Page 28 of The Revenge

Ready to pull my hand free, I keep walking, but Syn won’t let go. Instead, he matches my pace as Royal joins my other side.

Syn’s hand is strangely cold, but his grip is both firm and gentle.

In some parallel universe, he’s leading his girlfriend around Tiffany’s so she can pick out whatever she wants.

As we walk through the dining hall to their usual table, I catch some of the hushed conversations…

Why are they wearing collars?

Why is Syn holding her hand?

Didn’t her brother kill his?

Didn’t she kill Declan?

I keep my shoulders back, and my head held high as I try to ignore the whispers.

The table is on a raised area at the back of the dining hall. It’s long, and could easily seat six people, but there are only three chairs behind it. Since the beginning of the semester, the only time there’s been anyone else there was last week. That day, the honor was held by me, but only because Syn was trying to embarrass me. In front of everyone, I’d tried to eat my breakfast as normally as I could, with a vibrator buried deep inside me, keeping me on the edge of an orgasm.

Maybe I am as depraved as Syn keeps insinuating, because despite being almost caught by Penny, of all people, my pussy had been dripping from how much I’d been turned on by it.

Syn leads me in front of the table, not letting go of my hand. Like someone has turned the volume down, the room falls silent. Everyone, including the dining hall staff, have their eyes glued to the four of us.

“Victoria Reynolds is officially off-limits. No one on this campus is to lay a single finger on her—either directly orindirectly.” Syn’s voice is clear and unwavering, carrying across the whole of the dining room. “Effective immediately.”

When Syn doesn’t continue, the whispers start up again. I can’t hear much of what’s being said, but from the expressions I can see, people are either confused or skeptical.

“Carmichael,” Syn suddenly barks. “If you have something to say, come here and say it to me instead of hiding like a cockroach.”

Lissa presses her lips together, but instead of going quiet like I’d expect, she stands and walks in front of us, glaring at me the whole way.

When I first looked at her, I could see a hint of a mark from where I’d punched her, but now that she’s in front of me, I can see her nose is still slightly swollen, and any redness is hidden beneath the thick layer of foundation.

“What?” Syn asks in a bored tone.

“Is this a joke?” Lissa asks him.

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Syn crack a smile, much less make a joke,” Gemini mutters, though he’s loud enough for a few people to hear.

“Her brother murdered yours, and she murdered Declan, yet you’re standing here claiming she’s off limits. I don’t think you’re joking, but we all know this is an act.” Lissa shoots me another glare. “Stop with this façade and decimate her in front of us, because we want to see her suffer as much as you do.”

As Lissa stands there, smirking, I can feel my confidence disappearing. I lowered my guard and walked straight into this trap like—

“Victoria is a member of the Elite,” Syn says to a collection of gasps.

Even Lissa’s mouth falls open.

“And she is also my—” he glances at Gemini by his side, then to Royal on my other side. “Ourequal. Any form of attack on her is no different than an attack on us, and if we hear so much as a whisper of a plan, we will act as though you’ve attacked us.”

Lissa snorts. “You consider yourself equal to a murderous whore who spread her legs and let the whole world watch her have her cunt fucked by some poor fuckwit who had to be drugged to get his cock hard?”

Oh, fuck no.

I am sick of being the one vilified here.

“Maybe they had to take drugs, but I still made each of these threefuckwitscome hard,” I tell her before any of them can stop me.

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