Jardin's Gamble (Haven, Texas 9)

“No, you can’t,” Jardin replied, taking a seat next to her.

“Well,” the receptionist huffed.

They sat there. Thea tapped her fingers against her thigh, wondering what the hold-up was. Jardin sat beside her, busy working on his phone, seemingly unconcerned about the fact they were wasting time. She knew what this was. A powerplay by the principal. But the thing was, she was using her brothers to piss Thea off. To make her feel small. And she wasn’t going to put up with that.

She jumped to her feet. “This is ridiculous. I was called in. Why am I having to wait?”

The receptionist frowned at her. “Ms. Mackerly does have other things to do than just meet with you. Please sit down.”

The door to the principal’s office opened just as Thea opened her mouth to blast the receptionist and Ms. Mackerly stepped out. The older woman had pale blonde hair that was twisted back off her face. Her slim body was encased in a long skirt, white shirt, and a jacket. Her entire outfit probably cost more than Thea made in a month. But she didn’t give a shit.

“Where are my brothers?” Thea demanded.

The principal looked her up and down. “Your father is absent again?”

“Where are my brothers?” she repeated.

“Come in.”

Thea stepped forward and Jardin stood up to follow. She was kind of surprised. She’d thought he’d wait out there and finish whatever he was doing on his phone.

“Sir, if you’d like to wait out here, I’ll be with you as soon as I can.” Ms. Mackerly looked Jardin up and down, and a predatory sort of hunger filled her gaze.

Bitch.

Thea felt the ridiculous urge to tell her to get her eyes off her man. But he was her boss. He wasn’t hers. Besides, the principal was probably his type.

“I’m not here for you,” Jardin replied coldly. “I’m here with Thea.”

The principal’s eyes turned frosty and her mouth turned down. “Thea, as this is a family matter, perhaps you’d like to request that your friend wait outside.”

“We’re not friends,” Jardin said before Thea could reply. Probably just as well considering what she would have said. “And I’m not waiting out here.”

The principal was fuming, but she nodded stiffly. Thea stepped inside and her stomach instantly knotted as she saw Ace and Keir. Both of them looked a bit roughed up. Ace had a bleeding knee and Keir’s shirt was ripped and he had a black eye. They were both covered in dirt and leaves. And they looked scared. But they were okay.

She rushed forward and got to her knees in front of them, wrapping her arms around them both. Normally, they’d push her off. Even at seven, Ace thought any affection from his older sister was gross. But this time, they both clung to her.

She forced herself to move back, ignoring the glare from the other woman who sat across the room.

Rosemary Pincher could kiss her ass. She was the same bitch she’d had a run-in with this morning, and it didn’t surprise Thea to see her there with her son, Arthur.

“Are you all right?” She looked them both over, wincing. Fury bubbled under the surface. Why hadn’t their injuries been

seen to? Why were they sitting there, scared and in pain?

“If you don’t mind, I’ve been made to wait long enough,” Rosemary said in that nasally voice of hers. “Some of us do have things to do and now I need to take Arthur to his pediatrician and have him examined. That bill will be coming to you, Miss Garrison.”

Oh, hell no.

Thea ignored the bitch behind her and looked at each boy in turn, waiting for their reply.

“We’re okay, Thea,” Ace whispered while Keir glared at Rosemary and Arthur.

She gave them both a small smile. “I’ll take care of this, okay?”

“Unfortunately, there is little you can do, Miss Garrison,” the principal said smugly. “Keir and Ace were fighting on school grounds. Two against one. We have a no-bullying, no-violence rule. One strike and you’re gone. I have no choice but to expel them both.”

Oh, and didn’t that just make the bitch happy? She’d been waiting for her chance to get rid of the boys. To get one up on Thea.