Elite (Eagle Elite #1)(34)

Phoenix’s normally smug face paled as he slowly walked toward Nixon, avoiding eye contact. “Yes, sir.”

“Why?”

“Because you never—”

The sound of knuckles hitting flesh almost made me puke as I saw Phoenix hit the ground and Nixon shake his hand.

People gasped. My mouth dropped open. Whispering commenced. I wasn’t sure if it was normal for Nixon to hit his own friend. I mean, he didn’t seem the type. I just… I didn’t know.

“What should your punishment be?” Nixon circled him. “I leave for the night to take care of family business — a business you have interest in — and when I’m gone you betray me by ordering your own hit on the new girl?”

“She was disrespecting you!” Phoenix all but yelled.

Nixon leaned down. “So you thought to disrespect me, is that it? You thought disrespect equaled more disrespect?”

Phoenix said nothing.

“Since when has it ever been okay to drug an innocent girl? Hmm, Phoenix?”

He was silent and then. “Chase took her.”

“He also told me everything tonight and will be carrying out his punishment over the next year.”

I had a sick feeling his punishment had to do with babysitting duty. Kind of like protecting me from what he caused. Oh joy.

“What? Nothing to say?” Nixon asked.

Phoenix shook his head. “No, sir. I’m sorry, sir.”

“You will be,” Nixon mumbled. “You’re out, Phoenix. Broken. You’re a cafone.”

“What?” Phoenix surged to his feet. “You can’t do that to me! My father will—”

“—Son,” came a deep voice. “It’s already been discussed. Just let it go.”

“What?” Phoenix roared. “I gave everything to you! To your family! You promised!” He tried to land a blow on Nixon, but Nixon stepped out of the way. Phoenix was already too hurt to do much damage anyway. “You son of a bitch! I’ll kill you!”

A large burly man came up behind Phoenix and whispered something in his ear. Phoenix’s eyes grew. I’ve never seen such hatred behind someone’s glare in my life. I was suddenly afraid for Nixon, afraid for anyone near Phoenix.

“This isn’t over, Nixon. You can’t just break away from this — from us! You’re making a huge mistake. I hope you realize what you’re doing.”

“I do,” Nixon said confidently. “And I hope you enjoy working in fast food. Because it’s the only place that will hire you if you as much as breathe in her direction again.”

Phoenix spat at the ground and jerked away from his dad, disappearing into the shadows of the night.

His dad, the dean to be exact, stood there helpless. “Are you going to… tell—?”

“No.” Nixon cut him off. “This is between us, was between us. Just keep him away, and it won’t go any further.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Nixon nodded. And the dean left.

“What the hell kind of school is this?” I muttered under my breath.

It was Tex who answered. “I thought you’d have known by now. It’s his.” He pointed at Nixon.

“Says who?”

“The American dollar.” Tex put his arm around me as I shivered. “A couple billion of them to be exact… well, that and the Abandonato family.”

“So the last name Abandonato covers a multitude of sins, is that it?”

Tex sighed. “The last name Abandonato either covers the sin or gets you killed. Either way the outcome is the same, I guess.”

“And what’s that?”

“You’re never free.”

“Of what?”

His answer was silence. Which scared me more than anything. When I entered the lottery to go to this school, all I could think about was how I would be practically set for life.

And now, it seemed like I’d stepped into an action movie where the star has more power than the President of the United States. Just who were the Elect and why was it such a big deal getting kicked out of a clique?

I needed answers, but I wasn’t so sure Nixon would give them to me.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Do I have to say yes sir too?” I said in a shaky voice.

Tex burst out laughing. “She’s all yours, man.” He walked off into the dark still cracking up, and I was left with the Ultimate Fighter.





Chapter Fifteen “You okay?” I asked in a small voice.

Nixon nodded. “I’m good.” Blood was crusted across his knuckles. I wondered if it hurt. With a curse he handed me his jacket and took off his tight fitting Henley, revealing a tight black sleeveless shirt underneath.

Using the shirt he discarded he wiped off his hands and put on his jacket.

“So…” I shoved my hands in my pockets. “I’m not sure if I’m supposed to say thank you or what the hell were you thinking.”

He shrugged. “They had it coming. Tim should never have listened to Phoenix, and Phoenix should have stayed the hell away from you. He had rules and he didn’t follow them.”

“There we go with the whole rules thing again,” I mumbled.

“Rules make the world go round.” Nixon laughed and then put his arm around me. “The rumors should die down now, okay?”