Chapter 9

The afternoon sun beat down on the outdoor dirt arena of the school's equestrian club. The air smelled of dust and horses. Evelena wore dark, fitted riding pants and tall leather boots. She walked toward the stables.

She reached for the metal latch of the stall holding the calm thoroughbred she usually rode.

Kenzie stepped out from behind the wooden posts. Brandi and three large boys from the football team followed her. They formed a wall, blocking the stall door.

Kenzie held a black leather riding crop decorated with fake diamonds. She tapped it against her leg. She laughed and told Evelena she should be riding her sugar daddy's lap, not a horse.

The boys laughed loudly. Other students in the arena stopped brushing their horses and turned to watch.

Evelena stared at Kenzie's face. Her expression did not change. She said, "Move," and tried to step around them.

Brandi suddenly stuck her heavy riding boot out, aiming to trip Evelena face-first into the dirt.

Evelena saw the movement. She did not try to step over it. Instead, she brought her own hard leather heel down violently, stomping directly onto the bridge of Brandi's foot.

Brandi let out a sound like a dying animal. She collapsed into the dirt, grabbing her foot and screaming in agony.

Kenzie lost her mind. She raised the heavy leather riding crop high above her head. She swung it down with all her strength, aiming directly for Evelena's face.

The whip cut through the air with a sharp whistling sound.

Evelena's eyes narrowed. She did not flinch back. She threw her left arm up, taking the brutal hit directly on her forearm.

The leather cracked against her sleeve. A line of pure fire burned across Evelena's skin.

The pain did not make her weak. It made her vicious. Before Kenzie could pull the whip back, Evelena's right hand shot out and grabbed the end of the leather tightly.

Kenzie yanked hard, trying to free it. Evelena planted her feet. She did not move an inch.

Evelena pulled the whip toward herself with a violent jerk. Kenzie lost her balance and stumbled forward in her boots.

As Kenzie fell forward, Evelena did not attempt a martial arts kick she hadn't been trained for. Instead, she used Kenzie's own momentum against her. Evelena stepped to the side, grabbed the collar of Kenzie's riding jacket with both hands, and shoved her violently downward with all her body weight. Kenzie lost her footing entirely. She stumbled wildly and crashed hard, face-first, into the muddy dirt of the arena.

The entire club went dead silent. No one moved. They stared in absolute shock at the quiet girl who just kicked the board member's daughter into the mud.

Kenzie rolled on the ground, gagging for air. Her perfect makeup was smeared with wet dirt.

She screamed hysterically. She ordered the three boys to grab Evelena and hold her down.

The boys hesitated, but they outnumbered her. They spread out and walked toward Evelena, cracking their knuckles.

Evelena did not back down. She reached over to a bale of hay and grabbed a heavy, rusted iron pitchfork. She held it across her chest like a weapon. Her eyes looked like a cornered wolf.

She smiled a cold, crazy smile. She told them the first person to step forward was getting iron spikes through their throat.

The boys stopped dead. The murderous intent radiating from her body was real. They believed her.

Suddenly, Milton Yardley, the Dean of Students, came sprinting across the dirt. He was sweating heavily.

He saw Kenzie in the mud. His face turned pale with terror. Kenzie's father funded his salary.

Milton turned to Evelena. His face turned purple with rage. He screamed that she was a violent psychopath.

He pointed a shaking finger at her and ordered the two campus security guards running behind him to arrest her immediately. He screamed that she was expelled.

The two large guards rushed forward. They grabbed Evelena's arms, twisting them painfully behind her back. They ripped the pitchfork out of her hands.

Kenzie struggled to her feet. Brandi helped her stand. Kenzie walked over to where the guards were holding Evelena. She raised her hand and slapped Evelena across the face as hard as she could.

Evelena's head snapped to the side. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. But when she looked back at Kenzie, her eyes were completely unbroken.

Milton ordered the guards to drag her to the holding office.

Before they could take a step, a deafening roar shook the ground.

A massive, matte-black AgustaWestland AW139 heavy helicopter dropped out of the sky. It hovered directly over the equestrian arena.

The violent wind from the rotors kicked up a massive cloud of dust, blinding everyone and forcing them to cover their faces.