Wicked Liars (Windsor Academy 1)

Some chick at my old school didn’t like the way her boyfriend looked at me, so she decided to throw down in the middle of PE.

He levels me with an icy stare. “You’re lucky Headmaster Davis was so understanding about your upbringing and agreed to limit your punishment to detention. Windsor Academy typically has a zero-tolerance policy on violence. I had to make a generous donation to convince him to look the other way. You will not get another chance, so I suggest you figure out a way to stay out of trouble. If you get expelled from Windsor, I’ll have to ship you off to a boarding school.”

My jaw drops. “Why can’t I just go to public school? It’s not like the school system here sucks.”

“No child of mine will go to public school.” He says the last two words with a sour look on his face. “You’ll either attend Windsor or I’m shipping you off. I have contacts at an academy in Connecticut. I’m sure we can get you in there.”

I shake my head. “I can’t leave LA. I won’t leave my sister. My real sister.”

Charles gives me a contemptuous smile. “Well, then I guess you’ll need to behave yourself, won’t you? Do we have an understanding, Jasmine?”

I roll my tongue in my cheek. “Yeah, I understand.”

I understand you’re an even bigger asshole than I originally thought.

He nods. “Good. Now, get the hell out of my office so I can get back to work.”

Gladly, you prick.

I DESPERATELY NEED to hear Belle’s voice, so I pick up my phone and pull up her father’s contact info.

He answers on the third ring. “Yeah?”

“Hey, Jerome. This is Jazz.”

“What do you want?” he slurs.

Great. He’s been drinking.

I take a seat on the edge of my bed. “I was hoping I could speak with Belle.”

“Can’t. Monica is giving her a bath and shit.”

“Who’s Monica?”

“My woman. What’s it to you?”

Well, at least Belle isn’t alone with this loser. Hopefully Monica is much nicer than he is. And more sober.

“Um... I just really miss her and wanted to check in. I called the other day, but I hadn’t heard back yet.”

“I’ve been busy.”

Busy finding the bottom of a bottle, I’m sure.

“You still working construction, Jerome?”

“Nah,” he says. “Boss man didn’t like it when I cut out early one day and told me to not bother coming back.”

“So, what are you doing for work now?”

“What’s it to you?”

“I want to make sure my sister is being taken care of.”

It sounds like he’s taking a drag from a cigarette. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head about us, sweetheart. Monica’s a good woman. Can’t have kids of her own so she’s been takin’ care of Belle real good.”

“I’d like to see her this weekend. I can come to you if that makes it easier.”