Red. Blood covered most of my shirt and was even dripping onto the floor. My head shot up as I took a step toward Claudette. “You did that on purpose,” I snarled. She hadn’t been anywhere near me before, and there’d been no reason for her to double back and crash into me. I might have been in my own world, but I was almost certain that bitch had purposely run into me.
Her lips twitched as she leaned in closer. “Prove it, gutter trash,” she whispered before turning and sauntering away, not a drop of blood on her.
Another thing that made me think it had been deliberate. Only her hand had hit me, not her body, leaving her uniform pristine.
“Get changed, Ms. Spencer, and hurry back to class,” Professor Crosse said, looking harried but also like she really wanted me to just get out and stop distracting everyone.
Part of me really wanted to go over and punch Claudette in the face, but with this many witnesses, it was probably a bad move. I sucked in some air in an attempt to calm myself before I marched out of the room. My palm reader vibrated—probably Mattie checking on me—but I was too pissed to read it.
Marching down the hall, I tried not to think about the sticky blood that was oozing into my shirt and my bra and probably ruining them both.
Claudette was a truly horrible piece of shit, and I was pretty sure she and Rafe deserved each other. Fallen Angel might have been the most beautiful fighter I’d ever seen—and I’d seen a lot of fighters in my life—but I couldn’t forget that Rafe had been the worst kind of asshole to me since I arrived. And all because Alex paid attention to me. All because he hated Alex.
And that had nothing the fuck to do with me.
I was about halfway back to my room when I heard a faint “help.” I slowed, looking around to see where it had come from. There was only one door in this section, and since almost everyone was in class, the hall was deserted.
Another faint sound hit me, and I wondered if someone was in the room. Creeping forward, I turned the handle and let the door swing open so I could assess the situation. Only an idiot rushed in to an unknown danger. I’d be no “help” to anyone if I got myself hurt by rushing.
It was dimly lit inside, and I edged around the door, taking in everything, waiting for my vision to adjust to the low lights.
When I saw no immediate dangers, I edged my hand around the edge of the frame and flicked the lights on. A strong grip wrapped around my arm and yanked me into the room, smacking my head on the same frame as they pulled me inside.
Ambush.
Chapter 18
Iknew a fucking ambush when I stupidly walked into one, and in minutes, I was in fight mode, jerking away from the person and freeing my arm. Brandon stood in front of the door, his face dark, a mocking smile tugging at his lips.
“Well, if it isn’t the trash that thinks she’s a princess,” he said slowly before he shut and locked the door behind him.
I wasn’t too panicked at this point. I could take this fucker down with one hand tied behind me.
Brandon’s eyes ran down my body, and I could have sworn he was staring at my hands, which were opening and closing as I pumped blood into them, preparing myself for this fight.
“Interesting,” he said, stepping forward. “I’d heard there was a new fighter that took on the Swiss guard.”
My heart plummeted in my chest, stomach twisting as what he said registered.
“And since we don’t have a lot of new students, it got me thinking. What would happen if that fighter was a trained non-royal?”
I relaxed my stance, already knowing that there was nothing I could do now. Brandon had me exactly where he wanted me, and if I fought back, if I showed him any more of my skills, I could find myself facing a royal firing squad. I’d already tipped him off with my quick move when he’d first grabbed me, so now… now I would have to take whatever he had planned.
Short of rape.
If he even remotely attempted that, I would kill him and deal with the consequences. But a beating? I’d taken those before and I could do it now.
“Claudette was in on this, wasn’t she?” I put it together, too late of course, but at least I knew who I needed to destroy whenever the chance arose.
Brandon’s smile grew, and it was so damn creepy.
“You need to learn your place, Victoria.”
I didn’t reply. Nothing I said would make a difference. Brandon had been gunning for this from the moment I’d shot his “offer” down. He wouldn’t rest until he’d proved his power over me—it was how men like him worked.
Time to give him what he wanted.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” he said conversationally, stepping even closer. He was within reaching distance, and I forced myself to not react. Sometimes the instinct to fight kicked in, and before I could even clear my mind, I’d already taken the opponent down.
