MAKE YOUR MOVE

HANNAFORD PREP

J BREE

For my Mum -

An endless source of love, support, coffee, and deadline terror.

And, in loving memory of my Gran -

For telling 17 year old me I'd need less blankets

on my bed if I found a good man to cover me instead.

I love you and I miss you.

CONTENTS

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Acknowledgments

About the Author

CONTINUE READING FOR AN EXCEPT FROM

Prologue

Copyright © 2019 by J Bree

ASIN: B07WF6D8R2

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

without the express written permission of the publisher

except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Created with Vellum

PROLOGUE

Alexander

My arm is sore.

My fingers have pins and needles shooting down them and my shoulder aches where the sling digs into my skin. Mommy is packing a bag in my room and I don’t know where we’re going. She’s crying. She does that a lot but this time her face isn’t sad, she looks angry even with tears streaming down her face. My sister is holding a little bag under her arm and she’s already wearing a coat and polished shoes. Her eyes are wide but she isn’t crying.

We don’t cry anymore.

“Listen, Ash, we need to go. Leon is getting the car and bringing it around. Is there anything you need me to pack? I have your blanket.” Mommy says and she’s whispering like it’s a secret. It doesn’t make any sense to me but I shake my head anyway. She never calls me Ash while we’re in the manor. Father hates it, the last time he heard her call me Ash he slapped her. I’m scared he’s heard her say it now and he’s going to hit her again. My good hand shakes.

“We’ve got to leave now. Ash, Floss hold Mommy’s hands.”

Mommy tugs us both out of my room and down the hall. When we get to the stairs she looks around and then quietly opens the hidden door behind the big ugly painting. I bite my lip and look at Floss. She’s so white that she looks sick. Her eyes are round and frightened.

We are never allowed to use the servants’ stairs.

Once the door is firmly but quietly shut behind us Mommy pulls us both down the stairs, much faster than we were moving before. She’s sobbing, even her lips clamped shut can’t hold them in.

I'm scared. Mommy doesn't cry like that, even when Father hits her or calls her terrible things, she never ever makes noises like that.

We make it to the kitchen. I've never stepped foot in the kitchen before, our meals are all served to us at the table in the formal dining room. I don't even know where in the manor the kitchen is. Mommy pulls us through the room, the staff all avert their eyes and ignore us, and we get to the side door when I hear his voice.

“Where are you going, Mommy?”

I hear those words over and over again, long after my mother has been buried.

CHAPTER ONE

Joey is missing.

The air around me throbs as I’m jostled by the mass of bodies writhing to the shitty electronica music. I stare down at my phone for a second and then I look over to the bar where Joseph Beaumont Jr is standing, doing lines of cocaine off of the dirty barrels that are a makeshift bar. He’s here alone. He paid a lower level Club member a whole wad of hundred dollar bills to get in and now he’s in my fucking town, getting high and groping unimpressed Mounty girls. Strobe lights dance along the warehouse walls and there must be five hundred people dancing and sweating and getting high in here right now.

It’s the last day of summer break. Well, it’s 3am so in four short hours I’m getting into an Uber and heading back to Hannaford. I’m just waiting on the Vulture to arrive to make the pickup of the package I’ve got for him and then I’m getting out of here. I picked up eight jobs over the summer break and now I’m flush with cash. Okay, not flush but I’ve got Harley’s tuition paid through to graduation and most of his housing costs covered. Better yet, I have a plan to get him out of my check book and paying for his own shit.

I’m so tired and ready for the break to be over. Too tired to be dealing with Joey’s bullshit. I text Avery the address of the warehouse the party is being held.

He’s here. I’ve got eyes on him. Are you close by?

I flag down two of the Jackal’s bigger henchmen and push through the crowd towards the bar. Joey doesn’t notice me. He’s too far gone to notice anything other than his high. I point him out and then watch as one of them knock him out with a sharp punch to the face. No one around him flinches. Club parties always have someone disappearing with no witnesses. So many eyes refusing to see a damn thing.

Ten minutes ETA. Blaise is driving and the other two are pissed about the location.

I roll my eyes as I move towards the exit. Just what I need, the guys giving me shit even though I’m helping them out. I nod at the doorman and he lets me through, the cold slap of the night air harsh against all of the skin I’m showing. I had to blend into the crowd to get the information the Vulture needed which means I am basically naked. I have a matching two piece set on, shorts that barely cover my ass and a strappy bralette. The fabric it’s made out of is black with metallic thread running through it and I shimmer as I move. I had found a new pair of black calf-length Doc’s at the thrift store last week which completes the look. With glitter across both cheeks and a high ponytail I am just another party girl here to lose control. It’s all so exhausting. I check my phone, again, to see where the hell the Vulture is. Nothing. I let out a frustrated sigh and look out into the darkness of the early morning.

The docks look abandoned.

No one is allowed to leave the party before dawn so the only people outside of the warehouse are the Jackal’s men. I sidle up to Luca and he grins at me, gesturing at the bags at his feet. My bags. “Kept them safe, princess. Are you taking out the trash for the Jackal before you go?”

I glance back at Joey’s unconscious form slung over the other guy’s shoulder. What a funny choice of words Luca had chosen. Joey would be pissed to hear my Hannaford nickname being thrown at him. “I called in for a collection of this one. Can you let DeMarco know to expect a car?”

Luca nods and lifts his radio to his face. He pauses as my phone rings.

“We’re here but the guy at the gate won’t let us through.” Avery sounds pissed and I smile.

“Give him the phone.”

Luca grins at me and tucks the radio back onto his belt. I hear Avery argue with DeMarco and then his asshole voice barks down the phone at me, “Listen here, kid, we don’t let extra in after the open hour. Now you need to tell these little rich fucks to get on out of here-”

“DeMarco.” I can actually hear the snap of his teeth slamming shut at the sound of my voice. I’m not ashamed to say I enjoy the hell out of the power I have in Mounts Bay. “That car is here for me. Let them through and apologize to the little rich fucks.”

“Sorry. I didn’t know they were with you. If they had’ve just said I would’ve-“ I hang up on his rambling and then I flick a text to the Vulture again.

You’re late. I have places I need to be.

“Who are these friends of yours?” says Luca and he nudges me with his elbow. I tense a little. I know he's asking as a friend, or as close as a friend as I can have under the Jackal’s watchful eye, but I'm hesitant to say much. I don't need to create any issues for myself.

“Kids from school. Too much money and far too much ego. Makes it fun to play with them.” I wiggle my eyebrows at him and he shoots me another grin as the car rolls up to a stop before us.

They pull up in a Maserati.

No wonder DeMarco was such a dick to them, they couldn’t look more out of place down here if they tried. I wave an arm at the guy holding Joey and he walks him over to the car. Harley jumps out and helps shove his cousin in. I saunter over as Avery puts her window down and I lean in to talk to her.

“Having fun?” she smirks at me, her eyes trailing over my outfit. She’s wearing a silk robe over a delicate lacy nightgown, well put together even in her pajamas. Yep, still jealous.

“Don’t get me started, I need a shower and twelve hours of sleep. Try not to lose him again, I’m heading out soon.”

Blaise is watching the group of the Jackal’s men like he thinks they’re going to attack his car. Ash is struggling in the back trying to get Joey’s seatbelt on and Harley is still standing with the car door open. I look up and meet his eyes. He looks angry, clearly he’s not a fan of being dragged out of bed for a pick up.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he hisses at me and my eyes narrow at him. He’s pissy at me!

“Watch your fucking tone, we are not at school.” His head snaps back at my warning. He glances over his shoulder and sure enough, the entire group of men are watching him. They all know he’s the guy I’ve recruited and they’re sizing him up. I don’t think they’ve heard what he said to me, thank god, and Harley straightens up. He shuts the car door and walks around to me. Avery swears under her breath but I keep my eyes on Harley. If he isn’t smart about this I’m going to have to knock him out before the Jackal catches wind of what’s happening on his turf.

“What are you doing here? Dressed like that?” he whispers and I’m glad we have an audience. I might have kicked him in the balls if there weren’t one. He thinks I’m selling myself. I guess I am, but he thinks I’m selling my body when I’m really just selling my skills.

Does anyone ever think about anything other than sex?

“Do not suggest that I’m a prostitute. I’m here for a job and as soon as I get paid I’m leaving.” Harley nods reluctantly and his eyes never leave the group of guys behind us. I wait for a minute but he doesn’t move or speak. I’m about to snap when the lights of another car hit us and Harley is trying to shove me behind him. I jab him in the kidney with a closed fist, enjoying the little grunt I get out of him.

“That would be my payment. You guys need to leave.” Avery is watching the car with anxious eyes and I rub her shoulder. She has no idea just how bad the guy in there really is.

“We’re not leaving without you.” Harley says and he crosses his arms over his chest. I can’t argue with him, I don’t have time as the car parks and three guys dressed like sleazy bodyguards get out, guns in clear view at their hips. They look around the empty car park and then assess us all one by one. I’m not at all happy with the way they look at Avery and I step in front of her again. After a minute of this scrutiny the Vulture steps out of the car.

The very sight of him turns my stomach.

He grins at me and I fight to keep my lips from curling up in disgust at him. He’s wearing a cheap suit and the little hair he has left is slicked back into a shiny cap. I can see the bulge of his gun at his hip and, unfortunately, I can also see the bulge of his erection. I’ve never been in his presence without him being hard.

“Hello, puss.”

The Vulture’s tone of voice is so utterly sleazy and disgusting. I feel bile creep up the back of my throat. I hate that he calls me that. He's nicknamed me after the body part he loves to sell and the only thing of worth he ever sees in a woman. It's vile. Harley tenses and I just know he's spotted the tent that's happening in the putrid man’s pants. I hear an argument start up in the car and I glance down to see Blaise has his seatbelt off and a hand on his door handle. Avery is chewing him out and Ash is fighting to keep Joey’s airways open. He's so high he’s slumping and choking on his own tongue. Idiot.

“Wire my money through and I'll give you the package.”

The Vulture smiles at me and waves a hand. One of his men pops the trunk of the car and lugs two bags out. Motherfuckers. He's paying me in cash.

“Seriously? I told you I only deal in transfers.” I snap at him and Harley is doing his best not to gape. I'm not sure how much experience he has around large quantities of cash but the twitching of his jaw tells me he's doing some quick math. There's a hundred grand in those bags.

It's going to be a nightmare to launder.

“Sorry, puss. I didn't get the chance to pop this into the bank before they closed. You know how it is. How ‘bout you walk that sweet ass of yours over here and get your money.”

“Like fuck.” Harley spits at him and the Vulture looks at him for the first time. His eyes take in the tattoo, the piercing eyes, the build, and I know he's working out how much he could make from selling Harley at one of his hellish auctions. The quirk of his lips tells me the fee would be astronomical.

“How about I double the payment and you give me him, puss.” I roll my eyes at him.

“How about you get one of your little friends to bring me my money and I'll hand him the package so we can all get out of here, hmm?”

The Vulture laughs and waves his guys forward. The guy hands Harley the bags and I can smell the body odor wafting from him. Harley sneers at him and I shove the USB into his hands to get him away from us.

“Pleasure doing business with you, puss.”

I stare him down until he grins and leaves. We don't move until the car is out of the parking lot completely. I turn and hold my hand out for my giant bags of cash but Harley turns on his heel and marches to the trunk. He taps it gently and Blaise pops it open for him to shove them inside.

“What are you doing?”

He straightens and gives me a fiery look back. “I told you. I'm not leaving without you.”

My stomach does a little flip and I have to tell it to calm the hell down.“Fuck. Fine, leave it open. I have the rest of my stuff here too.”

Harley nods and walks over to where Luca is guarding my shit. Luca takes a step forward, over the bags, and crosses his arms. Harley smirks at him, throwing down a silent challenge and I know Luca will accept it in a heartbeat. Luca is the tiniest bit taller than Harley but Harley is easier broader, more muscular. I've seen Luca take out three guys bigger than Harley at the same damn time though so really, all bets are off on who would win. I don't have time to deal with them, I need to get out of here. I need to get Harley out of here.

The Jackal cannot see him.

Not after the warning he issued me at the meeting. I give myself a little shake to try and shift the ghosts.

“Luca, it's fine. My feet hurt and I need a bath.” I say sweetly with a little pout. He's one of the decent guys on the Jackals payroll, a rare breed. Luca leans down and brushes a kiss against my cheek without breaking eye contact with Harley. Harley stares down at him like he's going to gut him if given the chance. Finally, I step around them both to grab my bags and then I shove one into Harley's chest to get him moving.

“I’m going to miss that ass while you’re gone, princess.” Luca calls as I load my bag into the car. Harley glares back at him but I laugh his words off.

“You get more ass than the average Mounty street girl on a Saturday night, Luca. I’m sure you'll survive without mine.” He grabs his chest like I've wounded him and grins back at me. Harley opens the door to the backseat and I realize I'm about to be sandwiched in with him and the Beaumont brothers. Fuck. No.

I dart around and climb in with Avery instead. I’ve lost all of the weight I'd managed to gain last year and we easily fit in the sleek seat together. Blaise arches an eyebrow and then takes off, fast enough that my body is pressed back in the seat and the tires squeal.

“So. How much money is in this car right now?” whispers Avery and I giggle at her.

“How should I know, do you guys all carry cash?” I whisper back and she laughs out loud at me.

“Where should I drop you off, Mounty? Feel free to tip me for my services.” drawls Blaise and I shudder. Avery snorts at me. Traitor.

“She’s coming back to the hotel with us.” grumbles Harley.

“Why?” snaps Ash and I’m reminded of his newfound hate for me.

“Thank you Lips for finding my coked up brother and getting him out of danger before he got himself stabbed by an angry Mounty girl for not keeping his hands to himself.” I say in my most sarcastic tone. Avery gives my hand a squeeze and I smile at her.

“Thank you Mounty for traipsing around the docks dressed like a slut and tripping over Joey. Do all your clients pay you in large bags of dirty money? Is your puss really that good?”

“Ash, shut your mouth.” Avery turns in her seat to glare at him. I don't even care.

Harley ignores his cousin completely and leans forward in his chair. “Who was the guy with your bags?”

“Luca. He's… he works for the same guy your uncle does. We’ve known each other forever.”

“Have you fucked him?” he says. Sweet lord. Here we go.

“How is that any of your business?”

Blaise tips his head back and laughs. He changes gears smoothly but he takes corners way too fast considering I'm sharing a seat with no belt on. “How many of those Mounty guys have you fucked?”

“Why do either of you care?” Avery says sweetly and they both finally shut up.

CHAPTER TWO

Avery secures us a shared room with a private bathroom and an honest-to-god coffee machine. I am going to bathe in coffee this year. I can, because the bathroom has a tub. The room is bigger than Avery’s single was last year and my two bags feel pathetic as I look around at all of the space I now have to fill.

“Look on the bright side, you won’t have to worry about anyone sneaking in and messing with your stuff now that you’re roomed with me.”

I scoff at her and I wave the lock I’ve brought with me. There’s no way I’m trusting anyone here this year, other than Avery. She laughs and then watches me struggle to screw the damn thing in place. When she ducks into the bathroom to make a phone call, I wriggle under my bed to hide my safe. I trust Avery but some things will take time.

I’m excited to share a room with her, I’m actually shocked at how excited I am to have her as a friend. It feels kind of pathetic how relieved I am to have someone on my side but then I remind myself of exactly how hard I worked for it last year.

When we woke up at the hotel Avery and the guys were all staying at, a meager two hours after we had gone to sleep, we had ordered room service for breakfast and gossiped about our summer breaks. I had never stayed in a hotel, or eaten food delivered to me by a guy in a suit, and Avery kept giggling at how awkward I was about it all. I was shocked to see she eats as much as I do when given the chance and at my raised eyebrow she’d told me, “Ballet is hardcore. I eat more than Ash does during the recital season.”

It was refreshing.

After breakfast Avery had a heated argument with Ash about our travel arrangements, he did not want me to join them, and it ended with us girls tucked in the back of one of the Beaumont’s luxurious chauffeur driven Bentley’s. I squirmed in the seat for about thirty seconds before Avery told me to get over Ash’s shitty attitude. “He’s been a nightmare the entire break. I’m looking forward to getting back to school and finding new ways to avoid him.”

I still feel guilty about it. I can’t help it.

So, after spending the two minutes it takes me to unpack I perch on my bed and glare down at the bags of cash I now have to get sorted. The movies make it look so easy, just get a fake business and funnel the money through, but in reality without asking for the Jackal’s help I am going to struggle to get the funds clean. I need a second option amongst the Twelve to get shit done. I’ll add that to my never-ending list of things I need to think about.

“You never told me how much is in there.” says Avery as she unpacks her millionth box of shoes. I think she could wear a different pair everyday for the rest of her life and still have some left over. I have three pairs. And I love the shit out of them.

“A hundred grand. It’s a pain in my ass and I don’t want to leave it here tomorrow during classes.”

Avery snorts and pokes her head out of the closet to give me a look. “Anyone at Hannaford wouldn’t need your dirty cash, Lips.”

I give her a sidelong look.“It’s not just that. Having bags full of hundred dollar bills raises questions I don’t want to answer. There’s enough people here who think I’m a whore.” I grumble. I’m just a little bit sour over the guys reactions last night.

Avery comes over to drop down onto the bed next to me and she props her chin up in her palm as we both stare at the bags like they’ll give us some answers. “I know someone who could help. It’s a risk but he’s always been discreet. And kind to me. I could play the dumb damsel in distress and get him to sort it for us. He probably wouldn’t even ask for a cut.”

I glance at her, curiously. We’ve gotten to know each other much better thanks to her texting truths game. I had been skeptical when she had suggested it but it had really helped me to understand her. I know just enough about her fathers business and associates to realize just how much of a criminal he really is.

The Jackal would love to know Joseph Beaumont Sr.

Avery sighs and grabs one of the bags, slinging it over her shoulder. “Let’s hide them in the closet for now and we can mull over the cleaning options. Have you picked your secret for today?”

I had and I was damned nervous about saying it. I’d woken to a text from the Jackal, telling me how much he would miss me while I was gone, and I’d decided then I’d have to start telling Avery about him. I didn’t speak until we had tucked the bags securely behind the mountain of boxes Avery had that I find out have her scarves in them. Scarves, for Christ's sake.

Scarves.

“What’s yours?” I chicken out and ask. Avery smiles and lets me avoid it for a minute, bless her.

“The guy I can ask to process the money is from a family I wouldn’t ever trust, the Crawfords.” She walks over to the kitchen and starts rummaging around for cleaning supplies. The girl could not stop cleaning the room. I was a little nervous about pissing her off by, you know, existing in the same room full time. “His father is my father’s best friend. When I was a child my mother would gossip with her friends about how she wanted me to marry one of his sons. I hate the whole damn lot of them, except for Atticus.”

“Atticus? Wow.”

Avery rolls her eyes. “His mother named all three of her sons after notable literary figures. Atticus is the youngest and his mother had been hoping for a girl. His father is big on the old adage of ‘an heir and a spare’ so he has no use for a third son. The older boys are absolute assholes because they know just how powerful they are going to be when their father passes the business on. Atticus gets nothing and has been told to forge his own path.”

I nod along. I’m starting to get used to the bizarre and cruel ways of the super rich parents of Hannaford. Then again my own mother picked a gram of heroin over me everyday of the week so I can’t really judge. Avery looks up from where she’s wiping down the fridge. I can honestly say I’ve never even thought about wiping a fridge down in my life. “Atticus started his own business in his final year here at Hannaford. He’s now independently wealthy and very vague about how he makes his money. He claims it’s because he doesn’t want his brothers snooping around his business dealings but I once asked him if I could do an internship with him during the summer break, for college applications and to get away from Joey, and he told me his business is not appropriate for a young lady. He’s not a chauvinistic kind of guy and he’s never said anything like that to me before. So, I’m thinking it’s either illegal or sexual.”

Hmm. Either would work to clean the cash. I wouldn’t mind him taking a cut as long as it was a reasonable amount and he keeps his mouth shut.

Avery moves on to scrub the coffee table in our little lounge area, complete with a massive TV on the wall and an honest-to-god fireplace, and she blushes a little as she clears her throat. “The truth here is that I used to have a crush on him. A big one, I would follow him around like a lost puppy but then he hit high school and started avoiding me. I think Joey’s violence scared him off.”

It’s honestly weird to see her blush. I stare at it for a second before I can speak. “If he avoids you how will you get him to clean the cash?”

“Oh we still see each other at society functions and galas. He’s nice to me, just distant. I’ve given up on my feelings for him.” Her tone says otherwise. I wonder how Ash feels about this and then I remember he’s a dick and I don’t care what he thinks.

I can’t avoid my truth forever so I take a deep breath and just blurt it out. “The Jackal told Joey not to touch me because he thinks he owns me. He’s going to take me someday, lock me in a room, and force me to be with him. He’ll rape and torture me until I submit to him. If I don’t make some very careful moves in the next three years I’m going to be trapped by him. Any guy who touches me is in danger if it gets back to him.”

Avery stops scrubbing and straightens up sharply. Her eyes narrow and she looks the exact same as when I met her a year ago, cold and stunning and calculating.

“Well we need to plan some moves then, don’t we?”

It’s only the first fucking day back to class and I’m already facing Harley and Blaise’s bullshit.

I’ve come down for an early breakfast, knowing Avery had to deal with some issue involving the student council, and I’ve saved her a seat. Even though the ban on speaking to me has clearly lifted now I’m friends with Avery, the other students still give me a wide berth.

It’s fine.

I like the quiet.

And it is quiet.

Right up until the moment Harley and Blaise drop themselves down across from me at the table with full plates of food and wary looks in their eyes. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of either of them since Ash stormed off at the hotel and I’m not feeling much warmth towards them now. Okay, that’s a lie, I’m feeling pissy but turned on at the very sight of them. Sue me.

“Seriously. I’m not dealing with either of you this fucking early in the morning unless it’s a life or death situation. Is someone bleeding?” Harley snorts at me and offers me a glass of juice. I give him a truly dark glare, one of my very best, and I shake my head.

“I’d rather not start my week off with the runs thanks, asshole.”

He cackles at the curious look Blaise gives us both. I try not to blush at having the rock god’s eyes touch me. Maybe this will be the year I get over my obsession for him and his music. I can only live in hope.

“Don’t ask, man. We had a great winter break last year. I like to think that was when we became friends.”

I point my knife in his direction. “We are not friends. I’m Avery’s friend and you two are firmly Team Ash.” Blaise gives me another look and I grumble into my eggs. I’d love to tell him to fuck off but I can’t imagine saying those words to his face. Harley watches us both, watches how I react to Blaise, and I think I see a hint of jealousy in his eyes. I roll my own at him. I’m no threat to their bromance, I doubt Blaise even remembered my name before Avery and I became friends. I watch as Joey Beaumont saunters into the dining hall flanked by his usual group of simpering flunkies. He meets my eye and tips his head at me with a challenge. Great.

“Look, it’s only a matter of time before Aves wears Ash down and then we’ll all be one big happy fucking family. So stop fighting it. We’re friends by association.” says Harley.

“Fuck off.” I mumble around my food because I can say it to Harley, I have said it to him a hundred times before. I also do not care if I look like a savage. Fuck these boys and their heartbreakingly good looks. Fuck them.

Actually, I wouldn’t mind- nope. Not going there.

“God, are you going to be a grumpy ass like Harley all the time? There’s only so much of that shit I can take.” Blaise’s eyes goddamn twinkle and I want to claw mine out rather than look at him. Harley elbows him and they both laugh. They are so clearly the best of friends that I’m a little jealous. Then I remember I have Avery now and I smile to myself instead. That girl and her fierce loyalty is worth a hundred gorgeous boys.

Harley clears his throat and pegs me with a look. I try not to squirm. It is too damn early to be dealing with him at such intensity. “Listen, I’m not Ash. Avery can’t throw pretty words around and fool me. I know exactly what scratches down a cheek fucking mean. I need you to tell me exactly what happened between her and Rory. I’ve spent the whole break fucking stewing on it and I need an answer.”

My spine snaps until I’m sitting straight and rigid. Both boys have stopped eating and they’re staring at me like I’m the most fascinating thing in the damn room. I’ve been working on my poker face and I know Harley is pissed he can’t get a thing out of me. “If Avery has chosen not to tell you herself then you will never get it out of me. End of story.”

Harley’s eyes narrow but it’s not really a glare. He’s looking at me like he wants to crack my head open and sort through everything inside my brain.

“Good. I’m glad you’re a decent friend to her. She’s never had one of those. But I need to know if I need to kill Rory. No, not beat him bloody or start a social campaign against him. I need to know if I need to end his life and fucking bury him somewhere. Because if that piece of shit raped my cousin, if he did that to her, I will end his life. I’m not asking for details, just tell me if he has to die.”

He’s serious. I’ve met enough killers in my life to know what it looks like when a man is going to follow through with his threat. Clearly there is more of his father’s blood in his veins than he’d like to admit. I think about saying that to him, riling him up more to get him to forget about Avery’s assault, but I don’t actually want him to hate me. Fuck, I don’t want him to hate me at all. When did all of this become so complicated? I move my eggs around my plate for a minute while I think. The tension in our little bubble at the table soars. When I look up at Harley he’s barely containing his anger and his shoulders have begun to shake.

“Fine, no details. If I were ten seconds later than what I was, you would be burying that dickhead. But I got there in time.”

Harley lets out a breath and nods. He doesn’t look relieved, just like he can put off the killing for a later date. Just because Rory didn’t rape her didn’t mean he was a decent guy, it just meant I got in his way. Harley is definitely on the same page as I am. Rory cannot stay at this school with Avery. He’s a danger to her and to every other girl here.

“Color me impressed. Rory’s a linebacker, you’re what, five-two? How the hell did you stop him?” says Blaise, his eyes moving over my tiny frame leaving behind a trail of fire.

I snort at him and drop my cutlery onto my half eaten plate. I can’t eat now that I’m thinking about this shit. My digestion has always been at the mercy of my brain. The moment I’m thinking too much, agitated, nervous, any strong emotion, I can’t stomach a thing.

“I’m a Mounty. I’m a foster kid. I was a child of neglect before that. Last year I was the target of a game that had most of the male population of this school following me around bugging me for sex every day. I’ve had to threaten Harley’s psycho cousin with a knife to the dick. You think I don’t have experience fighting off rapists? Please. Go back to your privileged, gilded fucking towers and leave me the hell alone.”

Blaise’s face drops. He looks like he’s going to question me so I stand up and grab my bag instead, my heart thundering in my chest dangerously. As I shove away from the table I see Avery strut in like she owns that whole damn school and a smile tugs at my lips. She grins back at me and then levels Harley and Blaise with a look. I meet her in the line and she tucks her arm into mine.

“They giving you shit?” She’s wearing a vibrant shade of red lipstick and I’m jealous that I could never pull off such a polished look. I’ll always be rough around my edges.

“Nah. They want to be one big happy family.”

Avery snorts and grabs a banana and an iced coffee. I grab a drink as well and we duck out of the dining hall. We share our first class with Harley. I share nearly every class with the gorgeous asshole.

“Ash will be livid. He’s still gunning for you.”

“Let him. I’m not scared.”

Avery laughs.

This year is going to be a fucking blast.

CHAPTER THREE

A quick glance at the listing on the door of our math class confirms we’re still being seated alphabetically by surname. Another year of working with Harley, sitting next to him, and being drowned in the scent of him. Okay, that sounds creepy but he really does smell incredible.

Avery is directly in front of us once again. She’s sitting next to some guy I don’t recognize and she’s pissed off about it. She doesn’t frown or snap at him but the smile she gives him is pure ice. I almost feel sorry for the guy. I wonder how long it will take before Ash is challenging him in one of the guys dorms fight club sessions at her order.

Harley walks in seconds before the teacher and drapes himself in his chair. He doesn’t look at me or acknowledge me which pisses me off considering not even an hour ago he was declaring us friends over plates of eggs. I should know by now not to trust a single word out of his mouth.

“Can we just agree now on how we’re going to halve all of our joint assessments this year so I can save myself some work?” I whisper at him as the teacher starts to take attendance. Harley smirks at me without looking up from his notes. He’s always so prepared for his classes. I mean, I am too but it’s still a surprise to me.

“Nope. I’d rather keep you busy studying than running around the school getting jumped. Besides, you just said we’re not friends. I don’t help people that aren’t my friends.” he drawls. The teacher starts handing out worksheets and I roll my eyes at Harley. He refuses to look at me.

“I’m not going to get beaten up. I’m pretty sure we sorted that out last year.”

Harley shrugs and we fall into silence again as the class gets into full swing. I focus on the numbers and formulas and I let myself forget about everything else for a minute. I don’t want to admit to myself just how much I’m enjoying being back at school. It’s good to focus on something I’m good at.

When the class finally wraps up and I have the syllabus firmly tucked into my bag I follow Harley out and to our next class. Avery is still giving him icy looks but he just grins at her, his charm doing nothing for her and everything to me.

“By the way, Mounty, I meant getting jumped for the sweep.”

My stomach hollows out. He can’t be serious? How could it still be going?

“It’s now well over the million dollar mark and there have already been…ideas thrown around about how to get you into bed. Or against a hard surface really, they don’t care about the particulars.”

Avery scoffs and links her arm in mine so I can stop her from falling while she focuses on her phone. I’ve seen her do it with the guys a thousand times and I smile at her effortless trust in me. Harley shrugs and leads us to our next class. Biology.

“As long as none of the ideas involve rape then I really don’t want to hear about it. I’m not fucking a Hannaford boy.”

I watch as the tension forms in his shoulders but he doesn’t turn to face me. Avery chuckles under her breath and I glance over to see she’s watching him, her phone gone.

“Got your fill of Mounty guys over the break?” he snaps and Avery’s chuckle turns into what can only be described as an evil cackle. He cuts her a glare and she ignores it entirely.

