A Promise of Torment (A Violent Agenda)

“Ow, what the fuck, V, you’re hurting me.” I ignore her and drag her down the corridor and into my room. Dino enters quickly behind us. “Shut the door,” I say to him. I dump Lily on the bed and then root though my closet until I find something a little more suitable for a barely legal girl at a sex party.

“Here, put this on.”

It’s a pair of jeans and a hoodie.

Lily raises a brow and then starts to strip, making Dino turn the brightest shade of fucking red I’ve ever see.

“Dino, turn around for fuck’s sake.”

His eyes dart to me and then he abruptly turns to face the door. I don’t need this stress right now, but I’ve no idea what to do. Lily is my mother’s niece. I’m shit with kids, if I’m honest. Although Lily isn’t a kid anymore. If Adrien brought her here from the Old Vicarage campus where she’s supposed to be studying for her end of year exams, he must have done it to get at me.

“Do not leave this room,” I say to her as I drag Dino outside with me. “How did you get here? Did you drive?” I ask him once we’re outside the room and he’s able to form words coherently.

“Finn drove,” he says. “W—why?”

“I need you to go and find him, take Lily home,” I say to him.

He shakes his head. “No way. She’s fucking jailbait. I’m not getting into a car with her. She all but fucking molested me. Order her a taxi.”

“She’s legal,” I say. Barely.

“Like fuck she is.”

“She’s just turned sixteen,” I say, hoping that’s true. “And if I get her a taxi, she’ll ditch it and come back. Or worse, go elsewhere.”

He scowls, dimple popping out. “Fine. I’ll do it. But stay the fuck away from my brother. He’s been eyeing you since we came down tonight.” He takes out his phone and makes a call.

I take a breath and head back into the room, then I close it and stand in front of it. Lily is sitting on the end of the bed, watching me. She’s put the hoodie on, but the jeans she slashed into hot pants. They were my favorite fucking ones. I glance down. She’s still wearing her pink converse.

I sigh and she smirks, showing her age in her eyes. She plays her innocent card up more than I do. But Lily is far from innocent.

“He’s gone, so tell me the truth. Why are you here, Lily?” I can’t worry about my clothes now. Something doesn’t add up. Lily is a spoilt brat, but she knows what these places are. She’s not dumb. She wouldn’t come here unless there was something in it for her.

“Adrien gave me a job,” she says coyly, playing the hoodie tie string, wrapping it around her fingers.

“What kind of job?” I ask.

“Seduce Lorcan Duke,” she says, head tilted.

“Lorcan wouldn’t…” I tail off. He wouldn’t what Viola? Fuck a teenager? He’s a teenager himself.

“Wouldn’t go for me? Are you sure? I look just his type,” she says, innocently.

And she does, but also eight years too fucking young. “Trust me. You’re nowhere near his type.” I’m his type, you little bitch. I shake my head to clear my thoughts. And soothe my nerves. “Is that all?”

She gives a sigh. “Then I play victim. Adrien wants him gone. Say, arrested for sex with a minor?”

Fifteen then. Fucking hell. The lengths Adrien will go to.

“And Rebecca, where did Adrien get you to take her?” I knew it was Lily the moment I saw her on the security video. She had her hood up but I recognized her shoes.

“I don’t remember,” she smirks.

I clench my jaw. It’s so hard to not do something I’ll regret. I walk up to the little brat and take her by her throat. She grins, looking up at me with those big brown eyes. She has mine and my mother’s eyes.

“I know it was you who went to Beckbridge house pretending to be me.”

“Adrien knows I’m useful, unlike you.” She looks me up and down as far as her gaze will go, given the position I’ve got her in. “Who’s good for one thing only.”