Vile Boys (Spine Ridge University)

Abigail grins like she’s on drugs and shows off the ring to both of us.

I’m gonna be sick.

I’m not listening to this shit.

I immediately jump up and walk off.

They can’t be fucking serious. Are they for real? Is this a joke?

“Caleb! Wait. Hold up,” my dad says.

“No,” I growl, and I open the front door and head out.

“Caleb. At least talk to me!” He grabs my arm and makes me stop.

“Don’t.” I jerk my arm free.

“Jonathan,” her mom mutters as she runs to him and clutches his arm. “Let him be. I think he needs some… time to digest it.”

I stare them both down with disdain.

I can’t fucking believe this. They barely fucking know each other.

I fish my phone from my pocket and waltz off down the street, while dialing the only number I’ve memorized. I don’t know where I’m going or how long I’m going to walk. All I know is that I needed to get the fuck out of there because I was about to explode.

My dad. Married to a new woman?

Even though my mother’s still here?

Fuck that.

And fuck that fucking girl who made it happen.

Ares

I find Caleb drifting somewhere in the middle of fucking nowhere outside the city. He was halfway across the road near the base of the mountain, and I signal him to come to the parking lot while I park the car.

When I step out, he’s already screaming. “Why? Why the fuck did they have to do that?!”

“What happened?” I ask as I shut the door.

“I was at a fucking barbecue, my dad, he invited me to her mom’s house,” he rants.

A barbecue? His dad? That’s out of character.

“And then they fucking told us they were getting fucking married!”

He roars out loud and punches the fucking lantern, leaving a dent. But he won’t stop.

I walk over and grab his hand before it hits again, then point it at my chest.

“Stop. Punch me instead,” I say.

He looks at me for a moment, bottom lip quivering. “No.”

Tears well up in his eyes, but before he begins, I drag him to me and hold him tight. “Don’t. Don’t do it.”

“It fucking hurts,” he says, burying his face into my chest.

I run the palm of my hand over his back, and I can feel him slowly release all the tension stored inside his body. “I know. But you can’t let them win.”

“How do you even fucking deal with this?” he mutters. “How do you keep going when you just want to fucking give up?”

I grab him and push him back, holding his shoulders, leaning my forehead against his. “You walk … step by step.”

He smiles and suddenly leans in to press a kiss onto my lips.

Flustered, I lean back and stare at him for a moment.

His lips part. “Sorry, I—”

I grab his face with both hands and kiss him back, smothering him with all the love he’s been trying to die for. But when I inch back, I don’t know if it’s enough.

If I’m enough to keep him sane.

Tethered to this world.

While he dances the line and exists on the brink of destruction.

“Thank you,” he mutters, swallowing. “I needed that.”

I hold his face and make him look into my eyes. “Now tell me. Who are you?”

“Caleb Preston,” he says.

“No, who are you?” I repeat, slamming my forehead into his. “Who the fuck are you really, Caleb?”

“A fucking devil from Tartarus.” The grin that slowly forms on his face is magnificent.

“Exactly. And what do we fucking do?”

“Maim hearts, mutilate bodies, murder souls.”

He knows precisely what it means to be part of Tartarus.

We rule the darkness, the inhospitable, and make it our own. We don’t fucking bow to anyone.

I grin right back at him. “Good boy. Now what are we going to do?”

“Maim hearts, mutilate bodies, murder souls,” he repeats.

“Starting with that fucking girl … who drove your father to her mother and tangled your lives.” It’s about time we dealt with her.

When he drifts off, I keep his eyes focused by gripping his chin. “She caused this, right? Then let’s fucking punish her.”

“How?” he asks. “When she’s about to become my—” He retches from the idea. “Fuck. I can’t even fucking say it, let alone think about it. I already covered her with cum. We can’t go back from that.”

My eyes narrow. “You covered her with cum?”

“I meant her window,” he says, swallowing again.

I lick my lips, but he doesn’t say another word, so I let him go.

“Let’s go,” I say, marching back to my car.

“Where?”

“Back to the Tartarus House,” I reply, opening the door. “So we can discuss all the bad things we’re going to do to her to make her pay.”

A wicked grin slowly spreads on his face. “Now you’re talking.”

Crystal

I barely got home in time before a storm broke out. I blow out a sigh of relief when I finally close my bedroom door and flop down on the bed.

God, it was a long fucking day.

I’m so glad that whole barbecue thing is over. Nothing more awkward than hearing your mom’s about to marry your enemy’s dad.

I shiver at the thought of Caleb Preston becoming part of my family.

But if it makes my mom happy to be with his dad … who am I to get in the way of that?

I grab my study book and open it to the page I left it on. It’s about time I had a proper study night.

However, my buzzing phone distracts me so much I can’t focus, so I grab it to see what’s going on.

Penelope: Wanna come and hang out? Go to a club?

Crystal: Sorry, I got studying to do. Nxt time?

Penelope: Aw … I miss u!

Crystal: How about tomorrow?

Penelope: Perfect! I’ll ask the boys too.

Crystal: Cool, see you tomorrow!

I click away the convo and eye my study books, but then my phone buzzes again. I’m starting to wonder if she just needs someone to chat with.

But when I see the text, my face turns white.

Anonymous: You shouldn’t have come close.

Me: Who is this?

Anonymous: I want you to pay for what you did.

Panic sweeps me up.

Me: WTF?! I didn’t do anything.

Anonymous: Then why were you there, watching us kill?

Oh shit. It’s them.

Me: Whichever Tartarus guy this is, leave me alone.

Anonymous: Like you left us alone? No. You will pay.

My heart’s beating faster and faster.

Me: For what?!

Anonymous: Think. Think hard, because you won’t get another chance.

Me: This isn’t funny.

Anonymous: It wasn’t meant as a joke.

I suck in a breath through my teeth before I edit the anonymous number and add a nickname. This has to be Caleb. He’s the only one who stole my number when he got ahold of my phone.

Crystal: I’ll block you if you don’t stop.

Prick: Try it. See if it works out well for you.

He’s threatening me? That motherfucker…

My finger hovers over the block button, ready to push. But I don’t know if I have the balls to actually go through with it. They’ve already warned me not to, and I know they’re not the kind of men to mess with.

Me: What do you want?

Prick: Those pretty lips … begging for mercy.

I swallow back the lump in my throat.

Me: Don’t. Don’t fuck with me.

Prick: Or what? Will you tell your friends? Go ahead. Tell them where we are. We’ll be waiting …

Shit, I don’t want to put them in danger either.

What do I do?

Prick: Right outside.

My heart almost comes to a stop.

Me: Stop.

Prick: I can see you.

A cold chill fills my bones.

I slowly turn around on my bed and blink at the window.

When thunder strikes down on the earth, it illuminates a ghostly figure standing on my balcony, a golden, demonic-looking mask complete with horns covering half his face. In his hand is a knife that glints in the dark.

My eyes widen.

Oh God.

My phone buzzes again, and I can’t fucking move as I watch the text come in.

Prick: You look a little pale, little rose. Don’t worry. We’ll give you back your red glow. Run. Run as fast as you can, and let’s see who wins this game.

One look over my shoulder at the man behind my window, just one look, and I’m gone.

I rush through the door and down the stairs of the sorority, trying to get away from him as fast as I can. I don’t know where I’m going. All I know is that I need to be as far away from him as I possibly can.