Feuds and Reckless Fury by K. Webster
Canyon
August—Senior Year
Iwasn’t always a vengeful piece of shit. At one time, I was liked by almost everyone. Adults thought I was going places, and my peers respected me. But the end of the last school year changed things for me. Add in my shitty summer, and it went from bad to worse.
Now, all I care about is making him pay.
Alister Sommers.
My future stepbrother.
At one time, we were like two giant planets orbiting around the same star. Completely different planes, barely recognizing the other’s existence.
Sure, our fathers were best friends, but that didn’t mean Alis and I got along or followed their lead. We tolerated each other at best. Offered a polite nod whenever we were forced to be in each other’s presence.
Everything was fine, just as it was.
Until that hot July night.
After I punched my father, he crumpled to the floor of the boat, and Quinn gathered him in his arms, promising things would eventually smooth out. As much as I wanted to beat the hell out of my father, I couldn’t bring myself to hit him again.
I’m not typically so quick-tempered.
I prefer the slow simmer of getting even with someone over the quick heat of immediate revenge.
Getting even with Dad means hurting him in all the places I could. Which, since he’s now dumped his previous family for a new one, meant them.
Quinn and Alis.
If I want to hurt Dad, I hurt Quinn. And if I want to hurt Quinn, I go for his beloved son.
There’s a method to my madness.
To bring down the kings, you take out their little prince.
“Is anyone else getting major serial killer vibes from Canyon, or is it just me?” Paige, my girlfriend’s little sister, asks from the back seat.
I flick my eyes to the rearview mirror to meet the bitchy smile of my mini nemesis. If it weren’t for the fact she’s Naomi’s sister, I would’ve already knocked her down a few pegs. Her arrogance is rubbing off on Carrie, which is starting to piss me off.
“Paige,” Naomi bites out as she reaches to take my hand, her ebony fingers entwining with my tanned ones. “Stop being a brat, or you can take the bus to school.”
I force a smile for Naomi. If it weren’t for Nae at my side during all this shit with my dad, I would’ve gone off the deep end right along with Mom.
“Is everything okay?” Nae asks the moment Carrie and Paige start chattering about their schedule and coinciding classes.
“Never better.” I flash her a wider smile this time, the one that’s gotten me out of all kinds of trouble my entire life. “You ready to reign?”
She rolls her chocolate-colored eyes. “You know I hate that crap.”
“Doesn’t change the fact that you’re the hottest, most popular girl at school.” I shrug, ignoring Paige’s annoyed huff from the back seat.
Where Naomi hates the attention, Paige begs for it. Nae is the deserving queen of the school, where Paige is more like an evil princess waiting to dethrone her sister the first chance she gets. If it weren’t for Carrie, Paige would have probably sold her soul to the devil already. Luckily for her, my sister is just the right amount of good to keep Paige from the dark side.
When a song that Nae loves comes on the radio, she turns it up and sings along. This time, my smile is genuine. Most days, I don’t feel like I deserve someone like Naomi Young. She’s too sweet and pretty and brilliant to put up with an asshole like me. Thank fuck she hasn’t figured out she can do better. That day is going to hurt, but it’s only a matter of time.
I pull into the school parking lot, pleased to see several of my football buddies standing in a parking spot, saving it for me. Laying on the horn, I flip them off and laugh as they scatter. Once I whip into the spot and kill the engine, my best friend, Damon Billings, flings open my door.
“You almost ran me over, dumbass,” he complains, punching my arm. Then he leans in, making a kissy face at my girlfriend. “It’s my bae, Nae. When are you breaking up with this anime porn-loving dork so we can get married?”
I smack him upside his head and ignore his cackling as he walks back over to Gage Combs and Cain Nash. Those two fuckers, though, only have eyes for Paige as she prances away from my black Dodge Challenger. Carrie follows behind Paige, her cheeks bright pink from the attention of two seniors, even though they’re mostly checking out the way Paige has filled out since last year.
“Gross,” Nae mutters under her breath. “I swear to God if one of those fools sleeps with my sister, I’ll rip their faces off.”
Amused, I turn to smirk at Naomi. “You’re sexy when you’re violent.”
My girlfriend, the biggest damn nerd at this school, is sexy without even trying. Her black hair is cropped short in tiny curls against her head, and she rarely wears makeup aside from a few strokes of mascara and her usually shiny lip gloss. The dark, almost black tone of her skin is radiant and naturally shimmers as if to point out that she’s a fucking goddess. Where most girls at our school—like Paige—are wearing short skirts and low-cut tops, Nae wears faded holey jeans, bright yellow Chucks, and a NASA T-shirt that molds across her nice handful-sized tits.
“Don’t be such a perv,” she warns, laughing at my expression. “Keep it in your pants.”
I sling my arm over her shoulders and kiss the top of her head. “Until later.”
