Page 62 of Wicked Scorn
Rage boils through my veins at his callous dismissal. Coach has been with the Spartans for years, pouring his heart and soul into this team. And my father just cast him aside like a used rag as if he hasn’t made me and my brothers better football players.
Before I can stop myself, I’m storming out from behind the shed, my footsteps heavy on the grass. “What the fuckwas that all about?” I growl, glaring at the man who spawned me.
Robert’s eyes narrow as they land on me, that familiar look of disdain curling his lip. “Jeremiah,” he sneers. “I didn’t realize you were here. Eavesdropping again?”
“Where else would I be? Didn’t realize I had to hide from my own father,” I shoot back, shoving my hands into the pockets of my shorts to keep from clenching them into fists.
He scoffs, rolling his eyes as he turns on his heel and starts to walk away. “I don’t have time for your teenage angst right now. Go run laps with your idiot brothers and stay out of my business.”
“I’m fucking twenty-one now, not that you remember shit about any of us. Not unless it’s something you need from us.”
Robert freezes, his spine going ramrod straight. When he turns to face me again, his expression is as cold and implacable as a slab of granite. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re even talking about. I don’t care how old you are, if you act like a teenager then you are one.”
“Jeremiah!”
The bellow cuts through the tension, both of us whipping around to see Coach storming back across the field toward us. His face is thunderous, a vein pulsing at his temple.
“What the fuck are you doing just standing there?” he roars, jabbing a meaty finger toward the track. “Get your ass out there and do your sprints with your goddamn brothers! I’m tired of dealing with all these fucking Blackwoods!”
He turns that furious glare on my father, his shoulders squaring like he’s bracing for a fight. “And you,” he growls, “keep your nose out of my practices. This is my team, and I’ll be damned if I let you keep undermining me in front of my players!”
To my shock, Robert doesn’t rise to the bait. He simply levels Coach with a look of pure loathing before smoothing his hands over the lapels of his suit jacket. “We’ll see about that,” he says in that soft, deadly tone that has always made my blood run cold.
Then, without another word, he’s brushing past me, the scent of his expensive cologne making my stomach churn. I watch him stalk away, that familiar sense of dread pooling in my gut.
Whatever shit my father is trying to pull, none of us are going to come out unscathed.
Chapter 23
Oakley
Jeremiah is off at practice, so instead of staying put, while all the Blackwood dictators are away, I’m here at work. My second home. The hushed silence of the library envelops me as I drift between the towering shelves, my fingers gliding over the worn spines of countless books. The scent of aged paper and ink fills the air, comforting in its familiarity. My eyes catch a rare book nestled among the others, and I carefully retrieve it, cradling it in my hands like a precious artifact. I don’t know how it got here and I’m not going to ask, but I’m in no mood for the lecture the entire staff is going to get if the head librarian sees this.
“Guess you’re off to the basement later,” I murmur to the book, placing it on my desk with a mental note to store it away properly. I’m not even scheduled to work right now, but I can’t help it. I wander back through the stacks with my cart, collecting discarded books that students left on the study tables. The only sounds in this sanctuary are the soft rustling of pages and the creaking of ancient floorboards beneath my feet. I often wonder what this place looked like when St.Charles was first built. What were the people like? What books did they read the most?
When I finally return to my desk, my heart lurches in my chest as I realize the rare book is gone. Confusion and concern wash over me, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. My eyes dart around the room, searching for any sign of the missing tome. It’s not like Cindy is the type to do extra work that she isn’t asked to do. She’s more of a self-appointed supervisor whose only job is to delegate the work amongst the rest of us.
“Where the hell did it go?” I mutter under my breath, trying to shake off the growing tension that coils in my stomach. It would be just my luck that I’d be the one to lose an expensive heirloom donated to the college.
“Looking for something, Oakley?” a voice asks from behind me. I jump, startled by the sudden intrusion. It’s just Cindy, but her innocent question only serves to fuel my unease.
“Uh, yeah,” I reply, swallowing hard. “There was this book here on my desk, and now it’s gone.”
“Maybe someone took it by mistake?” she suggests, shrugging nonchalantly. But I know better. No one picked that book up by mistake and the only thing I can think of is that maybe she’s setting me up so she can get me in trouble for something. She’s a known tattle tale, but she’s never been able to catch me slacking at work.
“Is something wrong?” Cindy asks, her face pinched up like she’s smelling something absolutely rank. I don’t think it was her. She’d love nothing more than to wave it in my face and taunt me as she made a report for a missing book.
“Never better,” I lie, plastering a fake smile onto my lips. “Just...let me know if you need any help today?”
“Sure thing,” she agrees, disappearing back into the labyrinth of shelves.
My heart pounds as I approach my coworkers who are huddled around the front desk, trying to stifle the anxiety bubbling within me.
“Hey, uh, have any of you picked up a book I left on my desk? It’s one of the ones that belongs down in the freezer. I stepped away for a moment and now it’s gone,” I ask, my voice wavering slightly.
One by one, they shake their heads, denying any knowledge of the missing book. The air hangs heavy with suspicion, and I can’t help but feel like I’m walking a tightrope above a pit of vipers.
“How did it even get up here? Does Cindy know?” Kevin asks, adjusting his glasses nervously. “She’ll write a report on it if she finds out.”
