Chapter 28

Sammy cracked his knuckles as he waited at the school gate for the bell. Both his mother and sister hated this habit, so when they weren't around it became worse.

"You'll get arthritis," Mike warned.

Sammy flashed him a sour look. "Spell arthritis."

He felt a buzz of satisfaction as Damien chuckled and Mike's cheeks reddened. It was cruel, picking on the boy's lack of academic ability, and a rather cheap shot by all accounts. Still, it was nice to be the bully rather than the victim.

Damien had his slave girl on a leash as usual. The other students had almost completely stopped gawking and commenting on it. Poor Belle was just part of the school scenery now, like the kid with the skin condition and the guy with the bright ginger afro.

Sensing his attention, she looked up with misty, dead eyes. Her cheeks were drawn and pale, as though Damien had been starving her. He noticed how