“Keep dreaming, boy.”
We both laugh, but she’s right. I’ve been trying to get her to give it up to me for a year now, ever since we started dating the beginning of our junior year. There’ve been a few times we’ve gotten hot and heavy, but Nae always stops it when it gets too far. The girl’s given me blue balls more times than I can count. But I love her, so as much as I’d love for us to take things to the next level, I dial the pressure down anytime I get the yellow light.
Gage playfully grabs at Paige’s ass, making her giggle. Damon, the good guy he is, shoves Gage, ramming him into Cain’s truck. They get into a pushing match, but no one pays them any attention. All the guys on our football team are forever giving each other shit. Coach Healy tries to make us behave because he’s afraid one of us will get injured and ruin his chances for a winning season, but no one ever does.
“How’s your momma?” Nae asks once we walk into the building.
I tense up, swallowing down the rage that surges up inside me, hot and furious. “Fine.”
She stops in front of a bank of lockers, lifting a black brow up at me. “Really?”
“No,” I clip out, letting my arm fall off her shoulders. I lean against a locker, watching as she turns the combination dial on her lock. “She works at a fucking grocery store.”
Nae purses her full, glossy lips at me. The disappointment shining in her eyes does nothing to quell my irritation. “There’s nothing wrong with working at the grocery store. Plus, she’s doing something she likes.”
Decorating cakes was something she loved to do for my and Carrie’s birthdays. Naomi is delusional if she thinks Mom actually wanted to make a career out of it.
“You’re right,” I bite out, my tone cool. “Everything’s great.”
She unhooks her lock but doesn’t open the door, turning instead to face me. Her small hands roam up my chest and then link behind my neck. I meet her halfway, our lips pressing together for a chaste kiss.
“When you lie, it’s written all over your face, Canyon. I’m sorry. I know things are tough for you all right now.”
“Not for Dad,” I say bitterly. “Everything is hunky-fucking-dory for him.”
“I know.” She hugs me, filling me with her raspberry scent. “I wish I knew how to make things better.”
I palm the back of her head, resting my chin on top. “You’re doing it.”
We remain in our affectionate embrace until my gaze catches his.
Alister Sommers.
Every muscle in my body tenses when his bleached white hair enters my line of vision. His dark brown eyes are cold and expressionless like the robot he is. Being the only son of one of the wealthiest men in Florida, you’d think he’d act the part. But Alis dresses like a fucking hobo. Today, he wears a white T-shirt that’s had one too many cycles in the washing machine paired with jeans that are covered with holes not meant to be stylish. His black Vans have scuffs all over the sides, and his green socks can be seen through the seam on one side.
“Hey, bro,” he mutters out as he passes, an antagonistic smirk on his face.
Like the ticking bomb I am, I go off.
Pushing away from Naomi, I rush the motherfucker. He lets out a surprised grunt when I shove him into some lockers. The fabric of his shirt makes a ripping sound as I fist it in my hand.
“The fuck you say to me?” I demand, spittle landing on his face.
Since he’s only a little taller than Naomi and I tower over them both, he has to crane his neck to meet my glare. And boldly, he does. Where I have fury rippling from me, though, he has a coldness that chills me to the bone. His nostrils flare, and his lip curls slightly up, drawing my attention to his mouth.
“Our dads are getting married in November in case you forgot, bigbro.” He laughs, dark and taunting. “Denial doesn’t make it untrue.”
I rear back my fist, ready to knock his head off when Nae grabs my bicep. “Babe, no.”
Releasing the bastard, I glower at him. “I’m not your brother. Stay the fuck away from me and my family.”
He sets down his violin case to inspect the tear in his shirt. “This was my favorite.”
“Boo fucking hoo. Have your rich daddy buy you another one like he bought you.”
Reminding him he’s adopted is a low blow, but it hits its intended target. He picks up his violin case and swings it at me. I barely dodge it as it flies by my head. His features are still impassive, but his fathomless dark eyes flicker with hatred.
“Say that shit again, and you’ll regret it,” he warns, his voice low enough for only Naomi and me to hear despite the growing crowd around us.
I open my mouth to do just that when Nae slaps a hand over my mouth.
“See you around, Alis,” she says, forcing a smile his way, and then to me, she mutters, “Let’s go.”
I allow my girl to take my hand and lead me away, but I keep my hard stare on the kid who’s going to pay the price for our fathers’ sins.
His expression is even and unperturbed.
For now.
One day, and soon, I’m going to discover what the hell pisses him off, and I’m going to make sure he feels every bit of the anger and betrayal I do. I’ll ruin his life like his dad has ruined mine.
This is war, and I’m playing dirty.
He’ll never stand a chance against me.
I’ll enjoy every second of his demise, and when it trickles over to his father, then ultimately to mine, I’ll laugh in my dad’s fucking face and say, “This is for Mom.”