“What do you have against Mounty guys, Harls? That big guy the other night, Luca was it? He was pretty hot. I’d fuck him.” Avery teases and I groan at her. The fastest route to pissing the guys off is the very thought of any guys touching their sweet Floss.

“I wouldn’t ever let you near him. He’s… a good guy but he’s… very loyal to a bad guy.”

Harley sneers at me. “Like you are?”

I grit my teeth and ignore him. It takes serious fucking willpower. Our conversation about the Jackal is still fresh in Avery’s mind and she kicks him in the shin, her polished school heels nicely pointed. “She’s as loyal to him as you are to Liam O’Cronin so don’t be a dick.”

“Difference is I can’t help the family I was born into.” He grumbles under his breath.

Her eyes are pure ice. “Neither can she.”

I sign up to tutor students again and I’m sure I’m going to be as popular as last year.

I arrive to the library early and find a guy sitting at the table I’ve come to call my own. I feel the prickle of irritation and then grumble at myself to stop being so stupid. As I move past the table to stake out the others the guy calls out, “Aren’t you Eclipse Anderson?”

I grimace and then turn back to him. I don’t recognize him at all but he doesn’t look old enough to be an upperclassman. “I go by Lips.”

He smiles at me and I’m struck by the niceness of it. Not that I’m attracted to him, thank god because I have enough trouble containing my hormones, but he doesn’t look like he’s aiming for anything. He’s just smiling.

“I’m Lance. I’ve signed up for your tutoring, the librarian told me this was your table.”

I let out the breath I was holding and pull out my chair instead. He watches me, still smiling, and I glance at the work spread out in front of him. I recognize the assignments straight away. He’s a freshman.

“I’m the new scholarship student. I thought it would be nice to meet the first kid to make it past freshman year since they started handing out these scholarships and see if you have any pointers?” he says and still he’s fucking smiling. I’m starting to get creeped out. Guys don’t smile at me like that.

I give him a stern look and say, “Get as far ahead in your classwork as possible, don’t accept drinks from anyone, and stay away from the Beaumonts.”

The smile finally falters and he watches as I pull out my own textbooks and supplies. “So they roofie drinks at parties here, do they? Typical rich brats.”

I look up to answer him as the library door opens again and in strides Ash and Blaise. I swear under my breath and silently pray they’re here for something else.

The universe does not listen.

“Mounty! Lovely to see you again, though I’m a little disappointed you’re not in your party clothes. Such a shame.” says Blaise as he drops down into the chair besides me. I roll my eyes in his general direction. He doesn’t mention our meeting at breakfast earlier in the week which makes me think he hasn’t told his best friend about it.

Ash glares at Lance as he stands over him with a malicious look. “Move. You’re in my seat.”

Lance plasters on that friendly smile again and moves across while Blaise chuckles under his breath at Ash’s shitty attitude.

“Is there a reason you’ve signed up for another year of pointless tutoring?” I raise an eyebrow at the arrogant dick and he just stares me down. Lance’s eyes dart between us both and then he breaks the heated silence.

“I’m Lance. Nice to meet you both.”

Neither of the guys even bother to look at him so I sigh and say, “This is Blaise Morrison. Don’t insult his music or beat him in choir or he’ll get pissy and you’ll be miserable for the rest of the year. And this is Ash Beaumont.”

“Ah. A member of the family I should stay away from?”

Blaise’s face has this little smile on it that makes me want to scream. I keep my eyes on Lance as I answer. “Yes. His older brother is insane and his sister would destroy your will to live without breaking a sweat. Ash, here, could beat the life out of you and then run a marathon for shits and giggles. Or just pay someone else to bury you, he’s richer than god.” I say, in my most monotone voice, while I sort through Blaise’s assignments. We’re only two weeks into the year and he’s already behind, I feel like this is his true skill in life. Which is saying something because he’s a musical genius.

I manage to corral them all into working on their assignments quietly for the hour which I count in the top five hardest things I’ve ever done. Ash is moody and petulant and he looks at me with obvious suspicion. I try not to let it get to me but I feel his moody gaze on my skin like a scouring pad.

“How do you stay away from them if you’re tutoring him?” Lance says as he packs away his work. Ash glowers at him and Blaise is watching them both with that dark gluttonous need they all have, like he’s feeding on the inevitability of blood being spilled.

“I don’t. Avery is my best friend and roommate. I tutor Ash even though he hates me. Joey is hell bent on murdering me. I’m saying you should stay away from them if you want to survive the year.”

“You think you’re tougher than me?” He grins at me and I get the feeling he’s trying to flirt with me. I don’t need any more guys following me around, especially not a fellow Mounty. How the hell do I discourage this kind of thing without violence? Fuck.

“Have you ever broken the bones in a guys hand in half a second one handed?” drawls Ash. I forgot I even did that. Lance frowns at him and shakes his head. “Then she’s tougher than you.”

Lance blinks at me.

“Are you here to study or to try to get into the Mounty girl’s panties because you should be warned, she only fucks crime lords.” laughs Blaise and I shove his Math workbook into his chest to shut him up. Lance recovers from his shock to look down his nose at him.

“You think you’re cool because your daddy bought your shitty punk band a record deal? Write another pathetic song about your feelings, dickhead, and stay out of my business.”

My jaw drops and Blaise turns to stone beside me. Ash bursts out laughing, so loud that the students around us stop and stare.

“They’re not going to find enough of your corpse left to get an ID by the time we’re done with you.”

I scrub my face with my hands and then peg Lance with a look. “You didn’t want to take my advice at all then?”

“Mounties stick together. I don’t like the way they talk to you.”

I scoff at him and shove my textbooks and supplies back into my bag. Ash looks between us both with a cold eyes but I ignore him as I walk out. I do not need the complication of another Mounty at this school.

“I’m going to get a background check on him. I can’t believe he said that to Blaise.”

I groan, slumping onto my back, and Avery swats my leg from where she’s painting my toenails. I swear I’ve had eight different colors since school started back. Avery only ever wears nude polish but her collection of colors is insane. I’m a kind enough friend to let her paint my nails whenever she feels the need. Such a sacrifice.

“I don’t recognize him. He’s probably from a middle class area and he has no clue of what he’s dealing with here.”

She hums under her breath and studies her handiwork. We’re lying on her bed and trying to figure out what to do about Lance. Blaise followed me up to the girls dorms to rant passionately at Avery while I showered. She managed to calm him down enough to leave before I got out and then we decided to cook dinner ourselves and just hang out. The dining hall is always crazy on Friday taco night and I’m still adverse after vomiting them over myself last year. I still give Avery shit for that every chance I get.

“Do you always avenge the guys when people insult them? It puts a lot of work on your plate.” I ask. I’m genuinely curious.

She screws the bottle of polish shut and puts it back into the shelving unit she has hung on the wall. I find it funny that I was so worried about pissing her off by being messy when we first moved in. Her belongings are slowly migrating onto my half of the room purely by need because she has so damn much. I think she has a shopping compulsion, last week she misplaced some of her dance gear and the next day I woke up to find dozens of boxes being delivered to replace it all.

“People stay in power by being proactive. If I let the Mounty boy insult Blaise without consequence then what’s to stop one of the privileged kids from doing it? It keeps me busy and the sheep where they belong.”

My head tilts as I consider her words. It sounds like something the Jackal would say and it’s exactly why I’m terrible at this type of politics. I just don’t care about the social hierarchy. But Avery does so I’ll have to help out. I’m not saying I’m going to actively terrorize the guy but I’m interested to watch Avery work.

I shrug. “So what do we do?”

Avery gives me a look and sighs. “I’ll look into his background and find his weak spots. Blaise will beat the crap out of him and I’ll turn him into a pariah. He’s not a priority at the moment so I’ll just make it known that we don’t like him and the lower students will start it off for us.”

I hum under my breath for a minute while I think. I’m lost in my head when Avery pokes me. “What’s your truth today, Mounty?” she says with a smirk.

I groan and scrub a hand over my face. “I don’t know how to flirt.”

Avery laughs at me and says, “That’s not a truth. That’s a sad revelation. We need to get out of this school and find some hot, random guys to play with.”

That doesn’t appeal to me at all. I don’t want random hot guys. I want a mobster’s son with the face of an angel and the rap sheet of a street kid. I want the singer with a soft heart wrapped in barbs and trip wires of devastating wit to keep it safe. I want the billionaire’s unwanted son with eyes of ice and an endless love for his sister.

I can’t tell Avery that truth.

She gives me a little smile but her eyes are sad. She doesn’t look like a Beaumont right now. She looks like a teenage girl who needs a hug. It’s weird. “I think I’m going to start dating again. I think it’s time to wash away Rory and what he did to me.”

I exhale sharply. “If you think the guys are protective of you, you have another thing coming. I’m vetting anyone that comes near you and they’re going to answer to me. I’m also going to teach you how to castrate a guy properly. I mean it, I’m going to teach you how to cut a dick off.”

Avery laughs all over again and the haunted look fades from her eyes.

CHAPTER FOUR

“There’s a party tonight, out in the old groundskeeper’s cottage. I think we should go.”

What the hell is with rich kids and partying on school nights? I watch Avery as she manages to shovel pancakes into her mouth and still look like a delicate, refined lady. I’m sure I look something like the cookie monster as I tear into my muesli. I’m trying to get more variety in my breakfast because I’ve gorged on french toast for weeks. Not great nutritionally but it’s done wonders for my boobs. Namely, I have some now.

Avery decided to take the higher Math class this year but she’s relaxed some of her other subjects so we have less overlap. When I asked her why she shrugged and said she likes to piss her father off in low risk situations. I decide not to push the subject.

“Is there a specific reason why or are we enjoying our youth?” I say and she scoffs at me.

She pokes her knife at me as she replies. “We don’t ever do things for fun, Lips. We’re just not wired that way.”

I shrug but she has a point. I can’t remember the last time I did anything for fun. Avery arches her eyebrow at me with a little smile, fusses with her phone, and then hands it to me. There’s a photo of Joey with his arm around a woman who is definitely not a student at Hannaford. She must be at least twenty-five and she’s dressed in a sharp pantsuit and heels, a sleek bob haircut and minimal makeup. She’s attractive enough in an understated way, nothing like the girls I’ve seen that flock around him.

“This charming lady is one of our guidance counselors. She’s supposed to be advising Joey on how to best achieve his career goals and instead she’s sucking his dick in her office every Tuesday and Friday during their scheduled meetings.”

I pull a face as she swipes her thumb across the screen and I see the photo evidence. “For future reference, I’ll take your word on shit like that.”

Avery hums under her breath and pulls the phone back to pocket it. She looks around the busy dining hall in a way that makes her look haughty. I used to think she was looking down at everyone but now I know this is her plotting action. She’s planning and making connections in her head, the students milling around her have no idea of the scale of manipulation going on while they eat.

“I need to get some photos of him at the party, ideally with girls and blow, so I can send her a nice little slideshow ending with the photo of her on her knees. She needs to know how far out of her league she really is with him.”

“Why not call the cops?” I’m curious for her answer as I’m sure it will show me more of her family dynamics.

“He’s eighteen so it’s not illegal. I could send the photos to the school board but then my father will get involved and he will just make her disappear.” her voice becomes clipped towards the end and she clears her throat uncomfortably.

“Pay off or burial?”

She looks up at me and I see the hesitation. “Usually it’s a threat. Senior doesn’t part with his money for any woman. If she doesn’t take him seriously then he sends chaos.”

Chaos.

There are many things I could send someone’s way if I wanted to send a message so I can only imagine what the billionaire Joseph Beaumont could do. I nod and wipe my hands thoughtfully, mulling over her plan. Finally, I shrug and say, “We’ll go. I can get the photos you need. Information collection is my specialty.”

Avery changes into a sleek, gorgeous navy dress and a pair of stiletto heels that make my own feet cringe in sympathy. She rages for a half hour about her favorite Louboutins being missing, one of a kind and irreplaceable, and I bitch her out for being too rich to take care of her shit. She lets her hair down and wears only a little makeup. The look doesn’t scream high school party to me, she looks like she’s twenty-one and heading out clubbing at some exclusive rooftop nightclub in New York.

I decide not to tempt fate with a skirt. After Harley’s warning about the money still up for grabs I’m wary about how tonight is going to pan out but it’s still too hot to wear jeans and a jacket. I go with a black playsuit with a halter top that just manages to cover my ass and I put on the thickest cotton underwear I own. I’m not planning on drinking because peeing in a romper is a bitch. Plus if there’s no working toilets at this cottage I’m not getting naked in the woods to pee. I lace up my black Doc’s and wiggle my toes in sheer joy.

Avery grimaces at the sight of my shoes and I give her a playful nudge. We’ll see who’s laughing when we stumble home at the end of this stupid party.

I follow Avery’s lead out of the girls dorms and through the school grounds. We purposefully decided to arrive two hours after the party got underway so Joey would be drunk and high before he has a chance to see us. My hand keeps slipping into my pocket and gripping my knife like a security blanket. I gave Avery a can of mace back in our room and she had tucked it into her bra like a pro.

“Does Ash come to these parties?” I ask as we trudge through the wooded boundaries in the school campus.

“Yeah, and the other two. They all get wasted and pick fights over girls.” Avery rolls her eyes and manages to look superior even as she’s wobbling in her heels in the dirt.

“I bumped into Harley last year at Joey’s party.” I blush at the memory. God, I really don’t want to find him like that again.

Avery snorts when she sees my face and links her arm in mine. “Let me guess, Annabelle was bent over a table.”

“On her knees actually.” Avery’s nose wrinkles and she shakes her head. I want to ask her what part she’s grossed out about but then I see the lights and I realize that low throbbing sound means we’re coming up on the party.

I can feel the music in my chest as we walk into the groundskeeper’s cottage.

Cottage is a terrible word for the building; its huge but old and dilapidated. I find myself cringing the further we get in, like that will somehow save me when the ceiling caves in. It’s definitely coming down and the pulsing beat coming from the speakers seems to be teasing the cracked plaster, coaxing it into giving up.

Avery doesn’t seem concerned about being crushed to death as she struts into the party and heads straight for the drinks table. There’s a couple of guys playing bartenders and the drunk girls ordering drinks are paying them in kisses, which are getting more and more explicit as we stand there waiting. When Avery reaches for a bottle of snobby bubbly the guy raises his eyebrows at her and she gives him a ball-shriveling smirk. He looks away pretty quickly and focuses on me instead.

“Mounty! What’s your poison? It’ll only cost you a quick fuck. Just lay back and think of the Queen.”

He’s pretty cocky with a table between us but I’m limber when I need to be and I could jump it to smack him out. Avery watches the plans form in my brain and laughs as she grabs a bottle of whiskey. “Such a glowing review of your skills, Rafe, but rest assured, you couldn’t handle Mounty pussy.”

I cannot believe the word pussy just came out of Avery Beaumont’s silver spooned mouth. I snatch the whiskey from her and take a few big gulps straight from the bottle, just enough to take the edge off and make this cluster fuck bearable.

“Let’s dance for a while. We should be able to find Joey while we do.” Avery shouts over the music and I give her a sharp nod.

The dance floor takes up the entire bottom floor of the cottage and the only people who aren’t dancing in someway are those waiting to grab drinks. The DJ is at the bottom of the staircase and he has a joint dangling from his lips precariously. Avery throws her head back to sip at the bubbly as she sways and grinds to the music. I’m too distracted by the pressing crowd and my own surveillance to really get into it but it’s still fun to dance with her.

It takes three songs to spot Joey and he’s practically skipping up the stairs with two barely dressed girls under his arms. I’m sure they’re holding him up more than anything.

I signal to Avery and we move towards the staircase.

The music is so loud there that I’m sure my eardrums are going to start bleeding and I hurry to flee upstairs. I manage two steps before Avery’s hand clamps around my wrist and I look back to see Blaise standing over her with a frown. He’s fucking gorgeous in tight jeans, biker boots, and a band tee. His eyes are glazed and he’s all sweaty from dancing. I force myself to look away from him before I embarrass myself.

Avery taps a message on her phone and then turns it to me.

He’s wasted. He said he’ll call Ash if I go upstairs because it’s practically an orgy up there.

I take the phone and reply.

Stay here and dance. I’ll get what we came for.

Avery purses her lips at me and gives a curt nod. I try to smile reassuringly but she’s glaring at Blaise and misses it. I wait until she tugs him back into the crowd and then I start back up the stairs.

Upstairs is definitely not one big orgy.

It’s six different orgies, spread throughout the rooms.

I get some raised brows at the landing and one guy tries to coax me into the bathroom once he recognizes me. I raise a fist with a warning look and he backs off pretty quickly. He is completely naked so he probably thought I was going to punch him directly in his dick.

It was definitely my intended target.

I move slowly and quietly from room to room while I look for Joey. No one involved in the group sex notices me, thank god, because it’s much easier to be impartial when you’re not making eye contact with the girl who sits in front of you in Health Ed while she’s being eaten out by her blonde, cutesy best friend.

I make it to the ensuite bathroom at the very end of the hall before I find Joey.

He’s sprawled out on the floor making out with a girl and twisting her bare nipples while the second girl rides his dick. The girl he’s kissing keeps flinching away from his hands and I know she is not enjoying the pain he’s causing her but she’s kissing him all the same.

I take a few photos and a little video before I leave them to it.

Avery has finished the bubbly and is letting off some serious steam on the dance floor. As I make it over to her Blaise throws his head back and roars with laughter at something she says to him, though the music is too loud for me to hear it. He’s drunk. He’s fucking plastered and when I spot the bottle of whiskey Avery had snatched for me I see he’s finished it off. Fuck. He’ll be lucky to survive the night without choking on his own vomit.

Avery grins when she sees me and then I join them both for a few songs, dancing and twirling and sweating my heart out. I could stay there all night with them both but then Blaise turns green and lurches away, stumbling outside to puke on the steps.

Charming, I think but my infatuation with him doesn’t falter. I need therapy.

Avery tucks herself under one of his arms and starts to lead him back to the school but she struggles underneath his weight when he stumbles. His eyes are closed and he’s mumbling incoherently under his breath, a shiver running through him as the night air hits the sweat on his skin. I watch her take two steps before I sigh and duck under the other arm to help out. I breathe through my mouth, absolutely determined to not drown in his scent, and Avery shoots me a grateful look. She can guess at how much I do not want to touch him.

It’s fine. I can feel his muscular arm across my shoulder and his chest is half draped over my back and I feel like I’m dying but it’s fine. Totally fine. I’m fine.

We make it to the tree line uninterrupted. My leg is starting to protest the extra weight and I make a note to take something to stop the inevitable swelling before I pass out. I’m busy keeping my brain preoccupied so I don’t notice Annabelle until Avery abruptly stops.

I glance up at her and curse viciously under my breath.

“Move, Summers.” Avery snaps.

Annabelle’s face is flushed and her eyes are hazy. She’s wearing a red bondage dress and absolutely ridiculous heels, honestly I’m surprised her ankles haven’t snapped yet.

“Give him here. We came together and we’ll leave together.”

Avery huffs and adjusts her hold around Blaise’s waist so he doesn’t fall. He’s gently rocking on his feet and making us both rock with him. I’m glad I didn’t drink much because it’s already making my stomach protest. I can tell Avery is about to lose her cool and go full Beaumont on the bitch’s ass.

“He’s done for the night. We’ll see him back safely.” I say and Blaise chooses that moment to tuck his face into my neck and mumble nonsense into skin. The greatest achievement of my life so far is suppressing the shiver that threatens to take me over.

Annabelle looks at me like she didn’t even notice I was there to begin with. “You? Fuck no, if he goes home with you he’ll be tied to a fucking bed and forced to play out all of your stalker fantasies.”

“If he goes home with you, he’ll wake up naked and an expectant father. Now fuck off.” Avery hisses at her and starts to walk again. Blaise’s legs stumble, like he’s startled that we’re on the move again, and when Annabelle starts screaming at us he lifts his head and yells out to her, “I told you to leave me the fuck alone, Summers.” Then he tucks his face back into my neck and sighs.

My leg is shaking as we enter the school building and by the second flight of stairs Avery declares that she’s going to gift the school an elevator. Blaise is snoring and his feet are dragging along behind us as I fumble to get our door open. Avery is looking sweaty and disheveled and when I grin at her she pokes her tongue out at me.

Blaise is dropped unceremoniously onto the couch and Avery flings a thin blanket over him.

“Fucking rich kids.” I say and Avery laughs all the way to the bathroom.

CHAPTER FIVE

When I was living in the group foster home there was a girl there who had been forcibly removed from her home by child services because her step-brother had been molesting her. She was older than me, seventeen and on her way to aging out of the system, and her step-brother was the same age. He’d convinced her, as a fourteen year old, that they were married like their parents were and that she belonged to him. She was forced to cater to his every whim and he would get violent with her if she disobeyed him.

One night we were woken up by the sound of him trying to kick in the door. It was locked, bolted, and had a safety bar across it so it didn’t budge but we had to sit and listen to the enraged asshole kick it and shove it with his body while we waited for the police to arrive.

Three hours after we passed out from the party I wake to the sound of a different but equally enraged asshole attempting to kick our door in.

I shoot out of bed and grip my knife. Avery slaps her hand out to turn her bedside lamp on and reaches for her phone. The biggest shock is Blaise’s reaction.

For a guy who couldn’t even stay conscious long enough to carry his own body weight back to our room he’s pretty quick to leap to our defense. He’s up and charging for the door before I realize he’s awake and Avery yells out to stop him but he ignores her completely.

He rips open the door to find Joey, raving and deadly, with his leg raised to kick out again and Blaise jumps on him, taking him to the ground. Joey’s movement becomes even more frenzied and he bucks wildly to try to flip Blaise off but the rocker is a better fighter, even drunk off his ass.

Blaise smashes his fists into Joey’s face, over and over, and I scramble to watch. If Joey brought some of his flunkies I’ll need to step in and help. I hear Avery snarl orders down her phone so back up must be on its way.

Joey’s arms finally fall down to his sides and Blaise shuffles until his legs pin them to his body. Doors have started opening down the hallway and there are girls poking their heads out to see what’s going on. I cross my arms and glare at them until the doors all shut again. No one wants to deal with Joey when he’s high and destructive. I know I don’t.

Blaise stops hitting Joey and his chest is heaving, his lungs screaming for air.

“Mounty, I’m gonna fucking puke.” He croaks and I scramble to find him a bucket. I shove a large bowl under his chin just in time to save Joey’s face from the whiskey bile. Blaise wretches into it again and I take pity on him. I find a washcloth and wet it to scrub it over his sweaty face. He looks pretty pathetic by the time Ash and Harley arrive.

“What the fuck, Morrison?” snaps Harley while I’m tentatively rubbing Blaise’s back. Avery is emptying the bowl down the toilet and gagging at the vile smell.

“This is what death must feel like.” Blaise moans and I scoff at him. Oh joy. Here comes the signature Morrison dramatics.

Ash glares at us both as he grabs Blaise under the arms and pulls him off of Joey’s unconscious form. Avery appears in the doorframe, her robe tucked tight around her body, and wipes Blaise’s face with a clean washcloth with the efficiency of a seasoned mother. “If Blaise wasn’t here Joey would have gotten in. Lips would have had to stab the asshole.”

I mutter under my breath at her, “I fucking would’ve, too.”

Harley’s glare hasn’t eased off at all. He gives Avery a quick hug and then he grabs Joey’s legs to start dragging him down the hall. He holds them with the same enthusiasm you’d grab a pile of shit with bare hands. I watch with satisfaction as Joey’s head slams into every bump and chair leg on the way. I swear Harley is picking the most damaging path. I like his style.

“I’ll stay here with you.” Ash mumbles into Avery’s hair as he hugs her tight. Blaise is still slumped on the ground, taking deep breaths that make me think he’s gearing up for round two of emptying his gut.

“There’s no need. Go help Harls and we’ll make sure Blaise doesn’t have liver poisoning.”

Blaise moans, “I do. I definitely feel poisoned. Someone put me out of my fucking misery.”

I roll my eyes at him and help him up, stumbling and lurching back into our room. I give him a gentle push towards the couch but he stumbles towards the beds instead. I glance away quickly when he starts to strip right down to his boxers. Thank fuck he wasn’t commando. I may have died.

Our beautiful, ornate bay window is already showing signs of the sunrise, destroying any chances of me getting back to sleep. I turn the coffee machine on and start fussing with cups. I need an IV line of caffeine at this point. Today is going to suck.

“I’m too fucked for this shit.” Blaise moans and crawls into Avery’s bed. He pulls a pathetic looking face and she scoffs at him as she locks the door behind Ash. I pour out our drinks while Avery scrubs the bowl and her hands until I’m afraid she’s going to scour away her skin to the bone.

I hand her a cup and then we both sit on the couches, listening to Blaise snore as he sleeps away his hangover. My mind wanders for a minute while I process the night we’ve had.

“What did you mean about him waking up an expectant father?”

Avery’s eyes narrow, flashing dangerously, and she blows into her coffee while she seethes. “Last year she told Blaise and Ash that she was on the pill and that they didn’t have to use condoms anymore. Didn’t say it to Harley though. That makes it pretty obvious she’s lying and wants a rich baby daddy.”

I grimace. That’s something I’ve heard heaps of Mounty girls do to get out of care homes and away from abusive families. “They didn’t, did they?”

“Lord no! Those three don’t trust any girls they’ve ever fucked. Besides, they all talk to each other and when they figured out she’d left Harley out they knew what she was after. So obvious considering he was her favorite. If she wanted to have more intimate sex she would want it with him more than the other two.”

Right. So his declaration of stopping their…arrangement last year had nothing to do with me. My stomach sinks and I get angry at myself over it. I clear my throat and try to pull myself out of the little pity party that’s threatening to start in my head. “Was Harley into her as well?”

Avery laughs and shakes her head. “Annabelle was easy. She was so eager to have the guys attention that she didn’t care that they weren’t after a relationship. If they wanted to chase someone they’d go out, if they just wanted to fuck they’d go see her.”

I screw my nose up at her and drink my coffee. I shouldn’t be enjoying hearing this but, fuck me, I am. Annabelle was always so smug about being with them and I know most of the girls assumed they were offering her some sort of commitment.

The bitch wouldn’t want to call me a stalker again.

I make it through my morning classes but only because I’m used to withstanding and overcoming pure, unadulterated torture.

Avery looks polished and perfect, and I look like someone backed over my dead body with a semi and then resuscitated me to force me to class. I tell her that at lunch and she smirks into her grilled salmon like a bitch. She’s lucky I’ve decided to love her.

Ash joins us and sneers at me the entire time. I ignore his shitty attitude which only makes it worse. Avery tells him about her classes, her plans for Lance, the pose she’s perfecting in her ballet class, and he treats her like she’s the center of his universe. It’s sweet. She gives me an apologetic look and I brush her off. I know how much she hates the distance he’s put between them because of me.

I drop Avery off to her literature class on the way to my own. I turn into the hall and find myself shoved into an empty storage room. I’m about to start swinging when I hear Ash snap, “Calm down, I just want a word with you.”

For fucks sake.

I turn on my heel to glare at him. “We just ate together, you didn’t have to hurt me to speak to me.”

His eyes dart down to where I’m rubbing at my shoulder and he winces, slightly. “I didn’t think I’d pushed that hard.”

He hadn’t. It was an old injury. I’m a walking mess of scar tissue, crookedly healed bones, and nerve damage. I just do my best not to let anyone know that. “Whatever. What did you want to speak to me about?”

He straightens, his shoulders rolling back which made his chest double in width, and the look in his eye is the same one he’s given me everyday when he sees me with Avery. He loathes me and he’d cut me out of her life the second I prove my disloyalty.

“Stay the fuck away from Blaise and Harley. I don’t need you poisoning them with the same shit you’ve fed Avery. You’re a Mounty slut with an agenda and I’m not falling for your little act.”

Wow. I don’t know why I’m so shocked but my mind is stuck on the words Mounty slut. “I’m not trying anything with them. I’m actually actively avoiding them both. And don’t you ever call me a slut again, I think the ongoing bet proves I’m not.”

He scoffs at me and crosses his arms. “That’s why you sit with Harley in every class? And Blaise was in your room last night? You really are working overtime to get them. Just because you’re picky about the dick you want doesn’t make you any better than any other Mounty.”

I squint up at him and wonder if he’s had some sort of break from reality. Maybe Joey’s hit him too hard too many times and his brain has finally decided to tap out.

“Seating in all of our classes is assigned. He’s Arbour, I’m Anderson, we can’t change that unless he decides to go back to being an O’Cronin and I think we both know that isn’t happening. As for Blaise, I helped your sister carry him back last night. Then I helped him out while he spewed. Should I have handed him over to Annabelle instead? Are you okay with your friends being raped while they sleep by gold digging tramps? Or is it okay for her to fuck you all, even if you’re not conscious and consenting, because her family has money?”

Ash’s eyes have become scathing but he doesn’t answer me. I wait a minute before I scoff at him and storm out of the storage room right as Harley strides past. He frowns at me and then when Ash steps out after me he scowls. He opens his mouth to snarl at me and I cut him off. “You need to keep him the fuck away from me until he decides to get his head out of his ass.”

Ash scoffs, marching down the hall away from us both, and calls out over his shoulder, “Stay the fuck away from my friends, Mounty.”

I seethe during the rest of my classes. Harley doesn’t speak to me and he only looks at me when he thinks I won’t notice. My skin itches and crawls with irritation and I’m going to have to throat punch someone to calm the fuck down.

Mounty slut.

How fucking dare that womanizing, man-whore call me that.

I’m a fucking virgin! I’ve only kissed two guys and only one of them by choice. Fuck him!

When classes end Harley follows me to the stairs that lead to the dorms, completely silent like he knows I’m one word away from homicide. Avery is waiting at the bottom with Ash and when he sees me with Harley he turns on me.

“What the fuck do you not understand about staying away from him?”

