Brutal Bully (Bad Bullies Book One): A Dark High School Bully Romance Read online

  Theft? Shit.

  “Oh, no, you don’t—”

  “Our investigator contacted the Lakeview police department today. They have confirmed that they will reopen the case as a murder investigation. You may need to come through to the station to answer some questions, but they will be in contact with you directly to confirm the date and time.”

  Holy fuck.

  If I tell him I have the necklace, they’ll close the case again. But the insurance company obviously doesn’t want to pay out half-a-mill if they can get the police to actually do their jobs and track down the thief.

  The thief is me, but that’s no one’s business but mine.

  “Do you think, I mean, the police said there wasn’t enough evidence…”

  Mr. Fallow lets out a low laugh. “Ms. Virgo, our investigator is one of the best in the country.”

  Obviously — insurance companies have a monetary obligation to unearth as many fraudulent claims as possible.

  “So, what are you saying?”

  “His report details several key pieces of evidence the police missed on their first sweep. Including, but not limited to the fact that the upstairs safe had been broken into.”

  My skin goes ice-cold.

  Cigarette smoke envelops me an instant later, and I spin to face Marigold, gesturing her back with a grimace and a flick of my hand. But then I see the dread anticipation in her eyes, and I remember how she’d been sitting on the floor of my mom’s old room, chain-smoking and emptying out a tissue box.

  She’s a hag of a bitch, but it’s obvious she loved her daughter as much as I loved my mom.

  My face melts, and I hold up my hand, mouthing, “hang on,” before leaning against the wall.

  “The motive behind this was most definitely theft, Ms. Virgo. Taking into account the fact that it was the only item missing, we must assume that the suspect knew exactly what they were looking for, and already had plans to sell the item.”

  I shift, nibbling the inside of my lip.

  On a scale of one-year community service to a life sentence, how much shit will I get into for lying to an insurance company?

  But if no one ever finds out… and if this little fib means the insurance company will keep pushing the police to find the person responsible for murdering my mother…

  “Just tell me what you need from me,” I say, forcing my voice out steady and strong.

  “This will delay the claim payout, unfortunately.”

  “I don’t care. I want to know who did this. I’m sure you do too.”

  Mr. Fallow’s voice drops a little, but it doesn’t soften a hair. “Of course, Ms. Virgo. I will be in touch. And again, condolences for your loss.”

  “Thanks.”

  I put the phone down, let out a long breath, and turn to Marigold.

  The hand holding her golden cigarette holder is trembling. “Tell me,” she rasps.

  “They’re reopening the case.” For some reason, telling Marigold is putting tears in my fucking eyes. I blink hard and fast, and try to sound glib. “One of mom’s necklaces is gone, so they think this was a theft, not just…”

  Marigold starts nodding, her mouth pursing tight. Then her face crumples up and she lets out a loud sob.

  I don’t even know I’m moving, but the next moment I’m in her arms, and we’re gripping each other so tight I can barely breathe. She’s all skin and trembling bones — so frail I can’t believe she’s still standing.

  I don’t doubt for a second that I’m doing the right thing. We both need closure, and this is the only way.

  After all, the investigator didn’t exactly say what was missing. Who says I even know what my mother had in that safe? I’m a fucking kid.

  I smile into Marigold’s shoulder as I sniff and drag a hand over my nose.

  Finally something in this fucked-up world is going my way.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Briar

  “Evening, Son.”

  I choke on my own spit as I’m walking into Briar Manor. When I look up, my father’s standing in the middle of the kitchen, a wine glass in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

  Suddenly, I’m very glad I didn’t join Marcus for that last round of shots. It’s only nine, but I’m a bit unsteady on my feet.

  “Dad,” is all I can manage.

  “Been keeping well?” he asks, although his gaze is on the dark woods outside the kitchen windows. He’s wearing a business suit, hair immaculately combed, freshly shaved.

  “Yeah.” I nod. “Yeah.”

