Page 62 of The Claiming

Siri shivers. “Fuck, he is pissed. I wouldn’t want to be the person who spills his secret.”

“Why? What would he do?”

“Trust me, Cassie, you really don’t want to hear the answer to that.”

Siri heaves a huge sigh. “Thanks for telling us, Jack. I’m going to offer any help I can to Abigail. The poor girl needs friends right now and not gossip.”

She stands and I follow her. “I’ll come with you.”

As we leave, I hate knowing a predator is on campus and if I know Jack, he will be hot on his tail and I’ll be right there by his side. Whoever it was—is—had better hope we don’t find him because Frankie isn’t the only one with connections and a dark imagination. We grew up sharpening our own.

TWENTY-NINE

FRANKIE

I almost canceled the party tonight but decided to use it to gather information instead.

It’s been one hell of a day and hearing Abigail’s story wasn’t easy. Somebody connected to The Claiming used it to carry out his own sick agenda and sexually assaulting any girl is something I will never tolerate. I may be a bastard in many ways, but I hold a sacred respect for women. They should be made to feel protected, even during the sick games I concoct in my mind. Only willing women attend my gatherings and Abigail was drugged and raped last night by somebody using our ceremony as cover. But how?

We spent most of the day in the dungeon searching it for clues but found nothing.

It’s a mystery I am determined to solve and as I head to the basement, I intend to discuss it further with my closest friend who I trust.

As I enter the room, Jesse is sprawled on the couch and there is something in his guilty expression that causes me to raise my eyes. “What’s up with you?”

“Is it that obvious?”

Jesse has been MIA most of the day and all of last night and despite the others questioning his absence, I had a notion where he went.

I take the seat beside him and he says gruffly, “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help.”

“Where were you?”

He is obviously uncomfortable with the subject and then, with a sigh, leans in and whispers, “I was fucking Miss Sloane all night and most of today.”

“Jeez, Jesse, have you got a death wish?”

He grins, a proud gleam in his eye.

“Man, she can perform too. I mean, I am ruined for anyone else.”

“Where?”

I’m curious and he shrugs. “She has a house on the other side of town and we went there.”

“Did anybody see you?”

“Of course not.” He scoffs. “After The Claiming, I ducked over the wall and she met me on the corner of the hill.”

“Risky.”

I am referring to the cameras set up around the perimeter, and he shrugs. “We chose the black spot.”

It didn’t take us long to discover there is a section of wall hidden in the trees that cuts out the signal. Many students use it as a pass out of here if they can negotiate the trees to scale the wall. Jesse has no problem with that and we have all used that means of escape on many occasions if we fancy our freedom without any questions asked.

He lowers his voice. “I heard about Abigail, that’s seriously concerning.”

I nod, my anger sharpening when I think back on her ordeal.

---