Page 228 of Depraved Boys

“If you’re referring to the twenty-five thousand pounds you offered me as a bribe, I turned it down.” When his jaw gaped open, I added, “Bianca was probably too frightened of you to report this, so she left the money on my pillow.”

Mr. Byrd’s scowl smoothed out into a confident smirk. “I knew you were a devious girl. Now that you’ve accepted my financial consideration, you must sign my contract.”

“I would have thrown it back in her face, but I was on my way out and left it in my room.”

“That is no concern of mine.” He pulled out a pen and an envelope.

Dread lined my belly, and my heart galloped as though it wanted to break the confines of my chest. I hadn’t given the man’s money any consideration until now, but I doubted he would remain calm and civil when he discovered what had become of it.

I swallowed hard. “When I returned the next morning, all my things were burning in a bonfire.”

Mr. Byrd stepped back and hissed. “You mean to tell me you—”

“I refused the money and have witnesses to corroborate this.” My feet continued shuffling away from the maniac. “Your daughter left a large sum in an unoccupied room that got ransacked, and its contents burned.”

“Who did this?” he snarled.

Ashley had stolen my laptop and Corrine’s diary. It wasn’t a stretch to imagine that she had inspected the contents of that envelope and slipped that in her bag. I had no proof. Besides, as much as I hated her for what she had done, I still wouldn’t wish Mr. Byrd’s wrath on her.

“Who. Broke. Into. Your. Room?” The man advanced on me, his eyes burning with fury, and his chest rising and falling like bellows.

“A vindictive cleaner,” I replied.

“I don’t believe you.”

“Check my bank statements. Ask anyone in the school about my things getting burned.”

His nostrils flared, and his face turned a shade of strangulated purple. “If I find out you’re lying—”

“I’m not. Mrs. Benazir will tell you about the unauthorized bonfire. She won’t forget about it, considering she had to replace my books and clothes.”

Mr. Byrd was about to say something when his eyes widened, and he stepped back.

A hand landed on my shoulder. “Willow?” Sebastian stepped in front of me. “What are you doing here, Byrd?”

“Inquiring about a sum of money I entrusted into my daughter’s hands.”

“You were told never to visit these premises,” Sebastian said with a growl.

“Except in Board of Governors meetings to deal with emergencies such as the arrest of a student for previous bodily harm and the drug-related death of two others.” He curled his lip. “There is also the matter of a disciplinary for a teacher unable to keep her hands off a student.”

A retort rolled to the back of my throat, but I held my tongue. Sebastian wouldn’t always be around to protect me, and I got the feeling that Mr. Byrd would do more than push me down the stairs if I revealed his dirty secret.

I stepped back. “If I had your money, I’d throw it in your face if only to watch you scramble around to pick it up.”

Even with Sebastian standing close, the rage burning in his eyes made my stomach plummet.

Mr. Byrd looked ready to kill someone with his bare hands.

But because I had the boys watching my back, he wouldn’t go after me… At least not tonight.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

Bianca didn’t turn up to breakfast or lunch the next day. Neither did she make an appearance at any of her classes. At dinner time, I sat in the royal table between Sebastian and Leopold. Prakash sat opposite and nudged my foot. I glanced up from my desert and gave him a saucy wink.

To our left, a pair of second-year boys scattered over to the table Barrett Riley shared with Geraldine to take their order. Will, the third year boy I’d danced with at the Hessington Hall party, leaned over from the next table and chatted with Barrett, who seemed to have gained some notoriety after his outburst.

I snatched my gaze away, not wanting to speculate as to whether Will had been one of the boys Bruce had called to help with Ashley’s pigging.