Page 166 of Vexatious Queen

“Nash…not this again,” Ren groaned.

“Don’t just dismiss the idea. He has a lot to gain by doing something like this,” I argued.

“Really, like what,” Ren asked.

“Payback for one. We all know he isn’t impressed with you or your mother. And he isn’t exactly forthcoming about his life between now and then. In fact, he is flat out refusing to talk to you. Don’t you find that odd? Then there is the fact that he just found out that you’re not actually his blood sister. If he had any reservations about hurting you because you were family, those were wiped away. He has been in every location where a major tragedy occurred, including the night Owen shot up Volatile. There are too many coincidences. And let’s not forget that you passed by his door on the way to the stairwell, which means he could’ve seen or heard you leave.”

“Fine, he could have done it, but I don’t believe he did,” Ren argued, and I took a deep breath.

There was no winning this battle. She wanted so badly to see the good in him that it was like she had blinders on.

“Enough, both of you. I will dig into all avenues,” Dean Henry said, sitting down and holding out his hand toward Ren.

She looked at it for a moment, then blushed and dug into her bag before pulling out Sharpe’s keys.

“I assume this is the last I will learn of you snooping in places you’re not allowed?”

“Correct, I won’t snoop again. But I’m not going to stop looking into this myself,” she said, and Dean Henry looked as frustrated as I felt.

What was her obsession with putting herself in the line of fire? Why couldn’t she just…be not her for once? She was giving me a heart attack.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from a Genovese,” Dean Henry said, exasperated. “You can show yourselves out of my office. And…can you try to stay out of trouble until graduation?”

“I’m not trouble,” I said.

Dean Henry looked like his head was about to explode, but before he could say anything, the door opened, and one of the guards stuck their head inside.

“We have an issue,” he said.

The dean was out of his seat and through the door without another word.

Ren and I looked at one another, then quickly followed. We reached the main entrance just as Ellis and four officers marched inside. Liam pushed away from the wall where he was waiting for us and walked over. Ellis glanced at me, but then away just as fast. I didn’t know if that was a good or bad sign.

“What’s going on,” Ren whispered, taking my hand.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen an officer allowed on Wayward property other than Morrison, and that was because of Ivy.”

“What is the meaning of this, Officer Ellis,” Dean Henry asked, his tone firm and unyielding.

“It’s Sheriff,” Ellis said.

“And?” Dean Henry quipped back. Go, Dean Henry. Ellis smirked and shook his head.

Wayward guards seemed to materialize out of the shadows and spread out, blocking the officers from proceeding any further. The men with Ellis honestly didn’t look happy to be here, and I didn’t blame them. People who crossed these families usually didn’t live very long.

“We have an arrest warrant. I’m aware of the student’s enrollment in this school, so I have a judge’s order, granting me permission to cross your precious gates,” Ellis said, mockingly as he held out the paperwork.

Dean Henry snatched it from Ellis and began reading.

Shit. Was he here for me? It could really be any of us. Most of the students in this school were far from innocent.

I glanced at Liam, but his expression remained frustratingly neutral.

“This is preposterous,” Dean Henry said.

“Maybe, but Mr. Gunnerson’s guardian signed off on it. It’s all legit,” Ellis said.

The cafeteria began to empty, and the crowd grew, Sabastian among them.