  “That’s good.” He finally turns, and does a double take. “I suppose you didn’t receive my message?”

  I shake my head. I was distantly aware that my phone vibrated earlier in the evening, but I was deep in discussion with Marcus and hadn’t bothered to check.

  Dad shrugs. “I won’t be here long. Just came to pick up one of my pieces to show a prospective client.”

  I can’t even imagine how much my father makes his insurance company sweat. That’s one of the main reasons he comes home these days — to select a piece of jewelry usually well over the million range, and fly it with him to some far-flung part of the country to brag.

  His success rate at scoring new clients is easily close to ninety percent.

  “Where to this time?”

  “Los Angeles. Actress.” He smiles at me then, and for a very brief moment, I’m sickened.

  His wife, Natalie hasn’t even been dead five years and he’s already scouting around for fresh pussy.

  But then I realize his smile isn’t roguish, it’s almost apologetic, and the bitterness inside me subsides. I drop my gaze.

  He’s not cheating on my mother — he loved her as much as I did. We walked around like ghosts for close to a year after the accident. Not speaking to each other. Barely eating. If it weren’t for our staff back then, we’d probably both have died in a dusty old house, leaving nothing but skeletons and grief behind.

  In the past, I used to wonder if he was one of those guys that lead multiple lives. The ones that have like two or three families. Different wives, different kids, different jobs. All would include heavy traveling, of course. Sales, consulting, that kind of thing.

  Here, at the Briar’s, he’s a gemologist. Earns a pretty penny designing lux jewelry. His specialty is designs utilizing precious and semi-precious stones as their centerpieces instead of diamonds. Says they’re boring as heck, especially since they’re hardly as rare as the people buying them think they are. He even designed a necklace for one of the state senators last year.

  Wouldn’t think someone like my father would have any influence over this town, but gold and jewels are revered like gods in this place. My father’s many, many connections make him a big enough deal that sending a few pretty stones someone’s way is enough to get them to look the other way.

  His phone rings, and he answers it with a sedate, “Edward Briar.”

  His full name is Prince Edward Briar, but my father hates the family name of Prince as much as I do.

  As much as grandfather did.

  And yet, every generation, the firstborn gets those unwelcome letters thrust upon him, without a say in the matter.

  I can change it, of course.

  But then I wouldn’t see a cent of any of my trust fund, or my inheritance.

  “The meeting is at eleven,” Eddie says. “I will let you know as soon as I do.” Then the call is over, and his phone is back in his pocket.

  Another prospective client, or one of his other kids?

  “How long you in town for?” I head over to the fridge to grab myself a bottle of water.

  “Until Sunday.”

  “Wow.” I give him an appraising stare. “Almost long enough for us to have a conversation.”

  I immediately regret the comment, but I refuse to apologize. Dad lets out a world-weary sigh, and then all I hear are his dress shoes taking the stairs.

  Well done on keeping your temper, Briar. What does it matter any
way? Not like there’s anything he would actually enjoy talking to me about.

  I snort at myself and chug down half the bottle of water.

  * * *

  I don’t have the mental reserve to speak to my father that night. When I wake up, the promise I made Marcus keeps repeating through my head.

  I make myself a cup of coffee, hesitate, and then pour a second cup, adding cream and one sugar. Upstairs, I walk to the end of the hall and rap my knuckles on the bedroom door.

  “Come.”

  Soon as I’m inside his bedroom, I do a quick scan for my father. I find him on the balcony, sitting in an ornate fretwork chair reading the morning newspaper.

  “Morning,” I say, putting down our coffee cups on the round table that goes with the outdoor set. His balcony is the second largest — the second-level entertainment area takes first spot — and there’s more than enough space for both of us to stretch out our legs.

  The sun’s still coming up in the east, outlining the distant pines in yellow and gold.

  “Sorry about last night,” I say, doing my best to make my voice sound as sincere as possible. “Was in a mood.”

