“The school board will request that I put you on a leave of absence as soon as they see these.” Miley grins, pulling an envelope like the last one from his coat pocket. He’s trying to act like he has some kind of pity for me, but he sounds more like a devil here to make a rotten deal. “At least until we can sort all of this terrible mess out. I’m sure it’s a lot of riffraff and bologna. Photoshop. The kids can do wonders on it these days.”
“What are you talking about?” I cross my arms, not backing down. “Luis lies, and he only gave you more lies. You should have called the cops on?—”
“Violation of school policies against sexual relations with what very well could be a student while on school property.”
“What?!”
He opens the envelope, smirking as he looks between its contents and me. His grin twists into something dark and lecherous, and when he licks his lips, I expect his tongue to be forked. My stomach lurches as he leans forward and slides a photo across the desk. I fall in the chair as he pulls out another photo and another. The bathroom. My clothes ripped and littering the floor. Me on the counter. Each one worse than the last as they turn a moment of passion and magic into chum for the sharks. It’s only me, though. None of the pictures have any part of Chase that’s recognizable.
“Ms. Silva, or should I call you Mrs. Santiago? Either way, Mr. Santiago simply came by to make sure I understood you had put the students in danger, Renate.” He picks up one of the pictures, eyeing it with a smirk. “I talked to the parties concerned, and they’ve agreed this can all end right now?—”
“Parties concerned? A felon with warrants? A blackmailing pig?”
“HOWEVER,” he shouts, cutting me off. “Since you’re in my school—on my turf, if you will—I’m going to add a little something to their stipulations. I’m sure they won’t mind.”
“I’m not signing anything! I told that slime ball I wouldn’t.”
“Lawson told me. Renate, let’s handle this like adults. If you’re willing to do something for me, work with me. I won’t submit these pictures to the board. I’ll even talk to Mr. Lawson about his agreement. Oh, and don’t bother threatening to release your little proof of my misconduct. We’ve already taken care of that. In fact, we used your own cameras against you after we moved them to the bathroom.”
He tilts my chin up to look at him, and I smack his hand away. He snarls as his face turns red. I’m rejecting his offer, rejecting him, and that pisses him off. That look in his eyes scares me, and I lived in fear of it for too long. He reaches over the desk and grabs me by the shoulders, shouting into my face. “I’m offering you your job on a silver fucking platter. And you just need to do what you do best. Luis said you’d be easy to convince since you’re a fat fucking whore. They said I could have you. They promised me!”
“Fuck you!”
“Yes, Ms. Silva. That’s exactly what you’re going to do. Right on top of my desk. Maybe I’ll turn that camera feed back on for a little momento. If you want your job back, you’ll do as you’re fucking told. Your dignity? Well, maybe we should look in your little bag of sex toys to see if we can find it in there.”
“You fucking?—”
“Before you fight back, you should know these aren’t the only pictures. The others could easily paint your pretty little boyfriend into the same corner. God, I love technology, sometimes.”
They’re going to use this to hurt Chase, and I won’t stand by and let that happen. I jump up, pushing Miley’s hands away, seething. “You dare do anything to hurt Chase, and I will personally rip your fucking dick off and shove it down your sick, stupid throat.”
“He’s none of my concern. You’re all I wanted, all I ever asked for. I turned down money, whores, and drugs all so I could have you. And it will go so much easier once you understand your new position: on your knees.”
“You’re all sick fucking pervert,” I whisper, shaking with rage. Miley looks taken aback, expecting me to beg and cry for him, to let him take what he wants so I can have my job back. The world turns red.
“That may be, but once we take everyone and everything away from you, you’ll learn to accept your new life. If you’re a good girl, I might even marry you.”
I spit in his face and he comes at me again as the door slams open and Mills runs to me. He holds me back from clawing Miley’s eyes out of his moronic fucking head, and keeps me from crumbling to the floor in a mess of tears and anger.
“What happened, Ren?”
“It’s his fault,” I sob into his chest. “He’s working with Lawson and Luis, like I told you.”
“Oh, I’m innocent as a babe.” Miley holds his hands up and looks down at the photos.
“Luis Santiago, a known criminal with warrants and a restraining order, gave you those. You’re withholding evidence in an ongoing criminal investigation. If you want to continue playing this like a dumbass, you should know I’m friends with a few detectives in the gang and cyber crimes units. They’d love a word with you.” Mills steps forward, ripping the envelope out of Miley’s hands and scooping up the pictures from the desk. Miley cowers. He’s not a small man by any means, but Mills has him by a few inches. I’m enjoying watching how Mills looms over Miley like an ominous cloud.
“But—”
“Don’t fuck with me, or I’ll make sure Luis ends up as your cellmate.”
“I-I-I’ll have Marta pack your things. Leave your keys,” Miley says to me, his eyes never leaving Mills. “T-t-the resource officer will meet you outside to escort you to your car.”
“I don’t need a fucking escort to my fucking car. I need my damn job!”
“You have my offer. Now get out of my school. Both of you. Or I’ll have you arrested for trespassing.” Miley doesn’t wait for an answer as he slips out the door.
Mills turns me to face him. “They found Luis’s car a few blocks from here. Guns, rope, drugs, and a computer full of images. Evidence suggests he planned to go after Chase and your family before coming for you. When none of them were home, he decided to get you out of the way. We have him on camera driving near Chase’s home, and yours earlier today.”
