Page 107 of Massacre Monday

Yeah, called it.

Why is Adal so pissed off about me getting appointed to his sister? We were cool, I thought. Starting to become friends. What changed?

Rough hands set me upright and rip the fabric off my face. A blaring light from above makes my eyes water, and I blink rapidly to focus on the room. It’s a concrete block space with a metal door and some old, rusted equipment in the corner.

In front of me is Adal, who’s wearing a black bandana over his lower face.

Behind him in the corner is someone I saw just before I was hit…

Nico Griffin. He’s also wearing a handkerchief, but this one is partly a skull and has Marauders stamped across it. As he leans against the wall, he lowers the covering to his neck, unrolls a cigarette pack from his sleeve and taps one out, then lights it.

Adal glares at me, then stuffs a black electronic box into his pocket. “I want you to watch something and explain yourself,” he says in his normal voice, bringing up his phone.

One of my eyelids is almost swollen shut, but I can make out the screen. My pulse pounds harder and sweat drips from my forehead as I stare at the images I’ve memorized. The ones meant for me alone.

The sound from the footage is too loud for how small this room is.

“Here. Let me show you how to do this. Kiss the tip, but open your mouth wider.”

I stand above Pippi, who kneels before me, so eager to please me with those puffy cheeks and teary eyes.

“Yes,” I grunt. “But use more tongue, then suck.”

When she does, I breathe out,“Fuck, yeah. Atta girl.”

Pippi was worried about her family seeing this, thinking they’d judge her or that they would look down on her. There wasno wayI wanted them to see it, knowing this is exactly what would happen. Hell, I don’t even blame him. If someone did that to Olivia, I’d react the same.

However, this was only ever meant to be for me.

I lick my lips and consider the two men in this room. They won’t kill me. They don’t want to start that kind of war, or I’d already be dead. Even the board fears what Xavier Cardell would do if one of his sons were murdered. If they end me, my father will take out one of theirs, and the cycle will never end.

“That was for my eyes alone. How did you get it?”

“Doesn’t matter.” With every ounce of hate he can summon, he spits out, “All that matters is you’re a piece of shit and don’t deserve my sister.”

Nico blows out a puff of smoke behind him and tilts his head at me, as if considering which body parts he wants to remove.

Like I’m not covered in bruises and cuts, I straighten up and say, “I think that’s for her to decide.”

“You know it’s not. Not at this university.”

“So, you want me to end my own appointment with her. Not going to happen.”

“I heard you made President Harvey change it. Do it again. I don’t care who the fuck you marry, but you’ll stop seeing Pippi.”

“You want me to break your sister’s heart?”

“I’m sure she’ll get over it.”

Nico shoves off the wall and stomps out his cigarette, as if their plan is to escort him into her life. It’s difficult, but I manage to swallow, though my throat feels as if it’s closing.

Would she leave me at the first opportunity to be with him? She’s never really told me how she feels… The thought of them together makes me hurl bile onto the floor between my thighs. A string of saliva hangs from my lower lip, which I cut off with a swipe of my tongue.

Shaking my head with annoyance, I nod toward my feet. “Bend down here. I want to look you in the eyes when I tell you this, Adal.”

He does, tucking his phone in his back pocket.

“You’ll have to rip my soul from my body before I’d part from her, and even then, I’ll drag you to hell with me so I can watch you burn for taking what’s mine. I’ve tasted her blood. We flow through each other’s veins. Pen’s my sole reason for living. I’m not goinganywhere.”