I step up to poke his chest with my finger. “I don’t answer to you, asshole. You ever speak to me like this again and I’ll bury you.”

Avery puts a gentle hand on Ash’s chest as Harley tugs me back by the arm. I wrench my arm out of his grip and glare at him. He ignores me.

“Ash, you need to calm down and think about this.” Avery murmurs and when he looks at her he’s gutted, betrayed.

“She just said she’d bury me and you’re taking her side? Nice, Floss. Proves my point.”

Avery flings her arms around his neck and hugs him. “She wouldn’t actually do anything to hurt you. She saved me last year. If she hadn’t helped me Rory would’ve raped and beaten me. He might’ve killed me, Ash. Please just trust me and trust that I know what I’m doing being her friend.”

His arms slowly raise to hold her and I look away from them both to Harley. He’s watching them with something close to envy but it’s not a bad emotion. Like he loves them both so much and wishes he was their twin too. When he looks down at me he whispers, “We need a plan for Rory. I’m done sharing the halls with him.”

“Agreed.”

Avery wipes at her dry eyes like she’s worried the other students might see some sort of emotion from her and then we leave the guys there.

When we get back to our room we find Annabelle outside the door screaming at a very tired looking Blaise who is propped up on the doorframe, eyes bloodshot and bleary. When she finally stops to take a breath he snaps at her, vitriol and fire in his tone.

“Can you just fuck off? You had everything you wanted and then you fucked it all up. That’s it.”

A sob bursts out of her. “Please, Blaise! It’s not what you think!”

“What else would it be?” He shouts back. The hallway is teeming with girls and there’s more than a few phones recording. I wait for Avery to start collecting them and get onto damage control but she’s smiling her evil little smile instead.

“I thought I was doing the right thing, I thought that’s what you guys would want. I was going to talk to Harley about it as well! You only think that I was being dishonest because of Avery, she’s become so jealous since she’s become friends with the Mounty. The stalker has turned you all against me!”

Fucking lying bitch. Avery arches an eyebrow at me and we both push past the lovers quarrel to get into our own room. I think about shoving Blaise through the door and slamming it on him but then he answers Annabelle.

“The Mounty you hate so much has never betrayed my trust like that. She’s kept promises when she should have told me to fuck off because I was an absolute dick to her. I even offered to pay her for tutoring me last year and she told me to shove my money up my ass. So, who’s the manipulative slut here? If you want a baby daddy to fund the life you want go find one dumb enough to believe your lies.”

Okay, I’ve reached my threshold of being called a slut today. I’ve hit the limit and I’m going to start stabbing people. Avery’s super senses pick up on this and she joins Blaise to get her to leave. I lock myself in the bathroom to try and scrub the anger out of my skin.

By the time I get out Avery is packing her Ballet bag and Blaise is grumbling as he prepares to walk her down to her class.

“Better?” she says and I plaster a fake smile on.

“I won’t ever bury your brother but if he calls me a slut ever again I will castrate him. Like I said, it’s in my skill set and I can actually do it. If you ever want to be an aunty someday you should probably warn him.”

Avery bursts out laughing while Blaise looks at me with horror, one hand subconsciously covering his groin. I’m so proud of myself as I wink at him and when my phone pings in my pocket I don’t even think as I grab it.

Have you forgotten about me, little Starbright?

My blood turns to ice. It’s a good way of stopping my attraction from becoming obvious. Avery watches my face carefully and when I slump onto my bed to figure out how the fuck to answer Matteo without causing more trouble she starts to usher Blaise out of the room.

Never. I could never forget you.

CHAPTER SIX

I’m woken by a quiet knock at the door.

I glance at my phone and see it’s 2am. Not happy. Avery is still asleep, breathing slow and even, and it takes me a second to realize what has woken me up. As I slide out of my bed I hear the knock again, louder and more insistent. I check the peephole to find Ash standing there. I glance back to Avery but she still hasn’t woken up. It’s been two weeks since our confrontation and I’ve managed to avoid him completely. I don’t want to see him now.

With a sigh I open the door.

It’s only after it’s open that I realize I’ve never seen so much as a bare ankle on Ash before. He’s always wearing a full uniform, pressed to perfection and spotless, which only leaves his hands and above his neck uncovered.

And now he’s standing in front of me in boxers and a loose tank top, the armholes so big I can see his nipples peeking out.

Sweet lord. Jesus have mercy.

Fuck me, my soul has left my body.

They’re some damn good nipples.

“Yes?” I manage to squeak out. I force my eyes to stay firmly above his shoulders which isn’t much better on my poor libido. His hair is rumpled and adorable, he’d give Blaise’s sex hair a run for its money. He raises an eyebrow at me with cold eyes. The look calms the chaos of my hormones a bit. I remember that he’s an utter dick and I glare back at him.

“I’m not here for you.” He snaps and pushes past me. I let him go and then swing the door shut behind him. After I’ve gotten all of the extra bolts in place I head back to my own bed. Ash climbs onto Avery’s bed and wakes her. She looks cranky for a second and then she softens. Ash glares over his shoulder at me until I get the point and slip my headphones on. I roll away from them so he can talk to her in peace.

I pray I don’t snore and then I slip back to sleep.

When my alarm wakes me again at 6am I find Ash asleep on one of the couches. My breath catches in my throat looking at him with his head pillowed on his bicep. There’s a blanket tangled up in his legs and he’s frowning even in his sleep. Avery is sitting up in her bed and tapping away on her phone. She glances up at me and grimaces.

“Joey.” she whispers, “He’s been telling Father a load of crap about Ash and now Father is sending all sorts of lovely messages to Ash. He’s under so much pressure from them both, I’m really worried.”

I swing my legs out of bed and pad quietly over to sit on her bed so we don’t wake Ash. “Is your dad…like Joey?” I ask hesitantly. We haven’t covered this with our truths yet. Avery sighs and nods.

Great.

I scrub a hand over my face and then I smile at her. “We’ll add that to the list of things we need to sort out then.”

Avery scoffs as I head into the bathroom. “There’s no sorting Senior out, Lips. There’s only surviving him.”

I had always thought that about the Jackal too. But I have some ideas and plans in the pipeline. Now I have the desire to get us out of this mess alive and relatively unscathed. All of us, even Ash. He might be an asshole to me right now but I know he loves his sister and, before Joey fucked things up, we’d been close to being…friends? On friendly terms at the very least.

I shower and dress for the day. When I walk back into the kitchen to grab a coffee and some fruit for breakfast Ash is gone and Avery is still in her bed on her phone. I have no idea who she would even call in to help with this. I sit on my bed to face her.

“When you’re ready, we should talk about your father. I can’t help if I don’t have the full scope of the problem.” I say, trying to sound gentle. I don’t know if I succeed.

Avery looks up and her eyes are wet. It’s the closest to crying I’ve ever seen her and I panic a little. Avery Beaumont doesn’t cry. Just like Lips Anderson doesn’t do girl talk. It’s fucking weird.

She clears her throat. “I don’t see how you can help. On the surface, Senior is a well respected businessman. He was born filthy rich and will die that way. He has three beloved children he’s raised on his own since his beautiful wife died under tragic circumstances. He’s on the board for multiple charities and he’s a highly sought after bachelor.”

She stops and takes a deep breath. “His legitimate businesses are all a front for the illegal ones. He has a lot of say on what happens in politics, there are senators that answer to him, and he makes sure that legislation that helps his business and crushes others is pushed through. He enjoys hurting women and beat my mother everyday when she was alive. He’s in a gentleman’s club and they bet on awful, depraved things I can’t speak about.”

I nod and blow out a breath as I think. “He knows Joey kills people for fun and he covers for him. He knows he’s hurting Ash, too. He knows Joey killed you and he covered for him then as well. I’m guessing Joey is his favorite?”

Avery drops her phone.

Fuck.

I forgot we hadn’t talked about any of that. I’d been given that information by the Jackal when I was trying to sort Joey out after he’d attacked another student.

“How-how did you know that?” Avery whispers. She looks beyond shocked, haunted and terrified.

I grimace. Not a good way to prove I’m trustworthy. “Last year I did some digging into your family. I was trying to figure out how much of a danger Joey really was. I should have told you, I’m sorry.”

Avery stares at me, her face unblinking, and I start to really think I’ve fucked up. She recovers and swoops down to grab her phone. “Ash will lose his mind if he finds out you know.”

Typical Avery, always protecting her brother first. I speak carefully, measuring my words, “I found all of this out last year when you were trying to get me to drop out. If I wanted to spread it, I would’ve done it then.”

Avery nods, then whispers, “We haven’t even told Harley or Blaise. Ash doesn’t want anyone to know.”

Holy fuck.

I start to chew my nails, a habit I’ve kicked but unless I can find some whiskey it’ll have to do. “I’ll take it to my grave, Avery. I swear to you, I will never tell a soul. But I need more information so we can get you both out of there.” She nods reluctantly and I go on, “Why doesn’t Ash stop him? He’s bigger and he wins all of his fights in the boys dorms.”

Avery traces the stitching in her pillow with one of her long, manicured fingers as she refuses to meet my eye. “It’s because of me. Joey told him he’d kill me if he fights back. The summer before freshman year Ash lost his temper with him and punched him back. Broke his jaw with one punch. That night Joey strangled me. Ash had to call Harley to get us and get me to the hospital.”

“How did you explain it to Harley?”

“Ash told him what had happened. He just didn’t tell him it’s been going on for years.”

I decide then and there that I’m going to stop being shit at girl talk and learn how to do this whole best friend thing properly. I get up and hug Avery.

She startles, because she knows just how hug-adverse I am, but she hugs me back tightly. I hook my chin onto her shoulder and say, “There are a few things I can do. Let me help you.”

She nods.

I’m going to have to take out both Joseph Beaumonts one way or another.

911. Coffee. Ballet.

Right. I’m not sure why bringing a coffee to Avery at her Ballet class is being considered an emergency but I’m scrambling to do it anyway. I’m still pretty jittery after our long conversation about her fucked up father and my mind immediately goes into overdrive. I’m picturing Joey attacking her or an assassin, maybe a kidnapping.

Is our room bugged?

I need to do a full intensive search the second I can. I’d been studying in my pajamas so I had to throw a sweater over my Vanth shirt while the coffee machine worked its magic.

I dodge curious looks and leering seniors as I sprint to the dance gym, my hand steady on the reusable, glass coffee cup Avery had personalized with ‘Dictator in Power’ after I’d told her about my sniping with Harley about our history class last year. I can’t look at it without bursting out laughing.

Someday, when I tell her who I am, I want one with a wolf on it. Two very different, but very deadly, predators.

When I make it to the gym I expect to find a crowd or a dead body or something and instead Avery is sitting on the bench by the doors scowling at her phone. I slump down next to her and hand her the coffee.

“Harlow Roqueford is a dirty, pathetic bitch who needs a reality check. She’s going on my planner for next week. You in?”

On her planner. That’s Avery’s way of saying she’s going to start a campaign. Currently, we have Joey, Rory, Lance, and Annabelle on her planner and I feel like we’re getting nowhere with all of them. Well, why the fuck not?

I lean back and say,“Definitely. What do you want me to do?”

“How about you take your dirty, trash self back to where you belong? In the slums.”

Great. I look up to see the woman of the hour standing over us with her hands on her hips. She was wearing a sports bra and leggings that were so tight I could see not only her lack of underwear but also the fact that she has a landing strip. Pass the bleach, I want to die.

Avery’s eyes drop thirty degrees in temperature and she becomes a marble statue, cold and hard. “Harlow, if you’re going to speak to us can you please put on some underwear? I can see your gaping vagina trailing down your thighs from here.”

Sweet merciful lord, I nearly choke.

Harlow doesn’t flinch. She flicks her hair over her shoulder and shrugs at Avery. “You think you’re untouchable because you’re a Beaumont, well guess what? Your own brother wants you dead.”

I roll my eyes and Avery chuckles, her voice as sweet and kind as shards of broken glass. “I am well aware of Joey’s thoughts on me. I do live with him, you know.”

Harlow’s eyes flick to me. “You call in your little guard dog? How much are you paying the trash to watch your back?”

Avery takes a long sip of her coffee. Long enough that Harlow begins to twitch. She wants Avery’s full attention. She wants to scare her and knock her off of the top of the social ladder.

She’s so stupid.

“Are you trying to win Joey’s affection by attacking me? Because that would make you brain dead and pathetic. Joey doesn’t have affections, he just wants to get high and fuck as many different girls as he can. You’ll never keep him. It baffles me to think of a reason why you would want to keep him.” The door to the dance rooms opens and students pour out. We get a few curious looks and Jessie gives me a shy wave. I smile at her.

Harlow’s mouth slides into a smug, over-the-top smirk that makes her look deranged and simple. “He’s rich, hot, and he has a huge dick. What more could a girl want?”

I gag. I can’t help it, it happens before I can lock it down. Avery pats me gently on the back like it’s totally normal and her mouth quirks upwards.

Annabelle steps up besides Harlow and I tense. She’s wearing a pale pink leotard and tights, her legs look like they go on forever. I can see the appeal. “Well, Harlow. If I gave a damn about you in any way I would tell you I think you’ve picked the wrong Beaumont brother on all of those accounts.”

Avery sighs. We share a look as Harlow scoffs and turns on Annabelle, “Why pick the boy when you can have the man?”

Annabelle laughs right in her face. I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole and now I’m stuck in Wonderland watching two evil queens battle it out. It’s surreal and highly entertaining.

“Oh Harlow. Joey has to ask Senior for everything; Ash doesn’t. Joey is a tweaking, sinewy mess with his little habit; Ash isn’t. And I know for a fact that Ash has a good three inches on his brother.”

I’m kind of horrified at myself but I’m stuck between being jealous and curious at what Annabelle is saying. I also feel a nervous giggle starting in my chest and I need to shut that shit right down. Avery has scrunched her nose up in disgust. Right, talk of your brothers dicks must be gross. Poor Aves.

“You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you Easy A?”

Annabelle shakes her head at Harlow with a smile. “Sweetheart, I have seen more photos of you on a dick than any other girl at this school. Don’t mistake which one of us is the whore.”

I stand up and tug Avery to her feet. This is getting monotonous and I don’t want to hear anything else about Ash’s sex life. Or the other two. Avery slips her arm into mine and we head back to our room. When we stop so Avery can unlock our door Annabelle calls out to us. Avery scoffs and rolls her eyes. I’m tempted to ignore her but she’s on Avery’s planner and we might be able to use whatever she’s here about to destroy her.

I meet her eye and give her a curt nod.

Avery ignores her completely in favor of heating up some of the weird soup with kale and fish she’s currently obsessed with. I pull a face at the smell and grab a tub of ice cream out to soften. Annabelle looks around curiously. It occurs to me that Avery never lets anyone but the boys into the room.

“Where did Blaise sleep when he was here?” says Annabelle, eyeing my bed like it carries diseases. I snort at her and Avery laughs.

“Summers, he slept wherever the hell he wanted to like he always does. What’s it to you, anyway?”

Annabelle crosses her arms and looks down her nose at me. “I’m here to ask you two to stop interfering in my relationships. It’s none of your business who I’m dating.”

I grab a spoon and share a look with Avery. She’s got her phone out and she’s got someone on the line but Annabelle can’t see it from where she’s standing. “What my family does is very much my business and I’m not having an illegitimate child born to some gold digging, teenage girl who wants to spread her legs and spend someone else’s money.”

Annabelle sighs and rubs her arms. She doesn’t look like the pretty, confident girl I’d first seen with Blaise. She’s tired, angry, and desperate.

“Whatever. Let me have Blaise. His parents like me because I don’t encourage his stupid music and he’s not your family. Get the Mounty bitch to stop tutoring him and I’ll leave Harley and Ash alone.”

Avery tuts at her. “I thought you loved Harley? Didn’t you tell him that?”

“I do but my family are going under, as you well know, and I don’t want to end up on the streets. If he had access to his inheritance then I’d be fighting for him. I can’t wait around while he figures out how to get the money back.”

I shove a huge spoonful of ice cream into my mouth so I don’t cuss the bitch out. There are a thousand good reasons to pick a guy. I can think of plenty of reasons why I would pick Blaise, Harley, or Ash, even while they hated me. But picking one over the other because of money is disgusting. Saying Harley isn’t a worthy choice makes me sick.

Avery sets down her soup and glides past Annabelle to open the door for her, a clear dismissal. When Annabelle doesn’t move Avery gives her a predatory smile.

“I don’t make promises to anyone but my family. Get out of my room and just remember who you’re speaking to.”

When the door is locked behind Annabelle and Avery is back sitting with her soup I arch an eyebrow at her.

“Ash, Harley and Blaise are all my family. You’re my family. That’s it. I’ll be damned if that bitch touches any of them again.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

I spend all day on Saturday trying to get in front with my classwork. Avery spends the day with Ash and Harley in Haven and she surprises me with a gorgeous pair of boots. They’re black leather, soft as a baby’s butt, with chains and studs. The top of the boot has a tiny sheath that I can keep my knife in. I’m speechless and amazed. She laughs at me and brushes off my thanks. I refuse to look up how much they cost and I tell her to stop spending money on me which only makes her laugh.

We eat the sushi she’s brought home and then I get back to work while she jumps into the shower to start her nighttime routine. She takes forever.

The knock at the door startles me out of my studying. I sigh, frustrated at the distraction, and fling open the door to find Blaise propped up on the doorframe with a lazy smirk. I grit my teeth and attempt a smile.

“Avery is in the shower. You're welcome to hang out on the couch until she's out.”

The smirk grows wider and way too cocky for my liking. “I'm here for you, Mounty.”

I let my eyes take him in, every detail from head to toe. He’s wearing a pair of dark gray, fitted jeans with a band tee. I know the band, Malice Unfolding, but I’m surprised he does too. His smirk grows wider but then I give him one back and say, “No thanks.”

He is so shocked at my dismissal that he barely manages to stop me from shutting the door in his face. “Mounty, for fucks sake. Hear me out. Please.” Urgh. It's the please that gets me. I’m also curious to see if this is about Annabelle’s appearance here the night before.

I let him push the door open again and give him an expectant look.

“Right.” Blaise stops and clears his throat. I already know I’m going to hate whatever comes out of his mouth next. It’s either going to be insulting or endearing and I don’t want to deal with either of those things. “I’ve made another deal with my dad. If I graduate senior year with a 3.0 GPA or higher he’s going to let me take a gap year without pitching a fit. I want to fit in a world tour and a new album. I also want to use that time to convince my parents that college isn’t for me.”

I sigh and motion him into the room. Avery is still in the shower and the coffee machine starts beeping to say the sweet, sweet nectar of the gods is ready to be consumed in bucket-like quantities to get me through an all-nighter. I head towards the machine. “You didn’t need to come here, I already tutor you. We can go through all of your syllabi and get a plan together on how we’re going to make it work.”

I pour myself a cup and then, after hesitating for a second, I pour one for Blaise too. I know exactly how he takes his coffee but there’s no torture method on the planet that would get me to admit that so I slide the sugar and creamer to him.

“Lance is taking up too much of your time. Ash would back off and let you work with me in peace but the little Mounty fuck wouldn’t.”

I cut him a look. Fuck knows why I’m defending Lance, probably the venom in Blaise’s voice as he spits out Mounty. I’m waiting for him to say something about the pickup at the docks and the dirty money I had with me.

He grimaces under my stare and then speaks carefully, “I don’t want Lance to know how much trouble I have with my classes. He’s an arrogant asshole and I’d rather not have to beat the shit out of him if he runs his mouth. If Avery finds out it’ll be the next Mounty hunt.”

Is Blaise fucking Morrison, lead singer and guitarist of Vanth Falling, rock god and literal idol of my heart, embarrassed? Fuck me, that’s worse than an insult or sweetness. I’m doomed to pander to his every fucking whim.

I scrub a hand over my face and try to look stern, to hide just how whipped I am for this guy who still thinks I’m trash.

Look, I’m not saying I’m going to fall at his feet. I have self respect and I’m perfectly aware of just how much he loathes me.

But the fleeting pink tinge to his cheeks and the way he’s chewing on his lip is enough to make me jump through some academic hoops with him. Sue me. Plus, he’s not actually dumb. He’s really smart but he doesn’t process information the same way as the other students do so the teachers just assume he’s slacking off. Now I’ve figured him out, I’ve cut his study time in half which is why he insists on it being me that helps him. Fuck.

I hold up three fingers and watch as his eyes light up, goddammit. “Three rules.”

He nods. “One: you’ll come to every study session on time and with the agreed work done before. If I’m going to put in the time and effort you will too. I don’t care if it’s wrong and we have to redo it, you have to give everything a go.”

“Agreed. Next?”

“Rule two: you’ll show me respect while we study. We can do it here, Avery has ballet and dance most nights so we can pick a few nights a week and we’ll be left to it but I’m not having you get pissy and tearing into me for no reason. Save that for the dining hall or parties or some shit.”

He has the decency to look sheepish, but not quite enough to apologize. “Yep. Next?”

“Rule three is simple: don’t tell Ash.”

This gets me a frown and a stern eye. “Why? He wouldn’t give a shit.”

I scoff at him and move to rinse out my now empty cup. “He lost his mind over you sleeping here after the party. He cornered me and told me to stay the fuck away from you and Harley. He’s practically pissed on your leg to assert his ownership of you.”

Blaise’s frown deepens and he chews on those damn lips of his again. “Alright. But I’m going to have a chat to him about you.” I’m shaking my head before he even finishes the sentence.

“I don’t need your help. He’ll figure it out on his own.”

I sound way more confident than I am but, hey, I’m faking it until I make it.

Harley laughs at me when I hand him my completed half of our history assignment. I glare back at him but it only makes him laugh harder.

When he finally settles down he hands me his completed half and I groan at him. “Can you just tell me which half you’re doing for the rest of them? I have a lot more on my plate this year helping Avery and tutoring.”

Harley just grins and shakes his head. He is absolutely breathtaking. Literally, I can’t breathe if I look at him for longer than a second. But I’m seriously tempted to scratch his eyes out right then.

He reads this on my face and his grin grows wider. Asshole. “I forgot to tell you. I’ve dealt with our Rory issue. Take him off Ave’s planner.”

I straighten, surprised. “What did you do?”

Avery and I had been torn on the best way to get rid of him. I wanted something permanent, like death or severe mutilation. I daydream sometimes about carving the word rapist into his face so every woman he encounters from then onwards would know the type of guy he really is. Avery enjoys public humiliation better. She’s been digging around in his emails, texts, social media, anything she can to find something to destroy him with. Nothing so far.

Harley waves the teacher over to hand him our completed assignment. He’s damn near preening as the entire class glares at us both. “Have you ever been to a football game at Hannaford? The hotdogs are pretty good.”

My eyes narrow. “Not yet. Is there one coming up? I do like hotdogs.”

I love the smug look on his face, it’s laced with a dark, malicious glee that I know all too well. “Friday night. Everyone leaves for the fall break when it finishes. Bring Aves and we’ll make a night of it.”

I nod and smile back at him, happy and relieved it’s been taken care of. Harley’s grin slips a little and he glances away from me. I try really hard to not be offended that he doesn’t like the look of my smiling face. I know I’m not ugly. I’m still on the scrawny side but the food at Hannaford and Avery’s constant supply of coffee and ice cream means I’m filling in and I have some cleavage. Not a lot but enough to no longer look like a twelve year old boy. My ass is also nicely rounded, which was a bit of a surprise to me. I’ve honestly never eaten enough to have any sort of an ass and my mom had always been the sort of skinny only drug addicts can be. Avery tells me it’s a good look in my booty shorts that I love so much so I know I’m not hideous.

I focus on my classwork, and not my wounded ego, and he doesn’t try to speak to me again. When the class finishes I head straight to the library for my tutoring sessions so I can take a minute to pick my brain up off the floor and remember why I don’t ever get involved with guys.

Why am I not a lesbian?

By the time Ash arrives I’m mostly settled. He gives me a curt nod and hands over a pile of assignments for me to look through. Lance arrives as I hand it all back. He smiles at me like I’m his long lost lover and I’m pissed off that I’ll have to try and manage this crush he seems to have. The whispers from the other students don’t seem to be affecting him at all. The fight with Blaise hasn’t even been enough to get him to drop out of my tutoring sessions. He’s got a much thicker skin than I expected and that only pisses me off more.

Half an hour in, it becomes clear Blaise isn’t coming to the session. I know the reason why but the frown on Ash’s face tells me Blaise didn’t warn him he’d dropped out.

“Scared the crappy singer off?” Lance laughs and I don’t even try to pretend to find it funny. He keeps looking at me through his eyelashes and I’m cringing away from him.

“You’ll need to come up with better insults than that. The guy sings like a fucking audible orgasm.”

That throws him off. Lance blanches and gapes at me. “Audible…orgasm?”

Ash squints at me like he’s waiting for the insult to come out and I ignore him. “Yep. I’ve been listening to his music for years and I love every fucking second of it so pick something else to insult him about. Like his shitty attitude or his man-whoring ways.”

Ash snorts and then slaps a hand over his mouth like he’s just been caught cavorting with the enemy. I roll my eyes at him and get back to work. Lance sulks pathetically. I swear the guys at this school are all moody, temperamental shits.

When the hour is up Lance leaves with barely a goodbye. I pack up my stuff but Ash just stares at me. I wait him out.

“No longer embarrassed about your obsession?” Ash sneers at me, but it really looks like he’s forcing it. Like he doesn’t want me to know he is interested in the answer but I’m now a fucking expert in Beaumont Bullshitting. I see right through him.

“Nope. Avery is obsessed with Ed Sheeran and she’s choreographed her entire ballet performance piece this year to one of his songs. Does that mean she wants to fuck the ginger? No. Last year I got flustered around Blaise because I was completely unaware that he went here and I’d be facing someone I’d spent years listening to. I admire his vocal talent. Does not mean I want to fuck him or stalk him or… any of the other things you’ve accused me of. So, get over it.”

Ash folds his arms and leans back in his seat. “Hypothetically, if Morrison wanted to fuck you-“

I cut him off. “I’m not fucking any guy from Hannaford, hypothetically or otherwise. No one. Not a single one. No one will win the damn bet.”

I mean every word.

He doesn’t have to know it’s not exactly by choice.

I get back to the dorms and pass Avery in the hall. She’s dressed for her contemporary dance class and her bag is slung over her shoulder. She quirks an eyebrow at me and pulls me into a hug. I startle but then she whispers, “There’s a rockstar waiting in our rooms for his tutor.”

Crap. I’d forgotten to tell Avery.

I pull back and scrunch my nose up at her. She just laughs and heads to dance class with a wave. I have eight steps left to get myself together and then I’m opening the door to find Blaise sprawled out on the floor with pizza boxes. Where the hell he found the pizza is beyond me but the smell is practically orgasmic to my empty stomach.

“You’re late, Mounty.” He teases and I lock the door behind me. I roll my eyes at him because I’m three minutes late and he’s being an ass about it even though he’s never made it on time before.

“Just let me get changed and then we can start.”

He nods and shoves another slice into his mouth. I flick the coffee machine on as I head into the bathroom and quickly pull on some yoga pants and a sweater. I look like a toddler wearing her dad’s clothes but it also feels a little like armor. I know I look like crap so it’s totally okay if Blaise thinks I do too. I wonder if I could convince the teachers to let me wear it to class as well?

I sit down and hand Blaise a cup. He pushes a box closer to me and when I open it I find a chicken, bacon, and mushroom pizza. My favorite. My eyes narrow at him.

“Did you ask Avery to get us dinner?” I ask as I gulp down some coffee. I’m exhausted and by the looks of the piles of assignments Blaise isn’t planning on having a slack evening.

“Nah, I drove into Haven to get it. She told me what you’d eat though. You didn’t tell her I was studying here?” he scratches his chest and I can’t help but admire the tattoos peeking out from the collar of his Henley shirt.

“I forgot. I’m busier this year and there’s more to do now that I’m keeping Avery safe.”

Blaise stares at me for a second then he chews his bottom lip. “Is she safe?”

Fuck I hope so. “As safe as I can get her. Look, I’ve had a rough day. I appreciate you grabbing us dinner, I wouldn’t have eaten otherwise. Can we get into this so I can try to get a few hours of sleep?”

He nods and we fall into a quiet studying session, the hour passing quickly. Avery texts to say Ash is walking her back from dance and I start to pack Blaise up to avoid a fight.

When we both stand Blaise holds out an iPod. It’s an old one, nothing special, and it’s scuffed and scratched. I take it hesitantly.

“What's this?”

“A playlist. If we're going to be friends then I'm taking advantage of your good taste in music. Give it a listen and let me know what you like. I’ll grab it next week so wipe it and make me a list.”

My heart flutters and I silently tell it to calm the fuck down. He wants to swap music with me? That’s an irresistible move and I’m sure he knows it too. What the hell is he playing at?

“How do you know I have good taste?”

Blaise grins at me and then sucks on his bottom lip, rolling it between his teeth. I force myself not to watch the action because I may drool.

“Well, you like Vanth. I'm assuming your taste must be decent.”

Then he leaves. I stare at the cushions he was sitting on, stunned, and then with a smile I put the headphones on and listen to the little piece of his soul he’s gifted me.

CHAPTER EIGHT

I wake up on Friday filled with nervous, excitable energy.

Avery laughs at me as I jitter my way around the kitchen and bathroom and she tries to cut off my caffeine supply. A solid deathly glare fixes that.

“We’ll meet at the library after class to sort out your biology notes. We can leave there together to go to the football game.” I say as I wash out my cup. Avery is fussing with her hair in the bathroom with the door open so she can snark at me. She’s less than ecstatic about Harley asking us to go to the football game, she hates every single thing about the sport. Only the lure of watching Rory’s downfall manages to convince her.

Harley notices my energy but doesn’t comment until our last class for the day. He gives me a little grin, evil twinkling in his stunning blue eyes, and says, “See you there, Mounty.”

