Vicious Desire by Leslie V. Walker

Chapter Eight

Ayanna

“Do you know what they call a girl who doesn’t get laid on a usual basis?” Jason whispers in my ear in the middle of lunch.

Today has been going great despite what happened over the weekend, it completely ruined my mood.

On Saturday I got a call from Brendan to where he demanded I tell him where some guy named Arnold worked. I didn’t even know an Arnold.

But he claimed my father did, so he made me do some snooping. I promised I wasn’t going to do any of his biddings but hey any excuse to look through my dad’s things. So, when I finally found out not only his work address but his personal address—for whatever reason my dad needed it—he hung up on me and told me to dream nightmares.

Douche.

What he doesn’t know is the nightmares are my best friend. But still left me in a grouchy mood I couldn’t even read Stephen King.

Then on Sunday morning I woke up and found my phone bombarded with text messages from Rocco Kade himself. I don’t even want to think about it.

Unknown Number:Babe. I miss you lets hang out.

Me:Who is this?

Unknown Number:Your sugar daddy ;)

Me:What are you talking about?

Unknown Number:Fuck babe. How do I put this in more simplest words… the man of your dreams? The love of your life.

Me:Yeah, sorry doesn’t ring a bell. Please leave me alone.

Unknown Number:Baby it’s me…

Me:...

Unknown Number:Rocco.

Me:How did you get my number? And why are you texting me, to begin with? Leave me alone.

Rocco:Cause I’m your sugar daddy.

Me:You’re my sugar nothing. Leave me alone or I’ll call the cops.

Rocco:I’m good with that. As long as you don’t tell Brendan. I’m not in the mood to deal with his bitchy ass.

Me:Why are you still talking to me?

Rocco:Cause I’m your sugar daddy.

Me:okay...no. Bye.

Rocco:Bye my sugar baby.

Me:Don’t call me that. Please. Just don’t.

He’s been texting me non-stop since. And how much I want to dislike it I can’t help but smile at his messages. He’s not bad. In fact, I know me and him would be great friends. But I’m not risking it. This could just be another one of Brendan’s tricks.

So, in all, it was a terrible weekend compared to how today is going so far.

Sort of. Neo won’t stop looking at me and it’s getting creepy as hell.

“What?” I finally reply turning to look at Jason who’s sitting to my left. I’m seated with a few friends of mine which just so happen to be Nina and Jason and their people.

Jason turns to look at me with a grin, “A cranky ass bitch.”

“Is that why your mother has been in a bad mood lately?” I snap.

A laugh escapes his lips showing off his perfect dimples. “You’re fucking moody lately.”

“Yeah, and you’re intolerable.” I regret the words leaving my mouth just as quickly as they came out.

“Sorry,” I put my head on his shoulder and rub my forehead as if to smooth him. “You’re not intolerable. It’s just been a terrible start to a month, and I don’t know what to do with not only school and my parents but Brendan.”

“Still won’t leave you alone.” I shake my head.

“He won’t stop ordering me around and––”

“You don’t have to take shit from him. If you want, I can tell him off.” Placing my hand on his I pull him back down from his stance.

“No. Honestly even though it gets on my nerve there’s something going on in this town, he’s also trying to figure out. So, why not see what it is?”

“This isn’t like one of your mystery novels, Ayanna.” He gives me a serious look.

“I know.” I sigh.

“This is real fucking life, and you know what they run.”

“They’re not in the mafia.”

“Still. Brendan is about to inherit one of the top Banks in the world. People will want him dead.” A sense of fear hits my stomach. But not for me but for him.

No one ever tried to kill his dad. At least not that I know of.

Nina Lennox budges into our conversation from across the table with a wide smile on her face. Her dirty blonde hair and brown eyes give her the small-town girl look. “I heard a rumor that Ramona and Luther Carter’s death wasn’t an accident.”

Nina’s only a sophomore with her father in politics and her mother owned her own clothing line. We met last year and are somewhat friends but she’s mostly close with Lillie—Brendan’s sister—from what I have seen.

She’s a bright and intelligent girl who made a bad decision. Nina’s boyfriend looks at us with such hatred in his eyes they darken. Nina’s smile drops turning away from us.

I can’t help but wonder what she meant by those rumors. Why would someone want to kill Brendan’s parents besides them being wealthy? It just made no sense.

Turning my attention back to Jason as he types away on his phone with brows furrowed. “What’s going on? You’ve been out of it lately. Always leaving me stranded.”

Jason’s hazel eyes flash dark for a moment before showing off his dimples turning to look at me. I fucking love his dimples and wish I could rip them off his faces to use for my very own. “Just family stuff, the usual.”

“You can tell me anything you want, I won’t judge you,” he sighs rubbing his temple.

“Just stuff about my dad. Nothing serious.” I always hated his father since the moment I laid eyes on him. And whenever I tried to talk to him about it, he would close off from me for days, which is why I stopped.

Giving me a reassuring smile, he takes a hold of my hands with his and pulls them to his lips to kiss my knuckles. And at this moment it’s only us. My best friend and me. Who I’ll miss once we part ways for college.

“I love you; you know that?” I whisper wanting to take all his pain away.

He nods. “I love you, back.”

Lunch moves by just as it always has and thankfully nothing with Brendan as I make my way out of my guidance counselor’s office and to the library. With just a few minutes to spare, I decided to follow up on what I was looking over the last time.

