Page 48 of Web of Lies
Stephans’ head stays hanging low and shakes his head. “But-But I dideverythingthey asked of me!” He says in a frantic whisper, finally lifting his tear-stained cheeks. “Everything they asked of me!” His eyes search the room, not stopping on anyone in particular, just searching, and hoping his words reach the right person.
TheVeritasagent takes a step closer, his hand hovering above his belt. “Mr. Stephans, please stand, place your hands on your head, and come with us.” His voice remains calm and neutral despite the panic rearing in Mr. Stephan’s eyes.
“No! No! I dideverything!” He shouts again, standing abruptly before the agents. His palms stay flat against his desk, leaning the weight of his body forward. “Everything, why? Why do this? I was good,” he whispers again, shaking his head more.
“Last warning, Stephans, don’t make me tase you in front of the class.” Students murmur more, some whooping in excitement at the thought of them bringing that fat bastard down to the ground. Stephans doesn’t move again, giving the mysterious agents enough time to move in on him. They place the handcuffs around his wrists before he has time to react, and he’s hauled off.
The sharp ring of the dismissal bell sounds above us, signaling the end of math class. And the end to Stephans rule in this classroom. I grin to myself again, images of my next math class coming into mind. My desk will be back, and I won’t have to perch up here or sit on the floor. Bye, bye Mr. Stephans, have fun in prison!
Jumping off my window perch, I land with a thud. My hands cling tight to my books, refusing to loosen my grip. I learned my lesson the last time when they stomped all over my possessions.
A tall, menacing figure strides beside me, following me down the hallway. Violence and intrigue pour off every inch of him, and even though I keep pressing his buttons, I know what he’s capable of. Seeing how he tore into Seger that one time, he knows how to use his fists. And he’s not afraid to wrap his hand around my throat.
A sharp tug on my shoulder makes me stumble and stops my walking. “You wanna tell me how you fucking did that too?” As I scoff, his hand tightens around my shoulder.
“Again—you’re accusing me of things I know nothing about.” A sharp tug in the pocket of my skirt freezes my body. I gaze around. The other students are passing by, paying us no attention.
The bulk of my phone slowly slips out of my pocket, very, very slowly. He keeps grumbling words to me about how I know so much more and blah blah, while his fingers sink into my shoulder with bruising force. The sharp pain in my shoulder does exactly what he intends to do. It takes my brain away from my phone, sliding out of my pocket and onto the burning pain his fingers cause. Bastard. Finally, the weight of my phone is out of my pocket, and I only have a second to plan this all out. It holds nothing incriminating, just the principle of it all. It’s mine. My lifeline and no one can have it, damn it.
I whirl around, his hands going deep into his pockets. “Why were you beating Seger up?” His deep brown eyes narrow in on me. His bulky body leans forward, so his warm breaths drift across my cheek. His lips graze my ear lobe, speaking to me in such a low voice, I shiver.
“Because he asked stupid fucking questions,” he barks, letting his fingers fall on my hips. He pulls me closer, still speaking into my ear. “Just like a certain troll, I know who can’t keep her nose out of my fucking business. So, stop fucking asking me stupid fucking idiotic questions, bitch.” I sigh through his rage.
He says more words, intending to hurt my feelings. He calls me all kinds of names as I work. I wonder why he’s so damaged. Did his daddy not love him enough? Maybe his mother neglected him and left him to the maids to raise? Whatever the reason, they don’t call him Cruel Carter for nothing. His words are as sharp as a knife cutting through my flesh, they’d sting if I believed what he had to say.
I tuck my hands into my skirt, succeeding in my mission, plus some. Yay skirt pockets! I tilt my head, his eyes burning into mine. He towers over me, setting me on fire with his rage.
“Why’re you so angry?”
His face morphs into a twisting mess, contorting his entire presence into pure evil. Fire and brimstone could form around him, and I’d completely believe he was the devil himself.
He growls, chest heaving as if he had done a thousand jumping jacks. The clenching and unclenching of his fists remind me of the secret basement incident. I take a step back from him, giving myself enough room to run if I must. All part of the insane plan, though.
My body jumps as his fist connects repeatedly with the red lockers to our right. A large dent forms where he pounds into the metal, crunching his knuckles. My eyes widen at the horror show before me. Stupid questions seem to set off his uncontrollable rage, my stupid questions in particular. But my plan succeeds. Carter stomps away, shoving anyone and everyone out of his way, slamming through the double doors leading outside. As he stalks down the sidewalk, his feet pound into the pavement hard enough to crack the cement below him. Along with the hellfire wafting off his rage, he needs to cool down. Maybe I’ll pour cold water over his body the next time to cool him off before he can hurt anyone else.
Two sets of hands grab my arms and thrust me backward. A scream falls from my lips, legs kicking in every direction, and my books go flying despite the fact I’ve hung onto them this whole time. Students give me just a passing glance, even when I’m thrown into the boys’ bathroom. My back connects with the hard wall with a thud, knocking the air from my lungs.
“That was seriously the fucking stupidest thing you’ve done since you started here.” Seger’s fumes, his arms crossing over his chest.
Zepp shakes his head back and forth, locking the bathroom door so no one else will hear this tongue lashing. Zepp ducks his head underneath the two stalls and nods at his brother, giving him the all-clear.
Zepp closes his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. Pacing up and down the small bathroom. The acidic stench of urine wrinkles my nose. I always heard the boy’s bathrooms were the nastiest thing on the planet and boy—they weren’t kidding. It’s so disgusting, I’m surprised guys even want to pull out their wangs. They might get contaminated or something which is shocking. You’d think a private school with people bleeding money to get their kids in would have the decency to clean their damn bath—
“Kaycee!” Zepp shouts, gaining my full attention again. Right. I’m in the boy’s bathroom with pissed-off twins. “What were you thinking?”
“She wasn’t fucking thinking,” Seger says grinding his teeth to dust. “Not fucking thinking at all.”
“Give me the phone,” Zepp says, holding out his hand, waving his fingers at me. “I’ll put it back or throw it on the ground or something. Just—”
“Give him the fucking phone. That cruel bastard is going to pound your ass into the ground and not in the sexy fucking way either.”
I blink several times at them. “No,” I say, placing my hand over my skirt pockets. “Why do you even care?” I gape. They’ve prevented me from entering the dining hall all week, and now they fear for my safety?
“Kaycee, seriously,” Zepp says, taking a step forward, his eyes having a silent conversation with his twin.
“Fucking, Kaycee, hand it over,” Seger says, advancing on me too.
“Fuck off,” I say holding out my hands, my palms connecting to their hard, delicious chests. Crap—focus, idiot.