I take a second to remember that oxygen is something I need and then I head off to meet Avery. She beats me there and is sitting at my tutoring desk, already working on the notes.

I sit and try not to fidget.

“What’s your truth for the day?” I say. I’d woken up determined to tell Avery who I really was and how we’re going to use that to sort Joey out. Now that Rory was off the list and Annabelle was, apparently, on limited time we had to focus on the real danger in the school. The only problem is I’m shitting myself about telling her. I’m actually happy for the first time in my life. I have a best friend, I have two other sort-of friends, and I’m hopeful Ash will come around. Avery already knows I have some involvement in the Twelve and the shady, criminal world that comes with it but knowing I am a member? Knowing what I do for money? That might be a deal breaker. I should have told her sooner.

Avery surveys the room with a cold look. Students scurry away from our table and she smirks at me. “Hmm. When I was nine I failed a spelling test. My mother had just died and I didn’t care about anything. I wanted to die as well but I was afraid of leaving Ash. Anyway, the teacher said she would have to call my father and tell him about it. I knew what he would do to me if he found out and instead of being scared, I got angry. I’d heard all about this teacher from my mother’s book club which was basically a front for day drinking and gossiping. I knew she was married to a doctor and lived a really great life. I also knew that the man that picked her up for lunch everyday was not her husband. I’d seen her lipstick on his neck and made the deduction that he wasn’t her brother. I told her that I was going home to tell my father about it. I told her I didn’t want to be taught by such an immoral woman. She decided not to call him and I ruled supreme in her class for the rest of the year.”

It’s like the magician had pulled back the curtain and I was finally seeing just how Avery Beaumont had become the force of nature that she was. Why am I not surprised she started her campaigns as a primary school child?

“It was a pivotal turning point in my life when I realized I could manipulate adults even more than I could my peers. I also realized I take in more than other people do. I spot things that my brothers don’t.”

I nod, thoughtfully. Avery sets down her pen and folds her hands in her lap. I know without looking that her ankles are crossed and her head tilts a fraction to the right. I call this the ‘Avery power pose’. She makes it when she’s plotting.

I clear my throat to bring her back to our conversation. “What’s the one thing you want to know about me? If you could ask for a truth, what would it be?”

She doesn’t hesitate or think about her answer. “Where exactly does a foster child orphaned by drug users find herself a hundred thousand dollars? Not the money you need laundered, I mean the money you had to pay for Harley’s hotel.”

I nod and blow out a breath. I clear my throat again and pick at my nails. “Have you ever heard of the Game that’s held by the Twelve?”

Avery freezes and stares at me like I've just grown another head. She gives the slightest nod of her head.

“I survived Mounts Bay because the Jackal took an interest in me. When I was thirteen he sponsored me and I won the Game. I was untouchable after that. I still am I guess, outside of these walls. There are people in the city that would not take kindly to how your brothers treat me.”

Avery’s jaw drops and she gapes at me. I fidget and sweat with nerves. When she still doesn’t speak I continue, “I chose to work alone because I don’t want to start a gang or an empire. Instead, I collect information from places no one else can and sometimes… I take people out. Outside of Hannaford I’m known as the Wolf.”

Avery finally comes out of her stupor and squeals with such zeal that the librarian rushes towards us expecting a dire injury. Blaise dashes out of one of the stacks with his shirt untucked and lipstick smeared down his neck. To my horror, Annabelle freaking Summers follows him out of the stacks with a savage but smug look on her face and her bra in full view. I level a glare at Blaise which he promptly ignores to lean over Avery.

“Hey, what’s happened? Are you okay?” his voice sounds wrong, all throaty and raspy from the making out he’s clearly been doing. I try not to let jealousy consume me but, really, Annabelle?! Is he mentally compromised or something?

The look Avery gives him is probably the worst I’ve ever seen. “I’m fine, thank you, Morrison. Go back to your dirty public fuck.”

Avery swearing is basically DEFCON 1. Blaise glares at Annabelle and when he turns back to Avery he actually looks a little embarrassed. “I had a momentary lapse in judgment.”

Then he pulls out a chair next to me and all but collapses into it to sit with us. Annabelle glares at us and tries to pull the chair out next to him. He stops her and refuses to look at her. It is so awkward I want to die.

“Blaise-“

He rubs his face with a rough hand and groans at her, “Go away. I’m not going there with you again. I told you that last night when you showed up at my room, I told you again this morning when you text me, and I told you for the last time ten minutes ago when you stripped in the stacks. I’m not saying it again. Please just…fuck off.”

Avery and I share a look. I almost laugh when I realize we’re talking to each other with our eyebrows, something I’d seen her and the boys do a hundred times but a skill I didn’t think I had.

As Annabelle turns away from him, he adds, “And give me back my Vanth shirt. It was the first one and irreplaceable.”

“I told you I don’t have the ugly thing.” she snaps and finally stomps off, gritting her teeth so hard I hear her jaw crack. Blaise doesn’t lift his head from where he’s cradling it in his hands.

“So what you're saying she molested you in the stacks?” Avery snipes. I start to grab my stuff to leave them to it but she shakes her head at me. Great. I don’t want to hear this and after my confession I’m a little jumpy. I stay put.

“No. I’m saying I was in a shitty mood. I was working on my literature paper and she ambushed me in the stacks with her shirt unbuttoned and no underwear on.”

“And you thought you’d give her one last fuck for old times sake?”

Blaise grits his teeth and takes a deep breath like he’s trying not to rip her head off. Thank god Ash isn’t here to see it. “No. I told her I wasn’t interested and she wrapped herself around me and started kissing my neck. I told her to get off of me and she refused.”

She frowns at him, her anger softening. “How is that a lapse in judgment? You made it sound like you caved.”

“I didn’t shove her the fuck off of me. She kept talking about shit we’ve done together and I felt bad for her. I forgot that she’s a manipulative bitch. If I hadn’t heard you scream I would’ve just stood there like an idiot.” He groans again and Avery shoots me a look.

“I’ll have her sorted by the time we get back from fall break. Let’s get a move on and meet the others.”

Ash and Harley are waiting for us in the bleachers.

They both eye Blaise with something close to hostility until Avery snaps at them and tells them about Annabelle. Blaise looks ashamed for about three seconds before Ash’s smirks piss him off enough to snark back at him. I sit between Avery and Harley, and Blaise sits on the end with Ash. Harley hands me a hotdog and I look at his shoulder to choke out a thank you. His eyes are too intense for me after the day I’ve had.

Avery is watching me now too.

She hasn’t said a word about my confession. She still tucked her arm into mine as we walked here and she teased me with Blaise about my utter ignorance of all things football. I’m not sure if that means she’s cool with me or if she’s waiting until we get back to our room before she kicks me out of her life.

I tell myself I’ll be fine either way.

I’m lying.

Well, not lying. I’d survive it, I survive everything like a damn cockroach. But it would suck and probably hurt worse than having my leg smashed to pieces so I’m really hoping that squeal she let out in the library was a good one.

“We’re not going to have to sit through the whole thing, are we?” Avery gripes. She’s cringing at Harley and I as we eat our hotdogs. Ash looks absolutely disgusted at us both and Blaise is too busy trying to fight the breeze to light a blunt to notice what we’re doing. I frown at him and Harley nudges me gently.

“Relax. No one here gives a shit, Mounty.”

Whatever.

I don’t want to be a stick in the mud but I’ve watched my mother use every single drug she could get her hands on and it’s made me deeply, intensely wary of any type of high that isn’t liquor. I shrug and look out over the crowd.

The stands are awash with the deep blood red and charcoal gray of Hannaford’s colors. The away team is another private school from a city three hours away so their crowd is much smaller and far less festive. The cheerleaders from both schools are busy flipping, twirling, dancing, and shaking. The uniforms look like they were stolen from a porn set and I can pick out the dirty, old men that would happily risk a lengthy jail sentence to lift those skirts. I shudder and look away.

Avery is still cursing Harley’s name and Ash tucks her under his arm to keep her warm and safe. The crowd is on the rowdy side and Harley’s massive frame is the only thing stopping me from being jostled about. He turns to glare at the guys behind us and when they get a good look at who they’re bumping they settle the fuck down.

“We’ll be gone by quarter time, Floss. Just get a hotdog and enjoy the show.”

He waves his food in her face and she gags dramatically. Blaise hands the blunt to Ash and when he takes a drag he offers it to Harley. He hesitates and then waves them off. I grumble at him, “Don’t turn it down because I don’t like it.”

He shoves the last of the hotdog into his mouth and grabs the uneaten half of my hotdog I’ve abandoned on my lap thanks to my nervous stomach. With an eyebrow quirk he says, “I want to remember every second of this and I need a clear head.”

Of course. Why would he do anything for me? My face heats and I nod as the players march out onto the field. Blaise starts critiquing their movements like he knows something about what's going on and Ash ignores everyone for his phone. Avery reads his texts and they murmur to each other quietly.

I try to keep my eye on the field but three minutes in I want to throw myself head first onto the concrete beneath the bleachers to get out of this torture. Instead, I discreetly watch Harley as he fixates on the game. He’s wearing his uniform, a Hannaford requirement to attend the game, but he’s taken his tie off and put a coat on. I can tell it’s one Avery’s bought for him because it’s perfectly tailored to fit his broad shoulders like a glove. He’s still wearing his mother’s necklace but he’s swapped the gold chain for a thin leather rope.

He notices me looking and says, “A senior tried to get it back for Joey during a fight. The leather won’t break like the chain did.”

I scowl and cross my arms, shivering in the cold night air with only a skirt on. “I hope you made him bleed.”

Harley shrugs his coat off and drapes it to cover Avery’s bare legs and then he tucks the other end under my thigh to cover me as well. I thank him quietly and he shrugs without looking away from the game. Ash watches him and shakes his head at me like I’m to blame for his kindness. Avery nudges him and draws his attention back to his phone.

“Fuck Aves, this is it.”

I look up just in time to see a player go down hard, three opposition players piling on. It just looks like a tackle to me but Blaise curses under his breath and the crowd falls silent. Harley’s eyes are fixated on Rory’s prone form, greedily drinking in the scene as the coaching team and medics race out onto the field.

Blaise whistles and murmurs, “He’ll be lucky to walk again.”

Harley chuckles and leans in to whisper to me, “I paid enough to make sure he won’t.”

I smile. Avery tucks her arm into mine and gives me her trademark smug smile. Something eases in my chest and I can breathe again.

Rory never returns to Hannaford Prep.

CHAPTER NINE

Avery wakes me at 5am with a gentle shake.

She’s dressed already and her phone is tucked away in her coat pocket, buzzing incessantly with incoming messages. She’s stern looking and I push myself up to sit and face her. She had left the football game with Ash and returned to our room after I’d fallen asleep.

“I was going to wait until after the break to speak to you but I know you’re freaking out about what you told me. I’ve thought a lot about how to say this and I think it’s best if I just say it.”

I try to swallow around the lump in my throat but I’m so dry it hurts. Avery waits for me to nod before she continues.

“You saved Harley’s life and offered him protection even when we all hated you. You used those same connections to neutralize Joey without just killing him. If I know you at all then I also know you’re planning on using your status as the Wolf to take care of Senior and Joey. If anything, I trust you even more now than I did before. When we became friends, I told you that I’m an all or nothing person. You’re my family and nothing about this changes that.”

Fuck me.

Fuck me, I actually tear up a little and then I have to blink like crazy to stop myself from bawling my eyes out which is so not me. This whole girl talk shit is messing with me. I’m the Wolf, dammit! Avery reaches over and squeezes my hand before getting up. She struts out of the door with a casual ‘Bye!’ thrown over her shoulder.

I smile and drag myself to the shower even though it’s too early and I have no obligations. I’m going to use the break to sort Joey and Harlow out and get them both off of the planner.

I wait until I’m sure the school has emptied out for fall break. I go down to the dining hall for dinner in case Harley is down there and lonely but he’s a no show. Once the sun sets and the whole building is scary quiet I change into a pair of Avery’s black yoga pants, a long sleeve black shirt, and my flats. The yoga pants have pockets, which is why I borrowed them, and I slip my tools into them and lock the door on the way out. You can never be too careful.

Harlow’s room, a single because she’s filthy rich, is on the opposite end of the girls dorms and her lock has also been upgraded. I take it as a good sign for my hunt.

I’ve never met a lock I couldn’t pick and thirty seconds later I’m quietly closing her door behind me.

I choke on my own spit.

Holy fuck.

Harlow Roqueford is a hoarder. The room is only slightly smaller than the one I share with Avery but I instantly feel that type of claustrophobic you get when you think stacks of crap are going to fall on you and you’ll die of starvation before the rescue teams can dig you out. It’s all luxury shit but piled up like this I feel like I’m in a shady discount warehouse. I can’t tell what color the walls are or what furniture she has. I couldn’t even say if she had a private bathroom because all I can see are the piles of clothes and shoes. There would be an obscene amount of money sitting in this room in luxury items.

I start to sweat.

Avery would have an aneurysm.

I’m smarter this time, having been burned from my break in at Joey’s room last year, and I use the Spy Finder device I use on jobs as the Wolf to scan for cameras. It’s not foolproof but it gives me a better chance of finding hidden security measures and with the mess this place is in I need all the help I can get. Once it’s clear, I take a few photos of the mess, though I’m not sure how we could use this against her. I dig through some of the clothing but there’s nothing suspicious about it, she’s obviously got a shopping addiction that far exceeds Avery’s.

There’s no loose floorboards, no drugs, no incriminating photos, nothing that is any use. I’m frustrated but undeterred. I’ll call Avery and let her know.

I turn to leave and I spot them.

Sitting innocuously on the bedside table are Avery’s missing Louboutins. I don’t even have to check with her to know that they’re it. She has shown me pictures of them dozens of times, lamenting their loss, and snarling that the packing company must have stolen them. She’s been watching auction sites for weeks to see if they show up. They were worth more than a year's tuition at Hannaford and there is only one pair in existence.

Harlow’s stolen them.

I look around the room with a far more critical eye. The clothing is in different sizes and styles. Some of the dresses are so tiny there is no way Harlow could fit in them and there’s monogrammed blazers and robes, none have HR on them. In her cupboard I find suitcases stacked and some of those have tags with other girls names on them. Under the bed I find the other item I’m really looking for.

Blaise’s missing Vanth shirt.

One of a kind and I’m just the type of fan to know it from a mile away.

He’s been raging about Annabelle stealing it for weeks. Avery had mentioned it to me as a possible issue because if she offered to give it back she could lure him into her room, he’d cave for the shirt any day of the week. She wasn’t lying about it.

Harlow Roqueford is a hoarding kleptomaniac.

And she likes to take priceless, one-of-a-kind items.

I take the shirt and the shoes. There’s no way I’m leaving them behind in this cave of stolen treasures and when I slip back into our room I video call Avery. She picks up immediately and smirks at me, one finger on her mouth to silence me.

I nod and watch her move through the rooms of her father's mansion. Ash stalks behind her but I don’t think he sees me.

“Miss me already, Mounty?”

I’m so smug I swear it beams through the phone to her. I don’t even say a word and she knows.

“Harlow, Annabelle, or Joey?”

I hold up her shoes and she squeals. Ash ducks into view, scowling, and then he glances at Avery. I cut in before he can insult me by suggesting I’ve stolen them.

“Can you forward a picture onto Morrison for me? I’ve recovered his missing shirt.”

Avery shoulders Ash away. “Of course. Who had them?”

I text through the photos of the shirt and the shots I took of the room. Avery shudders and frowns when they come through. “Who lives in that cesspit?”

“Harlow. She’s stealing and hoarding from other students. Should I call the student hotline or will you deal with the bitch?”

Avery smiles the same way I imagine an executioner does as he sharpens his guillotine blade.

“I’ll do it.”

After I hang up I shower and dig out the file the Jackal sent me last year with Joey’s information in it. I’ve read it a hundred times but I keep going back to it like I’ll spot something that will get him out of our lives. The problem is I don’t know if Avery wants him relocated, locked up, or dead. She’s always so damn cagey when I bring it up and I haven’t pushed her on it.

My phone pings and I grab it, distracted by the images of Joey’s victims.

Mounty, I’m sending you something as a thank you for finding my shirt.

Sweet fucking lord. Avery has given him my number. My hands shake and a little nervous giggle bubbles in my chest. Is there a Wikihow on texting a hot, thankful rockstar who is also your semi-reformed bully and tutoring pupil? What the hell do I even say?

My phone pings again and I gulp before I look.

She shouldn’t be sneaking into other students rooms without backup. The shirt isn’t worth that much. Wait until we’re back, Mounty.

That one is from Harley and it dawns on me that it’s a group text. Avery’s added me to their group chat. My stomach drops when I see Ash is on it too and now he’ll be able to insult me at all hours of the day. I’m not sure why I’m so pissed off about him calling me a slut. I mean, he did it last year and I didn’t give a shit.

Don’t get Avery involved when Harlow finds out you were in there. She doesn’t need to be cleaning up your mess.

Hmm. Not so bad, I can deal with grumpy Ash.

Welcome to the madhouse Mounty. Now your phone will blow up all day long and you’ll hate me for adding you when they start talking about who has the nicest tits or who fucked which girl first.

I cannot think of anything worse than seeing them talk about that. I choose sarcasm as my shield and climb into bed.

Can’t wait.

I’m just about asleep when the last text comes through from Blaise.

Seeing as we’re all banned from Annabelle and Harley’s apparently taken a vow of celibacy there will probably be more complaints of blue balls than anything else.

A box arrives on Friday morning addressed to The Mounty.

I don’t open it. Mostly because I’m dealing with a major crush and my hormones can’t handle knowing what he’s sent me. Also, Ash and Harley have taken up texting me all day guessing what the present will be. Avery messaged me privately to laugh at them because she thinks they’re being so obvious. I’m too tired from studying to ask her what the hell she means by that.

She arrives back to school Sunday night.

“Tell me I’m your favorite.” Avery says with an obnoxiously smug tone.

I roll my eyes at her without looking up from the assignments I have spread over my bed. I’m only five weeks ahead and I’m getting twitchy because of it. Damn Blaise and all of his tutoring. He’s a damn distraction of the hottest kind.

“Of course you’re my favorite. You’re my favorite human on the planet, it’s not fucking hard to figure out.”

She perches on my bed delicately so she doesn’t disturb my work, bless her. “Aw, you’re the best. I also rank you in my top four. It’s a constantly revolving list, you guys should really take more care to battle it out for my affection.”

I smirk at her. “I’m winning. When do those assholes ever make time to plan out the maiming and torture of fellow students with you? Hmm? When was the last time they walked into a literal orgy to take photos for you? Do I need to remind you of that time I brought you a coffee after ballet because you were going to rip Harlow’s slutty face off? I walked into a cesspit to recover your shoes.”

She tilts her head like she’s considering it. “Point taken. You’ve definitely spent longer in the top spot than the others this year. Anyway, you should check your bank balance.”

I frown and grab my phone. I hadn’t noticed she’d grabbed the bags of dirty cash from the closet. Sure enough, there’s an extra hundred grand now safely deposited into my offshore accounts. Yep, I’m that much of a badass criminal that I can’t even bank locally. Lucky fucking me.

“Thanks. Atticus didn’t want a cut?”

Avery shakes her head. “He had some questions. I told him it was dirty money and I was so worried about my father finding it. He practically fell over himself to launder it for me. He asked if I’m going to the High Society Charity Ball this year.”

There’s a blush on her cheeks and the nervous fluttering of her fingers tells me she’s not even close to getting over her crush on this guy. I should really look him up. We do not need another Rory in our lives, especially so soon after we got rid of the last one.

“A Charity Ball, how exciting!” I say with so much sarcasm that Avery groans and walks over to put the coffee machine on. She grabs me a cup without asking and fusses with my coffee until it’s perfect. Again, I adore this girl so fiercely I wish I were a lesbian and I could lock this shit down.

Alas, I like dick.

Well, I think I do. I like it enough to wish I could have it occasionally, but not enough to risk the Jackal. I wonder where exactly that puts me on the spectrum?

“You’re tempting me to go and drag you along! I told him I was too busy with school and he agreed to take me next year instead. He was… kinder this year. Hmm, no, not kinder. Maybe… more interested in speaking to me.”

Uh oh. I get up and follow her into the kitchen. She hands me my cup and I try to figure out how the hell to talk to her about this kind of thing.

“So. You’re…into him…again?”

Avery snorts at me, the most unrefined thing I've ever seen her do. “You really are hopeless at girl talk. Yes, I’m once again thinking about him way too much. He's just so…perfect. I can't go to the Ball this year because if he doesn't kiss me at the end of the night I may climb into my bed and refuse to get out. He’s gorgeous. Absolutely stunning and such a gentleman, I’m a mess around him. Ugh, he said he’s going to come to my Ballet recital that’s coming up and I’m freaking out about it.”

I nod and sip. When the silence stretches out Avery huffs at me, “This is where you tell me to stop being so pathetic.”

I sigh at her. “I can't. I’m even more pathetic than you when it comes to guys and I try my best not to be a hypocrite.”

“I highly doubt it. Explain your boy troubles to me so we can compare.”

Hell fucking no. I try not to ever lie to Avery so instead I give her a half truth. “Oh, you know. The Jackal means I can't ever date or hook up without fearing for my life.”

She winces and scrunches her nose up. “At some point we need to tell the guys about that you know.”

Nope. No thank you. Why would they need to know? I shake my head and sit at the bench. Avery fusses with her cup and then ducks down to grab her bucket of cleaning supplies.

Uh oh.

“Is something wrong?”

She pulls on a pair of gloves and starts to scrub the stove top. It’s already clean from the last time she scrubbed it but I don’t argue with this brand of crazy.

“Shit, Aves. What’s happened?”

She huffs and scrubs harder. “Harlow’s parents were called about her little habit. They paid off one of the laundry staff to take the fall. All of the items have been returned and she’s still here. As you’re the only student that was here during the break, and the shoes and shirt were missing, it’ll be pretty obvious it was you. She’s already gone to Joey about it.”

I shrug. I’m not afraid of Harlow and Joey getting involved might work in our favor. I need to draw him away from his siblings so I can deal with him once and for all.

Avery clears her throat. “Are you going to tell me what Blaise sent you? Harley is also dying to know.”

The box is sitting on my bed. Avery can see it's unopened and she's baiting me. I arch an eyebrow at her.

“I don't accept bribes from rich playboys. Only favors.”

She grins at me, savage and beautiful.

CHAPTER TEN

I’m woken by no less than thirty text messages.

My phone may crap out and die if this keeps up. I’m used to, like, three phone calls a year when I’m not the Wolf in Mounts Bay. Even then the most I get is one or two calls a week. When I complain at Avery she shakes her head at me in pity.

Breakfast at the dining hall. Stop avoiding us just because Ash is a dick.

Harley has taken to openly calling Ash out on my behalf. I’m pretty sure it’ll only make things worse but I have zero control over this shit. Plus I get this warm feeling in my chest when I read it. I get warm in other places too, places that are entirely inappropriate when I have Harley’s cousin sitting next to me eating a fruit salad and yogurt.

Ash sits on Avery’s other side and staunchly pretends I don’t exist. Harley sits across from me and Blaise lounges next to him. When the freshman kid next to me bumps me and then offers to let me blow him as an apology Harley threatens to stab him with the butter knife. I’ve never seen a guy piss himself over breakfast cutlery so quickly.

Ash leans forward in his chair to add in, “You don’t win the sweep for getting your dick sucked anyway, Javier. You’d have to be able to get it up and slip it in, and we all know you have problems with that.”

The kid leaves the table to the sounds of Avery’s tinkling laughter and the guys all sniggering like five year olds over fart jokes. I try to focus on my breakfast.

Blaise, who’s been watching Harley like a hawk all morning, pours me another glass of juice. “Did you like your present, Mounty?”

Avery grins down at her phone. “She hasn’t even opened it, Morrison.”

The smirk falls off of his face. “Why not?”

I sigh and push my plate away. “I don’t want to have things bought for me.”

Blaise frowns and hurt flashes in his eyes. “It was a thank you, Mounty. Jesus, I wasn’t bribing you.”

I shrug and take a bite of my apple. “Most people say thank you with words. I don’t want your money.”

Blaise’s eyes grow even more intense on my face. Avery flicks a grape at him to get his attention. “She threw a tantrum at me last week for buying new sheets for her bed because I hated the color of the other ones. She’s as weird about money as Harley is.”

Her cousin doesn’t look up at any of us. He’s texting under the table as he eats his toast, his tattoo flexing over his jaw looking lickable.

Wow. Mind out of the gutter, Anderson.

I turn back towards Avery to snark at her but my eyes catch on the bruise peeking out of her shirt. I stare at it for long enough that she notices and then I meet her knowing eyes. Her face has shut down. The smile gone and in its place the shield of ice and cruelty.

I won’t be deterred.

“Junior or Senior?” I murmur. Harley looks up and scowls at us.

Avery looks over to where her brother is holding court with his little flunkies. Harlow is stroking his leg under the table with fuck-me eyes. Well, I hope it’s his leg. Gross.

“Senior.”

I grit my teeth. The bruises are fingerprints circling the base of her throat like a necklace. Seems Joey got his infatuation with choking from his father. Avery must have been terrified. After the near miss from Joey this would have been fucking terrifying.

Ash stands abruptly and tugs Avery to her feet. “I’ll walk you to class.”

I rub my eyes and plan. I have always worked best under pressure.

Avery and Ash can never go home to that man again.

I’m calling in a favor.

My hand shakes even as I hit send. I’ve hesitated over this for weeks and, now Avery’s been attacked by her father, I need to stop being Lips and remember who I really am.

I wondered if you’d ever call.

I read the words and my mind even conjures up his voice to take my terror up a notch. Great. Wonderful. What this situation needs is more fear for sure.

Meet me tonight at Hannaford Prep. I’ll give you the details.

I hear the door swing open and a gaggle of girls walk into the toilets talking about what an asshole Mr Trevelen is and where Joey’s next party is being held. Fuck I wish sometimes that my problems were that small.

I’m well known at Hannaford. Meet me at the park in Haven. Green bench by the swings. Midnight.

Fucking hell, really?! That’s going to be near impossible to make happen but what choice do I have?

See you there.

I stand and tuck my phone away, flushing the toilet so the other girls don’t question me. My mind works overtime as I walk to history and slip into my seat. Harley is already there, reading notes, and he frowns at the look on my face.

“What now?”

I unpack my bag on autopilot, grabbing the assignment that’s due and handing it to the teacher as he walks past. I chew on my nails and think. Harley gets so agitated he’s practically vibrating in his seat. When the teacher finally turns his back on the class and starts droning on about 18th century France Harley leans down to whisper in my ear, “Tell me what the fuck is wrong with you. Now.”

I roll my eyes at his bossy, entitled words but I answer him anyway, “I need to be in Haven at midnight. I need to figure out how to get there and I don’t want to tell Avery about it before I go. She’ll either insist on coming with me or she’ll try to talk me out of it.”

He frowns and shifts his focus back to the teacher, dismissing me the same way he always has. My chest tightens. I wasn’t expecting his help but I thought he’d take a little more interest than that.

When the class ends and we pack away our supplies he grabs a set of keys out of his bag and drops them into mine. “Blaise’s car is in the staff parking. Same one we picked you up in at the docks. The gate will automatically open when you drive up because Avery got him a sensor. I’ll square it with him, just don’t fucking scratch it.”

My jaw drops and I snap my mouth shut before he notices how much of an idiot I look like. I can’t find words until we get to our next class and sit together.

“Thanks. I’d tell you why but it’s better if you don’t know.”

He shrugs at me, his face nonchalant but his hands are curled into fists. “I know it’s for Ash and Avery. I saw your face when you saw the bruises. I’m guessing you’re using your connections to try and help them. Ash’s bruises are worse, by the way. I don’t know how he’s still walking.”

I curse under my breath and push my luck with his charitable mood. “Can you distract Avery for me? Keep her in your room all night?”

He nods and we fall quiet, focusing on the class and taking notes.

When classes are over for the day and I get to our room, Avery texts to say Harley caught Blaise talking to Annabelle again and she has to go tear him apart. She asks to borrow my knife to hammer home the message and I start to wonder what Harley told him to get him to risk the fury of Avery to distract her for me.

I eat a sandwich for dinner and try to focus for long enough to do some work on my pile of assignments. At 10pm Avery texts to say she’s sleeping in the boys room and I slip into the shower to get ready.

I’m preparing myself, putting Lips away and letting out the Wolf.

I almost forget to grab the diamond payment. I slip it into the pocket of my jeans, I picked the tightest pair I own so I can feel the hard stone pressing into my thigh at all times. I’m paranoid as hell about losing it.

Slipping out of my room, I walk on silent feet out of the building. I make it, unseen, all the way to the staff parking lot only to find Ash leaning against the Maserati.

Fuck.

Of all the fucking students in this school.

Fuck.

I freeze and stare at him. I’m still clutching the keys in my frozen fingers like they’ll save me from the pissy fit Ash is about to throw. How did he know I was here? I mean, there’s only one way but surely-

“Harley sent me.”

Fuck. What the hell?!

I could fucking scream I’m that angry. “You can’t stop me, I have to go. I’ll explain later.”

I’m not telling him a goddamn thing but I need him out of my way right now. He pulls another set of keys out of his pocket and unlocks the car.

“I’ll drive.”

What the actual fuck? No glare, no questions, no argument. I’m going to have to break the news to Avery that aliens have taken over her beloved brother’s body.

With that lovely image in my mind I get in and slam the door shut. Ash slides in, casual and fucking calm, and starts the car. He doesn’t look at me as he drives and I direct him to the meeting place. I settle into the seat and breathe until I can speak civilly to him again.

“You have to stay in the car. I’m just going to talk to someone about a job. You can’t be seen with me.”

