’s face, I release her. Instantly, she scrambles upright, but instead of running away like I thought she would, she lets out an ear-splitting shriek then brings her hand back and slaps my face.

She’s lucky that it was my dominant hand holding her head down because that’s the one I use to strike back.

My fist connects with her nose with a satisfying crunch.

Clutching her face, howling in pain, she stumbles backwards. “Your days are numbered, bitch.”

Before I can respond, three huge figures come between me and Lissa.

“That’s enough.” Syn doesn’t shout, but his voice seems to carry across the room.

“Synclair,” Lissa says in a whiney voice as I realize Syn is facing her and not me. “She attacked me—I think she broke my nose.”

“Then she did you a favor,” Syn tells her, coldly.

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