“I’ll spare you the bullshit. I’m sure you can appreciate what I’m saying,” he said. Licking his lips, his face split into a wide grin. “I’m going to make you suffer, Annie.”

  Insanity. That was all Annie could think of this man.

  She should have said something - anything - in response. But her mind and body were numb; what was there to say someone who had plainly admitted they were out to hurt her?

  She felt pathetic, but she could only freeze. She could only stand and watch.

  He walked closer to where she stood until they were inches apart. She could see the sharpness of his cheekbones cut through her vision, the beauty mark placed on his cheek, the dark brooding stare that burned into her face, the sharp lines of his mouth that twitched carefully at her.

  “Such a waste,” he murmured. He was going to touch her again. She could sense it.

  Right on cue, his hand lifted towards her face and she sharply grabbed it, stopping him in his tracks. A flash of surprise illuminated his dark gaze.

  How docile did he think she was?

  “Don’t touch me,” she growled. She pushed his hand away from her, but he grabbed her wrist, grasping her firmly. Annie stared at him in bewilderment. “I said -”

  “I know what you said, but does it look like I’ll listen to what you say?”

  She tugged her arm to no avail. His hold was unrelenting. His smug, arrogant face peered into hers, watching thoughtfully. “You know, if things were different, maybe you and I could have…”

  He didn’t finish the sentence.

  Shaking his head, he laughed to himself; the amusement brightening his aristocratic features. “How silly.”

  “I’ll scream,” she said tightly. “Don’t think I won’t.”

  His gaze darkened, but the bright smile remained. The image was unsettling. Paradoxical.

  James pulled her closer towards him. He seemed to relish in her discomfort.

  “Go on,” he murmured.

  “W-what?”

  “Scream,” he smiled darkly.

  “I-I…” She tugged and struggled, but it did nothing.

  “What? Cat got your tongue?”

  “Stop it,” she blurted.

  “But I’m having so much fun,” he laughed. “I was going to lock you in the storage cupboard when you weren’t looking. It would have been so easy, but now I think I’m having so much more fun watching you squirm. What’s the fun if I can’t see you scream?” He drawled softly into her ear, almost as though he was whispering sweet nothings to a lover. Anyone could have walked past and mistaken the scene for an intimate conversation between two lovers.

  Annie shuddered, reading his expression.

  Those handsome green eyes seemed to turn pure black. A testament to his evil.

  “Where’s that fire gone? Hmm?” He prodded. “I know there’s a lioness in there somewhere.”

  “You’ll get nothing from me,” she whispered defiantly.

  She felt his warm hand trace the hem of her skirt, tickling the bare skin underneath. A cold heaviness suffocated her throat. He was touching her again. This time, her body was his target.

  His breath tickled her skin as his hand traced the outline of her body, stroking the curve of her waist. Annie’s breath halted, overwhelming her sense of security. She felt the soft, velvet touch of his lips move across her neck and that was the final boiling point. As if on instinct, she lifted her knee sharply, aiming straight for James’ groin. The harsh impact left him reeling in pain, causing him to stumble down to the floor.

  “Fuck!” He shouted loudly. He was clutching his groin, clenching his jaw in fury. “You fucking pushed -”

  Annie lifted her leg and kicked him again, this time aiming straight for his stomach. He groaned loudly in pain, falling backwards. His enraged gaze followed her form, seething.

  “You have no idea what you’ve done,” he shook his head. He rested his head back on the floor, his chest heaving in shaky laughs. “Oh, Annie. Annie, Annie, Annie, I’m going to have so much fun with you.”

  She couldn’t breathe. He was laughing?

  He was enjoying this. Every second of her misery.

  “You’re a psycho,” she exhaled. She tried to remain firm, but she couldn’t control the trembling within her hands.

  “You have seen nothing, love,” he murmured thoughtfully.