He ignores me until he parks the car. Haven looks even more picturesque at night. The fairy lights strung up in the trees twinkling in the slight breeze like glow bugs dancing. I do a quick scan of the area and find the street is empty except for a black Escalade.

He’s beaten me here.

I unbuckle my seatbelt and when I reach for the door handle Ash stops me with a firm hand wrapped around my wrist. “You can’t have my father or my brother killed. Harley seems to think that’s what’s about to happen. You can’t.”

I stare him down and take in every shard of ice his eyes are throwing at me. Why they both protect Joey is just beyond me. I’m looking forward to the day I know every last one of Avery’s secrets and I can plan without worrying about hurting her or pissing her off.

“I’m not ordering a hit.”

I wrench my arm out of his hold and get out of the car. I wait a second to make sure he’s staying put and then I walk up the small incline to the green bench. It takes serious effort, but I manage to control the tremble that’s threatening to take over my whole body.

He’s already sitting there, his back to the car and Ash, and I sit down next to him.

I don’t look at him. It’s like every cop show, where the informant and the cop stare ahead and pretend they’re not there to pass along information. I don’t want to look at him because he scares the crap out of me and I’m not sure my shields are still up thanks to Ash hijacking the trip over here. Asshole.

“It must be serious if you’re coming to me, little Wolf.”

I nod and stare at the swings for a minute longer. I hope my voice is as hollow and lifeless as his is when I say, “Thank you for meeting me on such short notice, Crow.”

He places his hands in his lap. “A favor is binding. I would never go back on my bond.”

Right. Well, I guess I should just dive right in. “You have some dealings with Joseph Beaumont, correct?”

He turns to look at me and the steely gray of his eyes cut me to ribbons. He’s a handsome man. His hair is only a shade or two lighter than Avery’s and it’s short on the sides with some length on top, making him look like a distinguished, clean cut businessman. Cleanly shaven, straight nose, and cheekbones for days. His tattoos swirls across the skin of his chest that his v neck shirt shows and look faintly like feathers and claws. Tall and broad but completely self assured in the way he carries himself. He looks older than twenty-two. His entire demeanor screams wealth, enough that I keep questioning myself on who he is when he’s not the Crow. Only the desperate enter the Game to become a member of the Twelve.

“I find it wise to avoid the man. I’d suggest you do the same.”

I reach into my pocket and pull out the velvet bag that holds his black diamond. His eyes drop to it and grow hungry. He wants the diamond back and favor over with. I can only imagine how heavy the weight of an owed favor must be.

“I need to make sure he’s busy. I need him to disappear during the school breaks, all of them, until I graduate. I don’t care how, I don’t need details.”

The Crow takes the bag and pockets it. He doesn’t check the contents like Diarmuid did, that would be a grave insult to me. Even the Crow is cautious of what I can do.

“You should tell the Jackal to stay away from Joseph Beaumont as well. Whatever it is he’s making you do in that house, it’s not worth the wrath of that man.”

I measure my words very carefully before I speak. I need to start distancing myself from the Jackal and everything he does but to say that outright would risk him coming to Hannaford for me.

“This favor is my own. I have people I need to protect, people who are no concern of any other member of the Twelve, and I am well aware of the extent of that man’s wrath.”

His eyes flash. His face slips just enough that I see concern. I’ve never been close to him, I’ve only really seen him at meetings, so I don’t know why he’s worried about me.

“You’re protecting his children. They go to school with you, don’t they?”

“They’re not up for discussion. I’m asking you to ensure that man never steps foot in a room with the twins again. Do you require any further information?”

I slip into protocol to end this little meeting. I don’t want him digging into this and drawing more eyes to my back.

“Done. I’ll call if anything comes up.”

I give him a curt nod and walk back to the car, slow and steady like I’m used to meetings at midnight with crime lords and no backup. Ash looks grim in the front seat but his eyes never falter from the silhouette of the Crow. Only when I’m safely buckled into the Maserati does he glance away. My hands shake and I lace them together on my lap to hide it.

Ash doesn’t speak to me as we drive back. He walks me back to my room and once I’m inside he grabs Harley’s keys off of me. He hesitates by the door.

“Whatever you’ve done, if he finds out-“

“He won’t. He won’t the same way Harley’s grandfather can’t come after him. I’m not going to explain it, you’ll just have to trust that it’s taken care of.”

That’s the problem. Ash doesn’t trust anyone but his friends and I am not his friend. I can see him fighting with himself, the war waging in his mind clearly visible on his face, and I must be tired because I feel so fucking bad for him. How many times has he gone home from school to be beaten by his father? How long has he been abused by the other men in his family? Is that why he can’t trust anyone? How deep is the damage?

“Go get some sleep, Ash. Just forget tonight ever happened.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I text Harley the next morning and tell him he’s a treacherous asshole.

I know he has training for his swim team so I’m not expecting a text back, just the cold shoulder he’ll give me all day in our classes. As I rush out the door, late because Avery wasn’t around to make coffee and snark with, my phone pings.

I check it while I lock the door.

I’m helping Ash get his head out of his ass. I see how much you’re doing for us. I see how much Avery means to you. I see that you’re one of us. He needs to open his eyes and see it too. Fuck, even Morrison sees it and he’s usually too far up his own ass jotting down morbid love poems to see anything.

My heart does a weird little flip.

I don’t know how to answer it. Shrug it off, make a joke, or give him the same honesty? It’s a private chat, not the group one, so I take a risk.

I’ll do whatever it takes to get us all out of here alive and together.

He doesn’t text back.

When I arrive late to our first class he doesn’t say a word, he just tips his chin to acknowledge me when I sit down. We work in silence but it’s soothing to me now, I don’t feel any hostility from him at all. When it’s time for lunch he grabs me by the elbow and directs me to the dining hall with him. Usually I eat an apple in the library and work on assignments or hangout in the dance rooms while Avery practices.

He grabs a tray and fills it with food. I know he’s grabbing for me as well because he hates mushrooms and he’s grabbed the mushroom risotto I like. I grab us both iced coffees and we sit together.

My stomach does not want to eat under his intense scrutiny but I also can’t turn him down like that. We don’t speak while we eat and after a few minutes Ash takes a seat next to me. I put down my cutlery with a sigh.

Harley sees the look on my face and says, “Just eat, Mounty. He’s here for lunch not war.”

I eat my banana.

Harley and Ash start up a random conversation about cars they’re interested in, though Harley seems to be more reserved. Ash doesn’t look at me or try to speak to me and I focus on eating my lunch. I’m busy texting Avery about our plans to go to Haven together when Joey takes a seat next to Harley. I don’t acknowledge him and I finish the text. I’m not going to show this evil dickhead any respect or fear. Fuck him.

“Does the Jackal know you’ve made some friends, Mounty?”

I hit send and then I lean back in my chair. Ash’s leg has tensed where it’s pressed against mine under the table. Harley is glaring at Joey and the nerve in his jaw is ticking. “I don’t answer to him, or you, Joey. Where have you been hiding this year? I’ve barely seen you.”

His eyes slide around the room in an awful liquid way, like he’s something not quite human, and his grin is nothing short of psychotic. “Oh, have you missed me, my little Mounty love?”

I force myself to swallow the bile creeping up my throat. “I don’t think anyone misses you, Joey. I don’t think anyone could ever like you enough to miss you. What are you here for?”

He picks up Harley’s steak knife and begins to play with it. Harley watches him carefully and, knowing what family he belongs to, I’m fairly confident he can defend himself if Joey takes a swing with it. However, Ash turns ghostly pale and looks like he’s going to vomit. If he has to stop Joey then he knows it will be Avery that pays. I don’t know why but I put a hand on his knee under the table and squeeze gently. He takes a deep breath.

“The twins and Morrison are going to the recital next week in the city and I’m celebrating in their absence. Come to my party. I’ve missed hanging out with you and I think you should have a drink with me. I’ll make sure they have your favorite whiskey.”

I glance at Harley to see a little frown on his face but his eyes still follow the knife.

“Sure, why not. Arbour will come with me and we can make a night of it.”

Joey grins and moves as if he’s going to put the knife down. He stares into his brother’s eyes obsessively, straight into the soul of his favorite victim, and then swings his hand down to impale the knife through Ash’s hand and into the table below.

Well, that’s what he tries to do except my reflexes are quicker and I shoot out to catch his wrist. Harley gets a hold of his arm a fraction of a second later and the tip of the knife stops millimeters away from Ash’s skin. Joey pants like he’s getting off on this. He licks his lips and grins at us. It’s disgusting.

I lean forward and whisper, “You may have tied his hands but you haven’t tied mine. Push me and I’ll show you that being a Beaumont only gets you so far in this world.”

Ash and Harley have a raging argument about the party and I duck away from them both to head to my choir class. I have to go to the party, I need to know what Joey is planning and if Harley doesn’t want to come with me then I’ll go by myself. I only offered to take Harley because I thought he’d insist.

Avery is laughing along with Blaise when I take my seat and I smile at Lauren, Jessie, and Dahlia. They all look at me with that awe-struck fear they direct at Avery and it’s pretty fucking weird to have it directed at me as well.

“Stop being nice to the sheep.” Avery teases and I cut her a look.

“Your green-eyed monster is showing, Aves. You know you’re my favorite.”

She giggles and bumps my shoulder with hers. “The only green-eyed monster around here is Morrison and he’s too hungover to be any trouble.”

Blaise rolls his eyes and I notice how bloodshot they are. “Drinking on a school night? How very rockstar of you.”

He groans and slumps down. “I had no choice. Ash borrowed my car to go fuck a Haven chick and Avery cornered me about my own evening activities so I tried to drown her out with bourbon. I think I’m going to join Harley in celibacy because I haven’t found a pussy yet that’s worth dealing with Avery’s lectures.”

Avery makes a gagging noise at him and I stare at him, stunned. I do not have anything to say. I’m saved by Miss Umber starting the class, thank Christ.

“I have some exciting changes in your syllabus to announce! Usually your final assignment for choir is to perform in front of the class but this year we’re joining forces with the music students and holding a concert for the entire school!” She claps her hands like an excited toddler while she’s casually ruining my life. This woman…this fucking woman and her ‘good ideas’.

“What the fuck is Miss Umber’s obsession with individual performances?” I hiss at Avery the moment the teacher’s back is turned.

Avery hums under her breath at me, lifting her shoulder in a nonchalant way, and my palms begin to sweat. I’ll just have to talk to her again and get out of it somehow.

Miss Umber hands out worksheets, designed to help us pick which song we will sing, and then giggles when Blaise smiles at her. Avery scoffs and rolls her eyes which only makes him turn up the charm. I don’t know how the older lady’s heart survives it, I am sweating.

“The concert will be held at the end of the school year, choir students will sing in front of the entire school. Then the musicians will perform. So I hope you all take this very seriously, as always the majority of your mark will be determined by your performance. No exceptions. If you’re not there, you’re not passing this class.”

Oh, god.

I was no longer sweating at Blaise’s hotness. There is no way I can do this. No way. Next year I’m risking my fucking leg and doing track or something. Maybe I should join Harley on the swim team? Ash would probably have an aneurysm over it but whatever. Is it too late to switch out now? I’m spiraling, I know I am and I have to grit my teeth to pull myself out.

Miss Umber starts directing the warm ups and I don’t even try to pretend to join in. Once her back is turned again, I lean into Avery.

“911.” I hiss and she startles to look back at me. Blaise casts us both a curious look but he doesn’t miss a single note in his warm up.

“Singing for a group is a 911?” she murmurs and I nod emphatically. She frowns at me and then nods.

I don’t join in for the rest of the class. When Miss Umber questions me about it, Blaise cuts her off and flirts mercilessly with her until she forgets why she ever walked over to our group. Instead of thanking him, I hand him the iPod and he nods.

We communicate better with lyrics than with words.

Later that night, when Blaise has left from our tutoring session and Avery is freshly showered, I explain our confrontation with Joey at lunch.

“He’s up to something.”

Avery rolls her eyes at me. “He’s always up to something. The question is what’s changed? He’s stayed away from you because of the Jackal’s warning so he must have found something out if he’s playing with you again.”

I nod and take a seat at the bench while she fusses with the stove. “Ash wasn’t too keen on Harley joining me. He thinks we’re walking into a trap. I mean, we are but what choice do I have?”

Avery cocks her head as she stirs her cocoa. “I’ll try and put some feelers out, see if there’s any gossip about what he’s planning.”

I nod and sigh, scrubbing a hand over my face. Who would think high school politics would be as complicated as this?

“So? Are you going to tell me why singing is a 911?” Avery shoves a spoon into a tub of ice cream and slides it across the bench at me. It’s cherry flavored, I’ve never told Avery it’s my favorite and yet the sneaky bitch knows. I swear to god she’s going to take over the country some day. Or she’ll put a puppet in power and she’ll pull all the strings and make the whole damn world dance for her. The secret, darkest parts of my soul whispers to me about how much I love it.

“Have you ever heard of the NTT? Naval Torture Technique?”

Avery shakes her head and sips her cocoa.

“It’s a way to increase your pain tolerance. It’s a long process where the degree of pain inflicted onto you is upped slowly until you’re able to stay silent and function even when you’ve been shot or have multiple broken bones.”

Avery looks a little green. She’s put down her cup while I was talking and now her chin is propped up on her fist as she watches me.

“I can’t hear the sound of my own raised voice, not yelling or singing, without triggering my PTSD from my training.”

She rubs her eyes with her fists like she’s trying to scrub the shock and horror out of them too. “Right. Who did this…training to you?”

“The Jackal.”

Avery nods and drops her hands away from her face.

“I should have known. Can you switch out to do a sport instead?”

I raise my leg up so she can see the thick scars that run from thigh to ankle. “Nope. I’ll be in agony for days after any major activity.”

“You really are broken, aren’t you?” she says with a smile. I think if anyone else said it to me I’d lose my mind at them but there’s this kindness in her eyes when I look at her. Like she knows exactly what it’s like to be shattered into a million pieces and taped back together in the wrong order. Fuck, we’re both a hot mess.

I shrug and eat some ice cream. I wash up the dishes and Avery roots around in the bathroom. I think she’s doing her bedtime routine but then she hands me a pack of earplugs, saying “Put those in,” and then drags me over to her record player.

If there is anything in this room that I’m truly jealous of it’s Avery’s record player and collection of vinyl. It was her mom’s and Blaise adds to it constantly, his own music and anything he thinks she’ll like.

“What are we doing?” I slip one of the earplugs in.

Avery messes around with the record player for a minute and then whirls around to me. “We’re fixing you. I heard you sing to Miss Umber so we know that you can do it, we just need to practice. We’re going to do this over and over again until it’s perfect.”

I hesitate as she hits play and ‘High Hopes’ by Panic at the Disco starts. The sneaky bitch must have looked at my worksheet. I sigh and slip the other earplug in just before I need to sing.

I make it through the whole song. I remember the lyrics, having listened to this song a hundred times, and after the first chorus I’m calm enough to open my eyes. Avery watches me with rapture, sitting on her bed with her head propped up by her fists. When the song ends I give myself a second to breathe and then I take the earplugs out.

“We need to fix you because you need to sing, Lips. I can’t even-there aren’t words for how you sound. Blaise is going to lose his mind when he hears you.”

I blush and shrug. I don’t see myself getting over the PTSD. I’m going to do this because I need my scholarship but I’m never going to be able to just sing along with the radio or hold concerts in my shower. It’s just not possible.

She starts the song over and I go again.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Avery leaves for her recital at lunchtime on Saturday.

There’s no word of what Joey has planned but I refuse to let it bother me. I can handle whatever he throws at me.

I spend the afternoon on my assignments and practicing my singing. I heat up some leftovers for dinner and tuck in when my phone pings.

Swim training finishes in an hour. I’ll come shower and get ready in your room after that.

I gulp. Harley showering in my bathroom. Harley getting naked in my bathroom.

Harley naked.

Sweet lord.

I scramble to get showered and ready before he gets here. I grab jeans, a lacy tank top and then throw a hoodie on over it all. I’m not trying to impress anyone, I just need to be comfortable and warm. I keep telling myself that even as I do my makeup and hair. When Harley knocks at the door I’m pretty happy with how I look.

“Where’s the shorts and bra? I thought that’s what you wear to parties?” Harley smirks at me but his eyes roam over me appreciatively and I mentally fist bump myself. Sometimes it’s nice to know I’m not a complete ogre.

“I don’t need frostbite on my nipples. Come to a party in the summer with me and I’ll wear the other outfit again.” Wait, what? What am I saying? I’ve lost my damn mind.

Harley strides into the room and heads straight to the bathroom. “I’m holding you to that, Mounty.”

The door swings shut behind him but he doesn’t lock it. I don’t let my mind fixate on that fact and instead I sprawl out on my bed and text Avery.

Good luck, wish I was there to see you dance. Tell Morrison to send me a video.

I chew my nails for a minute while I listen to the shower.

Thank you. It’s weird, my father isn’t here. He always shows up to these things so he can monitor what Ash and I are doing. I’m so relieved. Blaise isn’t so lucky, his father is on the warpath. I’m expecting I’ll have to play nursemaid to him later while he gives himself liver poisoning. Text me when you get back from the party safely, Harley promised me he’d have your back all night x

I frown down at the screen. Blaise has been doing so well in his classes, our tutoring sessions and his dedication has paid off impressively. He’s easily on top of all of his classes now and he’s been asked to move into the higher classes in a few subjects. What could his dad possibly be pissy at him for? Fuck it. I text him.

Send me a video of Avery’s dance please. Let me know if you need anything.

I curse at myself under my breath. What would he need from me? He has two of his best friends with him and I’m barely a person in his life. The shower shuts off and I start to sweat. My phone pings again and I cringe before I look down at it.

Avery has already threatened me if I don’t. Thanks. If you could send me bourbon and a blowjob that would be great.

I cackle as Harley comes out of the bathroom and raises an eyebrow at me.

“Morrison wants me to send him booze and sexual favors to help him get through the night with his parents. Should I send him a Mounty hooker?”

Harley laughs, a proper laugh, and I blush at the sight of it. I jump up off the bed and try to discreetly check him out. His dark jeans are just fitted enough that I can appreciate his ass but not his dick. I’ll take it as a win. He has a dark gray shirt on with a deep v neckline so I can see his mother’s necklace and the edges of his tattoo peeking out. He throws a jacket on and we leave together.

He leans against the wall as I lock the door and he’s so close to me that I can feel the heat of his body and smell him. I swear he’s like fucking ambrosia to me, my body melts the second I get a whiff of him. I hear him curse softly under his breath and look up.

Annabelle scowls at me, standing before us in a lacy transparent nightgown-thing. Teddy? I’ve never owned one so fuck knows what it’s called. There’s no reason other than sex that a woman would wear one is what I’m saying.

“It’s bad enough I have to watch Blaise leave here most nights now you’re here with her too? Come on, Harley, what are you thinking?”

I move to walk past her but Harley grabs my hand and tugs me to his side. Oh fuck. I’m about to be thrown in the middle of relationship drama. Avery’s going to be pissed.

“We’re heading out to Joey’s party. Have a great night with whatever dumbass you’re all dressed up for, Summers.”

Annabelle pouts at him but I can see the real hurt in her eyes. Avery did say Harley was her favorite. “I haven’t broken the rules Harley. I haven’t had anyone else and I won’t. I know you’ll get bored of slumming it with Mounty pussy and come back to me.”

Harley chuckles under his breath and takes a step forward, pulls me with him. “I was born in the same city as Lips. I spend all of my summer breaks there. We have friends in the same circles. When I leave Hannaford, I’m going back there. I’m as much a Mounty as she is. Give up, Summers. I’m never touching you again. I never should’ve touched you in the first place.”

I see the tears start as we walk past her. I can’t find it in myself to feel bad for her.

The party is in the same clearing as last year.

We have to walk past the same tree I watched Annabelle blow Harley on and I think about pointing it out to him but his mood is fucking woeful after our run in with her. He hasn’t let go of my hand. I tried to tug it back and he glared down at me like I was wounding him. Fucking guys.

When we make it to the drinks table Harley swipes a bottle of whiskey, holding it up until I nod then he drops my hand to open it and hands it to me. As I take a swig I see Joey’s usual group of flunkies approach us. I roll my eyes at Harley and pass him back the bottle.

“Joey’s waiting for you.”

Harley slings his arm over my shoulders and sneers at Devon. “And he can keep waiting. We’re busy.”

I tell myself I’m not going to enjoy being this close to Harley all night and I also tell myself that I’m shamelessly lying. Harlow looks between the two of us and sneers at me. When she opens her mouth I tug Harley towards the makeshift dance floor and grab the bottle back from him.

“How long should we let the asshole wait for us?” Harley whispers and I smile and pull away from him to dance.

“At least four songs. I haven’t danced in weeks and I don’t have to keep an eye on Avery.”

He grins and pulls my hips back so we’re dancing together and I let the warmth spreading through my limbs turn me into something pliable and fluid. I let go of everything, all the stresses and worries, all the planning and manipulating, everything that I spend every waking moment thinking about. He’s watching my back and I’m protecting his. Harley is surprisingly good at dancing, he manages to walk that fine line between dirty sexy grinding and mindless dry humping. I’m panting like a whore in no time. It would be mortifying but Harley is just as worked up as I am.

By the third song we’d drunk enough of the bottle that I tug Harley away from the music. We need to have enough brains about us to handle Joey but I’m not really worried. Harley is a seasoned drinker and I’m no lightweight, despite my size.

“Let’s get this over with.”

Harley nods and I take the lead further into the woods where I know Joey goes to get high. There’s groups of students already out to play, moaning and grunting following us as we make our way over to Joey’s group. I don’t look around, I don’t want to know who’s doing who.

When we reach the fence line I see two very familiar figures leaning against the wrought iron latticework. Two of the Jackal’s underlings are doing lines with Joey. I freeze before they spot me and Harley steps up to press himself against my back.

“Friends of yours?” he whispers into my ear.

Joey has seriously misjudged who I am.

He looks up and grins at me, all baring teeth and threats. The two Mounts Bay locals notice his attention is elsewhere and look up to me as well. Daniel damn near pisses himself as he scrambles away from Joey but Trenton manages to keep his cool. He meets my eye and dips his head, a sign of respect. His eyes dart over my shoulder and he does the same to Harley. I stare at him with a blank face and I hope Harley follows my lead but I can’t glance back and check. Joey frowns at him and then back at me.

I arch an eyebrow at him but I don’t say a word. He wanted to out me as a gangster, either a whore or a drug dealer. Well, asshole, you guessed wrong.

“This guy bothering you?” Trenton says, jerking a thumb at Joey. His other hand slips behind him and I know he’s gripping a gun shoved into the waistband of his jeans. One word and the eldest Beaumont child catches a bullet between his eyes.

I look at Joey and raise an eyebrow at him. His lip curls into a snarl when he realizes his little reveal has backfired so superbly on him. I don’t think he’s noticed Trenton’s movements but the tension in Harley’s body tells me he has.

“He’s just a guy with too much money and too little respect for how things are done in the real world, boys.” I say and Harley’s fingers grip my elbow.

Trenton nods as he looks down at his toes. “What’ll it be then? You need me to take care of him?”

Harlow frowns at me and her lip quivers as she takes a step away from Joey. Hmm. She’s more observant than I thought. I stare Joey down even though his eyes burn my skin with their manic fixation.

“I’m here to go to school, not start a war. Head home, boys. Hannaford isn’t the place for you.”

Daniel takes off from the clearing, damn near running towards his car. Trenton hesitates before shaking Harley’s hand and bowing his head at me, respectfully. The entire crowd of students watch in silence as they walk away. When the car starts and peels away Joey speaks.

“Who the fuck are you, Mounty?”

I grin and lift the bottle of whiskey to my lips, “Maybe you should watch yourself until you know, Beaumont. I did warn you.”

Harley sniggers behind me and, after I’ve taken a sip, he grabs the bottle and takes a swig. “Come dance, Mounty. Let’s enjoy the rest of the night.”

“I’m sleeping in Avery’s bed tonight. If Joey comes up here again I don’t want you alone.”

My hands fumble with the keys but I manage to unlock the door and get us into the room. Harley slips his jacket off and hangs it over the armchair he’s claimed. He’s still clutching the bottle of whiskey and when he notices I’m frozen by the door he takes a sip, his eyes burning on my skin. He offers me the bottle and I snap out of my trance to walk over and take it. It’s nearly empty so I finish the last of it, feeling the warmth spread through my limbs.

“Do you have pajamas here or do we need to go back to-“ my voice dries up as Harley reaches behind his head to pull his shirt off.

Holy.

Fuck.

His eyes stay fixed on mine as he reaches down to unbutton his jeans and my entire body spontaneously combusts. There’s too much whiskey coursing in my blood to stop myself from moaning when he smirks and drops the jeans to the floor, kicking them away so all he is left wearing are his boxers. There is too much skin on display for my brain to process. I’m shaking, my body trembling with the intimacy and intensity of the moment. It’s like everything has ceased to exist except for us and this moment.

I want him so fucking bad.

“Are you just going to stare, Mounty, or are you gonna do something?” he taunts and I shiver. I think I’m going to do something. Wait, I know I’m going to do something.

I strip off, with the same efficiency he has, until I’m standing before him in my bra and panties. Thank god I bothered to wear nice ones, matching black with a tiny bit of lace. His eyes never drop down to my body but I watch his throat work as he swallows roughly. I know I’m covered in scars but I don’t feel ashamed of them when he looks at me the way he is. He waits for a second, like he’s making sure I’m with him, and then he pounces.

He grabs me by the backs of my thighs and lifts me up into his body like I weigh nothing. I wrap my legs around his waist to hold on and my arms wind around his neck as he claims my lips. I know that’s exactly what he’s doing, he’s claiming me. I open my mouth to his and groan as his tongue sweeps in and I melt.

He is so unbelievably hot, his skin pressing against me burning me until I’m sweating and shaking. I tug at his bottom lip with my teeth and his hands move to my ass and squeeze. I wriggle and he breaks away from the kiss to murmur, “Bed?”

I’m not thinking, I don’t want to think ever again, so I nod and kiss him again.

He sits on my bed and holds me over him until I can tuck myself into his lap comfortably, straddling him. We pause for a second, panting and staring at each other before Harley cups my face gently. His eyes are soft, something I’ve never seen on him before, my breath hitches in my throat but before I can think he pulls me back into his lips.

He kisses me like I’m a drug he’s desperate for and I kiss him back like he’s the only air I’ll ever need to breathe.

I move my hips until I feel the rigid length of his dick pressing against my panties. Good lord, his dick is so fucking hard and I gulp at the size. I do not want to be torn in half for my first time and I’m about to pull away but then he sucks the skin just below my ear and my hips rock in response and then nothing else matters except what his lips are doing to me. I grind down onto him and savor every grunt and moan he gives me. He’s only wearing his boxers so there’s two thin layers of fabric separating us and my eyes roll back into my head at the thought. I can feel how wet I am, soaking through my panties and leaving a wet spot on Harley’s boxers. I tug at his hair and moan softly.

“Fuck,” he mumbles as he drags his lips away from my shoulder. “This isn’t how I wanted to do this. You’ve had too much to drink.”

Whether it’s the alcohol or his mouth, the jury is out, I don’t feel drunk until he says that, and now I feel lightheaded and rejected. I pull away from him sharply, snatching my arms back from where they’re pressed into his chest, but he keeps his hands circling my waist. He pulls his knees up to push me back into his chest and moves a hand to gently stroke the hair away from my face while he scowls at me.

“Don’t freak out. I’m just saying I don’t think we should be doing anything more than making out when we’ve finished a bottle of whiskey between us.”

Dammit. Damn him to hell, he’s being fucking reasonable. How can I argue with that?! I don’t want to take this further, not really, because he doesn’t do commitment and I don’t want casual for my first time. I don’t want to be another Mounty girl used and thrown away. Urgh. Why?!

“You’re right. We should stop.”

Harley cradles my face in his hands again and kisses me slowly until I can’t breathe. Well, if he isn’t the most confusing guy on the freaking planet I don’t know who is, but my mind turns off again and I lose myself in his lips. I shift my weight, rocking my hips just a fraction, and he pulls away.

“Nope. No. We’ll stop. If you can’t kiss me without grinding on my dick like that we have to stop.”

I groan at him and collapse on the bed beside him. Rude. “You’re the one that stripped off.”

He scoffs at me and I swear I hear him mumble, “I had to get your attention somehow.” But that doesn’t make any sense to my whiskey-soaked brain so I brush it off. Clearly he isn’t taking his celibacy very seriously. I wonder why he’s even doing it, he could easily find a replacement for Annabelle. Maybe he wants me to be his regular casual hookup. I mean, I room with his cousin so he has access to me without drawing suspicion from the other girls. My eyes drift shut while I hypothesize Harley’s sex life.

I feel the blankets being pulled up around me and a hand brushing my hair back from my face.

“I can’t fuck a Hannaford boy.” I remind myself and then I pass out.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I wake up hungover, in my underwear, and alone.

I take some time to reassess my life choices because, boy, did I make some life choices last night. When I finally drag my ass out of bed and into the shower I’m in full sulk mode. Not Morrison levels of sulk but enough that I’m not leaving my room. Avery has different plans for me.

Stop being a hermit and join us for dinner. Harley said you haven’t come out all day and I can’t be bothered cooking.

Dinner? I glance at the clock and, fuck me, it’s after five. I’ve slept and moped the whole day away.

I think about texting her back some bullshit excuse but she’ll tell Harley and he’ll rat me out so I throw an oversized sweater and Avery’s yoga pants on and trudge down to the dining hall like I’m heading to the executioner's block. When I open the door I find Harley scowling down at his phone waiting for me. I open my mouth, not that I know what the fuck I’m going to say, but he turns away and grabs a tray. “Risotto or salmon? There’s pizza too but it’s shit.”