I walk past the librarian who has her full attention on the news report on her computer. Maneuvering back to where I last found them, I run my fingers through the spine until I make it exactly to where they are.

Taking out the folder shaped as a book. I open it to see papers inside. I place them on the table separating them from the ones I have yet to read. Picking a hold of what appears to be a newspaper from out of town I see the picture of my father with Brendan’s parents, Rocco’s, Zane, Gunner, and more all looking to be huddled secretly in a carnival.

These Are The Real Murderers Of Our Victim. Ashbourne Hills Is Covering Up Its Crimes and They All Have To Be Stopped!

I continue to read to try and figure out who the victim was and why they believe my father and his friends killed them. But it never officially said. There’s something missing. Besides the fact the rest of the paper is ripped taking away the chunk of information, I’ll need.

I move on to the other stuff which so happens to be pictures of the town in the early 90s. The carnival in almost every single one. A family of seven stands dead center and with each passing photo, one of them disappears until a little kid who seems to be around six or seven is alone.

Or not... is that a clown?

Oh my god!

I scurry to the other photos and see all the way in the back of the photo where it’s dark, yet a little light shines through, a clown stands smiling at the camera.

What’s going…

“Ahhh,” A loud scream pierces my eardrum coming from outside of the library. Grabbing everything I decide to take them with me even though they’re in the prohibit checkout section.

These files were hidden which means someone didn’t want them to find them.

Stuffing them into my backpack I walk out of the class and am quickly bombarded with kids flooding the hallways toward the exit.

I spot Jason with his buddies and stop him, “What’s going on?”

“You didn’t hear?” I shake my head.

“Two dead bodies were found hanging in the forest. Beaten up badly. One from Eastview and Arnold, Rannie’s dad.”

Arnold.

Dead.

Oh my god.

“School’s out for the day, we’re heading to Trailstar. You coming?”

I shake my head. “I don’t feel so good. I’m going home.” With a kiss on the cheek goodbye, he leaves me with a sinking stomach.

Two guys. The one from Eastview has to be the one I saw in Trailstar that night. I can’t believe I had the power to stop two people from getting killed and instead helped him.

I helped him.

I helped Brendan Carter and his lunatic of friends with murder. How could they even do this?

I glance in the direction where what looks to be a freshman girl crying on the floor with friends and teachers trying to calm her down. She’s Arnold’s daughter.

Air leaves me violently and I feel like I can’t breathe. I’m suffocating.

A dominant presence catches my attention walking past me and on to outside. I force my breathing and legs right, swiping away the tear let free.

Running past students who push out, I run until I catch up to them and when I do I grab ahold of his shirt and tug him backward. Catching him off guard he loses his footing until he takes control again and turns to look at me.

“What the fuck are you do—”

“Did you, do it?” I cut him off.

He glares at me before tugging me on the side of the building as his friends follow like little ducklings.

“Did you, do it?” I repeat with venom.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He feigns innocence.

“Don’t play stupid. You did it didn’t you. All of you. You used me to get to Arnold.” I eye all of them, but they just stand there as if not caring.

Gunner ignores me as he looks down on his phone and Zane just glares at me along with Rocco. These guys are ridiculous.

“What? Are you all his bitch?” I nudge my chin to Brendan.

A chuckle leaves his lips as the other follows along, “I’m no one’s bitch,” Zane answers.

“Really? It sure looks like it. You kill anyone he tells you to.” I’m angry they didn’t tell me anything. I should have been told instead of kept in the same dark like this.

“You don’t know shit, Wilson,” Brendan says through clenched teeth.

“I know Arnold was a good man!”

“You didn’t even know him. You said so yourself!” he shouts back getting in my face.

I know I should be scared of him after what he has done. But there’s this burning desire inside of me that craves his darkness. The danger. And it ignites with every confrontation I have with him.

The tingles in my spine leave me breathless and the pounding in my chest wants me wanting more.

“What did he do to deserve such a fate?”

“He helped serial killers, rapists, and much more escape from prison,” Zane answered surprising me. He has this presence he doesn’t give a shit about anyone. Just grumpy.

“How do you know?” I question staring at him head-on.

“Doesn’t matter how we know. All that matters is if we go down you bet your ass, I’m taking you with me.” It’s his last threat before he walks away, his fists clench, and body tensed.

“You do know how to rile him up, don’t you?” Zane asks. Rocco standing with him as Gunner heads on-off. I have a feeling he doesn’t really like me. Not that he hates me or anything. We have never been this close ever, but it’s as if his personality tends to not really give a care about anyone but his brothers—the guys.

I turn to look at Zane wondering what secrets he had lurked under his skin. I knew Gunner more than him. Which was just how he liked it. He kept everything hidden. He’s a complete question mark. And all I want to do is learn more about him. Weirdly so, I felt as if we both had a connection to something. Someone.

“He’s a hothead.” I point to the direction his friend walked in. He shrugs studying me for a second, I see the wires in his head-turning. Wanting to tell me something but just when he was about to speak Rocco says, “I’m your sugar daddy.”

“You wish. Honestly, Rocco, I like you. Hell, we can even be friends if you consider your alliance to the douche of your friend. But just stop texting me. And stop wiring money into my account.” I eye him before leaving.

He yells out to me, “but I’m your sugar daddy!”