Page 21 of The Revenge
“Then how the hell doyouexpect to be able to find out who that is?” I yell at him.
“Right now, we have the advantage,” he responds, calmly.
My throat hurts, but if I had anything left in my mug, I’d be using it to throw in Syn’s face instead of drinking it. “How the hell do you figure that?”
“Because no one else knows. For all your trying, you’ve found nothing to prove otherwise. To whoever is behind this, you’re nothing more than an annoying gnat buzzing around, but you’ve not found anything that’s worried them enough to kill you.” He shrugs. “Whether they’re behind Declan’s attack on you, or this comes back to du Pont, both would expect you to leave. Who would stay in a place where they nearly died? Salaway failing has made things more difficult to attempt anything again on campus so soon. Security is already being tightened, which will make it exceptionally difficult for anyone to come onto campus to finish the job.”
“What about the people already on campus? You made it so they hate me. Lissa is already vying for my blood.” After this morning, I’m sure she’s already scheming to get her revenge, despite my threats. “If I’m going to be watching my back wherever I go, I’d rather take my chances anywhere other than here.”
Somehow, Syn looks bored as he waves a hand dismissively. “They will be told you passed your initiation, and you’re a full member of the Elite. They will leave you alone. What’s more, you will be with us.”
“Fuck off. I’m not staying here and being your slave again.” I fold my arms and shake my head. “I don’t care what you say: that contract is null and void as far as I’m concerned.”
“You wouldn’t be our slave. You’d be…” Syn tilts his head, frowning.
“Your what? Your equal?” I let out a dry laugh.
“You’d be our queen,” Gemini declares. He jumps off the couch, only to drop down on one knee in front of me, grinning like a lunatic. “We’ll be your knights.”
I’m not sure I have the energy left to deal with Gemini’s crazy right now, so I ignore him and focus on Syn. “If I stay—and if I do, itwon’tbe like it was before—but if I do, then what? We have less than two weeks before we break for Christmas, and I’m forced to leave this place anyway. And how does staying here help us find answers when neither of us know anything?”
“Saturday night is the Guiding Light Annual Charity Christmas Gala,” Syn tells me, like that’s obvious.
I shrug. “And?”
“Guiding Light is the charity that my female parental unit so philanthropically runs.” Gemini is still on one knee in front of me, but his attention is now on Syn as he frowns at him. Then his eyes widen. “And du Ponce’s fiancée, Charlotte Windsor, is desperately trying to get herself a seat on the board.”
“And therefore, du Pont will also be there,” Syn finishes. “Not only will we be able inform him that you’re not going to release that video, but we can also ask him what he remembers.”
The sane part of me who was so happy when I’d decided I was leaving this morning still thinks I’d be better taking my chances and leaving.
But the stubborn part—the one that helped me make it this far because I truly believe there’s some form of evidence out there that will help my brother—seems to be taking control again.
“Preston du Pont,” I say, before I commit either way. “He was JP’s best friend. Do you really think he knows more about what happened?”
Syn stares at me in silence for an uncomfortably long time before he finally takes a breath deep enough to force his shoulders back. “If it’s possible that he knew JP was gay, it’s also possible he knows something else that’s he’s withheld to protect his friend.”
“If you think that will get us answers, then I’m in.” I suck in a deep breath, but before I say what I’m about to, I glance down at Gemini. “Will you get off the floor? It looks like you’re proposing.”
Gemini pouts. “I was pledging allegiance to my Vixen.” Then he proceeds to roll back towards the couch like a ninja.
I turn my attention back to Syn, who has been watching the interaction with narrowed eyes. Considering how Syn and Gemini seem to be polar opposite in personality, it does surprise me how good of friends they seem to be.
“Unless there’s any other bombshell you want to share with me, I’m done.”
“Where are you going?” Syn asks instantly.
Planting my hands on my hips, I glare at him. “I am stayingonlybecause of this stupid party. It’s not because of that stupid contract, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s null and void, so there will be no more of me following your orders or reporting to you. I am not your slave. I am not your prisoner. The only way you’re going to know where I am at all times is if you put a fucking tracker on me.”
“Where are you going?” he asks again like he hasn’t heard a single word I’ve just said.
“It’s none of your business.”
There’s not a great deal of distance between us, but Syn still closes it. “Considering less than forty-eight hours ago, someone tried to kill you, I’d say it’s very much my business.”
“In this house,” I say as I point at the floor.
“And had I known there was a threat to your life at that point, I would have increased security like we’ve already done.” The way Syn snaps back at me makes me feel like me being attacked was an inconvenience.