I stumble behind him as he grabs us both lunch. It’s chivalrous and sweet but he won’t look at me and his jaw is clenched. I’m embarrassed about making out with him last night but he looks pissed and I have no fucking clue what I’ve done to warrant that so I keep my mouth shut and watch him from the corner of my eye instead. The twins are already eating in their usual seats and Blaise is nowhere to be seen.

When we take our seats Avery tucks her arm into mine and Ash does a double take when he sees my face. Fuck, do I have toothpaste on my chin or something? He stands and takes off without a word. What the fuck is going on?

“Why do your lips look all red and pouty?” says Avery to me with narrowed eyes. I refuse to blush. I refuse but my body doesn’t listen. Fuck. “Is that a hickey?”

I clear my throat but I can’t think of an answer so I grab my plate and tuck in. The risotto tastes like ash because of my anxiety and just once I’d like to enjoy my food. Just once.

Harley arches an eyebrow at me and I don’t know what the hell to say because he’s acting so weird.

“Did you forget your morals for a second and mess around with a Hannaford guy?” he sneers and I want to stab him with my fork. I didn’t ask him to get naked and kiss me! He has no right to be a dick to me!

Avery looks between the two of us and then snaps at Harley, “This is about safety not morals.”

He frowns at her and I butt in before she says too much. “I went to the party to see about Joey’s threats. I drank too much and made out with someone. I forgot myself for a second, don’t worry. I won’t do it again.”

Avery purses her lips and glances at Harley. I can see her measure out her words before she speaks them. “I just need you to be safe, Lips. I don’t want you to get carried away and risk something happening to you.”

Harley pins me with a searing look like he’s trying to pry my brain open with his eyes and learn all of my secrets. I ignore him and steer the conversation onto safer topics.

After we finish eating Harley insists on walking us back to our room. Avery tucks herself under his arm and tells him all about her recital. I’ve already watched her entire performance thanks to Blaise’s recording. When we make it back I find clean piles of folded clothing waiting outside our door and I grab piles, noting a complete lack of underwear yet again. Every pair I’ve sent down to be cleaned have gone missing and I’m running out! Avery lets us into the room and Harley holds the door open for me.

“Remind me tomorrow that I need to talk to the laundry personnel, my underwear is missing again.” I grumble quietly as I pack away my clothes.

Harley, of course, overhears me and snorts out a laugh. “You sure you don’t have some pervert stalking you?”

I shudder. I certainly do have a sociopath stalking me I guess. Avery grabs her pajamas and heads to the bathroom. “Ask Harlow, maybe she’s moved onto stealing lacy unmentionables instead of my fucking shoes.”

I cringe at her swearing and I don’t notice I’ve been left alone with Harley until it’s too late.

“Why is your safety a concern for what we did last night?”

Fuck. Here we go. “Why?”

“What?” He frowns at me.

“Why do you care? You were just sick of your celibacy, right? You were just drinking and made a mistake because Annabelle is off the cards. So what does it matter?” I’m snippy at him but his attitude is grating on me.

Harley stalks over to me and grabs the shirts I’m holding and throws them on my bed. “Maybe it matters because I’m fucking worried about you. Maybe it matters because if someone is threatening you I want to know about it. Maybe I take this friendship pretty fucking seriously. You gave up a diamond for me.”

I groan and scrub a hand over my face. “You don’t owe me for that. I made a decision and the cost of that lands with me.”

Harley’s hands wrap around my elbows and squeeze firmly. “When I beat Hillsong for you last year, called Avery off, told all of the guys they couldn’t approach you, I did all of that because I wanted to be your friend. So let me in. Tell me why you don’t want to get involved with someone who goes here.”

I squirm under the intensity of his eyes and I try to tug away from him but he won’t let me go. Fuck. I have to tell him something. “It’s not about whether or not I want to, it’s just not a good idea for me to get involved with someone from Hannaford. I don’t want to talk about it.”

He glares down at me before blowing out a breath and stepping back. “One day you’re going to trust me to have your back, Mounty.”

Avery uses my missing underwear as an excuse to get a day pass from our classes to go into Haven together the following day. I can’t believe it’s as easy as that but then again, she’s a Beaumont.

She wears a dress, stockings, and heels with her hair curled and perfect makeup. I throw on jeans and a jacket, a messy bun and a touch of mascara. We couldn’t look more different but Avery tucks her arm in mine like there’s no question we’re best friends and then cackles at the looks we get from other students. I laugh because, I mean, what else can I do?

A town car drops us off in front of the small cafe I went to last year and I smile at the waitress Emily as we take a seat in one of the booths. Avery rolls her eyes at me, thoroughly bemused by my insistence on being friendly to people, and we each order our drinks. I know it’s coming before she speaks so I’ve already resigned myself to spilling my guts to her.

“Are you going to tell me who you kissed or am I going to have to pry the information out of you?”

I sigh. “It was Harley.”

“I fucking knew it.” She’s smug and I think about pinching or slapping her or something. She knows she’s treading a fine line and sticks her tongue out in an entirely non-Avery way and I roll my eyes.

“We went to the party, had our little showdown with Joey, shared a bottle of whiskey and danced, came back to the room, and then made out.”

“No sex?”

“No.” My cheeks probably look sunburnt, for Christ’s sake.

“I’m glad you showed some self control. I mean, he wouldn’t have claimed the sweep but you guys couldn’t keep that a secret.”

I can’t look her in the eye. I know who had the self control that night and it certainly was not me. I had the raging hormones and the soaked panties. I had taut nipples and gyrating hips but I definitely did not have any sort of restraint.

“Can we just forget about it? Harley has and I’d like to.”

Avery narrows her eyes at me and shrugs. “Sure. Tell me about the henchmen Joey had there?”

I wait until Emily has brought us our drinks and then I smirk. “You should have seen his face, he was so pissed his little surprise backfired.”

Avery laughs and I go on, “They were both bottom rung guys, you know, like the lowest on the ladder. I’ve met Trenton before a few times. He’s done some work for Luca and I’ve seen him around. The other guy knew who I was but I’ve never met him. He shit himself, I’m surprised Harley didn’t ask me about his reaction.”

Avery nods and props her chin up on the table with her fist. “I think he’s made some assumptions about who you are. Every time he gets close to figuring you out you throw him a new secret and he has to start all over.”

I shrug. “His family run in a lot of the same circles as the Jackal and others. The only Twelve members who stay out of the lower society dealings are the Crow, the Tiger, and the Lynx.”

Avery looks around but I’ve already done a sweep of the room. No one can hear us from where we’re sitting and I can see who’s coming in and out of the cafe. I raise an eyebrow at her and she clears her throat before whispering, “Can you tell me more about them? What they each do?”

“The Crow deals in information. The type of information you deal in, I’ve always guessed that he’s the bastard son of a big player or a governor or something. The Tiger is a lawyer. He’s actually a decent guy, dirty as they come but he makes bank by digging people out of shit. He’s married, got kids, lives a white picket life while being a member of a criminal institution. It’s fucking weird.”

“The Lynx?” Avery takes a gulp of her drink and I remember I have mine to drink as well.

“She’s a mafia princess. Well, queen I guess, she’s in her fifties. Her family has always had a member in the Twelve and when her father died both her brothers were locked up and couldn’t enter into the Game so she did. She was the first woman to win it. Her brothers both despise that she’s their representative. They can’t touch her because of her power and they have to run all of their business decisions past her. It’s hilarious.”

Avery chuckles and rearranges sugar packets absently. “So, who are the others then? What do they do?”

“The Boar runs the imports and exports, the Viper is a bookie, the Bear does cleanups and party drugs, the Fox runs parties of all kinds, the Ox runs protection and enforcing, the Coyote is the tech guy, and the Vulture sells skin.”

“Is that the guy who paid you with a raging boner down at the docks?” She shudders delicately.

“Yeah. He’s… fucking disgusting. He offered to double my money for Harley. Dickhead move, I could get at least five hundred grand for him in the right circles.”

Avery chokes on her coffee and fixes her watery eyes on me. “Excuse me?”

I laugh. “Aves, he’s hot. He’s built, pretty, tattooed, and he’s not at all lacking in the dick department. I’d get half a mil easy.”

Avery slams her cup back on the table and glares at me. “Firstly, how the hell do you know what his dick length is if you didn’t have sex with him and, secondly, but most importantly, he is my cousin and I never, ever want to talk about his dick with you. Ever.”

I blush and fidget in my seat. “We only kissed but I got close enough to him to know what he’s working with.”

“Ugh, hand me some fucking brain bleach.” She snarls and picks up her phone.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I hiss and try to snatch the phone out of her hands. She glares and turns away from me.

“I’m letting him know that you’re off limits. Jokes! I’m joking, I’m congratulating him on his dick.”

I could fucking die. “Avery, we’re no longer friends. If you hit send, I’m leaving you.”

“Yeah right, I’m your favorite, remember?” she says, cackling like the evil witch she is.

I grumble under my breath as we get up and head out of the cafe.

Avery directs us both to a tiny boutique store that sells ridiculous underwear that is basically scraps of lace for hundreds of dollars. When I say this to Avery she glares at me and throws me a basket, demanding I fill it up. I put three pairs in and refuse to get anymore. She makes a joke about showing them off to Harley and I pray the ground will swallow me whole. When we’re finished and safely buckled back into the town car, Avery grabs my hand.

“You know, you didn’t tell me what you and the Jackal do.”

I bite my lip. I don’t want to answer this question at all but I’ve trusted her with everything so far and she’s never let me down. “The Jackal does everything. Drugs, guns, extortion, kidnapping, fucking everything. He’s a gang leader, through and through. And the Wolf… is invisible. Collects things. Does things no one else wants to do and the stuff no one else can do. I’m good at not being seen.”

She squeezes my hand. “I think you’re good at being underestimated. Joey’s proved that over and over again.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Harley starts sitting with Avery and me at breakfast in the dining hall before classes. He still doesn’t really speak to me, which is fine, but he laughs and jokes with Avery again and she’s so ecstatic about it that I’m once again feeling guilty about how much I’ve changed her relationships with the guys. When I say this to her she smirks at me and tells me they all deserve to grovel at her feet for her affection. I laugh because, well, it’s such a Beaumont thing to say.

I wake up to Ash sleeping on our couch more often than not. When I ask Avery about it she sighs and admits Joey is sending them both threatening texts again and he’s worried Joey is going to show up at our door again. Ash is still moody and scowling at me but he doesn’t try to speak to me. I take it as a win.

My tutoring sessions with Blaise has become one of the best parts of my day.

He starts to bring me more than just our playlists. He slips me partial lyrics he’s working on and little scratchy sketches drawn in the margins of his workbooks. They’re all little pieces of the real Blaise Morrison, the person he is onstage and away from the toxic wealth of Hannaford, and I’m totally enamored by it. He stops smirking and gives me these heartbreakingly cocky little grins instead. Our time studying alone together leaves me with an ache deep in my chest that won’t go away. I also frequently require a cold shower afterwards to calm my hormones the fuck down. I do not want to be making the same mistakes with him that I have with Harley but I’m starting to forget that he used to hate me. We work together so well as I help get him to the GPA he needs.

We spread out on the floor because Blaise works best when he’s comfortable and he likes the cushions in front of the TV best. He kicks his shoes off at the door and leaves his blazer draped over the couch. He only does this when Avery isn’t here, I think she’s threatened him for it before. His shirt is unbuttoned and his tattoos are peeking out. I can’t take my eyes off of that little patch of exposed skin, not even when Blaise looks up and catches me staring.

“Fuck, Mounty, don't make this even harder for me than it already is.” He groans and I look up, licking my bottom lip.

“What's hard?” I croak, the desire in my voice so clear and foreign to me. I sound like a sexed up harlot. Sweet lord.

Blaise exhales and tips his head back to blink at the ceiling like I'm testing him. Oh. Right. My mind kicks back online and I realize I'm drooling all over him and he's just trying to study. He's so beyond not interested that he's actually repelled by me. Fuck.

“Sorry.” I mumble and I turn away from him, focusing my eyes back onto the assignment in front of me and trying not to vomit in shame. I'm fucking pathetic.

Blaise doesn’t speak again. I mark everything he’s finished and we put together a page of notes for an upcoming test. I manage to calm down and focus on the work enough that I almost forget about how humiliating my reaction to him was. When my phone pings with a text from Avery to say she’s heading back from Ballet class I’m shocked the hour is already up. I put away my supplies as Blaise watches me. I avoid his eyes.

He clears his throat and when I refuse to look at him he raises up to his knees before me. I startle, my head jerking up to finally meet his eyes, and then he pushes me back into the cushions until he's lying on top of me. His eyes on my face are molten, fierce and smoldering, and I can't breathe as he slowly lowers his lips to mine.

It's soft and languid for a second, just the barest of touches, like he's worried I'll run away. When I kiss him back, opening my mouth and tasting him, he groans and kisses me harder until I think I'm going to pass out. His chest is a solid weight on top of me. My nipples are hard as they push up against him and I try not to instinctually rock my hips in time with the thrust of his tongue in my mouth. His lips are hungry as they consume me until I’m a shaking mess in his arms. I’m so fucking wet for him with just one kiss. My legs part so he can settle between them and he breaks away from me, panting.

“Is that better?”

A bucket of ice over my head would have been less devastating than those words.

I scramble out from under him and onto my feet. My hands are shaking and I curse myself under my breath. Blaise scowls at me and I'm so deeply ashamed of myself. I want to crawl under my bed and die.

“Avery is going to be back soon. I need to get ready for bed.” I keep my eyes glued to the floor as he packs his bag and leaves. I want to apologize to him but I can't find the words. I don't move or speak until I hear the door shut behind him.

Then I climb into bed and try not to lose myself.

My alarm wakes me. I turn it off and try to go back to sleep.

Last night I had pretended to be asleep already when Avery got home and she pretended to believe me which was very kind of her. She’s too smart sometimes, too intuitive, and it’s a blessing and a curse. I listen as she gets up and showers, then when she pours us both a coffee each and starts to make pancakes, without uttering a word to me, I break exactly how she knows I will. Evil dictator.

“Blaise kissed me.”

She lets out a little yelp that is so not an Avery Beaumont noise. I hear something drop and smash in the kitchen. My eyes squeeze shut and tears build up but I refuse to let them fall. I was kind of hoping this would roll off her back and be no big deal but the universe conspires against me. Great, now I’m just as dramatic as Blaise is. Fuck.

“He did what?! When? Did you kiss him back? Was it a peck or a proper kiss? Jesus Christ, what did you do?” Avery screeches as she storms back over to my bed. I don't look at her. I just can’t.

“We were studying and he was just being nice to me. When he packed up as we finished he pushed me back onto the cushions and he kissed me.”

Avery sinks down onto the bed. I still can't look at her. “Wow. I did not think he would do that.”

Fuck, my stomach roils all over again. “He only did it because he feels like he owes me for helping him study. I'm that fucking pathetic that he felt like he had to.”

Avery clears her throat and says, “Did he say that?”

“He may as well have.”

Her eyes narrow at me. “Tell me exactly what he did say.”

I groan and sit up. Avery looks worried, like really fucking concerned and now I feel like I attacked her friend. I know he kissed me but if I made him so uncomfortable that he felt forced to do it then it's still me in the wrong, right? Fuck, I have a headache. This just proves I should stay away from guys.

“He said I was making it harder for him while I was watching him study. I apologized then he kissed me. Then he pulled away and said ‘is that better’.”

Avery frowns at me and then down at her phone.

“I’m staying in bed today. I’m going to be a coward and just fucking hide here. He's coming back to study tonight and I need to figure out how to help him while I'm crawling with shame.”

Avery starts typing a message even as she scowls at me. “He kissed you, that's on him. Why should you be feeling shame?”

“Because he doesn't even like me. He was only kissing me so I'd keep tutoring him. Fuck, I'm so fucking stupid. Now Ash is going to lose his goddamn mind and Harley is going to get pissy at me for meddling in their shit again and Blaise is going to tell everyone I'm a pathetic stalker.”

She stands up and pulls back the blankets so I’m hit with the chill of the morning air. “Get up and go to class. I'll fix it.”

I groan and scrub at my face like it will change how awful I’m feeling. “Aves-“

“No, Lips. I will fix it. You have a test in Biology and I’m not sitting through Choir and Harlow’s crap without you. Shower and eat, I’m going down to eat with the boys and fix this.”

I sigh and do what she says.

I make it through Choir without looking at Blaise. He pointedly doesn’t look at me either which makes it both easier and more gut wrenching. Avery watches us both with keen interest, like she’s waiting to have to pry us apart when we try to kill each other. I feel like I should tell her that I don’t want to kill him but I do want to die.

I flee the class the second I can and when I sit down next to Harley in our literature class I give myself the pep talk of a lifetime. I’ve been stabbed, shot, burned, snapped, chained, broken, and beaten. I need to get some perspective and get over the embarrassment of that pity kiss. I get close to believing myself.

Ms. Lucia had assigned ‘A Brave New World’ to the class as a reading over the winter break and we’re given a pop quiz the moment she arrives. I love the book, having read it in middle school, and I could have done the quiz in my sleep. I’m finished with twenty minutes to spare and I grab my notes for Biology to make absolutely sure I’m going to ace the test in the next class. Harley finishes up five minutes after me and he pulls out his own notes, immaculately written and so much better than mine. Ms. Lucia smiles at us both and then promptly ignores us as she marks our quizzes.

Harley waits until her attention is away from us and then whispers, “Why was Avery threatening Blaise this morning at breakfast?”

I keep my eyes on my notes. Harley doesn't sound happy and my eyes will give me away.

“I don't know. This is the first I'm hearing of it.”

He grunts at me and says, “She told him that she’d end him if he tried to touch you again. When did he touch you?”

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. Avery, lord help me, why couldn't you have been just a little more discreet?! Did Ash know? I’ll be hauled into another supply closet and called a slut in no time! I hope my face isn’t showing any of the panic I’m feeling right down to my soul.

“I was helping him with an assignment. Avery is worried about me because Ash is on the warpath about you guys and she doesn’t want to cause any issues. Nothing to worry about, forget it.”

He leans in closer and whispers, “She made it sound like he’d tried to kiss you. He was pretty ashamed when she started in on him.”

Hot shame slides over my skin and my cheeks flush. I raise my hand and when Ms. Lucia calls on me I ask to go to the nurse for a migraine. Harley watches me as I pack up and his eyes follow me out the door.

I don’t make it to Biology.

Blaise arrives at our room with a black eye and a shitty attitude.

Avery makes herself comfortable on her bed and starts her own assignments. She’d told her Ballet teacher she had cramps and then told me she was going to make sure Blaise wasn’t inappropriate with me. I’d argued with her, I was the one who was inappropriate, but she wouldn’t budge.

We sit on the floor like we always do, though I’m a little uncomfortable about it now. Blaise sullenly hands over all of his completed work and I hand him a pile of notes to work on while I mark. We settle into a mildly uncomfortable silence as we work.

It’s not until Avery gets a phone call and ducks into the bathroom for privacy that Blaise finally speaks to me.

“You’re such a hypocrite. You ran straight to Avery.”

I blush and nod my head. I just need to get this out and be done with it. “I know. I told her exactly how embarrassed I was with my actions and I owe you an apology.”

Blaise frowns at me and I fumble on, praying I can clear the air enough so we can get back to studying as friends. “Look, I’m sorry I was staring and making you uncomfortable. I was tired and not thinking straight. I’m also sorry Avery yelled at you for the whole…thing, I was embarrassed that you had pity kissed me and I moped to her about it. You know how she gets when she’s in protect mode. Can we just forget it and move on?”

I force myself to look him in the eye. He’s still frowning and now he’s chewing on his bottom lip. If he didn’t look so serious I’d think he was teasing me.

“That’s not what I was expecting you to say.” he murmurs.

I shrug because I don’t have an answer to that either. When he opens his mouth again Avery walks out of the bathroom and pegs him with a look. He arches an eyebrow at her like he’s trying to provoke her into a fight. I get a bad feeling about the two of them circling each other.

“Where did you get that lovely black eye from, Morrison?” Avery croons. She struts into the kitchen and begins to make us each a hot cocoa. She doesn’t get a cup for Blaise.

He watches her as he leans back, his attitude melting back into the cocky rockstar he really is. “Arbour was defending his love. He thinks I’m trying to steal his girl out from under him and he can be a jealous shit.”

My stomach drops and the small amount of peace I’d managed to find with my apology disappears into thin air. Harley has a girlfriend? Blaise is trying to steal her? I don’t like the sound of either of those things. Blaise is pity kissing me and then out hunting his best friend’s girlfriend. Wow. Why do I like this asshole so much? At least now I’m not feeling so bad about my actions.

“I didn’t know he had a girl.” snipes Avery, filling my cup with marshmallows and drizzling the entire drink in chocolate syrup. It’s like a heart attack in a cup and I’m so fucking ready for it.

Blaise grins and packs away his textbooks and notes. “Try telling him that. Have a good night, girls. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Lance the Mounty, because I can’t remember the little fuck’s last name to save my damn life, is becoming a problem.

He gets to our tutoring sessions before me without fail so I don’t even get a minute to myself to set up. When Ash realizes this he starts coming earlier as well so when I arrive ten minutes before the start time they’re both already there and being openly hostile towards each other. I do my best to ignore it but, fuck me, Lance will not stop flirting and Ash gets snarky at him the second he starts. I stay polite but I lose my friendly demeanor quickly. I have enough problems in my life without adding an obsessed little Mounty boy to the list. He does not get the hint. If anything, it makes him work harder.

It does work to my advantage in the week leading up to winter break. As we finish the session I quickly pack up to try and flee before he can ask to walk me back to the dorms when he starts in on his latest attempt to befriend me.

“I’m the school photographer. I’ve got a good shot of you at a football game a few weeks ago. It’s the only one I’ve seen you at.”

Ash sneers at him. “You sound like a fucking stalker. Lay off a bit or she’ll realize how desperate you really are.”

I clench my teeth. I hate that he is defending me because I honestly don’t know what the fuck I’d say to Lance if Ash weren’t here. He’s too much and I feel fucking smothered.

Lance ignores Ash and hands me his iPad with the photo he’s talking about. It’s great, but I’m not the only one in it. Harley and I are eating hotdogs and laughing with each other. Avery is tucked under Ash’s arm and they’re both smiling at Blaise who is talking about something and gesturing with his hands. It’s the perfect moment in time for all five of us and I instantly know Avery will adore it. I mean, I love it too, but I feel weird about it because Ash hates me, Blaise only tolerates me because I help him with his studies, and, well, I guess Harley is my friend. It’s the perfect gift for Avery and I’ve been struggling to find her something.

“I need a copy of this. Can you email me one? The highest definition you have please.” I say and Lance smiles at me like I’ve complimented him. His hand brushes mine when he takes the iPad back and he runs a finger over my hand. I force myself not to shudder but I move away from him quickly and Ash sees him do it.

“Don’t be a creepy fuck.” He snaps but Lance just smirks at him.

“You’re the one watching her like an obsessed boyfriend. Maybe she should be worried about you.”

Ash’s face morphs into his icy mask and I groan. Great. I’m going to be scraping Mounty innards off of my bag for the rest of the evening.

“Run along, Mounty. I’ll see you back at the dorms.”

Finally Lance gulps and leaves. I quirk an eyebrow at Ash but he ignores me and I shove text books into my bag. As I pack, I check my phone and spot a text from Avery. I manage to hold in my groan and say to Ash, “Avery wants us both to meet her for dinner in the dining hall.”

He nods and waits for me, frowning and distracted. He motions to Lance’s empty seat and says, “Did you really have to encourage him? You obviously aren’t interested.”

I sigh and we walk out of the library. “How did I encourage him? I never flirt back.”

He grabs my elbow to pull me closer when a group of rowdy seniors pass us but he doesn’t let go when we’re past them. “You asked for a copy of the photo and you don’t snap at him like you do when I speak to you.”

It sounds like he’s whining about sharing me but his tone is aggravated. I roll my eyes at him. “I snap at you because you piss me off. You get under my skin, you hurt me, you say stupid shit to me all the fucking time to get a rise out of me. But you don’t creep me out. I’m never worried about you taking things too far.”

Ash’s spine snaps straight and he drops his hand away from my elbow. I roll my eyes all over again. “Settle down, Beaumont, I’m just saying you’re a decent human being when you’re not being an asshole to me.”

He clears his throat and I swear there’s color on his cheeks that wasn’t there before.

“Are you blushing right now? What exactly has you swooning? The word asshole?”

He glares at me and rolls his eyes. “Shut up, Mounty, I’m not fucking swooning. No one has ever called me decent before and my reaction is one of shock. It doesn’t happen often so you wouldn’t have seen it before and don’t expect to see it again.”

I stop and grab his elbow, the same way he’d taken mine. “You are decent, Ash. You’re loyal to your friends and you protect Avery fiercely. You even protect me when you think I’m in danger even though you don’t trust me. You lost your mind over the thought of your brother hurting me. Being related to Joey, and your father, doesn’t make you bad.”

He shrugs and pulls his arm away. I’m glad because for a second there I thought I was going to have to offer to hug him and the thought of being pressed against him like that makes me sweat. The image of his nipples pops into my head and I have to shake it out before I melt into a fucking puddle. When we get to the dining hall he stares at me for a second and then grabs a tray. When I move to grab one for myself he snaps, “Don’t be dense, Mounty, what do you want for dinner?”

Well, okay then.

Blaise texts after classes finish to say he’s skipping our tutoring session to watch Harley swim in the trials that are being held at Hannaford. I’m actually really glad because I need the space to sort my head out and work on my own assignments. I get twenty minutes to myself before Avery storms into our room and runs for the bathroom.

“What are you doing, we’re going to be late! You can’t attend the trials unless your in uniform so change back!” she calls out to me before ducking into the bathroom to change out of her ballet clothes and freshen up. She leaves the bathroom door open because apparently she knows I’m going to argue.

“I’m not going. Harley didn’t even tell me they were on.” I say but I’m up and getting dressed as I say it. I know Avery won’t accept my answer.

“We’re being supportive, get your butt moving.”

I roll my eyes at her but I speed up anyway. When she’s ready I grab my blazer and head for the door, grumbling, “He’s your cousin, why do I have to be supportive?”

Avery rolls her eyes at me and waves her phone in my face as we start to walk down to the pool. “He’s been obsessively texting me about who is threatening you. Face it, you guys are friends now and you have to support him. Plus, I know you think he’s hot and he’s going to be walking around in speedos, dripping wet for three hours. You’re welcome.”

I choke on my own tongue. Jesus fucking Christ.

The pool is Olympic sized with enough seating for the entire school to watch the trials but with the parents and families that came to watch we struggle to find a decent spot. Blaise ends up sweet talking someone’s sister and we get close enough that I can see the droplets of water sliding down Harley’s abs. Avery laughs hysterically at me, the bitch, but Ash and Blaise just look at her like she’s crazy.

“What are the trials for?” I ask as we watch Harley approach the starting blocks. Fuck me, he does look pretty fucking good. I look away before I publicly shame myself.

“A spot on the state team. Harley wins it every year and then when they offer it to him he turns them down.” Avery murmurs, sipping her coffee.

“Why?”

She shrugs. “He enjoys winning but doesn’t want to take it further. I told him he should do it for scholarships for college but, until you got here, he assumed he’d be dead by then.”

I cringe and nod. Harsh but true, without me and the protection I’ve bought him he would be dead. I let my thoughts spiral as I go through my exit plan for the two of us. Harley steps onto his starting block and gets into position. I quietly admire the muscles in his back and the length of his legs. He’s broader and more defined than the other swimmers. I’d have guessed he’d be slower because of the extra weight in muscle he’s carrying.

My daydreaming is interrupted when Harlow sits down next to me.

Avery straightens and jabs Ash in the ribs when she sees her but I ignore the bitch, keeping my eyes on Harley as the starting gun fires and he dives into the water in a graceful arc.

“How the fuck do you know Joey’s dealers?” she murmurs and I turn to look at her.

Her fingers are trembling where she’s holding her phone and her eyes are having trouble tracking. Great. She’s on something too.

“His dealers or yours?” I say and Avery snorts, muttering “Typical,” under her breath.

Harlow flicks her hair over her shoulder and says, blithely, “Does it matter? They sell the best and they’re rough guys. Joey’s concerned at having his baby sister rooming with the wrong sort of girl.”

Ash throws his head back and roars with laughter like Blaise usually does but the rockstar just glares at Harlow like she’s a ticking bomb.

“You better not be here at Joey’s request because I’ve already warned him twice about provoking me. If he does it again I’m not going to play games with him, I’m going for his throat.”

Avery tucks her arm into mine and holds my hand where Harlow can see it, a clear statement of loyalty. “Run along, Roqueford. Go snort your lines somewhere else so I can enjoy watching my cousin wipe the floor with your brother. Oh, wait, you did know Andrew Wakes was your bastard brother, didn’t you? Everyone knows you come by your slutty nature from your father. I hope you use condoms a bit more than he does or you’ll have your own horde of bastards in no time.”

Harlow curses viciously under her breath as she leaves and I turn back to the race just in time to see Harley touch the wall first, a full body length in front of his competitors.

“He really should join the state team.” I say and Avery hums her agreement.

Blaise clears his throat. “Are either of you going to explain what the hell she was talking about?”

I look over at him, startled. “Didn’t Harley tell you?”

Ash gives me an incredulous look. “He doesn’t tell us anything that involves you.”

Huh. I guess he thinks that comes with being ‘mine’ which is probably wise. I sigh. “Joey brought some of his dealers to the school and thought he’d be able to out me as a gang member or dealer or whatever. As I am none of those things, he was pissed when they left at my request.”

They both blink at me then Ash says, “You asked his dealers to leave and they did?”

I shrug. “I asked nicely.”

Avery giggles and distracts the guys away from the topic.

When Harley wins his last race of the night Avery ushers me out, telling the guys she’s too tired to watch the medals ceremony and we walk back to our room.