  He sat up slowly, wincing as he stretched back to his full frame. He moved to make one step towards her, but Annie bolted instantly. She ran as far as she could, running until she could see that she was out of the main tower.

  Once she had run out into the fields, she debated going back to her room to hide under the covers. There was no use. She would get dragged back by her senior teachers. Reprimanded for truancy. Scolded for violence. Even if it was in self-defence. Going against a Knightley was asking for a death wish.

  Hot tears swam in her vision. She didn’t ask for any of this. She wanted to survive. That was all. Now, she had to fight for so much more.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Eventually, after class had finished, Annie had walked back into the main tower, following the directions towards her English class. Everyone had left except for Theo and James, who were lurking by their desks. Annie froze. She had hoped they had left by now.

  James’ gaze caught Annie in the doorway. He sat up, watching her intently. A small smirk lifted his features.

  Oh god, couldn’t she escape this man for one second?

  “Are you here to cause more trouble?” Annie said. She kept her gaze locked to his; she refused to cower. Not this early, anyway.

  “We were just leaving, love,” James smirked. “The floor is all yours.”

  Her skin prickled at the nickname. There had to be a catch.

  Theo flittered his stoic gaze between Annie and James, before tugging his bag tighter to his shoulder and walking out of the room, barely acknowledging Annie. James followed suit, without even giving her another look. Once they had sauntered past her, she released a heavy exhale, dispelling the building tension within her gut. At this rate, she was going to lose her mind.

  Shaking her head, she moved to the far end of the room, looking for her school bag. Her next class was music, and she needed her song sheets. The red denim bag was right under her table and as she grabbed it, searching inside for her things, she noticed something was off.

  Her song sheets.

  They were... ripped into pieces.

  Hesitantly, she lifted each crushed paper out. They drenched her school books in thick liquid. She bent down to smell the substance; it was some liquid soap. They ruined all of her things. School supplies, textbooks, music sheets - all ruined.

  That’s what Anchal was talking about earlier. She helped them.

  Annie covered her face with her hands.

  This was only the first week. The first week.

  Gathering her stuff together, Annie stood up and walked out of the classroom. Looking in the hallway, she found a pair of hazel eyes gazing in interest. A tall man with long, wavy blonde hair watched her carefully as he leaned against the wall, his bag slouched on his shoulder.

  Tristan Montgomery.

  The fourth member of the Barons.

  She averted her gaze. It was awkward. They never spoke. She walked ahead, clutching her bag to her side. As Annie took a few steps down the corridor, she could hear faint footsteps echo behind her. That was odd. Frowning, she turned to find Tristan following her trail. She stopped in her tracks, watching him.

  “Are you following me?” She said cautiously. Tristan’s eyes fell to her bag and how tightly she clutched it to her chest.

  “Yes,” he said. His chiseled face never lifted in a cheeky smile like Theo or in brooding contempt like Jasper; Tristan was different. He was a thoughtful, dreamy man; handsome, but with a head far away in the clouds. Boys like Tristan were the dark horses; they broke your heart when you least expected it.

  “Why?”

  “Because everyone won’t stop talking about the girl that’s riled up James. I suppose I’m curious.”

  “Curious?”

  “Curious.”

  An awkward silence descended over them. Annie shifted her weight between her feet. Tristan didn’t seem fazed or flustered; he was watching like he was trying to discover something.

  “Is this some trick? Are you here to finish the job off for James?”

  “Not really,” he quipped.

  “Then? Curiosity? Is that it?”

  “Mm-hmm.”

  “Look, I’m going to walk away now. Are you going to follow me and push me into a ditch somewhere? I know you Barons like the element of surprise, but I’ve had enough of that for one day.”

  “I won’t push you. I promise.”

  “So you’re following me?”

  “Maybe.”

  “This is stalking.”

  “I’m aware.”

  She didn’t know what to make of this conversation. Tristan was always quiet. If he wasn’t half asleep in class, he was looking at something in the distance with disinterest. A part of Annie thought maybe he was a bit... slow, but his grades were better than hers. God knows how that worked.

