Page 174 of Conquered (Highgate Preparatory Academ:y Compendium)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

LILLY

I t's my first day back, and I feel sick to my stomach, chewing my lip nervously as I walk down the wide, sweeping staircase with my guys around me. As we reach the bottom, Jax tugs my lip from between my teeth with a small rumble.

“You don't need to be afraid, Baby Girl,” he tells me, pausing and turning me to face him, his clear, blue eyes piercing into my very soul. “You are the strongest fucking person I know, these cunts are nothing.”

Tears sting my eyes, and I swallow hard as his words sink in, coating my insides like a life-giving elixir.

I hear the others murmur their agreement as I'm enclosed in their circle, the mixed scents of ginger, vanilla, lemon, and fresh woods soothing my fractious nerves.

I take a deep breath, inhaling their strength into myself until my heartbeat calms and the black claws of panic recede.

“Okay,” I tell them, turning my head so that I can look at each of them in turn. “I'm ready.”

“That's our girl,” Jax praises, leaning down to place a soft kiss on my lips that sends tingles all the way to Her Vagisty.

He catches my slight gasp, and the sexiest smirk graces his lips as he pulls away.

I clear my throat, trying to tell Her Vagisty that we can't just spend the rest of our lives with their dicks balls deep.

She doesn't believe me and fuck if my knickers don't look like the bottom of a bird cage most days.

“I need to freshen up,” I inform them, Jax's smirk blooming into a full-blown smile that does nothing to help my underwear situation. I'm a lost fucking cause by this point. “Fuck off,” I grouch at him, stomping— okay, there's a bit of a waddle going on —to the girl's bathroom.

I feel them all at my back, not leaving me alone for a second, though thankfully none of them follow me into the lav. Part of me wishes they had when I look up as the door closes to see Amber and her two Cuntmuffins applying lipstick to already perfectly made-up faces.

She spots me in the mirror, her gaze narrowing, and her lip curling as she takes me in. I go to make a snarky comment about the fact that her make-up clearly isn't vegan and I'm pretty sure the brand that she's using was involved in an animal testing scandal a couple of years ago.

But then I just stop. I'm so fucking tired of all the drama.

“Why are you so afraid of me?”

“What the fuck?!” Amber scoffs, spinning to glare at me, crossing her arms and curling her upper lip. “Why would I be afraid of orphan trash like you?”

“I have four amazing men who will love me no matter what. I’ll never be alone, never be lonely. I’m married to Ash Vanderbilt, heir to a billion-dollar empire. I have majority shares in that billion-dollar company. My future is secure and full of love.”

A thought occurs to me then and gives me pause. Maybe Amber and I have more in common than I first thought. We are both pawns in a game of chess played by greedy men.

“You don’t have to do as he says, you know,” I tell her, looking her directly in the eyes, even as she raises her chin. “You don’t have to be a pawn in your father’s game. You are a strong woman, Amber. Don’t become what he wants you to be.”

Her facade cracks a little, like the fine lines of a porcelain cup that’s been left out in the frost. Her lip wobbles ever so slightly, and her crossed arms appear more like they are hugging her and protecting her from this cruel world.

Then I watch as she straightens her spine, adopting that mean girl persona once more like armour.

“Fuck you, Lilly,” she spits out, turning on her Birkenstock heel and sweeping out of the bathroom, her clones giving me a confused look before following after her.

Well, that could have gone worse I suppose.