The next morning Avery leaves for winter break and I roll out of my bed to say goodbye, though I’m clearly not quite human before I’ve had my coffee.

“Be good while I’m gone.” Avery smirks and kisses my cheek. I laugh and hand over the wrapped gift I’ve had stashed under my bed. She gasps.

“You said no presents!”

I laugh. “I know you’ve ignored me and there’s something in your closet for me. Don’t peek until Christmas.”

She laughs and tweaks my nose.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

I refuse to leave my room for winter break. Harley checks in everyday but he mostly leaves me alone when I tell him I need to catch up on my assignments while I don’t have to tutor anyone else. I text Avery everyday and I’m relieved to find the Crow has fulfilled his favor and kept Senior away from home.

On Christmas Eve I go to bed with the same plan I have every year.

I won’t exist again until Christmas is over.

Someone is in the kitchen.

I crack one eye open and turn my head just far enough to see who’s fumbling around in Avery’s cooking supplies.

Harley.

He’s standing there in a gray sweatshirt and sweatpants, mixing something in a bowl while a pan heats up on the stove. The coffee machine is beeping and he’s turned the TV onto some random channel with Christmas carols.

I groan and shut my eyes.

“I'm making French toast. Ave’s said it’s your favorite, consider it a peace offering. I'm only good at breakfast so you're going to have to figure something out for us to have for dinner.”

Why is he here? Why is he making me food and forcing me to function? I just want to wallow between my sheets and forget about this stupid day. I huff and roll over. I’m not getting up, fuck him.

“I get you don't do Christmas but this is the first chance I've had to spend the day with someone since my Da died. I've been trapped in boarding schools ever since and teachers really don't give a crap about orphaned mobster kids.”

I groan again and sit up, frowning at him. He's got his back to me as he drops the soaked bread into the pan. I can't kick him out. He's being sweet and kind, and fuck it if I don't want him spending another Christmas alone. I cannot function on my birthday but I could force myself today if it means this much to him. Clearly, I’m getting soft.

So I get up.

I pull an oversized sweater on and then accept a giant cup of coffee from Harley while I rummage around in the cupboards for syrup and sprinkles. It's Christmas, we deserve some fucking sprinkles.

Harley tries to sit at the counter but I push him into sitting on the floor in front of the TV instead. I put Nightmare Before Christmas on instead of the bullshit carols and then we argue for the entire movie. Let's just say one of us thinks the movie is a Christmas movie and the other person is wrong. The french toast is the best I've ever had.

I stand up to clear our plates and Harley's eyes catch on my bare legs. That's when I realize I'm only wearing underwear and the sweater. My cheeks turn scarlet and I rush to find some pants. Harley chuckles at me like we’re friends and I startle when I realize we are. Fuck, how did that happen?

When I return from the closet, Harley has grabbed a bottle of whiskey from Avery’s stash and is sitting cross-legged on the floor where I usually study with Blaise. I’m a little worried about drinking with him again because last time I couldn’t control myself and I hate how awkward I felt around him afterwards. I don’t know how he found Avery’s hiding spot but when he grins and holds up a shooter glass I can’t help but cave. I roll my eyes and I grab the shot, downing it as I join him. He throws one back and chases it with a beer. Gross.

“Ave’s told me you guys swap truths. I want to give that a go.”

I arch an eyebrow at him and rub my palms on my yoga pants. “We also choose our own truths. I’m assuming you want to ask me questions?”

He nods as he refills the glasses. “We take turns asking. If you want to pass, take the shot.”

I’d have liver poisoning in under an hour but we’ve had such a good day I don’t want to spoil it by refusing. If I made it past ten shots I’ll bow out. I nod and he smirks at me, wolfishly.

“Ladies first.”

I snort. “There are no ladies here, just you and the Mounty trash. But fine.” I blow out a breath. There’s plenty I want to ask him. The problem is, if I go straight to the deep stuff he may pass or he could do the same and I’ll have to quit the game. I need to stick to lighthearted stuff. “First kiss?” I tease.

He flicks the lid from his beer at me. “Lame. Some chick in fifth grade. I can’t tell you her name, I honestly don’t remember. Yours?”

Fuck. I didn’t think that through at all. I take a shot.

“You’ve got to be kidding me? How is that classified information, Mounty?”

“It’s my turn to ask a question.” I refill my shot glass so I don’t have to look at him.

“I’ll give you a freebie. You can insist I answer something if you answer this one.”

Hmm. Tempting. I could lie but now I’ve made a big deal out of it, he’ll guess. Maybe I’m becoming a lightweight with my booze because my stomach is warming my blood already. I give in.

“You. Well, one before you but I don’t count it because…well, I just don’t. Just you because I also don’t count Blaise’s pity kiss.”

It’s pretty clear Harley was expecting any answer except that. I want to cringe away from the shocked intensity in his eyes but my stubborn pride makes me sit and endure it. I’m trapped there until he breaks the spell, grabbing the bottle of whiskey and taking a big gulp. Then he leans back against the coffee table and smirks at me, cocky again.

I clear my throat. “My turn. Why get a face tattoo? I know you have the chest piece but most people fill up their arms and even their necks before getting one on their face.”

He doesn’t speak. The playful look on his face slides right off and he’s glaring down at his shot glass.

Fuck. I thought that was a pretty safe question.

We’re going to be at each other's throats before the end of the bottle at this rate.

“I didn’t choose the tattoo. Or the placement.”

I blink at him. I open my mouth to ask him more but he cuts in, “That’s your answer. You want another question, wait your turn.” There’s an edge to his voice that wasn’t there before. I nod and wave a hand at him to take his turn.

“Worst memory?”

“Pass.” I take a shot.

He rolls his eyes. “Worst memory you're willing to tell me?”

Breaking the rules already and after he’s just quoted them to me, typical. I sigh and scour my brain for something. He already knows about my mom’s overdose. I can't talk about my life with the Jackal.

“What's yours?” I whisper. He looks at me and tips back the bottle of beer, draining it.

“My Da being killed. My grandfather shot him, point blank, right between the eyes. If I close my eyes I can still feel the heat of his blood hitting my face.”

I swallow.

Maybe I feel so safe with him because he’s broken too.

Be brave, Lips, if he can do it then you can.

“I’m pretty good at getting into places no one else can. I was given a job to take something from a well known marksman. Gun for hire. Assassin. Whatever you want to call him, he was the best of the best. I was terrified but I was also hungry. Lonely. Depressed and lost. I snuck in, got what I was paid to get, and I made it to the back door before he woke up. I sprinted to the gate but my leg had only been put back together for a few months at that point and I wasn't quick anymore. Diarmuid pointed a gun at me and told me to give up my employer or he’d shoot. I turned and stared him in the eye. I thought maybe seeing how young I was would be enough to stop him but he stared at me with steady, cold eyes. So I turned and ran, and he shot me. I had to run for two miles with a fresh bullet wound, then I got sewn back together with no pain relief by some nurse turned crackhead. It got infected and I nearly died.”

I was being nice and telling him two truths at once; a bad memory and why his uncle had shot me. I knew he’d ask me at some point so why not just tell him? Harley nods and rubs at his chin, a fine dusting of stubble growing where he hasn't bothered to shave. I can’t stop looking at it. It’s a little darker than the gold waves on his head. I want to rub my cheek on it or even feel the burn of him rubbing his cheek on me. God, I need to get my thoughts out of the gutter.

“Who forced the tattoo on you?”

He doesn’t flinch away or get pissy this time, he’s expecting me to dig for more information. He runs a finger over the rim of his shot glass like he’s going to pass. I’m surprised when he speaks. “My uncle. My Da was the oldest in the family. He had nine siblings, four full blood and the rest were from my grandfather’s second marriage. Domhnall was the next boy born and he’s set to take over now that I’m out.” He doesn’t look up at me, his eyes just stay on the amber liquid in the glass. “There was a threat made against me and Ma. My grandfather didn’t give a shit. He said casualties were the price they paid for being in the business they were in and Da should just deal with it. Da didn’t trust his gut and Ma was taken. She was left outside my grandfather’s house a week later but the damage was done. She now lives in an institution for the mentally ill. It broke Da and he left, took off and left me with my grandfather. When he came back to get me, he told the family he was out. They killed him. Then, they held me down and tattooed me. The family creed is actually ‘Blood, Honor, Faith’. They said that Da had put Ma before his blood, which he did. It’s not something he was ashamed of but they tattooed me to try and shame me for what he did.”

He takes another swig from his beer, draining the bottle. “I found out later that my grandfather was the one who took Ma. My uncles all helped…torture her. They kept saying Da put his honor, his pride, before his blood. They’re fucking crazy. The tattoo was shit, looked awful because I was only nine when they did it, and I was screaming and trying to get them to stop. When I grew it got even worse, stretched and faded out. Two years ago Ash and Blaise dragged me to a parlor and we had it redone. None of us have good families, blood doesn’t mean shit, but we chose the family we have now. So, when I got mine they both got our new creed tattooed too. Avery keeps saying she’s going to get it done as well but she’s an absolute fucking sissy about needles so I’m not holding my breath. I don’t need her to get it anyway, I know she’s one of us.”

I let his words soak in but one thing is clear to me.

Liam and Domhnall O’Cronin are going to die.

Fuck it, I’m going to wipe every last O’Cronin out of the state, barring Harley and maybe Diarmuid.

My fingers actually tremble from the rage I’m trying to contain. I’m glad he’s still staring at the floor because my face is all Wolf right now. Fucking Liam O’Cronin! I’m going to shame that miserable old bastard and then I’m going to kill him. Or help Harley do it. I’m cool either way.

“How did you go from being shot by Diarmuid to being friends? He hugged you like…like he had a right to. I’d swear that you’d slept with him if he hadn’t made that stupid comment about your tits.”

Why is he so damned fixated on my sex life? Or lack thereof, not that he knew that. “Our mutual acquaintance put him on the books. We met in friendlier circumstances and he kept asking how I'd gotten through his security. When I finally realized he was impressed not pissy I told him and then he started acting like we were best friends. I haven’t slept with him, and I won’t ever in the future. Even if my tits do fill in.”

Harley scoffs and opens another beer. “Your tits don’t need to fill in, they’re fine. My Da used to go on and on about how good of a shot Diarmuid was. I wanted to learn from him. I wanted to be just like him.”

I try to ignore him calling my tits ‘fine’ because I don’t know if he’s insulting me or reassuring me. I feel like he’s opened the door to talking about relationships and romantic interests so I ask the question that’s been keeping me up for weeks, trying valiantly not to blush or look too interested in the answer.

“Who are you dating? She seems to be causing waves in your tight-knit family.”

“I’m not dating anyone. Who told you that?” the warmth has leached out of his voice and his eyes are guarded again. Great. Why is he allowed to ask if I’m sleeping with his uncle but I can’t ask this without a mood swing?

“Blaise. Avery asked about his black eye and he said he’d been making a move on your girl. No, wait, he said you accused him of moving in on your girl.”

He blows out a breath and looks up at the ceiling. I’m getting a fair bit of that out of these guys and I don’t know what the hell it means. I need to ask Avery.

“I gave him the black eye in the ring. He was mouthing off and I got pissy. We usually don’t aim for the head but I lost my cool and cracked him.”

I fight the shit-eating grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. “Oh. So, no girl?”

He gives me a sly look. “Not yet.”

Huh. That sounded like there was going to be one soon, as if he’s chasing some girl. That’s probably who he’s been texting throughout the day. Fuck. “Let me know. I’m running background checks on everyone we get involved with from now on. I do not want another Annabelle or Rory getting close ever again.”

He nods and puts the rim of the beer bottle up to his lips. I try so hard not to watch but he’s like a magnet, drawing me in until I’m stuck drooling over him. I watch his throat work and I have to squeeze my thighs together at the sensations running through me. Right, mind out of the gutter Lips. Mind out of the gutter. He’s so unbelievably hot, it is cruel to sit so close to him.

“I'm fairly observant, I think sometimes you underestimate that.” He says, his voice warm and dripping like honey, as he pours another shot. I have to clear my throat twice to find my voice.

“Oh yeah?”

“You’re a virgin, aren’t you?”

Excuse me?

What the fuuuuuuuuuuck?

Was it that obvious? Was our little make out session that bad? Oh my fucking god, I’m a fumbling idiotic virgin and he spotted it. No wonder he wanted to stop. When I stare at him, jaw clenched and my eyes narrowed, he fixes his stunning blue eyes onto mine. “Yep. I'm observant enough to realize that Joey had to be your first kiss. You told me and Blaise at breakfast on the first day back after summer break, you said you held a knife to his dick. Now you’ve just told me I was your first real kiss, that the other one didn’t count. So, unless you’re out fucking guys like the chick in Pretty Woman then I’d guess you’ve never had sex before.“

“How have you seen Pretty Woman?” I’m grasping at straws, trying to buy my brain some time to recalibrate.

He rolls his eyes at me. “When Aves sulks over guys she watches three movies; Pretty Woman, Dirty Dancing, and Ghost. I dunno, it has something to do with Aunt Alice. Stop avoiding the question. Answer it or take the shot.”

I still hesitate. It’s not like I’m ashamed about it, other than my lack of skills. I’m actually proud, considering where I grew up and the six years I spent in foster care. It’s just that everyone at this school seem to bed hop and while I don’t want to do that I also don’t want news of my untouched status getting out and the damned bet getting out of control.

Harley misreads my indecision and curses viciously. “If Joey touched you, I'm driving to his place tonight and I'm setting it on fire. I will burn that fuck alive.”

A shiver runs down my spine and pools between my thighs. Not for the first time, I think about how damaged I must be to find him irresistible when he talks so casually about enacting blood-soaked revenge for me.

“No, it’s-he didn’t. He tried but I’ve found a sharp knife nestled against a guys dick is usually a good deterrent. I’m more worried about the bet. How much bigger do you think the payout will be if they find out I’m a virgin?”

Harley groans and rubs his eyes. “I forgot about that stupid fucking bet. So you spent your first year here being accosted by horny guys trying to talk you into a quick fuck for money and every single one of them assumed you were up for it because you’re a Mounty girl.”

I was tempted to point out how often he and his friends called me a slut and accused me of using sex to get my way but he’s actually being really sweet so I let it go. When his hands lower he looks a little embarrassed so I think he realized it all on his own.

We fall back into silence, only the sounds of us drinking to be heard. My phone pings and I ignore it. I don't want the Jackal sullying this moment.

“You should get that. Avery is freaked out that you haven't texted her back.”

Crap.

I WILL DRIVE BACK THERE IF YOU DON’T ANSWER ME SOON ECLIPSE ANDERSON. Also, what is your middle name? I need to know it because apparently you pull the kind of shit that requires a full name sort of reaction.

Well, shit.

I scroll back to find out what I’m supposed to be answering. Fifteen from Avery on our private chat. Twenty-two in our group message. Fuck.

Merry Christmas

Thank you for the gift, you’re too sweet.

Mounty, where did you get the photo? It’s so perfect, I cried.

Well, no I didn’t because I’m not the crying sort. But I thought about crying which is basically the same.

Senior isn’t home. First Christmas I’ve been able to relax.

Has Harley joined you for brunch?

Lips, I’m starting to get worried that you’ve been murdered.

Okay Harley just text to say you’ve taken to your bed. I told him to make french toast.

Look, I know you’ve got your demons about today but please get out of bed and text me.

Ash said Senior not being here is your present to both of us for Christmas. Call me with an explanation please.

I text Harley. How is it he can text me back while eating but you can’t? I’m feeling very unloved.

Are you pissed at me or something?

So help me, Mounty, I will set Ash on you.

That’s a lie. I wouldn’t do that to you. Please text me.

Fine. Merry Christmas, you scrooge.

I hit call and wince when I hear the ice she breathes down the phone at me.

“Is this the reanimated corpse of Eclipse unknown-middle-name Anderson?”

The wince turns into a full-blown cringe and Harley takes one look at me and roars with laughter.

What an asshole.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Avery puts the photo I gave her in the kitchen so she can look at it while she cooks. While she was home, she had the photo blown up and put on a canvas and she hangs that one on the wall between our beds. My heart does little flutters every time I look at it until I force myself to stop looking at it so I don’t have a heart attack.

I know Joey must have been awful over the break because Ash sleeps in our room for a full week when they get back. By Friday, Avery is sick of sharing her bed with him and kicks him onto the couch. I try to move around quietly when I get ready for class because his start later and he prefers to sleep until the very last second he can.

I open my drawers to find one pair of underwear. One. So with the pair I just took off that means I have two freaking pairs of underwear left and, like, twenty pairs missing. What. The. Fuck.

I stomp over to the bathroom and wake Ash up with my raging. He cusses me out without even opening his eyes and I snap back at him, “Sleep on your own fucking couch then!” and slam the door behind me.

The hot water mellows me out a little and by the time I exit the bathroom, I’m level enough to apologize to Ash as he heads in for a shower. Avery hands me a plate of toast and a cup of coffee, and I slump onto the couch to mope.

“I’ll have some more delivered today and we can go see the ladies in the laundry to find out where they’re disappearing from.”

I nod and eat my food. Ash joins us for breakfast and when he’s finished he grabs Avery’s laptop and sits next to me on the couch. When I see the website he’s on I blush. He smirks back at me. “What? I don’t know where Mounties shop. Is there a slum version of Agent Provocateur?”

I elbow him in the ribs but he doesn’t take notice. “I can buy my own underwear, thank you very much.”

He shrugs. “You can but after waking me up you’ll be nice and let me do it. It’s one of my true skills in life.”

Avery narrows her eyes at him over the rim of her coffee cup. “What would you know about choosing lingerie?”

Ash smirks back at her. “More than you. You’ve bought it for one body, I’ve seen it on-“

“Do not give me a number right now Alexander Asher William Beaumont, I will smother you in your sleep. No sister wants to hear how many sluts her brother has gone through. Which reminds me, when were you last tested for STI’s? Annabelle probably gave you herpes.”

He ignores her and continues to add items. I choke on my toast and try to snatch the laptop away from him when I see what exactly he’s picking. “I do not fucking need corsets, suspender belts, or a crotchless bodysuit!”

Ash raises an eyebrow at me. “How very vanilla of you. All cotton granny panties then?”

I cross my arms and seethe at him. No answer I give him will save me so silence it is. Avery comes over to perch on the armrest and point out pieces she likes.

“Why are you doing this? You don’t even like me.” I say finally, after I hand over my card details and find myself thousands of dollars poorer. I’m so glad I risked my life for such a tiny amount of lace and boning. Corset boning, not even the supposedly fun type. Avery pats my head and heads to the coffee machine for round two.

“I know you’re going to fuck us over at some point, I figure why not have some fun until then?” Ash replies, nonchalant.

I glare at him and Avery calls out from the kitchen in a sing-song voice, “Baby steps!”

I groan and pack my bag for the day. Ash watches me and I try not to squirm under the intensity of his gaze.

“What?!” I snap when I can’t take it anymore.

“Who do you think is stealing your underwear?”

I groan. “If I knew, it wouldn’t be happening anymore. I’m fucking sick of replacing it. Whoever it is, they’re taking them when I send them out to be washed.”

Ash grimaces but doesn’t say anything so I continue. “Avery thinks it’s a prank and someone in the laundry is in on it. I think it’s Harlow being a snotty bitch because I found Avery’s shoes.”

Ash frowns at me. “They’re taking underwear you’ve already worn. It sounds like a desperate guy taking them to sniff.”

My stomach roils, I hadn’t thought of that. For fucks sake. “Guys are disgusting. Seriously. I’m putting a fucking camera on the door and I’m washing my own shit from now on. Fuck this!”

I storm out and head to my classes in a foul mood.

What next?

Avery texts me during classes to say she’s having our clothes sent out of the school for cleaning for the foreseeable future. I’ll have to order two more uniforms to get through the week but it’s cheaper than buying more of the underwear Ash selected.

When I get back to our rooms and find a package waiting for me I empty it straight into my drawers without looking through it. I’m too pissed to enjoy my new things.

Thankfully Ash sleeps in his own room so the next morning I don’t have to deal with his commentary while I pick out what I’m going to wear. I blush profusely when it finally hits me that he’s picked every piece of lace I now own. Fuck. He didn’t just buy underwear either, no, he bought matching bras for every pair. I didn’t give him my size and yet they fit perfectly. He’s a fucking wizard.

I pick out a black set and once they’re on it’s clear he’s picked out the most risqué underwear possible. They’re completely transparent and sexy as fuck. I blush but I also feel feminine and attractive. Yep, a fucking wizard. I wonder if he’ll pick out all of my underwear from now on if I ask?

Avery ducks into the bathroom behind me and slaps my ass with a giggle. I scowl at her playfully and pull on some jeans and a shirt.

“I need your help with something today, if you’re not too busy?” she says as she brushes her hair. I frown and nod as I brush my teeth.

“A senior, called Yasmin Gilliam, started a gossip website last year. It’s stupid and childish and I’ve barely given it any attention up until now. Someone has made an anonymous account and is posting classified documents on there. Documents from businesses and organizations owned by Hannaford families.”

I finish up and lean on the sink, my arms folded, as I listen. Avery gives me a sidelong look. “None of it affects us but it’s only a matter of time. If something about Seniors business gets posted, or Harley’s parents, we’re in for a rough ride through hell. Yasmin plays basketball and the team has training now. If we leave soon we can meet her in the locker rooms and I can sort this out.”

I nod. “What do you have on her?”

Avery sighs. “Not enough to get it taken down. I can have it disabled but she can just start it up again. I’m hoping threats are enough. If not she goes on the planner and we destroy her.”

I head out of the bathroom and grab my knife, slipping it into my jeans pocket.

Avery adjusts her dress, and again, and again. I frown at her. “What aren’t you telling me?”

She bites her lip, a nervous tick I’ve never seen her do before. “There’s dozens of posts about Rory and what he did to me. Girls are commenting about how I was leading him on and how I was only getting what I deserved. All anonymous of course but the idiots don’t realize I can trace them. I’ve got a very long list of bitches on my planner.”

I’m disgusted but not surprised. We don’t have time to deal with any more spoilt little girls, too privileged and naive to understand real world consequences.

“We’ll work something out, Aves. Let’s just talk to this girl and go from there. Whatever happens, we’re in it together.”

Avery smiles and tucks her arm into mine. “I know. I’m just…a little nervous about it. When Ash sees it, he's going to lose his mind and then we’ll have to do damage control for him as well. Like I said, it’s going to spiral.”

I hum my agreement and lock our door behind us.

Avery is silent but determined as we walk down to the gym. Basketball practice is still underway but only the juniors and seniors are still out on the court. Avery leads me into the locker room and, fucking hell, it’s practically a day spa.

The only locker room I’ve been in before is the one at Mounts Bay Middle School and it was a damp, rotting nightmare. This room is a palace of white marble and Egyptian cotton towels. Avery laughs at the look on my face and I give her a lopsided grin in return. Fucking rich kids.

Yasmin blanches when she sees us and Avery easily corners her. I lean against the wall by the door so I can keep an eye on the other girls. Not that I want to, they’re mostly walking around in their underwear and giving me dirty looks. I smile back sweetly and flip them off.

Harlow is naked and rubbing her shoulder down with oil. I’m totally horrified but no one else seems to care so I stare at my toes instead. The smell of mint hits my nose and I hear Harlow grunting as she massages the oil into her skin. She must have an old injury, I’ve used Wintergreen oil on my leg when it’s flared up before. I store that knowledge away because it’s good to know where her weaknesses are.

I’m still staring at the floor when a hand wraps around my mouth and I’m jerked flush against a hard, naked chest. I don’t recognize the scent of the shampoo the guy uses and I tense up. He’s twice the size of me and easily drags me out of the girls locker room and into the guys.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

I don’t bother fighting or struggling.

Whoever it is, they’re not Joey so I doubt this is life threatening but I wedge my hand into my jeans pocket to get a hold of my knife anyway. The arm around my chest is like a steel band so I’ll have to wait until the asshole eases up on the pressure. Then, I’ll stab the fucker.

“Not so tough now, are you Mounty?” Ugh. It’s Devon, Joey’s favorite flunky, the one with a crush on Harlow. I wonder if he got an eyeful of her rubbing the Wintergreen oil into her shoulder before he grabbed me? Gross.

He marches me over to a little alcove behind the showers and slams me into the wall. I grunt as the air is knocked out of my lungs and he presses himself against me. He’s standing there in a pair of silk boxers and flip flops. For the love of god, I’m going to have to stab him. I meet his eyes and see the glazed look of them. Open too wide and bouncing around my face like he can’t stop them. He’s taking drugs too. I bet every last one of Joey’s flunkies are snorting coke between classes. I want to scream.

Devon keeps one hand pressed over my mouth and he leans in too closely as he speaks. “I’ll let Joey know I caught you. He can come down and finish the bet. We can forget you even exist, Mounty.”

My eyes narrow at him. Joey will never forget me now I have his interest. Devon ignores the warning look I’m giving him and moves so his hand wraps around my throat, squeezing just little.

His eyes may be manic but I’m not worried about him choking me. He’s too much of a pompous rich boy, he doesn’t have the fire required to kill someone, even as high as he is. He starts rambling on like his mouth is running away from him. “Why couldn’t you just spread these legs and let Joey win, huh? You’re a frigid fucking slut. Why did you just have to become a problem we all have to deal with? Well, I’m going to finish this.”

I jerk the knife out of my pocket and press it to his gut. I still prefer the groin but I can’t reach it with how he has me pinned. The hand on my throat spasms as he glances down and sees the blade pressing into his skin, a line of blood already starting to well up.

His eyes are wide and when he opens his mouth to start on his next tirade of crap he doesn’t get a single word out because his body is thrown away from mine by an equally naked, but far more colorful, body slamming into the side of him. It takes me a second to see who it is, because he’s so fucking fast to lay into Devon, but Blaise is beating the shit out of the tweaking asshole. Devon tries to put his hands up but Blaise just keeps on punch until Devon falls limp with a pathetic groan.

I take a deep breath, and then another, and then Avery slips her body in next to mine and watches Blaise pulverize Devon.

“I turned and you were gone.” she whispers.

I shrug. “He grabbed me from behind, I had it under control.”

When it’s clear Devon is unconscious I call out, “He’s done, Morrison.”

Blaise grunts and punches him in the face one last time. When he stands he’s panting and his fists are covered in blood. I finally notice he’s only wearing a pair of boxer shorts and he’s still wet from the shower. He turns to walk towards us and I can’t breathe.

“Sweet lord.” I mumble and Avery snorts at me, incredulously. I elbow her gently in the ribs because, seriously, how the fuck is she immune to him?

Blaise stops in front of me and reaches up to push the stray strands of my hair out of my face. “You okay, Mounty?” he rasps.

I clear my throat. “I’m fine. I had it under control but thanks for, uh, stepping in.”

He smirks at me. “Yeah, I saw that. I think we’re better off with me punching him than you gutting him.”

I blush and slip my knife back into my pocket. Avery rolls her eyes at me. “Get dressed, Morrison. You can walk us back to our room so we don’t get jumped on the way back.”

Avery is on her phone all the way back to our room so I shouldn’t be surprised to find Ash waiting for us, leaning on the wall and scowling at his phone. There’s a lot of activity in the hall while the other girls swan around in the smallest amount of clothing possible to try and tempt him into their rooms. Avery rolls her eyes and marches through them and I chuckle under my breath at the way they all scatter away from her. She’s totally right, they’re all sheep.

Blaise sticks to my side and when Ash looks up to see us his eyes dart over my body, looking for injuries.

“I’m fine.” I say and he snorts, following Avery into our room.

“She is fine but Devon is out. I just sent a copy of his latest urine sample to his father. He’d paid off the school nurse to keep it under wraps but his father won’t stand for a drug addict in the family. Not after his brother OD-ed.” says Avery, walking straight the kitchen.

I exhale deeply and slump down on my bed to take my Doc’s off. One less asshole to worry about.

Blaise moves to shut the door and is shoved out of the way by an enraged Harley. “What the fuck happened!?”

Avery huffs and starts wiping down the counter.

Blaise holds up hand and stops Harley in his tracks. “When I got out of the shower I heard Devon threatening someone. Then I heard him mention Joey and the bet I realized he was talking to the Mounty and I came out to find him pinning her to a wall by her throat.”

“What?! He hand his hand around your throat? I’ll gut him.” spits Harley and Blaise smirks at him.

“Oh, don’t you worry, the Mounty was going to. Pretty sure he’ll end up with a nasty scar. Really, I saved his life with the beating I gave him.”

Ash startles and jerks around to look at me. I raise an eyebrow at him. “What? He’s twice the size of me and grabbed me from behind like a little bitch. He deserves to lose his intestines.”

Avery starts to straighten up the coffee mugs even though you could already take a tape measure to them without finding a fault. “I think I should get one of those knives too.”

I nod emphatically. “I’ll get you one and teach you how to use it.”

Ash grabs her hand to distract her away from her ritual. “Agreed.”

She smiles at him. “Stay for the day? I’ll cook something for dinner later and we can watch something Blaise picks so he doesn’t whine at us. Like old times, but better because Lips will side with me when we pick snacks.”

Blaise huffs. “I don’t whine, you guys just have shit taste.”

Harley kicks his shoes off and ignores the daggers Avery’s eyes send his way. “If he’s picking I’m going to need a beer.”

Ash starts opening cupboard doors in the kitchen and says, “Fuck it, I need something stronger than beer to get through this. Where are you hiding the good stuff, Floss?”

I take the couch knowing Harley likes the armchair on the left, Ash likes the one on the right, and Blaise likes the floor. Avery hands me a coffee and a bowl of popcorn before tucking herself into my side so we’re huddled up together. Harley grabs enough beer to survive the apocalypse and then sits on the other side of me so I’m wedged between the cousins. Avery leans forward to give him a look but Harley ignores her.

Blaise starts the movie and messes with the thermostat until the room turns into a freezer. I sigh and nudge Harley.

