Hooked: A Dark, Contemporary Romance (Never After #1)(40)

Wendy has gone upstairs to change, having worn my clothing on the trip back, since I tore hers in two.

And she has left me alone.

Because she trusts me.

I walk around the living area, rage simmering in my veins as I take in the smiling faces within the picture frames—a happy family making memories while I was living nightmares.

Moving down the long hallway, I peer in a few different rooms until I finally come to the office.

My stomach tightens as I step inside, my heart beating in my throat. The room itself is warm, full of cedar and oak, but it feels unused. Empty. I doubt he’s been here often.

Still, having untapped access like this is… thrilling.

“Who the fuck are you?”

I spin around, coming face-to-face with a tall, lanky boy wearing wire-frame glasses, and a pressed maroon polo with a mermaid on the front.

I’d know that logo anywhere. Rockford Prep.

A memory flies into my brain of the first time I saw it; on the front of a brochure that was sitting on my uncle’s desk. I was fourteen at the time, and as I flipped through the pages, anticipation filled me to the brim, wondering if my uncle was finally tired of abusing me. Of reminding me all the ways he hated my father, preaching in my ears that I was to pay for his sins.

I shoved the brochure in my pocket and took it straight to Ru.

“Do you think Uncle will send me there?” I can’t help the way my words lift, hope springing into my voice.

Ru hums, puffing on a cigar. “What ya wanna go to Marooner’s Rock for?”

“To where?”

He points to the brochure. “Rockford Prep. It’s a boarding school, kept out on Marooner’s Rock—an island off the coast. You have to take a boat to get there, and they have a reputation for…” He hesitates.

My eyes narrow. “For what?”

“For fixing troubled youth, kid. And their methods aren’t known to be friendly.”

My stomach churns, but I stiffen my jaw. “Well, I still want to go.”

Ru huffs out a laugh, looking at me with a smirk. “Yeah? Think you could use a few good beatings to whip the Brit outta ya?”

Irritation at his brush off mixes with the shame that lives in the fabric of my soul until it explodes out of me. “I’ve had worse, and for far longer.” I stand up, stalking toward Ru, my suit hanging slightly loose on my fourteen-year-old frame. “I’d do anything to get away from him.” My voice is low.

Ru’s grin drops, his chair creaking as he snaps forward, meeting my eyes. “What the fuck is he doing to you, kid?”

I never ended up going to Rockford Prep. I confessed to Ru some of my darkest secrets that day, desperation making my tongue loose, hoping that somebody would act in my favor. That someone would finally see me and understand.

And he did.

I’m not sure of the details, but after that night, the worst of it stopped. The beatings continued, of course, until I was old and strong enough to fight back, but my uncle never snuck in my room again.

And even though Ru hasn’t said a word since, I know he was the reason why.

Smiling, I force my mind back to the present, placing my hands in my pockets and rocking back on my heels. “You must be Jon.”

Surprise flickers in my chest at how different he looks from Wendy.

His chin juts out. “Who’s asking?”

I smile. I think I’ll quite like this kid. “I’m James, a friend of your sister’s. She asked me to be here.”

His eyes narrow before he finally nods, walking over to me and sticking out his hand. “Good. She needs a friend.”

My palm connects with his, and a small admiration grows for the boy, his loyalty to his sister something I respect. He doesn’t drop eye contact for a second, and his grip is strong and sure.

“Oh,” Wendy’s voice comes from the entry to the office. “You guys have met. Great.” She glances around. “What are you two doing in here?”

I open my mouth to answer, but before I can, Jon intervenes. “I was just showing him around,” he says.

My brows lift in surprise.

She grins. “That’s nice. You ready to go?”

His eyes dim, his finger pushing the glasses up his face. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

As we make our way to my Audi, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out, glancing at the caller ID, Ru’s name flashing across the screen.

I brush my hand down Wendy’s hair, reaching around her to open the passenger door. “I have to take this call. I’ll only be a moment.”

She nods, her and Jon settling in as I walk a few paces away.

“Roofus.”

“Kid, where are you? We’ve got a business meeting in three hours. I’m gonna tell him that we’re out. Another one of our investments didn’t come through, and I don’t trust this new guy as far as I can throw him.”

My stomach cramps as I glance back at Wendy and Jon, her head thrown back in laughter. “I’m rather tied up at the moment, but I should be done by midday. Where are we meeting?”

“Same as before. I’m heading there in a couple hours, but I’ll take one of the boys, don’t worry.”

My teeth grind so hard I fear they’ll break, my mind warring with indecision. I don’t want Ru to go without me, but I gave Wendy my word, and if I back out now, I’ll lose all of the ground I’ve gained.