Page 83 of Depraved Boys

“Wear the little black dress.” He groaned, and the sound went straight between my legs. “I could stay like this forever.”

“But you won’t.” Prakash gave him a gentle shove, and Leopold stepped aside. “Will you sit with us at breakfast tomorrow morning?”

I nodded. “Thank you again for today.”

He placed his hands on my shoulders, bringing with him the mingled scent of whiskey and bergamot, then kissed both cheeks. “I’ll always protect you.”

My heart swelled. This was better than his usual warnings to leave the academy.

“Goodnight, Willow.” Prakash let go, and the three kings strolled down the hallway.

I rested my back against the door, watching them leave. Just before the corner, they all turned around and waved. Leopold blew me a kiss, and I blew him one back. As they walked out of sight, a sigh of contentment slipped from my lips, and I unlocked the door and stepped into the darkened room.

As soon as I shut the door, something large, something heavy, something made of glass smashed against my head. Pain lanced across my scalp, and I fell onto my hands and knees and tried to blink the darkness away.

I slurred, “Wha—”

“You bloody bitch.” Ashley’s whisper turned my blood to ice. She yanked my head up by the hair. “Why did you stop the auction?”

“W-what’s wrong with you?”

“You’ve been fucking with me for the past four years,” she snarled. “Everyone’s too busy fawning over you to even notice me.”

I tried to pull myself free, but a combination of dizziness and pain and fatigue kept me rooted to the spot. “That’s not true—”

“Mom and Dad hired Mr. Floo to teach us algebra, and all he cared about was you!”

“What?” Blood seeped into my eye, making me blink.

“Remember that appendicitis I had when we were thirteen?” She jerked my head from left to right as though to emphasize her point. “It was an ectopic pregnancy! I lost a fallopian tube.”

One of her knuckles grazed my head wound, making pain zing across my scalp. I cried out. “M-Mr. Floo raped you?”

“You’d like to think that, wouldn’t you? He and I were in love until your freakish brain got in the way. All he could talk about was your genius and how you were already at an advanced level at such a tender age.”

“Wait… What?”

She kicked me in the gut. “The fact is, you can’t handle having a twin who is so far ahead of you in beauty and men. That’s why you have to steal all the attention by acting clever.”

“You’re not making any sense!”

“Frigid bitch. You care more about books than about living. You don’t even mourn Mom and Dad anymore. You’re too busy soaking up the elite education.” She stamped on my hand.

Pain radiated up my wrist. “Ashley,” I said. “P-please.”

“What happened the night they died?” She held my head and punched me in the eye. “Were they bringing you back from one of your many functions or award ceremonies?”

“Neither,” I rasped.

“You’re lying!” she snarled.

Blood trickled down my face and off my chin. Pain ricocheted from each of her inflicted wounds. “D-do you really want to know what happened?”

“Tell me.” Her alcohol-scented breath filled my nostrils.

“Mom and Dad were out looking for you.”

She let go of my hair. “No, they—”