  “Perfectly understandable, boy your age. Hormones must be raging.”

  Instead of replying, I take a sip of my coffee and glance at my dad from the corner of my eye while he reads his newspaper.

  Mom used to say we look like twins born two decades apart. I guess she’s kinda right — I take mostly after him.

  “I, uh, I have a favor to ask.”

  After I’d decided I’d speak to Dad about Marcus, Indi slipped into my mind like she’d been impatiently waiting her turn since last night.

  I need to convince her about Dylan’s party. And I know no better way of buying someone’s affection than with jewelry.

  “What is it?”

  “Can I borrow something from your collection? On loan, of course.”

  My father snaps closed his newspaper and peers at me with narrowed eyes. Then a sparkle touches his eyes. “Of course. Do you have anything specific in mind?”

  I twitch my mouth into a lopsided smile. “I was kinda hoping you could help with that.”

  “That’s why I get paid the big bucks.”

  He brings his coffee cup with, so I bring mine too. He stores his collection inside a vault in his study. I know the combination of his study, but don’t have a fucking clue about the vault. Plus, I know he needs a key to open it too, one he wears on a chain around his neck, one I’ve never seen him without.

  I don’t bother trying to watch him open the vault — there’s no way I can see anything interesting — so I run my eyes over his study instead.

  A place for everything, and not a hair out of fucking place. This place is so tidy, it makes my teeth ache.

  “Come on,” Edward calls out, and I trail him into the vault. It’s slightly smaller than a walk-in closet, but it sparkles like the inside of a lit-up diamond. I narrow my eyes a little and squint around, but everything looks as glittery as the last. Stones in every conceivable shape and color vie for my attention.

  There should be an epileptic warning on the vault door.

  “What complexion does the young lady have?”

  My eyes fly to Edward and I frown warily at him.

  He lets out a low chuckle. “I’m sorry, was it wrong of me to assume it’s for a lady?”

  I roll my eyes at him. “Dark hair. Light skin. Green eyes.”

  My dad grimaces at me. “What is she, a mannequin?”

  I cock my head. “What?”

  “This ‘fair’ skin of hers…” Edward looks away for a moment. “Is it pale like cream, or a milky tea?”

  “I don’t…” But then I realize I know the answer. “Cream.”

  Father turns immediately and heads for a different section of the vault. “Hair black, brown?”

  “Dark brown. Messy.”

  Edward quirks an eyebrow in my direction, but doesn’t comment. It looks like he’s narrowing in on a certain area, but heavens knows how.

  “And her eyes. Please elaborate.”

  “Greenish…”

  His hand pauses, and he glances at me over his shoulder. “Do try harder, Son.”

  “Uh…there’s a yellow color in the middle.”

  “Hazel or gold?”

  “Gold…” I nod. “Yeah. Gold.”

  His lips curl into a smile. “And how does she make you feel?”

  I blink, and slide my hands under my armpits. “I’m sorry, what now?”

  My father narrows his eyes at me. “She makes you feel uncertain?”

  “What? No. You’re the one doing that.”

  My father laughs, and turns back. It looks like he’s narrowed in on a few pieces with blue and yellow stones.

  “When you were last with her, what feeling stayed with you the longest after she left?”

  “Regret.” I don’t know where the word comes from. I don’t know how I let it get past my lips. But if my father heard it, he doesn’t seem to find it a strange thing for me to say.

  “Yes…This is the one.”

  He swings open a glass door and takes out a bracelet with a trio of blue stones dangling from it.

  I take it gingerly, fumble, and then hold it out.

  “Wow,” I murmur.

  “Three ten millimeter round-cut blue sapphires on a platinum chain. And the diamonds are all one carat, of course.”

  The diamonds he refers to so glibly are embedded along the platinum chain in clusters like a crystalized form of Baby’s Breath.

  “Wow,” I say again, and mean it just as much as I did the first time around.

  “I designed it for a client, but he never took it.”

