A few days later
“You called?” I close the door to my father’s office.
His eyes immediately home in on the wound on my arm, so I rub it with my hand to try to hide it.
“You’re hurt,” he says.
“It was just a fall. No biggie.”
He steps away from his desk. “How are you doing?”
I frown, not knowing how to answer. “Good, I guess.”
“I saw the picture.”
Oh God.
“It was an accident,” I say, mortified. “I—”
“If those three boys hurt you, tell me now, and I will end them.” He grips my face tightly. “No expulsion. No trial. Death.”
His words resonate in my soul. I’ve never heard him say he’d actually murder someone out loud, and it makes me admire him even more.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “They didn’t. It was a private picture that accidentally got shared.”
“Who else has seen it?”
“Probably the entire school,” I say, biting my lip.
He closes his eyes and rubs them. “It’s okay. We’ll fix this.”
“The boys are already telling everyone it was a staged scene at an escape room and that none of it was real.”
“Clever.” He frowns. “Wait. The boys?” His eyes flash with concern. “So it was real? You are having sex with these boys?”
My cheeks heat as I blush. Admitting this to my father is a big deal to me.
“But what about Jason?”
“He wasn’t there for me when I needed him, so I ended it, and then he tried to hurt me,” I explain.
His nostrils flare. “I will have him expelled.”
I shake my head. “That’ll only anger his parents, and I don’t want anyone else coming for Spine Ridge or the Rivera family. Let him stay, and I’ll ignore him as best as I can. He’s out of the Skull & Serpents anyway.”
My father caresses my cheek with his thumb. “I just want to protect my little girl.”
Tears well up in my eyes. “I know.”
“That picture was not easy to see,” he says.
I’m embarrassed, but maybe I’ll survive this.
“I’m sorry.” I avert my eyes. “I didn’t want it to end up in the wrong hands, let alone yours. I never wanted you to see me like that.”
“What about that body? Is that—”
I inhale sharply. “That was a guy who hurt young girls. Consistently. And I couldn’t let it slide.”
My father’s eyes twitch with curiosity.
“Maria?”
An assistant steps in.
“Bring in Nathan, Kai, and Milo.”
My eyes widen. “You already brought them here?”
“You think I haven’t watched you while you were here on these campus grounds?” He smiles. “You underestimate your own father’s obsessive need to keep track of the dangers his kids put themselves in.”
I snort and hide my laughter behind my hand.
Of course, he’d be just as deranged as me.
A knock on the door follows, and in step all three boys … along with my brother.
The assistant peers over their shoulders and says, “Your son is here too.”
“Felix?” I mutter as they all step inside. “What are you doing here?”
“Dad asked me to come.” He closes the door behind him. “What’s this about? Why are they here too?”
“I’d wanted to ask if you knew anything about that picture.” He eyes all of the boys as his hands dive into his pockets. “I don’t want any of you hiding things from me.”
Felix leans back against the wood with his arms crossed. “I’m not hiding anything.”
“And you …” My father narrows his eyes at Kai, Nathan, and Milo. “You took a picture of my daughter in a precarious position and shared it with the world?”
“It was a mistake,” Nathan mutters.
“An accident,” Kai adds. “It wasn’t on purpose.”
“Right. But it did happen.”
“I’m sorry, it’s my fault,” Nathan says. “I was careless.”
“Yes, you were.”
CLICK!
The noise alerts me.
He’s got a gun.
I immediately step in front of the three boys, unafraid of the bullets he’s threatening them with. “Don’t.”
“Lana!” Felix growls. “Don’t do it!”
“Tell me why you choose to protect them,” my father grits, incensed.
Seconds feel like hours.
“Because I love them!” I’ve never felt something so fiercely in my heart.
But now that it’s finally out in the open, I feel relieved.
“And we love her,” Kai says, stepping forward to grasp my hand and lace his fingers through mine. “And if you want to kill me for loving your daughter, then fucking kill me now because I will never, ever, stop loving her harder than the day before.”
My heart almost jumps from my chest because of his unabashed devotion.
“I’ll take a bullet for you. I already did so once, and I’d do it again and again,” Nathan says, stepping up to grasp my other hand. “I’m the one responsible. Kill me if you must.”
“No,” Milo says, stepping in front of all of us. “I will not let you hurt the people I love.”
My father’s jaw tenses, but his body relaxes just a little bit. “Love …”
“Yes. Do you remember what that felt like?” I ask.
His lip rises in disgust. “No. I’ve not felt the love of a woman or for a woman since your mother destroyed it with her bare hands.”
The pause that follows feels like it lasts an eternity.
CLICK!
The gun’s safety is put back on, the sound making me feel like I can breathe again.
He puts his gun away. “But I love my kids, and I’d do anything to protect you.” Tears well up in my eyes as he approaches. “If you still want these boys, despite the fact they hurt you … then I’ll accept your choice.”
My father places a hand on Milo’s shoulder. “You’re a brave guy.”
“Thanks,” he gulps.
“That body in that picture, did you clean it up?” he asks like it’s no big deal.
The boys all nod in silence, all stupefied by how easy he makes it sound.
“Good.”
“Wait, you’re not mad?” Nathan asks.
“Of course, I’m mad. But that doesn’t stop the killings because if it did, you wouldn’t be doing it in the first place,” he retorts.
“I thought you summoned us here to expel us,” Milo mutters.
“I was going to kill you, actually.”
Milo’s face turns ghostly white.
“But seeing as how that would upset my little girl, I opted not to,” he muses like it’s the most normal thing on earth.
“How many more have you killed?” he asks.
