* * *

After leaving Track I went back upstairs to where Sian was sleeping. Instead of joining her, I went out on the balcony and sat for the next few hours, deep in thought; then I went and woke my dad.

In the morning I was up and ready for school before she was. I laid out her medicine while she was in the shower and got her clothes ready after seeing about her breakfast.

She came out of the shower a little while later still rubbing the towel over her hair. “Jace, why are you dressed like that? You have some sort of meeting or something?”

She laughed before heading back into the bathroom to dry her hair. I smiled wanly behind her back before heading back downstairs.

Dad was sitting at the kitchen island sipping his morning coffee. He looked up when I walked in and I saw the sadness in his eyes. “You sure about this son? I can take care of…”

I held up my hand to stop him. “I told you last night, this is the way it has to be. Thank you for giving me the last few years I’m forever grateful.”

“As to taking care of it, it’s mine to do.”

“What about the others, your friends?”

“I’m going to give them the option to join me but it’s up to them.”

“Okay, if you’ve made up your mind I guess I can’t change it. I’ve already made arrangements for the executive suite to be made ready. Your tutor should be here sometime this afternoon.”

I nodded and headed for the breakfast table where the staff was busy setting up. I walked over to the wall where the intercom was and called upstairs for her to come down.

“Almost ready I’ll be there in five.”

“Did you find your medicine?”

“Already took it pusher boy.”

“Okay, hurry before your food gets cold.”

She came down in her usual jeans and tee and dropped down in the seat next to mine after greeting dad who was on his way out.

“Where’s everyone?” I poured her some freshly squeezed orange juice after waving the maid aside. “I’ll do it.”

“Your dad’s already left for work and your mom and mine took Maggie to school before going to your house. Jared followed them.”

She looked at me quizzically. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’re acting more strange than usual. And what’s with the suit?”

“Eat your breakfast baby before the medicine make you sick.” I watched to make sure she did more than pick at her food and was satisfied when she ate half of what was on her plate.

My trick is to put more than she can eat on her plate so she thinks she’s done a good job once she’s eaten at least half.

I’ve been doing that to her ever since she came home from the hospital. I studied her now as she dug in, her face fresh from her shower, her hair shining from her brushing it dry.

I took her free hand in mine and squeezed lightly. “Some things are going to change starting today. I don’t want you to worry about it okay. I’m going to protect you from now on, no one’s ever going to hurt you again.”

She squinted at me in confusion. “Jace, you’re scaring me a little what’s going on?”

“Nothing’s going on. I’m just doing what I should’ve from the moment I put my ring on your finger. Are you done, let’s go, we don’t want to be late.”

She picked up her bag from beside her chair and I got to my feet. Taking her hand I called out goodbye to my dad and headed out the door where the driver was waiting.

It had been a while since I used a driver, not since the incident years ago. Mom or dad had driven me until I was sixteen and got my license.

It was part of my deal with dad, that little bit of freedom. Now I was giving it up to keep her safe. “Why aren’t we taking your car?”

I’m sure she’s going to have a lot of questions before this day is done. As long as she knows it’s all for her, that there is nothing I wouldn’t do for her, including giving up my own freedom, it’s all worth it.

“I’ll tell you everything soon; get in.” I helped her into the backseat of the town car before going around to the other side where the driver was waiting.

Once inside I took her hand again. She looked from the two men in the front seats to me, and back again.

I squeezed her hand and pulled her across the seat so that she was sitting closer and shook my head slightly so that she knew not to ask any questions in their presence.

There was a bit of furor when we reached the schoolyard and the kids saw us being helped out of the car.

Track was there with his girl, and so were Shayne and Alec. Jared drove up just then and it wasn’t long before her girls joined us.

I knew from the way Track looked at me that he more than anyone else knew what was going on. “I need to speak to the four of you later.” I addressed him before passing Sian off to her brother.

“Watch her, I have something to do.” I turned my attention to her. “Don’t leave your brother’s side you hear me.”

At her nod I turned and walked away and went straight to the principal’s office. He was surprised to see me, and even more surprised by my request.

“Call all the kids into the auditorium I have something to say to them.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me, do it.” It only took him a few seconds to remember why I had the right to order such a thing.

