Vivian Taylor struts from behind the desk, her black stilettos clacking against the floor, “Either get out, or you all fail.”
Grumbled curses sound before the movement of students leaving hit my ears, prompting me to slowly gather my things, never taking my eyes off the vile woman in front of me.
Sliding from my seat, I lift my bag and walk for the door. My back is finally turned to her, but my senses are on alert. I’m steps away from the entrance when I feel her. I twist left just before she screams, announcing her attack. She misses me by a mile and falls into the students exiting the classroom before hitting the floor with a thud.
“You ruined everything,” she wails, scrambling off the ground, her shirt askew as she charges for me, and I deflect her wild, uncoordinated movements.
“Aww, is Vivian hurt because Sebastian doesn’t want her anymore?”
“Shut up, you stupid trashy cunt. He does want me. It’s you and this stupid fucking process,” she screams, aiming her nails at my face.
I bat her hands to the side, refusing to engage in combat. It would be cruel to beat someone like her. She can’t fight for shit.
Vivian’s movements become more erratic each time her strikes don’t land. I hold my free hand to my mouth and mock yawn. The wild set of her eyes signal her next movement. Vivian screeches as she lunges to my left, and my arm bends, extending my elbow right into her temple. I watch as she falls to the ground before quickly springing back to her feet and backing away to reassess.
“You’re nothing. You and your worthless bloodline should be eradicated,” she seethes, and I wonder for a moment what she knows.
“The fact that I’m a Selected and you’re not says I’m not the one who’s nothing here.”
Vivian launches herself at me again. “They’re using you. Once this is over, Bastian will be mine again,” she cries, and I know she undoubtedly believes this.
She’s like another fucking Sam. I’m starting to wonder if delusional is in the water in Calloway.
I sigh, sticking my right foot out and tripping her to the floor. Her remaining heel flies off as she turns to sit back up, ready to strike out another time.
She has some fight, but I’m bored with her shit.
“Sebastian loves me. It’s always been me,” Vivian exclaims, standing back to her feet. I could clock her one time and end this, but I want her to talk more about my family. How the hell did she know the Bradfords were being hunted?
My next words are uncalled for, but who the fuck cares. I need her to talk. “Is that why his face was buried so deep in my pussy that I can still feel the lingering effects of his tongue?”
“You’re lying,” she shrieks. “He wouldn’t touch you!”
“Oh, but he did. Over and over and over again.” I grin.
Miss Taylor grabs the chair next to her and charges for me, “I don’t give a fuck who your mother and father are. I’m going to kill you- you stupid bitch,”
My ears perk at the mention of my mother, but I have no time to process before Vivian hurls the chair at my face. I duck, avoiding it, but not her, as she tackles me to the ground.
We both hit the ground with a thud, then she’s up, attempting to wrap her hands around my throat. I push my wrists between her forearms and press out, forcing her to release her grip. Then I quickly scoop my arms around her and twist us around until I’m on top of her.
Grabbing her hair to hold her steady, I land three successive blows to her face. Her arms finally fall to the ground, but I don’t stop, striking her twice more, my punches not hard enough to knock her out, just enough to subdue her.
“You should’ve never come here. This is all her fault,” she grits through pained sobs. The devastation in her tear-stained eyes should move me, but they don’t.
I smile and say, “I told you not to fuck with me.” Then, I drop her head back to the ground and stand.
Vivian curls into herself and cries. She’s murmuring something over and over, but it’s unintelligible.
Looking up, I see five sets of hungry eyes boring into me. Karl is visibly hard as he twiddles his knife. Liam’s calculating gaze is taking me in. His eyes survey every inch of me for what I’m not sure. August looks ready to skin Vivian alive, his teeth bared as his jaw flexes, and Sebastian and Rowan stand like sentries by the door, collecting everyone’s phones and instructing anyone caught with footage of what happened will not like the consequences.
Where the fuck did they come from?
I’m walking toward them when the hair on my neck stands. A keening sound rips through the air like a battle cry as I hear the guys shout their warnings. I turn in time to see Vivian launch herself in the air, giving me just enough space to ready myself. My arm pulls back, my hand balled into a fist, and I punch her. The crunch of bone against my knuckles alerting me to something breaking. I prepare to aim again when I’m pulled back and hoisted into someone’s arms.
I begin to fight, resisting whoever has me. “It’s me. Relax. She’s out.” Rowan’s sharp tone finally registers. Turning, I see an unconscious Miss Taylor sprawled on the classroom floor. “You calm now, Rocky?” he teases.
“Shut up before I knock you out too,” I retort, hiding my smirk. The banter between us is new, but I like it.
Rowan laughs before he leans in and whispers, “You know how much I enjoy your fight,” then nips my ear before placing me back on my feet.
I roll my eyes, then take in the room.
Shit.
I’m about to be in so much trouble for this.
* * *
“What were you thinking?” Mr. Calloway shouts from his desk.
I’m standing in his office, being chewed out for yesterday’s fight. Even though the guys took everyone’s cameras, word got back, and I was summoned.
“I was defending myself,” I said dryly for the tenth time.
Rowan’s dad has been lecturing me for the last thirty minutes about how a lady handles herself and the expectations of a
Selected. I want to shout ‘fuck that’, but my dad is giving me the eyes.
“Rules are rules, Miss Bradford, and one of those rules clearly states that you’re to behave like a Selected,” he barks.
“Easy on the growl, Donald,” my Dad snaps. “She gets it. I think there should be some exception because of how Miss Taylor handled herself,” my father continues.
Take that, asshole.
I internally cheer my Dad on.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.