“Plenty,” Kai responds. “More than I can count on two hands.”
“And was she there?”
I blush again. “That kill was actually mine. Along with a bunch of others.”
He sighs softly, shaking his head, and rubs his forehead with his fingers. “I should’ve known it wouldn’t skip a generation.”
“Wait … What?” Felix mutters. “You knew? All this time? And you didn’t say anything?”
“You think I don’t know what you’re both capable of?” my father retorts, tilting his head. “You’re my flesh and blood. I know that insatiable hunger. Why do you think I told you to stop fighting? I knew you two would be dragged to that dark side if you didn’t.”
“Wow,” Milo mutters, snorting. “This is a turn of events.”
“Dad,” I mutter. “I …”
“You don’t have to explain yourself.”
He places his hand on my shoulder, and memories flash through my mind like a movie running at two-hundred times the normal pace. My tiny self, searching for the bathroom, finding a light on in my brother’s room, seeing my mother in his bed …
The gun from the cabinet … and a firm hand on my shoulder.
A sharp breath follows.
“Dad …”
“What is it?” Dad says.
Tears well up in my eyes. “You didn’t kill Mother, did you?”
I look up into his eyes, which yield to my gaze like only a father’s eyes would when he’s tried so hard to protect his daughter from reality.
My lips part. “I did, didn’t I?”
This truth has haunted my soul for years.
It takes him a few seconds to reply. “Yes.”
His face contorts with a pain unlike any other, and he pulls me away from the boys only to hug me so tightly all the waterworks begin to flow.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
“Don’t. Don’t apologize.” His hand wraps firmly around my hair, stroking me. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You did the right thing.”
“I killed her,” I say.
Felix stands in the corner, silently watching us, but the pained look in his eyes makes me cry even harder.
“You saw something unforgivable, and when I found you in his room with that gun, I took it from you.”
“You told me you were the one who shot her,” I murmur against his chest.
“I didn’t want you to live with that guilt,” he says. “So I lied to shield you from the truth.”
“Lana …” Felix murmurs, and he approaches, wrapping his arms around us too. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
I wail loudly, crying out the tears I’ve kept buried deep down with those memories for so long.
“All those nightmares,” I whisper. “They were true. I’m a monster.”
“You’re not a monster,” Felix responds. “You saved me.”
My father leans back and cups my face, forcing me to look at him. “You are loyal. Honest. Smart. Ruthless. And your heart is full of so much love. You are my daughter. And I am proud of you.”
More tears well up in my eyes, but they’re not tears of despair but tears of pride and joy. And we hug again, harder than we ever have before.
“Well, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more loving family than this,” Milo says, chuckling as he blinks away a few tears of his own.
“I’m jealous,” Nathan says.
“Hey, we make a pretty good family,” Kai replies, winking. “But it’s not complete without her.”
I turn to look at them and smile at my dad, waiting for him to nod before joining Kai, Nathan, and Milo and embracing them too.
“Are you okay?” Milo asks.
I nod. “Yeah. It was heavy. But I’m glad it’s finally out of my system.”
“You really killed your own mother, huh?” Kai says. “Savage. I like it.”
I snort and playfully punch him in the shoulder.
“So you’re gonna live with them now?” Felix asks.
“If it’s okay with Dad,” I respond, looking at my father, who just shrugs.
“The sororities and fraternities are normally separated … but I don’t see why I couldn’t make an exception for my own daughter.” He winks. “As long as you don’t go screaming it off the roofs so other students come begging me for the same privilege.”
I laugh. “I won’t. Promise.”
“And I need you to keep your grades up,” he adds, raising a brow. “No more slacking off. You want to go on a killing spree? Fine, but if you start to fail, you answer to me.”
“Okay, I get it,” I reply.
“No worries, sir. We’ll keep her on track,” Nathan says, saluting him.
“I doubt you will,” my father responds.
Kai laughs and pats a defeated Nathan on the back. “You tried.”
“I’ll make sure you keep your word, don’t worry,” Felix says, throwing them a warning look.
“Oh, I’m so scared,” Milo says, winking, which makes Felix growl out loud.
“All right, out of my office. All of you,” my father says with a sigh. “I’ve got work to do and messes to clean up.”
When we all exit the door, he adds, “Oh, and don’t kill anyone here at school, please. For your own sakes.”
“Not even them?” Felix says, pointing at Kai, Nathan, and Milo with his thumb.
Kai’s eyes become half-mast. “You wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“Wanna bet on that?”
“Boys …” I sigh out loud. “I thought we were over this.”
“You’re still my little sister.” Felix grabs me and rubs my hair with his fist just like he used to, messing up my look. “Didn’t I tell you not to talk to those fuckers?”
“Too late,” Kai scoffs, snorting after.
“Yeah, our dicks have already been in there. We’re way past the talking stage,” Nathan muses, watching Felix combust with rage.
I physically have to stop him from acting out, and the boys laugh in unison.
“You motherf—”
I plant a finger onto Felix’s lips. “Ah. Zip it. I don’t want to hear it.”
“But—”
I throw him a stern look, just like our dad just did.
“I get it. You’re my big bro. You wanna protect me.” I glance at Kai, Milo, and Nathan over my shoulder. “But I have them too now. So you’ll just need to get along for me. Okay?”
His eyes twitch with annoyance, and he folds his arms. Then he sighs out loud. “Fine.”
I hug him tight. “Thank you.”
“Yeah, yeah. Go. Before I change my mind,” he says, pushing me in their direction.
And the boys welcome me with open arms, kissing me on the cheek right in front of the entire damn school.
And you know what?
I don’t give a care in the world.