“Ian Stanley and Mandy Taylor are no longer welcomed on school grounds. You’ll expel them after we leave the auditorium. Everyone must be there, make sure of it.”

I left before he could ask anything, which he wouldn’t dare if he wanted to keep his job. I could’ve had dad call ahead and take care of this, but I’d decided in the dead of night while I sat up rearranging my life, that I would begin as I meant to go on.

Back outside I took Sian and told the others to follow us. I could tell from their expressions that they wanted to ask me what was going on, but their questions will be answered soon enough.

It wasn’t long before the announcement for everyone to meet in the auditorium came over the speaker system.

That caused a little bit of chaos among the others, but my friends all looked at me like they knew I had something to do with it.

I wasn’t expecting Stanley to be here and he wasn’t. That fact only confirmed his guilt even more.

I saw Mandy and her clique saunter into the building. “You guys go on, we’ll be right there.” I waited for them to leave before pulling Sian around in front of me.

“I don’t want you to be worried about anything okay.” She nodded her head but I knew she didn’t understand shit. How could she? I’m about to become someone else in her eyes.

Once I was sure all the kids were inside I took her hand in mine and headed for the auditorium. The teachers were trying to calm the kids down as we walked in.

I headed for the podium with her hand held firmly in mine. “QUIET!” The noise level died down at my shouted order and all eyes turned my way.

“I’m going to make this short, pay close attention. I want you all to take a look at the man in the portrait on the wall.”

I waited until everyone had turned their attention to the portrait before looking back at me. I could feel Sian’s hand tremble in mine and squeezed it gently to calm her.

“Some of you may not be aware of this, but this school belongs to the Sanders Group. My grandfather, the man in the portrait, built it for the children of the Hollywood set years ago.”

“It’s funded, owned, and ran by the Sanders family.” I took the hand I’d placed my ring on and held it out for them to see.

“This is my fiancée, as of today you will all treat her as such. The future wife of the Sanders heir. If anyone even thinks of disrespecting her they will live to regret it.”

“From today on, whatever you say or do to her, will be the same as if you did it to me. Anyone crosses the line it won’t only be you who pays the price. Your whole family will have to answer for your mistake. Do you understand?”

There was a lot of confusion but they answered all the same. I turned and left without another word after a meaningful look at the principal.

I’m sure dad was on his way here to clear everything with him as we’d agreed, but I’d wanted to do this much myself.

“Jace are you going to tell me what this is all about? And how come I didn’t know that this school belonged to your family?”

“It wasn’t something that needed to be known. We own a lot of shit that you don’t know about.” Like the island I was planning to take her to for our winter break.

“Why are you doing this all of a sudden? Is it because of what happened at my house? Or was it my run-in with Mandy?”

“I’m doing it now because I should’ve done it a long time ago. If I had none of what happened to you would’ve happened.”

“It’s because of me that you weren’t given the respect you’re due. That all changes starting now. I told you not to worry right.”

I stopped and turned her to face me. “There’s nothing to worry about. Do you trust me?”

“Of course, but this is all so sudden I...”

“I’ll explain everything to you later, for now just trust that I know what I’m doing.” I walked her to class before going to join the others. Her girls were already crowding around her before I cleared the door.

The guys were waiting for me at the end of the hallway. The only one who looked bemused was her brother. “I have something to discuss with the four of you. In the meantime look this over.”

I reached into my breast pocket and retrieved the envelopes I had there before passing them out to them. “I’m sorry Jace!”

Track as I suspected earlier was the only one who caught on. I guess I knew he would be the one. They all opened their envelopes and read hastily before looking back at me.

“I’m in!” They all answered the same except Jared who needed answers. “Does this say we’d be taken out of regular classes and be taught by private tutors?”

“Follow me!” I led them to the top floor of the executive office of the school. Inside I saw that dad was right, he’d had things set up nicely.

There were six desks spread out around the room. One for the tutor and one for each of us. “If your parents agree, this is where you’ll be studying your last year of high school.”

“Each of you will one day inherit your family business, but none of you have really been trained outside of the usual curriculum like I have.”

“If you don’t want to do this I’ll understand, it’s your last year of high school after all.”

“We already said we’re in. I’m not leaving you up here alone.” Track came to stand beside me and the others soon followed.

“What about Sian?” Jared asked.

