“Look at her.” Ella lets the makeshift rope go and grabs Jordan’s hair again. With her free hand, she rips the tape off Jordan’s mouth. “Tell her to her face why she deserved what you did. Explain it to all of us.”

“I don’t answer to you,” Jordan replies, but her voice isn’t as strong as it was inside.

“Tell us why we shouldn’t strip you down and tape you up on the doors,” Ella growls. “Tell us.”

“She thought I was flirting with Scott,” the girl says tearfully. “But I wasn’t. I swear. I tripped and he caught me and I thanked him. That was it.”

“That’s it?” Ella turns incredulously toward Jordan. “You humiliated this poor girl because you thought she flirted with your foul-mouthed boyfriend?” She shakes Jordan in furious anger. “That’s it?”

Jordan pulls at Ella’s grip, but Ella isn’t letting go. I think the apocalypse could come before she lets go.

She swings around, forcing Jordan to face the rest of the students. Ella’s arms are shaking with the effort and I can see she doesn’t have much strength left in her. Dragging Jordan down the hall while she was struggling couldn’t have been easy, even with East and me bringing up the tail.

“She’s not going to make it,” Easton mutters.

“She will.” I walk forward and place my body behind hers. She can lean against me if she needs to. I’m here to support her. Beside me, I feel the presence of my brothers. All of us are behind her.

Ella’s hands are shaking. Her knees are locked so she doesn’t fall over, but her voice is clear and strong. “You all have so much, and instead of appreciating it, you treat each other like dirt. Your little games are disgusting. Your silence is gross. You’re all pathetic, spineless cowards. Maybe no one’s told you how small you are for doing it. Maybe you’re all so jaded by all the money you have, you don’t see how awful this is. But it’s terrible. It’s worse than terrible. If I have to attend school here until I graduate, this shit isn’t going on anymore. If I have to, I’ll come after each and every one of you and tape your asses to the school wall.”

“You and what army?” some unwise asshat yells from the crowd.

Easton and I jump forward, but I push my brother behind me. “I’ve got this.”

The crowd parts and the wise-ass with the loud mouth is left standing all alone. I haul off and throw one fist at his jaw, and he drops like a stone. Damn, that felt good.

Then I smile at the crowd and ask, “Who’s next?”

As they all turn away in gutless silence, I brush my hands off and walk back to my girl and my brothers. Wade throws me a spare shirt, which I quickly shrug on.

“The last bit was a nice touch,” Ella murmurs.

“Thanks. I’ve been saving it for the right occasion.” I take her bruised hand in mine. “The family that fights together, stays together.”

“Is that the Royal motto? I thought it was something else.”

The adrenaline has worn off and I can feel her trembling. I tuck her close to me, head under my chin, body wrapped in my arms. “It might have been, before you came, but I think that’s what it is now.”

“It’s not a bad motto.” With a wry look, she glances around at the scattering crowd, the remnants of tape strewn on the steps, and the droplets of blood on the limestone. “So. Is this our first date?”

“No way. Our first date was...” I trail off. What was our first date?

“You haven’t taken me on a date, dummy.” She punches me—or attempts to. It’s kind of like a bird’s kiss at this point given that her arms are as weak as jellyfish.

“Damn. I think you’re right.”

“Don’t knock yourself for it. I’ve never been on a date before. Do people even go on dates anymore?”

I grin, because finally I can do something for her. “Oh, baby, you got a lot to learn.”

It doesn’t take long for news of the morning’s activities to reach the headmaster. I barely get my ass in my chair for my first class before the teacher informs me I’m wanted in Beringer’s office. When I get there, I discover that Ella and Jordan were pulled out of class too, and all the parents were called. Fuck. This isn’t going to be good.

The office is crowded. Ella and I sit on one side with my father behind us. A stone-faced Jordan is next to me, and I can feel her vibrating between fear and rage.

Jordan’s victim, a freshman named Rose Allyn, sits on the far side of the room. Her mom has been complaining non-stop about how she’s missing an important meeting for this.

Finally, Beringer sweeps in and closes the door with a bang. When Ella jumps at the noise, both Dad and I put a hand out to steady her—his on her shoulder and mine on her knee. Our eyes meet, and for once, I see approval in his. Whatever Beringer decides to do, it’s not going to matter to Dad. What matters to him is that I stood up for our family, that I’m not the selfish prick I act like most of the time.

Beringer clears his throat, and we all turn toward him. In his thousand-dollar suit, he’d be right at home in Dad’s boardroom. Idly, I wonder if he bought that hand-tailored suit using the money my dad paid him after I beat up Daniel and what he’ll buy out of the bribes he’ll pocket after today’s meeting.

“Violence is never the answer,” he begins. “A civilized society begins and ends with spirited discourse, not fist fights.”

“I thought the saying was an armed society is a polite society,” Dad interjects dryly.

Ella’s hand flies up to her mouth to cover a laugh.

Beringer glares at us. “I’m beginning to see why the Royals have such a difficult time getting along with their classmates.”

“Wait a minute.” Ella straightens indignantly. “None of the Royals taped anyone to a wall.”

“Well, not this year,” I murmur.

Dad cuffs me lightly across the back of my head while Ella shoots me a dirty look. “What? You think these assholes fall in line because I say so?” I mutter under my breath.

“Mr. Royal, if I may have your attention,” Beringer barks out before Ella can respond.

I kick out my legs and throw an arm across the back of Ella’s chair. “Sorry,” I reply with absolutely zero remorse. “I was explaining to Ella that Astor really doesn’t tolerate things like taping half-naked freshmen to the front of the school. She has this weird idea that public school is better.”