And she wasn’t alone.
A string of F-bombs went off in my head.
She stepped into the alley, Izzy and Emily following. The three of them made a wall across the exit. The only exit. They were dressed in all black, the hoods on their sweatshirts pulled up. Even in the nefarious attire, they still looked like rich bitches, but I wasn’t stupid enough to mistake what this was. Or underestimate them.
My stomach dropped.
Despite the unease worming itself within me, I glared openly at the three of them, my gaze eventually settling on Izzy. She and I had unfinished business from when she had lured me into Carter’s trap. I still didn’t know why she had done it or what she gained from helping my stepbrother.
Or did she just hate me that much?
It didn’t matter, the reasons why.
Not now.
I shook my head, forcing my lips to curve in my best I-don’t-give-a-shit smirk. It wasn’t as snarky as I’d like. “How original. Mean girls gang up on the competition to deliver a painful warning. If pushing me down the stairs didn’t work, you think this will?” I had no intention of making this easy for them; nor did I understand how my voice remained steady, but I was damn proud of myself.
“This is just the beginning,” Emily sneered.
“The beginning of what?” They had me cornered, and unless I could make a run for it and get past the three of them, this wouldn’t end well.
Could I scream for help?
It was doubtful with all the noise from the kitchen equipment running and music filtering through a cracked back door that anyone would hear me.
Did I have time to call 911 or Brock? Someone?
Ava took a step closer, Izzy and Emily shadowing her every move. “You shouldn’t have come to the Academy,” Ava said, her warning clear.
“Things will only get worse from here,” Izzy added.
How much worse could it get? “All this because I slept with Brock. You guys have some serious territorial issues. You do realize you don’t own them. Any of them. I’d say that they own you. Do you have any idea how pathetic this makes you look?” I was literally rambling, anything to keep them from putting their hands on me. Maybe I could keep them talking long enough for me to use my phone before they beat the shit out of me.
My thumb swiped up on my phone as I gripped the side of it.
Ava shrugged as if my insults bounced right off her. “The Elite have their rules, and we have ours.”
“Let me guess, I broke your rules by fucking Brock.” I hit the number nine button on the phone. At least, I was pretty sure it was the right one. The stupid keyboard made a clicking noise, drawing Ava’s glare to my phone.
Fuck.
A sneer touched her lips as her hand shot out, smacking into the hand that clutched my phone. “This is your punishment.”
I groaned as my phone went tumbling to the ground, clattering over the blacktop.
Shit.
“I’m not a fucking child,” I hissed, adjusting the key in my hand. Thank god Mads’s house key dangled on the little ring, because the car fob was absolutely useless in a fight. But a key…
It wasn’t great. But it also wasn’t nothing.
“I warned you.” Ava held up a familiar-looking phone. It was Ainsley’s. I recognized the custom case splattered with photo booth pictures of Ainsley and me from last year at the Elmwood Festival.
I glanced from the phone to Ava’s smug face. “How did yo—?” My heart started to race as I put together pieces of the last few days. “You were at the party last weekend,” I concluded, remembering she hadn’t cheered that night. I hadn’t thought much of it.
A wicked grin graced her shiny lips. “She was too easy of a target. It was so pitiful. I’d never seen anyone so desperate to be noticed.”
“Bitch,” I hissed, my fists bunching at my sides.