  My eyes dart up to my father’s face. He looks lost in the past for a moment. “What? Why? It’s fucking beautiful.”

  “He commissioned a full set, but when it came time to pay, he could only afford the necklace.”

  “Oh. Isn’t that like…breach of contract?”

  Edward shakes his head, inhales, and lets out a soft sigh. “He was dying of cancer, Son. Didn’t feel right to hold him to it. And he did give me one of his wife’s painting in partial payment. The one over the safe.”

  “Fuck, okay.” I close my hand over the bracelet, and then hurriedly open it again. “Can I have a box or something?”

  “Sure. Second cupboard on the right.” As if he’s coming out of a trance, my father waves his hand at me and leaves the vault.

  As soon as I’m out, he pushes the door closed. “Leave everything as you found it,” he says, heading for the study door. “And make sure to lock up.”

  “Dad, wait.”

  “What is it?” He turns back, and it’s as if I’m talking to a different person. He looks rushed and almost irritated, as if I’m wasting his time.

  But I promised.

  “Uh, I’m sure it’s okay, but I just wanted to let you know that Marcus is gonna be staying here for a little while.”

  My dad remains motionless.

  “You know, so we can study and stuff,” I add lamely.

  Still nothing. If anything, it looks like my father’s thinking about his upcoming meeting, not what I’m telling him.

  “We’ve got enough room, so—”

  “Marcus?” Dad snaps. “Marcus Baker?”

  “Uh…yeah.” I shake my head, and let out a soft laugh. “My friend Marcus.”

  “You’re still friends with that delinquent? I told you to stop seeing him years ago.”

  My head moves back an inch. “Delinquent?”

  “Have you let him into my house?” Father hurries forward, head moving to the side so he can study me from the corner of his eye.

  “He’s my fucking friend. Why wouldn’t I—?”

  “No.” Dad shakes his head. “No. That boy will not set foot in my house. Not now, not ever!”

  “What the—?”

  But my father flicks his wrist and grimaces at his watch. “I have to leave.” When he
looks up, his blue eyes are ice. “This isn’t up for discussion. That boy doesn’t come anywhere near this house, understand?”

  My mouth is still open. I want to yell at him, to demand to know what the fuck he’s on about, but all I do is nod mutely.

  He must take it as acceptance, because then he’s gone and I’m left with one of his precious trinkets in hand and a mind whirling like a spinning top.

  Chapter Thirty

  Indi

  I’m late getting to school, and for the first time since arriving at Lavish Prep, it’s because of Marigold.

  We had breakfast together. It was weird, and awkward, and I don’t think I’ve ever been that aware of the sound of my own chewing before in my life, but it felt like a step. I’m not saying we’re BFF’s, but something happened in that hallway last night that made us realize that there’s a possibility that maybe — just maybe — we’re not enemies. I guess that’s what happens when you find something in common with another human being. In this case, it was Marigold Davis.

  Denard looks pointedly at his watch as I slip through the main entrance at one-minute to first bell, and then closes the door soon as I’m through. It locks behind me with such finality that I can’t help but glance over my shoulder. Denard follows me, and I decide not to risk stopping at my locker — I can always get my shit out after homeroom.

  But as soon as I turn to head up the stairs, Denard’s voice calls after me.

  “Where do you think you’re going, Miss Virgo?”

  I pause, my hand on the railing, and frown back at him. “Homeroom?”

  “It’s Friday.” Denard slows a little, turning his head to the side as if waiting for me to realize what that means.

  Uh… Fri-yay?

  “Assembly, Miss Virgo.” He rolls his eyes as he walks past me. “Assembly.”

  It’s my turn to follow Denard, and I do so with a hollow pit for a stomach. This is nothing like the dream I had the other night, but that doesn’t stop my fingers from tingling, and my legs threatening to buckle under me.

  Denard opens the gymnasium door for me, which catches me off guard. I do this weird little spin to frown at him, and then turn to the interior of the gym when I feel eyes on me.