No one responds.

“I swear to God, if someone doesn’t say something right now, then I’m holding you all responsible!”

“I’ll find out, Ella,” Wade murmurs. “I can find out anything.”

“It’s Jordan,” I say flatly. “This reeks of her.”

“It was Jordan,” come the choked words from the girl. “She…” Her voice is too faint for me to make it out. Ella leans down close to the girl’s mouth and listens intently. When she stands again, there’s fury in her eyes.

This time I address the crowd. “Jordan Carrington. Where is she?”

“Inside,” someone yells.

Another voice chimes in. “I saw her go to her locker.”

Ella doesn’t wait another second. She turns on her heel and jerks open a door. Easton and I are hot on her ass, while the twins stay rooted by Lauren’s side.

By the time we hit the hall where the senior lockers are, Ella’s running. She skids to a stop when we spot Jordan giggling with the Pastels, taking selfies in front of the locker bank.

Jordan slowly lowers the phone at Ella’s approach. “What’s the hurry, princess? You can’t spend another second without some Royal dick in you?”

Ella doesn’t respond. Instead, quick as lightning, her hand jerks out, grabs Jordan by the hair, and swings her into the locker. The phone goes flying. The Pastels back away. Gastonburg rounds the corner at Jordan’s scream, but I bare my teeth at him and he disappears. Coward.

Ella’s not done. She brings an elbow up to Jordan’s nose. Whack! Blood spurts.

East winces. “Damn, that had to hurt.”

“No doubt.”

Jordan tears out of Ella’s grip with a cry, but Ella shakes her fingers and I see that Jordan’s escape wasn’t without cost. A bunch of dark strands hang off Ella’s hand. Yeah. That’s my girl.

Claws out, Jordan lunges forward and rakes those nails down Ella’s face. Easton moves to jump in for the assist, but I pull him back. “She’s got this,” I murmur.

I want to help, too, but I know this is Ella’s match. If she takes Jordan down—no, when she does—no one in this school will touch Ella again. No one will say a bad word to her. They’ll all fear her.

And I want that for her. She’s going to need it when I’m gone next year.

As Ella surges forward, the older girl backs away, tripping and losing her balance. Ella jumps on top, straddling Jordan. She grabs Jordan’s hands and pins them above her head.

“What’d she do?” Ella asks. “She look at you wrong? Wear the wrong label? What?”

“She exists,” Jordan spits, wiggling under Ella’s hold. “Get off me, you friggin’ cow!”

Ella glances up at me. “Do you have any rope?” There’s blood on her face— some of it might be Jordan’s, some of it’s from Ella.

She’s never looked hotter.

“No. Use my shirt.” I take it off and hand it to her.

She looks at the cloth and then at me with uncertainty.

“Can I help?” I ask gently.

When she nods, I whip the shirt into a long rope and tie Jordan’s wrists together.

“What’re you doing? Stop this! This is assault!” Jordan cries and thrashes to the side. “Get this piece of garbage off of me!”

One of the Pastels steps forward. I shake my head no, while Easton takes a menacing step in their direction. Their small show of resistance immediately dissolves.

Ella stands up and tests the knots.

“I know how to tie knots. Grew up in that yacht,” I remind her.

“Let me go, bitch!” Jordan screams. “My dad will have you arrested so fast your head will spin.”

“Good.” Ella starts down the hall toward the exit, dragging Jordan behind her. “I look forward to getting statements from three hundred kids about what we found outside this morning.”

“What do you care? I’ve left you alone just like your fuck buddy demanded.” Jordan yanks at the cloth, but Ella’s grip holds firm.

“I care because you’re an entitled, spoiled rich girl who thinks she can smile out of one side of her mouth while vomiting poison out of the other. You’re not untouchable. Today you’re going to face the results of your awfulness.” Ella marches implacably toward the front doors, pulling Jordan along.

We follow behind.

“I can’t believe you guys are letting her do this!” Jordan twists around as if East and I are interested in saving her. “She’s nothing. She’s trash.”

“Don’t talk to them,” Ella orders. “You don’t exist for them.”

My brother grins like a fool. “I love this chick,” he mouths.

Me too.

Avenger Ella is amazing. She’ll fight tooth and nail for what she wants. The key is to remain what she wants. Because she’d leave your deadweight ass behind if she didn’t think you were worth it.

A few teachers poke their heads out of the classrooms, but at the sight of us they scuttle back inside. The faculty knows who’s in charge in this zoo, and it’s not them. More than one student has gotten a teacher fired for some perceived wrong.

“What now?” Jordan snipes. “You going to show everyone that you’re stronger than me? So what?”

At the front doors, I take one side and Easton the other. We bang open the doors and the sharp sound grabs the attention of the crowd.

Ella drags Jordan through and then stops. Tape still hangs on the wall, like an obscene flag. Ella jerks a strip of it off and slaps it over Jordan’s mouth.

“I’m so tired of you running your mouth,” Ella says.

The look of shock on Jordan’s face is laughable, but when my gaze falls on the abused girl, still huddled in Lauren’s arms, the humor drains away.

Ella pulls Jordan onto the landing. A collective gasp echoes in the courtyard.

The girl who was strapped to the front is sitting under a mound of coats, with Lauren’s arm around her and a few other girls offering comfort. The twins, along with Wade, Hunter and half the football team, are loitering on the steps, wondering who they should be fighting and frustrated that there isn’t a target.

I empathize with them a hundred percent, but as I telegraphed to East, this is Ella’s show and I’ll fight anyone for her to finish it the way she wants.