  “What do you want?”

  “Nothing really,” he said unhelpfully. He glanced at the window opposite them, staring outside with a thoughtful expression. Was this Annie’s cue to leave? “Though if I were you, I’d probably avoid opening your locker. Maybe check it out after dinner.”

  “Why?”

  He met her stare. It wasn’t an unkind expression; just pensive and elusive. “You’re a smart girl. You already know.”

  She sighed, rubbing her tired face. “It’s fucked up with shit inside, isn’t it?”

  All of her books were buried in that locker. She was just grateful that her main instrument was a piano nailed to the music room floor. Good luck fucking that up, she thought.

  His face broke into a wide, blinding smile, showcasing his brilliant white teeth. He had a soft, almost childish look to his eyes when he smiled; a vulnerability that made Annie feel at ease. A complete opposite to James Knightley and his arrogant, predatory grin.

  “Is that funny to you?” She grumbled.

  “Yes,” he replied. There was an unabashed amusement there.

  “I’m glad my suffering brings a smile to your face.”

  “It makes things interesting from the usual boring classes,” he moved to sit by the windowsill, leaning against the counter. He watched her again. Annie sighed. She was nervous. They were talking as if they were... friends. If one thing Barcourt had taught her, it was to always watch your back and to trust no one.

  “Although if it helps, I have no interest in tormenting you,” he said.

  She furrowed her brows, turning to face him. “How’d’you figure that one out?”

  “It’s simple; you’re not our aim.”

  “I’m sorry, come again?”

  “Doesn’t matter,” he shrugged. He rested his head back on the wall, closing his eyes.

  “No, I want to know,” Annie insisted.

  Tristan said nothing in response. He was quiet. Like a freaking buddha. Did she just talk to him only for Tristan to end the conversation like some computer? She opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it; he was in some weird other zone. She’d have better luck getting a response from the marble statues.

  ◆◆◆

  “What’s your deal with the scholarship kid?” Theo asked James.

  “I have no idea what you mean, Theo,” James drawled in boredom. They were lazily throwing a tennis ball at each other, playing a mindless game of catch. Taking ownership of the Leviathan common room was something the Barons established from day one. They allowed only the Barons, and the approved elite to mingle here. This was Baron territory from day one.

  The rest of the male students lingered in the other, less glamorous common rooms - namely, Newton, Bach, Austen, Marx. It was less embellished and stylish but they weren’t stupid; they would not start a war with a Baron just for a bit of leg room space in Leviathan. They would happily accept their fate, if it meant they were free from a Baron’s target.

  “I think you do. You seem a little…”

  “What?”

  “A little obsessed,” Theo mused.

  “Don’t be a fucking idiot, Theo. Who’s obsessed?” James rolled his eyes, throwing a tennis ball at the wall.

  “I’d say you are,” he pointed out. Theo took a bite out of an apple before lounging on the sofa. “Why are you after her again?”

  “Because she pisses me off,” he replied.

  “Many people do, doesn’t mean they’re all worthy of a Baron’s wrath.”

  “I think she’s had a fairly quiet life without us. It wouldn't be fair if she went away without a mark.”

  “I thought that’s not what we're about anymore, James. Not after Natasha,” Theo said.

  “Who do you think makes the rules here, Hamlish?” James stared intently. “Hmm? I do. If I say this girl is going to suffer, she is going to suffer. No questions asked.”

  “She’s a small fry in the food chain. We have bigger things to deal with.”

  “We don’t want people to think we’re going soft now, do we? A reputation has to be maintained. You know that better than anyone. Today, we show mercy to the scholarship kid and then tomorrow, you’ll have working class commoners like her thinking they can run the place, thinking they are equal to us, thinking we owe the less fortunate our opportunities. That kind of chaos is what I work hard to fight against.”

