Finally, when I knew he’d be meeting with Preston, I followed him outside, sipping out of a Crystal glass filled with pure vodka.
We didn’t do red Solo cups. Rich parents make spoiled fucking kids.
I watched him make a deal with Preston. Watched the guy hand him a plastic baggy with two little white pills. Because one apparently wasn’t enough for Mr. Rape-Date-Is-Acceptable.
By the time their transaction was over, I was pissed. Not just angry but drunk on the Hill’s parents’ booze and ready to pick a fight.
I waited until the right moment came along, then finally cornered Matthew when he was taking a leak on his parents’ expensively manicured lawn.
Tapping my hand on his shoulder, I made him miss his aim and spray himself with urine.
“Shit, man,” he groaned. “What the fuck do you want?”
He zipped up his pathetic excuse for a dick into his jeans, and when he did, the little plastic baggy fell to the ground.
I picked it up, showing it to him between two fingers.
“What’s this, kid?” I asked him in a low, menacing tone.
“Oh, just some party favors,” he replied with a slick smile. “Got a high school prom to go to. You know girls that age don’t put out so easily, right?”
He eyed me appreciatively. I was a legend in these circles. And for the first time, I fucking hated my status.
“Who’s your date?” I asked him, giving him one last chance before I smashed his skull in.
“Oh, that’s the kicker,” he grinned at me as if we were part of the same date-raping club. “Hugo Cabot’s daughter. You know her, right? Violet, the fucking jailbait treat. I’ll be the first to taste that sweet little cherry. Pop it too, if these babies work their magic.”
He attempted to take the baggy from me, but I put it in my pocket. Matthew had time for one confused look before my fist came crashing into his face. The crunch of bone beneath my knuckles told me I’d broken his nose on the first hit.
“What the fuck?!” Matthew cried out, clutching his face as he stumbled back from me. “What the hell are you doing, man?”
“Teaching you a goddamn lesson,” I hissed before grabbing him and driving my knee into his stomach.
He grunted in pain, but I didn’t stop until he was a shaking heap on the ground he’d pissed on moments ago. He looked up at me with fear in his eyes, but I had no remorse for him.
“You will not go to prom with Violet Cabot,” I told him coldly. “You will not look at her again or speak to her after you tell her you’re not going to prom at all. You won’t think of her or dare to utter her name.”
He stared up at me, eyes flashing with anger and fear. The fear was taking over.
“And if I ever fucking hear of you buying date rape drugs,” I went on. “I’m going to smash more than your nose, kid. You want to keep your balls, right?”
He nodded, a sob escaping his lips. What a pathetic little boy.
I leaned down against his bloodied face, saying, “How unfortunate that you fell down today, kid. Make sure to get that nose checked. Looks pretty fucked to me.”
With those words, I downed the rest of my vodka and left him whimpering on the ground.
My job was done.FiveVioletPresent timeFor three days, I sat alone in Cabot Estate, dreading my final moment there. I had no idea where I would go. The summer home on the beach, the cabin in the mountains, and even the yacht—all seized by the government. The credit cards in my wallet were worthless. The only person who reached out and offered me a place to stay was my sister, Georgia. I considered it but staying with her was almost worse than being homeless—I didn’t even want to think about sleeping in the same house with her husband—to feel like I owed him a debt.
I’d rather sleep in a gutter than feel his breath on my skin again.
Raymond filled me in on the details about my father’s case as they developed. There was a closed hearing, and the judge ordered that he be held in federal custody pending his trial. They wouldn’t even let me see him. A warrant had been issued for my brother’s arrest as well, but Raymond didn’t represent him, so he didn’t know all the details. Henry and Maria were already making plans to move out, and I should have been doing the same, but I just didn’t have the energy to pull myself back from the brink of despair. What good would it do? All my hopes and dreams had been shattered—and they were going to remain that way until my father’s was proven innocent.
“Miss Violet.” Maria walked up to me with a black envelope in her hand. “This arrived for you.”