Page 183 of Depraved Boys

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

According to Sebastian, Ashley sprinted down the hallway and ducked into a stairwell. Still sitting on the bed with a sheet wrapped around my naked form, I shook my head, trying to process the recent revelations.

Prakash sat at the farthest end of the bed to me with his clenched fists resting on his thighs, and his head dipped. Ashley’s ugly and untrue accusations had clearly affected him.

I scooted down on the bed and placed a hand on his arm. “Kash?”

He flinched away from me. “Why didn’t you tell me you had Corrine’s diary?”

I stilled. Maybe if it had been common knowledge that Prakash had been dating Corrine, I might have mentioned it, but by the time I found that diary, I’d only known her as Cormac’s sister.

“It wasn’t any of your business,” I said.

“Come on, Kash,” said Leopold. “Put the blame where it really belongs.”

“You’re being harsh,” added Sebastian.

“Maybe you two forgot about Corrine’s rape accusations, but I haven’t,” he snapped.

I buried my head in my hands and tried to make sense of what I’d just learned and what it meant in the context of my resurfacing memories. “Ashley lied that I was investigating you. I translated Corrine’s diary because I wanted to make sense of what happened to her.”

It was mostly the truth. Cormac’s comments about the kings’ involvement with his sister had triggered me into uncovering the diary’s secrets. Maybe it was an underhanded way to go about researching potential boyfriends, but in light of the pull-a-pig game, reading the diary had seemed the most reliable source of information.

“Let’s not fall out,” said Leopold. “Ashley will do anything to hurt her sister, and accusing Wills is playing into her hands.”

“I’m sorry.” Prakash scooted over and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. “Corrine is a sore point.”

I raised my head. “You told me about the rape accusation she made after you had consensual sex.”

He nodded. “Shortly after that, Corrine killed herself. I swore to put an end to that chapter of my life and move on, but Ashley—”

“We’ll stop her,” said Sebastian.

“You’re not thinking of giving her what she wants?” I said.

“Of course not.” Leopold rolled up his sleeves. “But if we take away her circumstantial evidence, she won’t be able to make any threats.”

Prakash nodded. “Let’s report this to Mrs. Benazir. She’ll have the maids’ quarters searched.”

“Ashley would have thought about that,” I said. “The blackmail material won’t be anywhere on the academy grounds.”

“This is just like Scooby-Doo.” Leopold’s gaze lingered over my breasts. “Since I’m the handsome blond, I’ll take Daphne and Velma to investigate the house in Cummersdale.”

“You’ve named them?” I said.

He turned to Sebastian. “Shaggy, you and Scooby search the academy in case Ashley’s hidden her stash on the grounds.”

Prakash’s eyes widened. “I’m the dog?”

Leopold folded his arms over his broad chest. “Be grateful you’re not Scrappy-Doo or the dog with the straw hat.”

Prakash spluttered. “There was no such character in that cartoon franchise!”

Sebastian strode over patted him on the back. “Come on, Scooby, let’s make a move or you’ll get no snacks.”

After getting dressed, we split into two groups. Leopold and I headed down the stairs to the ground floor and walked through the hallway. Because of the fallout from Ashley’s surprise appearance, we’d missed breakfast, and students streamed out of the dining room, heading either to their dorms or the private study rooms to do their prep.

Up ahead, the door to Mrs. Claymore’s office opened, and a man in a suit flanked by two police officers stepped out. Something about the way the officers deferred to him told me that he was their superior.