Broken Empire (Boys of Oak Park Prep 3)

Almost whole.

When I went downstairs at seven-thirty, Maggie and Dan were heading out the door. Maggie stopped when she saw me, whirling around and charging toward me before screeching to a stop three feet away. I had a feeling she’d been about to bear hug me but had realized at the last second that it was a terrible idea. Instead, she stepped gingerly forward and wrapped her arms around me lightly, encompassing me, my crutches, and the backpack strapped to my back.

“Oh my God, Talia. Are you okay? Leah told me what happened. I’m so sorry!”

“I’m okay.”

I couldn’t release the crutches to hug her back, so I stood awkwardly in her embrace until she stepped away. Dan didn’t try to hug me, but he did shoot me a sympathetic smile.

“How are you feeling?” Maggie asked, smoothing back a few fly-aways from her white-blond ponytail.

“Not bad,” I lied.

In actual fact, my leg still ached pretty much all the time, and my body was sore in weird places from using the crutches. But I didn’t want to go into all that.

“Well, you look good,” she offered, shooting me a tentative smile as she held the door open for me.

“You do.” Dan slipped his arm around her waist, nodding in agreement.

We stepped outside, and before I could answer, all three of us paused at the sight of the Princes walking across the lawn toward us.

“Well, we’ll see you over at Craydon, okay?”

Maggie gave my shoulder a little squeeze, then tugged Dan away. I had a feeling she still felt a little awkward around the Princes, and I could understand why. They radiated a sort of power and charisma that made the primal part of people’s brains want to cower in front of them—like prey animals freezing at the approach of a pack of predators.

I could still feel that power in them, still see that outward facade of strength. But I’d gotten a glimpse behind the curtain too, and I wasn’t sure I could ever see them the same way others did anymore. I knew them too well.

Elijah gave me a quiet smile as they reached me, and Cole scowled at my backpack before walking around behind me to tug it off.

“I can carry my own bag, you know,” I told him, rolling my eyes as Mason steadied me with a grip on my arm and Finn held my crutches.

“You can. But you won’t,” Cole deadpanned. He draped one strap of my bag over his shoulder, carrying it alongside his own as Finn gave me my crutches back.

It was easier to move without the extra weight on my shoulders, so I didn’t fight him on it. I fell into step between the Princes as we made our way toward Craydon Hall, sticking to the paved paths instead of cutting across the lawn. The white facades of the buildings and the red tiled roofs looked peaceful and idyllic in the golden morning light.

“Have any of you seen Adena?” I asked quietly as we neared the building.

“No.” Elijah’s voice was tense and guarded. “But I have a feeling we’re about to.”

A rush of adrenaline flooded my system, making my stomach churn and my heart pound faster. Not only had the blonde, self-proclaimed queen of the school possibly tried to kill me, she still had everything I’d dug up on the Princes at her fingertips—and I was sure she’d use it to make their lives hell.

I worked my way up the front steps, and Mason moved forward to hold the door open for me. As soon as we all stepped inside, I knew Elijah’s guess was right.

Adena had probably been waiting for us, finding a reason to linger near the entrance so she’d be ready to pounce.

She stepped forward as the Princes flanked me, her little posse—including Preston and Sable—behind her. The loud chatter in the hallway immediately quieted as people turned to face us, wide-eyed and expectant. I was sure that—just like with the video of me the Princes had put together—everyone present knew Adena had been the one to distribute all that dirt on the four boys, even if she’d never been officially reprimanded by the school.

And now everyone wanted to see what would happen next.

“Well, well, look who it is.” She smirked, her heart-shaped face and delicate features a strange contrast to the harsh ugliness I knew lived beneath them. “Four fucking losers and their white trash girlfriend.”

Preston’s grin was vicious, and Sable had a smug look on her face as all three of them took another step closer.

“You know,” Adena added, cocking her head as she pretended to consider something, “I always heard people start to look like their pets after a while. And I guess it’s true. You took this piece of Idaho trash as a pet, and now you all look like trash too.”

Mason didn’t move, but I could feel his body tense beside me. When he spoke, his voice was low and dangerous. “You better watch your fucking mouth.”

“Or what?” She laughed, too loud and long for it to be real. It was a show. A performance. “What are you gonna do? God, you’re all so pathetic.” She jerked her chin toward Elijah. “Look. This fucking drug addict is perfect for the trailer park already.”