“She’s too young, leave her alone. That little announcement was to make sure that no one bothers her from now on.”

“What about Stanley? He wasn’t here today.”

“Did you expect him to be Alec? By the way, I’ll let what the three of you did slide this time but don’t ever fucking do that again.”

“Sorry Jace, it was spur of the moment. Things were kinda crazy that night.”

“That’s no excuse Shayne. Jared is Sian’s brother but he doesn’t know me like you two do. That’s the only reason I’m gonna let this shit go.”

“Understood.” Shayne nodded his head looking relieved.

“I get why you’re doing this bro, but I hate that it’s come to this.”

“Wouldn’t you do the same thing Track if you were in my position?”

“Yeah, but do you need to go this far? Isn’t this a bit extreme?”

“No Alec, this is who I am. If I want them to take me seriously, this is who I have to be.”

“Sian has another year here without me after I’m gone. I’m setting the groundwork now so they know I mean business. Had I been doing what I’m supposed to no one would’ve dared come at her.”

“What about Mandy?”

“Already taken care of so you don’t have to get yourself in trouble going after her Track. I know what you’re thinking, but that’s not the way to deal with her.”

“Don’t get your hands dirty behind someone like her, she’s not worth it. The best way to get back at her is to treat your girl like the princess she is. I plan to make her suffer by giving Sian every fucking thing her greedy ass was after.”

“That’s the way to beat someone like her. I’m going to make her a pariah in this town, starting with her expulsion from this school.”

Everyone knows that this school is the place for the elite. The waiting list is a few years long and not everyone is accepted regardless of wealth and family standing.

To be expelled would carry a stigma that will follow them for the rest of their lives. It was only the first shot I planned to take at her.

“If the cops can’t tie her to the attack or the explosion, I’ll find a way to, because I know it was her doing.”

“As to Stanley, I already have people looking for him. He’s nowhere to be found which means he might’ve left the city already. If I put the squeeze on his dad he’d have no choice but to come out of hiding though.”

“What do you mean put the squeeze on him? What are you going to do?”

“Shut him down.” I walked away without giving them anymore.

They’re my friends but they don’t carry the same burdens as I. I stayed up most of the night thinking about what I should do and this was the only thing that made sense.

It’s because of my lax behavior that things had gone this far, that people like Mandy and Stanley thought they could fuck with my girl and get away with it.

It’s because I’d made myself just one of the crowd that people had forgotten and Sian is the one who’s been paying the price.

I didn’t want this. I thought I could make it out of high school at least before I had to put on this mantel. But I was wrong.

I wanted to be just one of the kids. I joined the football team because it was something I wanted to try, but I always knew as good as I am at the game, it wasn’t part of my future.

The friends I have now are the same ones I had since Pre-K. Sons of the leading families in our town. These are the people I wanted around me for the rest of my life.

I’ve always been careful whom I let in; except for Mandy, I slipped up there. I’m not surprised by Stanley, I always knew he wasn’t wired right, but I expected him to come after me, not go after my girl.

I already knew that Alec was right, that he’d had explosives in his locker because I’d had someone test it late last night. I wasn’t planning to leave everything up to the cops this time.

Once I knew for sure that he was the one behind this, I knew what I had to do. My hard earned freedom was nothing compared to her safety.

If I have to play the heavy now to make sure that no one fucks with her, then that’s what I’ll do. That little warning in the auditorium was just the beginning.

From now on I’m going to make sure that everyone knows what she means to me, and what will happen if they even look at her the wrong way.

The decision to take myself out of regular classes wasn’t an easy one. But I’d made it because it was the easiest way to get my point across. Jace Sanders, the heir was no longer one of the crowd.

I went by her class again to check on her before going to mine for the last time. She was sitting at her desk looking through her textbook as I stood in the doorway.

She must’ve sensed me there because her head came up and she smiled at me. I gave her a little finger wave before walking away again.

I’d given some thought to placing a guard outside her classroom door for each session but had thought better of it. She was already freaked out enough by the change in me, no need to traumatize her farther.

I’m sure she’d be the first one to try talking me out of taking such drastic steps as I have. But there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to keep her safe.

I was heading back down the hallway when the call for Mandy to come to the principal’s office came over the loud speaker.

I smiled as I made my way to the classroom where my boys were waiting. Game on!