“Not your problem,” I say, heading for the doors. I don’t know where I’m going. I don’t care, as long as it’s far away from him. I can still feel him on me, the tenderness between my legs throbbing with each step. What the fuck am I doing?
“Maybe it is,” Devln says, falling into step next to me.
“It’s not.” I feel like a wounded animal, one that needs to crawl under a rock to be alone, to lick my wounds and either recover in peace or die trying. But Devlin’s on my heels, refusing to let me.
I stop and turn to face him again. “Look, you got what you wanted,” I say. “I’m not naïve or arrogant enough to say all you wanted was to get laid. You could do that with any girl in this school. You told me it wasn’t personal, and I get it. But now you’ve fucked me, and proven your point, and ruined my family just like you wanted. So leave me the fuck alone.”
“You still don’t get it, do you?” he says, taking my arm. His grip is commanding, even possessive, but I know how much more he’s capable of. I know the violence of Devlin Darling, how quickly his mood can change.
I roll my eyes. “Apparently not, King Devlin. So why don’t you explain it to me, since I’m such a peasant?”
“You’re ours,” he says. “You belong to the Darlings. You don’t get to say when we leave you alone and when we don’t. We decide when we’re done with you. We decide where you go and when. And you’re not leaving school right now.”
“Oh, so now you’re the morality police? I don’t get to skip school unless you say so.”
“Now you’re catching on,” he says.
“Fine,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. “So, what do you have for me next?”
“You’ll know when you need to know.”
“Seriously?” I throw my hands up in frustration. “You humiliated me, showed everyone I’m under your thumb. You fucked me and laughed about it with your buddies. And I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere. So, either tell me what else you want from me, or just put another notch in your belt and move on like you do with every other girl.”
Devlin gives the slightest smirk and shakes his head. “Cute. Now if you’re done with your tantrum, let’s get back to class.”
I could keep fighting, but I know he’ll never give up. I know that if I tried to walk out the door, he’d stop me. He’s clearly done with this conversation, and I’m not keen on being dragged back into class by the wrist like he dragged me out. I sigh and push past him, back toward the classroom. I know when I’m beaten. I may have fought my way to the top of the social ladder in Manhattan, but I can’t fight a guy. Boys fight dirty in different ways, and I’m not sure how to fight back against Devlin.
I walk into class, doing the walk of shame back to my seat. I can feel their eyes on me, the snickers and knowing looks, but I don’t look up. Today, I’m beaten. I give up. There’s no more fight in me, and I know I’d never win even if there were.
I make it to lunch and walk into the cafeteria, barely hearing the barking around me. I feel numb, stumbling forward on numb legs. And then strong arms link through mine on either side, and I nearly sob in relief as I look up to see the twins on either side of me.
“What the fuck’s going on?” King asks, glaring around.
I shake my head, not trusting my voice to tell him that this has happened before, that I’m a dog to this school. As soon as my brothers show up, the cowards shut up, everyone going silent and watching to see what we’ll do.
That gives me strength, and I find my Dolce strength somewhere inside, the steel spine I was born with that’s been twisted by the Darlings and their sick games. I may be twisted and broken, but I’m still made of the same stuff. I’m still stronger than they know. I stand tall between my brothers, sucking strength from them like a starving man, feeding off their confidence and energy and power like some kind of vampire. They feed me willingly, holding me up and conveying me to the table in the corner where Dixie sits, her head bent over her plate.
King sits next to me and grips my knee under the table. “What’s going on, Crys?”
“Nothing,” I say, swallowing hard. Duke and Baron, who slid in across from me, gape at something behind me. I spot a couple guys making subdued woofs, but that’s not what has my brothers’ eyes glazing. A striking figure makes her way toward us, curves that should be illegal hugged by a dress that appears to be made of hot pink vinyl. White go-go boots complete the ensemble, and her hair is so high I’m pretty sure every 80s pageant girl alive would sigh with nostalgia at the sight.
Dolly flicks her razor-clawed fingers towards the table with the barking guys. “Don’t y’all think it’s funny that you’re the ones obediently barking?” she asks in her sugary, slow drawl. “Maybe you should look in the mirror and see the real dogs around here.”
She minces over to our table, sets down her giant white vinyl purse with huge gold grommets and rhinestones that looks like a nightmare sold at a gas station, and smiles.
“How you two holdin’ up?” she asks, nodding at me and Dixie. “Any word on your brother?”
“Not yet,” King says. “I’m sure he’ll be home by the time we get back.”
I know my brother well enough to see the worry etched into his face, though, the tightness of his jaw and the hard set of his eyes. Royal disappeared Saturday night. It’s Tuesday. He’s never been gone this long before, even in Manhattan where he had lots of friends to crash with if he was pissed at one of us or got trounced in a fight.
Dolly nods and pulls a can of Dr. Pepper from her handbag, popping the tab with her baby pink manicure. “And you two?” she asks me and Dixie. “Getting the Darling treatment?”
“If by that you mean completely shutting me out like I don’t exist, then yes,” Dixie mumbles. I suddenly feel like shit for not checking in on her. I was so caught up in worry about Royal that I barely thought of her all weekend. The past few days have been like walking through a nightmare where nothing is real except the pain of waiting.
I reach out and cover her soft hand with mine. “I’m sorry.”
She shrugs. “I’m okay. Preston called me Winn-Dixie this morning, so I guess I’m back to being a dog to him. You?”