I glanced down longingly at the hoodie in my arms and thought of putting it on. But I didn’t. I adjusted it so Romeo’s name didn’t show and pulled it a little closer to my chest.
Judging from the reaction I got from Ivy when she saw it on my bed, I could only imagine what everyone else would say if I walked through campus with his name plastered on my back.
I certainly didn’t want to see the same look of pity Ivy gave me one hundred times over.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Romeo
It was almost three a.m. when I put my key in the door to my place. I was freaking dog tired. Between the grueling practice, classes, raiding the dean’s office, and everything that happened with Rimmel, I wanted to pass out for a week.
I stepped inside and didn’t bother with the lights. I tossed my bag on the floor and launched my keys somewhere in the vicinity of the couch. I was going to skip my workout in the morning. The last thing I wanted was to be too worn out to perform in Saturday’s game.
I bypassed the kitchen and headed straight to my room. All of a sudden, a feeling of unease crept up the back of my neck and caused me to pause.
Just as I was about to turn, something slammed into me and I was tackled to the ground. It didn’t hurt because my training kicked in immediately and I knew how to take the fall.
Immediately, my arms went around the waist of my attacker and I hugged him, flipping us both over so I was on top. I’d caught him off guard, and the guy beneath me looked up in surprise. I threw my fist down, putting all my weight behind it, and caught him in the jaw.
He groaned and tried to buck me off. I raised my hand again, adrenaline and rage making me crazy. When I swung down, something stopped me from connecting. A hand caught my wrist and twisted it behind my back.
“Easy!” someone yelled. “Think of Saturday!”
What the fuck…?
The hands grabbing me loosened, but I was being gripped now from all sides. I started to struggle, but I was severely outnumbered. I was shoved down onto the ground, my hands were cuffed, and a bag was tied over my head.
“What the fuck is this!” I demanded, struggling as they brought me to my feet. I kicked out and connected with something. Sick satisfaction filled me for making someone hurt.
I wanted to make these fuckers bleed.
“What crawled up your ass and died?” someone said.
Everyone laughed.
They were fucking Omegas.
Some of the fight left me, but not all. What kind of assholes jump someone in their own home?
Zach probably put them up to this.
“Search him,” someone else ordered. They kept their voice low and hushed. I couldn’t see, but I really thought it was Zach.
Hands patted me down and checked my pockets. They were looking for the nameplate. I smirked because they weren’t going to find it.
“It’s not here,” someone else said.
“Check the bag,” the guy I thought was Zach ordered.
I heard all my shit being dumped all over the place, and my hands clenched behind my back. After several minutes of my place being tossed, they determined what they wanted wasn’t here.
“Looking for something specific?” I said through the bag over my head.
“Bring him and let’s go,” Zach ordered.
“Don’t fucking hurt him,” someone else said roughly. “He’s gotta play Saturday.”
“Don’t get your panties in a wad, Trent,” someone behind me muttered.
“Shut it,” Zach demanded.
This was some jacked-up shit.
I could only assume I was being taken to the same place I was the night we were introduced to rush. I didn’t bother fighting them. I wanted to know what was going on. When we finally arrived to wherever they brought me, the bag was yanked off my head and I blinked to take in my surroundings.
All the other pledges were here too. A little of me relaxed because at least I wasn’t being brought somewhere to get jumped. We were in the same basement-looking space as before, except this time there weren’t tons of lit candles. Lamps and lights hanging above a few pool tables in the back were on instead.
“Fellow Alphas,” Zach said, spreading his arms wide as he looked at the frat members off to the side. Then he scanned the pledges. “Wannabes. I have brought you all here tonight for a little check-in. And for some of you, a check-out.” He glanced at a couple guys and smirked. “We’re a little more than halfway through this year’s rush, and as predicted, some of you are made for this and others… well, you suck!” he yelled the last word and all the members laughed.
This guy was such a douche. How the hell did be become president? I glanced around at the members, my eyes stopping on Trent. He looked at me and I saw the irritation in his eyes. Clearly he was wondering the same thing.
“You have all been given challenges and most of you have complied. Branneman!” he yelled and looked toward the end of the line where a dark-haired male stood.
“Yes?” he replied.
“You didn’t complete the last challenge we gave you. You’re out.”
His body jerked and his jaw hardened. “Ye—” He began, but Zach cut him off.
“No excuses!” He motioned to a couple of the members and they stuffed a bag over Branneman’s head and escorted him out.
Zach locked eyes with me. I held his stare and refused to look away. “Cox, too!” Zach snapped.
Two guys down from me, another bag was stuffed on a surprised head and he was escorted out as well.
“Max was escorted out of the pledge group last week,” Zach added and then looked at the rest of us. “And so you all remain.”
Was he going to get to the point already? I was exhausted, and by the time I got home, it was going to be daylight.
“I know some of you have already taken your assigned woman to bed. I hope you got pictures, losers, because if you don’t, the same fate those men just endured awaits you.”
My shoulders stiffened at the reminder of this “assignment.” I wanted to get Rimmel into bed more than I ever had anyone, but I didn’t want to do it like this. I was never the kind of guy who was bothered by one-night stands, casual sex, or drunken hookups. As long as it was consensual, I was down. But having to sleep with a woman to get myself into an exclusive club, a woman that was chosen for me, a woman I essentially had to use, left a bad taste in my mouth.
I don’t know why it didn’t bother me before, but it suddenly did now.
Wait.
Yes, I did know.
Rimmel.