  “So that’s all that it is? Social order?”

  “What the fuck else would it be?”

  A heavy silence pressed down. Theo averted his gaze, mindlessly throwing the tennis ball against the wall. James exhaled in frustration, moving to stand up.

  “Where are you going?” Theo frowned.

  “To find our other flag-bearer of social order,” James smirked mockingly.

  ◆◆◆

  James had stepped out of the Leviathan common room, moving downstairs towards the main auditorium. Tristan was back. That was the news around the school and he had a bone to pick with him; announcing his arrival without even letting his closest friends know.

  James strolled down the long corridor with the wide, arched windows, until his eyes caught two figures by a window further down.

  He’d recognise that curly brown hair anywhere.

  Annie.

  And she was talking to Tristan. He clenched his fists, willing his body to not react instantly. What was Tristan doing? James carefully walked towards them, being mindful not to make a sound. Their conversation echoed in his ears.

  “I suppose you’re the resident secret keeper,” Annie huffed. Her back was facing James, obscuring the view of Tristan slightly. It was only until he stood a metre behind her, when Tristan cleared his throat pointedly.

  “We have company,” he coughed. Bending his head to the right, Tristan stood up, moving to James as he nodded with a soft smile. “Hello, James.”

  James’ tension dissipated when he inspected his old-time friend. He grabbed him in a firm hug, patting him on the back. They released each other from the hug, with James giving Tristan a pointed smirk.

  “So we’re the last ones to know you’re here, huh? Not even a call or text, dickhead.”

  “Delaying the inevitable, you know. Some of us don’t want school to start,” Tristan scratched his nose.

  “Well, get your head out of your arse. The boys are waiting for you, it’s a big occasion; the Barons back together,” James said proudly. He wrapped his arm around Tristan’s shoulder.

  James noticed that Annie had walked off, moving down the corridor. A burst of restless tension tugged at his skin, itching for him to say something, anything to bring her back. The audacity of this woman. Rude and disrespectful. It was time somebody taught her some manners.

  “I didn’t dismiss you, little girl,” James shouted loudly. Annie didn’t stop. She stubbornly kept walking down the corridor.

  Who did she think she was?

  “Leave it,” Tristan waved dismissively.

  The fact that Tristan was protecting this basket case pissed James off even more. Removing his hand off his shoulder, James started following her, striding intently until he was within reach.

  “Dude!” Tristan shouted behind him.

  “Go see the boys, Tristan,” James growled over his shoulder. “I’ve got a pest to sort out.” He sped up his walk until he was within a respectful distance from Annie.

  Sensing his looming presence, Annie swiftly turned around, putting her hand out in warning. James stopped in his tracks slowly, watching her with a predatory interest.

  The lion stalks the lioness; he thought.

  “Stop following me,” she growled.

  The fiery side to Annie. The only one that he wanted to crush.

  James released a wide, treacherous grin. The image made Annie shiver; it was full of deadly promises and sugary threats. His eyes held an arrogant smugness; almost as though he knew he was going to get whatever he wanted, regardless of what she said.

  The thought made her furious.

  “Stop smiling,” Annie grumbled. “Stop it.”

  “It’s a free country, darling,” he lifted his eyebrow, moving closer. Annie retreated backwards, meeting his advances with a step back.

  “Oh, really? Then I’m free to leave,” she growled. Annie moved to go around him, but James trapped her by the wall, placing his hand right by her head. She jumped at the sudden motion. He grinned like a cheshire cat that had caught all the cream.

  “You’re a piece of work, you know that?” Annie breathed in contempt. Fire burned in her brown eyes, piercing every inch of his arrogant face with all the venom in her blood.

  He licked his bottom lip ravenously. Everything about this man screamed dangerous. The cocky darkness in those dark emerald eyes, the curl of his delicious mouth - everything about him wanted to ruin her, that much Annie knew. But for what? That was the answer she was afraid to find out.