Chapter 14: Trouble

Bang! Jeffrey Yeates slammed his cup onto the table and let out a cold snort. Zander Spears looked just as grim, staring at Ander Showyer without saying a word. Jones Looske shouted, "Reid Quinny, young Mr. Showyer's right. What are you waiting for? Get on your knees and offer a toast to the heavens!" Then he sneered, "You've got one hell of a life. Even that fall couldn't kill you!" Reid Quinny's gaze stayed flat as he swept his eyes over the two of them, his face unreadable. Beside him, Cameron Lyson suddenly felt the temperature in the room drop. "Jones Looske, what nonsense are you two spouting?" Cameron snapped. "What year do you think it is? You still believe in that?" She was trying to bail Reid out. If Reid refused to kneel and toast the heavens, they would say he was disrespecting fate itself. If he did it, he would become the evening's punchline. It was a vicious little trap. Cameron stepping in for Reid made Ander's stomach sink. The jealousy gnawed even harder. *If I keep picking on that punk Reid, Cameron won't be happy.* Ander shot Reid a hard glare, as if to say, *You got lucky this time.* Then his eyes swept the table as he calculated. *At this reunion, I have to be the one who stands above everyone else. I have to make Cameron see me differently.* He rose, lifted his glass, and announced, "Since we're all here, I've got some good news to share!" Jones Looske immediately played along. "Young Mr. Showyer, what good news?" The rest of the class turned toward Ander with eager faces. Even Cameron watched him, curiosity bright in her eyes. Seeing he had everyone's attention, Ander felt a surge of satisfaction and raised his voice. "Our family's supermarket chain has opened in Eastown!" "From here on out, if any of you run into trouble, come to me." "In Eastown, there's nothing I, Ander Showyer, can't handle!" It was pure bragging. You never believed a man talking like that over drinks. The moment you truly needed him, he would dodge faster than anyone. Jones Looske hurriedly put on an awestruck expression. "Young Mr. Showyer, that's incredible!" "To open a supermarket in Eastown, you'd need at least fifty grand, right?" "And you'd have to have connections on both sides of the law!" Ander chuckled, wearing that smug, show-off grin. "Of course. You think you can open a store here without knowing the right people?" He leaned in, suddenly mysterious. "Ever heard of the Eastown Overlord, Jonathan Cutmore?" "My dad's had drinks with him." A classmate jolted, eyes wide. "The Eastown Overlord, Jonathan Cutmore?" "Damn. That's the most powerful man in Eastown. I heard even the city has to show him respect!" "Young Mr. Showyer's dad actually has ties to Boss Cutmore!" "Young Mr. Showyer, I'm counting on you in Eastown from here on out!" Jonathan Cutmore's name carried weight in Eastown. These classmates had heard it the moment they arrived. Another student stood up right after. "Young Mr. Showyer, let me toast you. If you ever need anything, just say the word!" "Young Mr. Showyer, take my knees!" One after another, they crowded around Ander, falling over themselves to flatter him. The two girls dressed to the nines took the chance while toasting to press their pale, exposed cleavage right up against Ander's face. Even Cameron looked mildly stunned. Just yesterday, she had heard her father talking about how formidable Boss Cutmore was. "Ander Showyer, I didn't expect your dad to know Boss Cutmore. Looks like all of us are going to be relying on you in Eastown," Cameron said, blinking as she put on a sweet, ingratiating smile. Jeffrey Yeates and Zander Spears looked awful, staring at Ander with shock in their eyes. "Who would've thought," one of them muttered. "Ander Showyer's dad actually knows Boss Cutmore…" Soaking up the worship and basking as the center of the room, Ander glanced at Reid with a smug, provocative look. Reid stayed in his seat, quietly drinking as if he hadn't seen a thing. "Come on, everyone, a toast to young Mr. Showyer!" someone called. "Yeah, toast to young Mr. Showyer!" The whole table began orbiting Ander, deliberately leaving Reid out. Reid sat there like the world had suddenly abandoned him, lonely and bleak amid the noise. A girl stood, cheeks flushed. "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom." After she spoke, she flicked a coy glance at Ander, dripping with allure. Heat flared low in Ander's belly. He almost stood to follow, but when he saw Cameron, he forced himself to cool down. "Come on," someone urged again. "Another toast to young Mr. Showyer!" Cameron had been drinking too. Her cheeks were rosy, like a ripe peach, the kind that made people want to lean in and take a bite. "To young Mr. Showyer!" Everyone lifted their glasses… The door suddenly slammed open. The girl who had gone to the restroom stumbled back inside, panicked and wronged. "Waaah…" She covered her face and burst into tears. She wore a black lace slip dress, her pale thighs on full display. She was nowhere near as striking as Cameron, but there was something irresistibly teasing about her. The half-drunk boys saw a pretty girl wronged and immediately flared with anger. "Carolina Lapwood, what happened?" Carolina Lapwood stared straight at Ander. "I went to the restroom and some man grabbed me. I slapped him and ran back." "What?" someone roared. "Which bastard's got the guts to mess with a girl from our class?" "Let's go. We'll settle it with him!" "Yeah, let's find him!" One person grabbed a liquor bottle. Another snatched up a fork. They surged toward the door, ready to play hero. "Who are you going to settle things with?" A cold, sinister laugh sounded from the doorway. A young man with dyed yellow hair stood there, hands in his pockets, slouching with a cocky swagger. Behind him trailed seven or eight punks, all with that street-thug look. They were clearly trouble. Just standing there, they crushed the room's bravado. The boys inside sobered on the spot. One by one, they froze like posts, rooted to the floor. The yellow-haired guy grabbed Carolina Lapwood by the hair and yanked her into his arms. "You bitch," he snarled. "You had the nerve to slap me and run? Go on. Run again. Let's see where you can run to." He leaned close, eyes glittering. "You didn't even bother to ask who I am." Carolina screamed in pain, trembling so hard her legs nearly gave out. She looked like she might wet herself. She was only seventeen. She might have been rebellious, but she had never faced anything like this. "I-I'm sorry," she stammered, voice shaking. "I'm not that kind of woman. I'm just here for a class reunion…" The people who had been shouting about standing up for her went dead silent. Heads bowed, none of them daring to meet the punk's eyes. Cameron's heart lurched. Fear rose in her too, instinctive and sharp, but she had organized this reunion. She had to step forward. Forcing herself steady, she let out a cold laugh. "Who do you think you are? Let my classmate go!" The yellow-haired guy's gaze snapped to her. "Well, damn," he drawled. "This one's a looker." "You want me to let your classmate go? Sure. Come to my room tonight and have a drink with me." His lackeys behind him broke into nasty snickers. Cameron's face flushed. "Shameless!" The yellow-haired guy flicked his fingers and grinned. "Not interested? Fine. I won't force you." His smile turned cruel. "Take this little bitch to my room first." He shoved Carolina Lapwood back toward his men. "Cameron, save me!" Carolina shrieked. "Young Mr. Showyer, save me!"