“Can you grab me the blanket you’re sitting on? My nipples can cut glass at this point and I’m not ruining my new bras.”

Avery giggles at me and Harley scoffs but he hands me the blanket. Ash watches him tuck it under my leg and then gives me a sly look. “Which ones are you wearing today?”

I choke on my coffee. “Uh no, my underwear choices are not going to be a daily conversation starter.”

Ash shrugs. “Might help me like you.”

“Hard pass.” I snipe back and I try to ignore the hard look Harley is giving me. Ash and his big, meddling mouth!

“They say women pick their colors according to their moods, so which is it Mounty. Red? Are you feeling feisty today?”

I throw a pillow at his head. “Black, now fuck off.”

“Depressed or horny?”

Avery groans and buries her face in her hands. I gape at him but, surprisingly it’s Blaise who comes to my rescue. “Lay off, man. She’s not here so you can poke and prod at her for your own enjoyment.”

Ash shrugs and drinks his bourbon. Harley glares at him. “Why are you asking her about her underwear?”

Ash smirks at him and I decide that I’m going back to a single room next year. Sorry, Avery, I can’t deal with this crap. “We picked out her entire collection together this week. Why do you care?”

Harley tenses and I nudge him with my shoulder. “He decided our path to friendship is going to be paved in lace. I decided he’s a perv and it’s easier to let him go than fight it.”

“Crap, we haven’t gone down to the laundry yet to ask about the thief.” Avery mumbles but she doesn’t look up from her phone.

Blaise looks up from the floor at us. “Someone is stealing your underwear?”

“Her used underwear.” says Ash.

Harley looks at me incredulously. “Are you a magnet for fucked up shit and psychos?”

Avery laughs. “Why yes, Arbour, she is.”

Fuck me with a rusty spoon, can I please catch a break?

CHAPTER NINETEEN

The phone buzzing silently in my pocket doesn’t mean much to me. It’s only when I see that everyone in my history class has received a text at the same time that I know there is trouble at Hannaford.

Harley frowns as he looks around and then raises an eyebrow at me. I nod and he slips his phone out of his pocket discreetly. I don’t attempt to look at his screen because that will definitely attract the teachers attention but I shouldn’t have worried about discretion.

“Fuck!” Harley shouts and leaps out of his chair. When the teacher scowls at him he grabs his bag and snaps at her, “Lips and I have to go. Family emergency.”

He waves a hand at me and I shove my books away too.

The teacher stutters out, “You’re not related.” But Harley ignores her, throws my bag over his shoulder with his, and then shoves me out of the room.

“I can’t just leave my classes, I’m not invincible here like you are.” I grumble as he takes my hand and drags me.

“Avery will square it, come on.”

I follow him, though I have to run to keep up with his ridiculously long legs, and he propels us back to the girls dorms. He taps his foot, agitated, as I unlock the door, then drops our bags at the door. The room is empty and quiet, no sign of Avery. I grab my phone to try and figure out what the fuck is going on.

There’s a text of a link from an unknown number. Harley starts to pace, scrubbing his hands over his face like he can scrub away whatever is eating him, and I click the link. I find myself of the stupid gossip website and I glance up at Harley.

“Is it you or the twins?” I say and he stops to stare at me.

“Neither. It’s Morrison.”

I frown at him and put my phone down. “What about him? I thought his family was clean.”

I hear a key slot into the door and Avery bursts in, Ash hobbling behind her carrying an absolutely trashed Blaise.

“Sit him on the couch! I’ll grab the bed out and then I’ll deal with this.” Avery snaps and I wave her off, rolling the spare bed out from under her bed and setting it up myself. Avery collapses on her bed and starts furiously texting.

“Can someone please explain to me what the fuck is going on?”

Harley shoves a bucket under Blaise’s nose as he starts to heave and Ash sits beside him, an arm slung around his shoulders casually.

“Didn’t you read it? See the photos?” Ash snaps and I glare at him.

“Obviously not. If it’s personal then I’m not fucking looking.”

Blaise groans and vomits. Avery gags and stalks over to hide in the bathroom while she furiously sends text messages. Harley grabs a bottle of water out of the fridge and presses it into the back of Blaise’s neck.

“It’s Annabelle right? It has to be, she’s the only one who’s been in our room. Dammit Morrison, I told you not to let her in there! She’s a fucking snake.” Harley says as he starts to pace again.

Ash groans, “Drop it. It’s out now, all we can do is deal with the fallout.”

A shrill ringing starts and everyone stops to look at Blaise. He loses the little color he had in his face and looks like a corpse instead.

“Just leave it, you can speak to him tomorrow.” says Ash, in a tone he usually only uses at Avery. A knot forms in my stomach.

“I’ll get it out of the way now. No use putting it off.” mumbles Blaise and he answers the call.

To give him some privacy I grab the bucket from him to empty and Harley follows me to the kitchen.

“Annabelle found a stash of letters from Blaise’s dad. He writes to him weekly and for some stupid fucking reason Blaise keeps them. She took photos and now the dumb bitch has posted all of them on the gossip site.” Harley clears his throat and continues, “She also had photos of him and she’s posted them as well. The letters…aren’t good and he’s drinking and smoking in the photos which, to his parents, is worse than nudes. His dad is going to fucking kill him.”

I stop scrubbing and cut him a look. “As in be very angry or actual murder? Do I need to adopt him too?”

Harley smirks and shakes his head. The smirk slowly slides off his face as he watches Blaise over my shoulder. “He shouldn’t go home. His parents are fucked. Not like the Beaumont’s but just fucking shitty humans who shouldn’t be trusted with a kid. How fucked is it when I’m the only one with good parents and they’re mobsters. Decent and loving, dead and fucking gone.”

I swallow roughly at the emotion in his voice and then whisper, “I’m not going to look at the site. He didn’t look at my naked photos and I’m not looking at… whatever this is. Is there anything I need to know? To keep him safe?”

Harley hesitates before answering and Avery stomps out of the bathroom. When she spots Blaise on the phone she moves towards us instead.

“I got the photos taken down and a trace on who posted them. It’s Annabelle, which we know, but the dumb slut is saying she was hacked. I pointed out to her that she didn’t just trip over the letters and they certainly didn’t take selfies!”

Harley snorts and Avery nods at him, “Blaise is officially moving in here until we’re sure he’s not going to try and kill himself over this.”

I jerk away from the sink in shock. “Is that a real concern?”

Avery grimaces. “He’s jumped off a bridge while drunk and morose before. And the last scandal his dad caught wind of ended with him having his stomach pumped because he tried to drink himself to death. The boys dorm isn’t as secure as ours and everyone has extracurriculars except you. If you can get out of your tutoring session with the Mounty boy then you can make sure he’s safe here.”

There’s a sharp crack noise and I find myself shoved against the sink by Avery’s body as Harley pushes us both behind him. Avery squeals and shoves him out of the way. “It’s his phone! He’s thrown it against the wall, it’s not a terrorist attack, for god’s sake!”

I meet Harley’s eyes and see the shadows there. I lean in to whisper to Avery, “Some things are ingrained. Some things are unavoidable.”

I let Blaise spend all of Thursday drunk because I’m a fucking saint like that. Friday he wakes up so unbelievably hungover that I hide every drop of alcohol in our room. When he breaks into Avery’s closet to find it while I’m in the toilet I call Harley to come pick it up.

By Saturday he’s climbing the walls and I consider killing him to get some peace.

“Fuck this. Let’s go out.” He snaps while I cook.

“No. Drink your coffee.”

“Fuck coffee, haven’t you ever heard of the hair of the dog? I need tequila.”

I shake my head and Blaise flicks a pen at me like the spoilt brat he is. When the others get back from their extracurriculars I’m ready to throw Blaise out of the room and Ash smirks when he sees the look on my face.

“How is suicide watch going? Have you hidden the bed sheets from him yet? Why are you still using real forks, you should switch out to plastic until he’s come down from the ledge.”

Harley walks in with arms full of Blaise’s crap I’ve asked him to bring to try and keep him busy. He drops it on the roll-out bed and then waves me over to him.

“He’s better. He spent all morning whining before I left so progress is being made.” snipes Avery.

Blaise rolls his eyes at them both and slumps back on the couch. “I wouldn’t be whining if you let me fucking drink. The Mounty is practically a fucking AA sponsor and she needs to lighten the hell up. Let’s go to the bar in Haven, they do the best cheese fries.”

I glare at him as Harley hands over the notes he’s made me for our classes. I rummage around in my bag and give him all of my assignments. “Drinking is making it worse. Harley brought your guitar, write a song and chill the fuck out. Eat ice cream. Watch your shitty movies. Do homework. Do not drink and do not get high.”

Blaise kicks the coffee table and Avery cusses him out. He’ll be dead by dawn it he keeps it up. She marches over to him and jabs him in the chest sharply. “Just so you know, you ungrateful little shit, I’ve had the posts taken down and I’ve contacted your agent to release a statement on your behalf claiming the entire thing was a slanderous hoax concocted by a jilted ex. He doesn’t give a shit about the photos and the press are lapping it up. You’ve even had a spike in sales! I’ve also burned the letters and sent your father a gift basket with a lovely note telling him to choke on the fucking pretzels. Ash and Harley will now be opening, reading, and destroying any correspondence from that man before you see it. So get up. Eat something substantial, have a shower, do your homework. No one fucking cares that your dear old daddy is scum. I don’t, Ash and Harley don’t, and, if she were honest, Lips would tell you to tuck your vagina back into your jeans and get over it.”

On Sunday morning Avery leaves for ballet practice and I force Blaise into the shower. I threaten to drag him and then scrub him myself but I’m lying through my teeth because there is no way I’d survive a shower with him. No way. My panties would disintegrate. Eventually we come to an agreement where I’ll let him smoke a joint if he takes the damn shower. While he’s busy I open every window to get our room to stop smelling like a bar.

I cook him pancakes and when he’s finished eating I hand him a coffee and a bowl of ice cream. He pulls a face but takes them. I sit with him at the kitchen counter and enjoy my own cup quietly until he breaks the silence.

“What’s your earliest memory, Mounty? No wait, don’t answer that. It’s probably really fucking bad and I’ll feel like a pussy for comparing.”

I chuckle at him and shove the bowl of ice cream at him. He lights his joint and sucks on it like it’s the answer to all his problems, blowing the smoke out the window. The smell of it sparks the memory he’s asking for.

“My mom rolling joints on the back steps to our house. It was too hot to move and I kept crying and pissing her off so she filled a bucket with water and dumped me in it. I think she was trying to be cruel but it was the best feeling ever.”

Blaise smiles and huffs out a breath. “My father’s office. A modernist nightmare of cold steel and crisp white boxes. I’ve fallen asleep on his weird couch, that doesn’t even have cushions, under his suit jacket. I wake up but I keep my eyes shut because even at five years old I know that when my parents talk in that hushed secret way they’re talking about me. My mom is telling my dad that ‘normal’ children can’t read by age five and to lower his expectations. My father says he’s sure I’m actually retarded. His ethics board would shit themselves if they knew how he speaks to me. He has a whole list of words he likes to use in my direction because he was born with an IQ of 190 and I’m…so fucking average. I remember I cried and he looked so disgusted at me. Said I’d probably turn out to be a faggot too. Imagine every derogatory word in the book and that man has thrown it at me and the worst part…the fucking stupidest thing is I still care. I still hate that I don’t measure up.”

I finally see the damage. I always knew he was a lonely sort of guy, his lyrics make your chest ache in a way that can only come from heartbreak, but I didn’t understand how he fit in with Harley and the twins until now. His life may not have been in danger but his soul was. I want to add his dad to the planner. I want to hunt that man down and say hi with my knife but the longing in Blaise’s voice is an echo of my own. It’s the echo of a little kid praying that someday their parents will love them enough to stop hurting them.

My mom didn’t stop hurting me until she stopped breathing. I have a feeling his dad will be the same.

“Eat your fucking ice cream, Morrison. Do we need to hug? It’s not really my thing but I'll give it a go for you.”

He bursts out laughing and finally lifts his spoon. I can breathe again because I have a feeling he’s finally taken a step away from the ledge. When he finishes he slings an arm around my shoulder and whispers in my ear, “How about a song, Mounty? Sing me something with that voice of yours that's so good you can beat me in choir.”

Ain’t that a bucket of ice over my head. I gulp. “Ah, sorry. I have severe stage fright. Avery and I are working on it.”

He groans and pulls away from me, I try not to crawl after him pathetically but really. When he grabs his guitar and his lyric book I stop breathing altogether.

“I’ll have to give you a private concert then, Mounty. I’ve been working on some songs, tell me what you think.”

Be still my fucking heart.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Blaise’s sabbatical ends on Monday and I’ve never been so fucking happy to go to classes. I’m still twitchy from being locked up with him for so long. Not that he was a problem, it’s just hard to contain your hormones when a sinfully hot guy is longing over all of your furniture with too much skin on display. He sleeps in boxer shorts and nothing else, I’d wake up, see the tattoos and the abs, and have to flee to take the coldest showers possible.

My teachers all ask if I’m feeling better and I play along with Avery’s lies like a pro. It helps that I’m the top of every class, except choir, and I’m still managing to keep six weeks ahead in all my assignments.

After class I have tutoring with Ash and Lance in the library and my good mood fizzles out a little when I see the cheerful smile on the other Mounty’s face. Ash is nowhere to be seen, thank god, because Lance has brought me flowers. No, not just flower, he’s bought me fucking roses. He holds them out to me and I shake my head at him.

“I’m not taking these. We’re not friends, I don’t want anything more, don’t buy me flowers.”

Lance’s smile doesn’t falter as he drops the roses on top of his bag on the floor. “I didn’t think you’d like them but I thought I was worth a try. I have a proposal for you! I’m glad your scowling friend isn’t here so we can talk just between us Mounties.”

My skin crawls. I don’t know what it is about him that creeps me out so much but I find myself looking around for Ash. Of all the days for him to skip tutoring! I send him an irritated text which he ignores. Fuck him.

“I’ve heard about the little bet you’re at the center of. I thought it was all in good fun but then I heard about how much money is in the pot and, well, I think we should come to an agreement.”

I lean back in my chair as I grit my teeth. An agreement? Should we sign a contract before he sticks his dick in me? I’ve changed my mind, I want to stab him. He’s not a good guy, he’s a nice guy. The type that expect sex for basic human decency. Well, you little asshole, you picked the wrong fucking tree to bark up.

“Fuck no. Are we going to study or can I leave?”

He leans his chest over the table towards me and I have to fight off a full body twitch at the sickening smell of his cologne. Jesus, did he bathe in it?! The smile stays plastered on his face. “Sex between friends. We can have some fun and get a million dollars each out of it.”

“I’m choosing to take the high road and not break your arm for suggesting we fuck for money.” I snap and I stand up because fuck tutoring him, he can struggle through math by himself.

I make it three steps away from the desk before he calls out to me, loud enough for the entire library to hear, “I looked you up, you know. I know you’re from the south side of the city, near the docks. What’s one more cock when you’ve already serviced hundreds? I’d risk a quick fuck for a ticket out of here.”

I hear a snort of laughter and death glare the little rich dick at the next table over. When I’m sure my voice will be level, I turn back to him and say, “You’re going to regret that.”

He just keeps fucking smiling and I walk, with a calm I don’t feel, back to the girls dorms.

It takes me three tries to get the key to work and once I’m into our room I let my rage out. I fling my bag on my bed and kick out of my shoes so they go flying while cursing up a storm. I rip my blazer off and when my hands grip the bottom of my shirt, ready to yank it off, buttons be-fucking-damned, I hear a throat clearing and find Avery and all three guys sitting at the kitchen bench. Avery arches an eyebrow at me with a little smile but the guys are all gaping at my temper tantrum. Fuck this. I need a shower.

“Fuck today, fuck this school, and fuck every fucking knuckle-scraping, chest-beating, egotistical piece of shit guy in this fucking hellhole!” I yell and slam the bathroom door. I tear the rest of my clothes off and get into the shower, screaming a little like the dramatic petal I am today. Fuck, maybe the dramatics are contagious and Blaise fucking infected me? What a dick.

I’m scrubbing my skin like a psycho when Avery pops into the room. She didn’t knock but I also didn’t lock the door. She crosses her arms and leans against the bathroom cabinet.

“Tell me what’s happened so I can go set the guys on whichever loser pissed you off.”

I groan and duck under the stream of water to try and cool my head off. Avery taps a foot and I glare at her with no real heat. “Lance tried to convince me to fuck him for the money. Told me it’s our tickets out of here and he’d make it good for me. When I said no he told me he knew I was from the slums and he wasn’t exactly thrilled at having to fuck a well used gash but he’d push through.”

Avery cocks her head. “And that’s pissed you off? This badly? Ash has probably said worse to you and Blaise definitely has.”

I grunt and turn the water off. When she arches an eyebrow at me I huff back at her. “Maybe I’m just PMS-ing.”

She side eyes me as I dry off. I grit my teeth, “Fine. It bothers me because he’s so…nice. He’s never said a word wrong to me all year and now suddenly he’s trying to cut a deal to fuck me. Ash and Blaise have always been honest. If they hate me, they say it. If they think I’m fucking half of Mounts Bay, they say it. They don’t buy me red fucking roses like it’ll get them a pass into my fucking panties.”

Avery cackles and shakes her head. “Roses? Seriously? He’s as clueless as the rest of the boys trying to court you.”

I pause as I pull my booty shorts on. “Who the fuck is trying to court me?”

“Exactly.” Avery says, pointing at me. “They’re so clueless you’ve missed their attempts. What would it take for you to even notice a guy?”

I blush all the way down to my freaking toes. Harley’s voice pops into my head and provides me with his little one liner, I had to get your attention somehow.

I decline a plate of the curry Avery ordered in and go straight for a tub of ice cream, no bowl just a spoon. Harley watches me carefully as I take a seat next to Avery and wallow in my rage.

“You gonna share with the class whose fault it is you’re pissy or just attempt a diabetic coma?”

I shove a spoonful of ice cream in my mouth and flip him off. Ash snorts at me and I glare at him. “Thanks for skipping, by the way. I had to deal with the little creep by myself.” I say around my mouthful.

Ash smirks at me. “I didn’t realize you needed backup, I thought your knife was enough.”

I seethe. I seethe and eat ice cream, licking my spoon like it has the answers to this shit.

“Stop tongue fucking the spoon, some of us are going through a dry spell.” Harley grumbles and I flick a cherry at him, ignoring his little jab.

Avery tucks her arm into mine and says, sweetly, “Lance offered his services to end the bet. When Lips declined his offer he took it upon himself to try and persuade her. Alas, the great and complex mind of Eclipse unknown-middle-name Anderson remains an unsolvable puzzle to mere mortal men.”

Blaise takes a swig of the beer, the first he’s been allowed, and moans, obscenely. “What a dick. Maybe you should just fuck someone and get it over with. Might lighten your mood.”

Harley’s eyes narrow dangerously at him and when he opens his mouth I give him my most severe look. I don’t need the epic piles of bullshit I’ll have to face if he blabs about my fucking virtue.

He grits his teeth and changes tactics, looking around the table at everyone. “We decided Lips is in, right? Avery and I vouched for her, Blaise has come around, and Ash may still be a stubborn dick but we all know she’s in. So, are we going to accept some dickhead chasing her tail, begging for sex, or are we going to remind the sheep of where they belong?”

My chest tightens and I fix my eyes on the pristine white surface of the kitchen counter. Avery squeezes my arm but I’m shocked when it’s Ash that speaks. “We’ve gone from three people on the planner to pure fucking bedlam. Joey, Harlow, Annabelle, Lance, dozens of little bitches from the stupid fucking website. We need to get on the same page and decide what our priorities are. Is Lance going to be an issue?”

I clear my throat. “No. I’m pissed but I’m not in any real danger.”

Blaise opens another beer and points the bottle at me with a slow, dirty smirk. “I’ll beat the little disrespectful fuck for you.”

Harley scoffs. “Only if you get to him first.”

Avery laughs and leans in to whisper to me, “Better than roses, right?”

I scrub a hand over my face to try and hide the blush. Like I need Avery teasing me about my stupid crush…well, crushes. I think I’d like roses if they came from one of these three. No, that’s a lie. Flowers are stupid, but I’d appreciate the effort. Nope, still a lie. I wish I were the type of girl that wants flowers because then maybe I’d be the type of girl Harley, Blaise, or, dammit, Ash would want to have for more than sex. Ugh. I’m going to kill Blaise for turning me into a whining bitch.

“Joey?” Blaise asks and when Ash opens his mouth I cut him off sharply. I have a plan.

“Sorted. Next?”

“Harlow?”

Avery hums softly and says, “She’ll dig her own grave eventually. Same goes with Devon. The real problem is Annabelle.”

All eyes are on Blaise as he fidgets with the bottle cap from his beer. When no one speaks I think, fuck it, and dive in.

“Do we need her to disappear? I…can make that happen.”

I refuse to look at anyone except Avery. She doesn’t blink or flinch, her face doesn’t show even the tiniest bit of fear or disgust, as she looks at me with cool calculation because she really is deciding if Annabelle Summer’s needs to be removed from the board.

“So you really do have gangster connections then?” Blaise grumbles and I flinch before I can rein it in.

Harley punches him in the arm and he groans. “Fuck, I didn’t mean it like that, Mounty, just…I know nothing about where you come from. I guess Avery does and Harley obviously knows something but I’m trying to figure out how the fuck a sixteen year old girl can calmly, casually, offer to end someones life. Fuck, it’s not even the killing. It’s the mundane tone, like you’ve killed a bunch of other girls for pissing in your Cheerios.”

I swallow roughly. “I know a lot of people from all different walks of life. Some of them are gangsters. I am not a member of any gangs, I do not fuck members of any gangs, and I do not owe loyalty in any manner to any gangs.”

Harley scrubs his hand over the back of his neck. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter. We can’t kill her. She’s a dumb, manipulative bitch but she’s not Joey. If we’re killing anyone it’s him.”

“No one is killing Joey.” Ash snaps and I guess that’s the end of that.

Harley is running late for his swimming practice and Avery leaves for ballet soon at the same time, Ash slings a casual arm over her shoulder to walk her down.

Blaise asks for help with his assignments and I’ve calmed down enough to help him out. After a full hour of work, I stretch out my shoulders and risk asking him the one question that’s been bothering me since his dads letters were leaked.

“When did Annabelle get the documents? Avery said they had to be recent photos because they were dated right up until the day they were released.”

Blaise cringes and I frown at him. “Really? Really?! It’s almost like you want to be sixteen and pregnant. Will you take the baby on tour?” I snark and instantly regret it when his face falls.

“I didn’t have sex with her! I just let her in the room so she could cry on the couch. I didn’t know what to do, I’m not good at saying no to crying girls! I’ve been…frustrated lately. I made a shit decision because of it. I’m not exactly known for my clear head.”

I snort at him and keep writing. He fidgets with his pen, his fingers twitchy and his face is drawn. “If you can’t settle down and focus we can leave this for the night. Your assignment is done and we’re making good progress on the workbooks. The couple of days we took off won’t affect your GPA.”

He nods but his eyes stay on the door. I sigh and sit back in my chair. “What is it? Just spit it out.”

He grunts and rubs his hands over his face. “I want something. I can’t have it. I’m not good at not getting what I want. I know you’re going to bitch me out for being a spoiled rich kid but it’s the truth.”

I could do that. It’s obvious he’s been given everything on a silver platter his entire life and you could say this is finally karma happening for his shitty treatment of me. But I like talking to him, I like that he’s opening up to me so I choose to be empathetic. I know a lot about not getting what I want. Plus knowing his home life is actually pretty similar to mine growing up has given us a weird thing to bond over.

“That sucks. I’m sorry.”

He blinks at me and then groans. “I was kind of hoping you would bitch me out. Then I’d have a distraction.”

I shrug and say, “I can if you want but wouldn’t you rather talk about it?”

“I’d rather get fucking drunk and play my guitar. Harley’s banned me from playing in our room because he’s sick of my, quote, sulky tantrum whining. Apparently, I should be over this by now.”

I chuckle at that and pack up his papers and supplies. “Go grab your guitar and you can crash on the couch tonight. Avery moved the booze to the cupboard on top of the fridge. I’ll have a shower and mix cocktails when I’m out if you want.”

His face lights up and then falls in an instant. He stands and slings his bag over his shoulder and scuffs his boot along the floor. “Fuck, Mounty. I would. I fucking would.”

I sigh and nod slowly, taking his hand to stand. “But Ash would be pissed if he found out you were still sleeping here?”

“I’m making a lot of my decisions based on what my friends would think at the moment.” he mumbles.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

“I already hate everything about this.”

I don’t bother turning around. I know the exact expression that will be on Avery’s face as she looks around the gym. I’d explained my plans to Harley during our math class and he’d handed his set of keys over to me without a word, so now we have the entire gym to ourselves. Avery has been putting me off for weeks but I’ve finally cornered her.

In the center of the room, the boxing ring that I found Harley and Blaise in last year is still set up and I refuse to look at it because I do not need Avery questioning the blush that will absolutely color my cheeks if I do.

I’m dressed in a pair of Avery’s yoga pants and a loose hoodie. I’ve slipped my shoes off but left my socks on because the polished wooden floor is freezing. Avery came here straight from ballet so she looks like a freaking cast member of the nutcracker. I think. I mean, I have no idea what a ballerina in the nutcracker would wear but I’m confident Avery would fit in.

“I’m not going to teach you how to fight. I wouldn’t be good at that anyway because I don’t get into fights. I defend myself and I make calculated moves to overcome whoever I need to despite my size. That’s what I’m going to teach you.”

I hear the door open and close but I put it out of my mind while I focus on the lesson. Avery groans and moans her way through the first part. I teach her not to tuck her damn thumb in when she makes a fist. I show her how to center her weight so she’s more stable on her feet. I teach her how to breathe when you’re afraid so your brain receives the optimal amount of oxygen. I teach her the best points to strike at and what parts of her body she should use to strike them.

After an hour of this Avery is panting and, wonder of wonders, sweating. She looks at least slightly unkempt and I’m grinning like an idiot over it. When we stop to grab water I realize we’ve been joined by the three stooges.

“Do they teach this in Mounty school?” drawls Blaise but there’s a flush to his cheeks.

Ash looks conflicted and Avery trots over to talk quietly to him. I know he hates that she’s being forced to learn this but I honestly think she should’ve done this years ago. I drain the water bottle and Harley grabs it from me with an offer to refill it.

I smile at him and then call out, “We still have more to cover, Aves, so get your ass back over here.”

She groans and drags her feet. “I’m not strong like you, Lips. I can’t do this.”

I sigh and perch against the boxing ring, crossing my arms so she knows I mean business. “You think that because you’ve always had Ash or Harley or Blaise around to protect you but you’re wrong. You exercise six days a week. Some days you do three sessions. You’ve never broken a bone, no nerve damage, and when you froze at what Rory was doing it was fear not PTSD. Physically, you are stronger than me. What I am teaching you is the basics of self defense but the most important, the most valuable thing you need is something you already have.”

She huffs and crosses her arms but I keep going. “You’re observant and intuitive. You can look at a student and make a quick assessment of what weaknesses they have and how to exploit them to take them out. So far you’ve used that strength to socially ruin the sheep but you can easily switch to reading body language and defending yourself. You’re better at it than anyone I’ve met, you’re as good as I am. You may end up better than me at it.”

I glance behind her to see the guys have settled back into their seats and are fixated on us. I quirk an eyebrow at Avery in question but she waves me off. “I don’t care that they’re here. But I need you to show me something real. Walk me through a situation and explain how knowledge will be better than strength or size. I need you to prove it to me so I can stop second guessing myself.”

Hmm. It’s a good idea and I’m a little pissy I didn’t think of it myself. I cringe a little at the scenario that pops into my head but the more I think about it the better it fits.

I sigh and grab a stack of training mats. I pile them up until they’re bed height, then I slip my hoodie off and hand it over to Avery. She takes it hesitantly and pulls it over her head. She looks ridiculous and Ash snorts as he takes a photo of her in it. I dig around in my bag until I find my knife and then I slip that into the sweater pocket.

I chew on my bottom lip and then address our audience. “Look, you guys have to stay quiet. If she’s going to learn how to defend herself you need to let me walk her through this. If you can’t hack it then please leave.”

They all nod, somewhat hesitantly, and then I push them out of my mind. I grab Avery’s wrist, hard enough to bruise. She jumps and frowns at me.

“The party that Joey insisted I go to first year. He told all of the juniors he was going to fuck me, one way or another. He found me walking back to the dorms and I knew he was high but I also knew he could outrun me. He’s not as big as Rory or Ash or most of the guys at this school because of his habit but drug addicts are unpredictable. I couldn’t just run.”

There’s a deep furrow on Avery’s brow and her lips are turned down at the corners. I’ve never offered her this truth before. I had put it out of my mind months before we became friends.

I hold up her wrist. “He held my wrist harder than this. I could feel my bones bending under his fingers and pulling away meant fighting him off with a broken wrist. So…what do you do? Knowing him, reading the situation you’re in, what do you do?”

Avery swallows. “Play along. Get him talking and distract him.”

I nod and tug her over to the mats. Once we’re both sitting on them I wait a minute and then continue. “Now he tells you he can fuck you by force or you can lie back an enjoy it. He kisses you. What do you do?”

Avery’s lip quivers but her eyes stay dry. “Play along. I have no choice, he’s still got my wrist.”

“Good.” I shove her back and cover her body with my own, careful not to crowd her or hurt her. I hear explosive swearing and a chair being thrown behind us but I keep my focus on the lesson. “Now what?”

Avery frowns and takes stock of what’s going on. She tugs a little at her wrist that’s still pinned above her head and then wriggles a little. “Oh. The knife is in my pocket.”

I smile and nod. She reaches in to grab it and I lower myself on her to pin her. “I grabbed it before he pushed me down so my hand was trapped. What do you do?”

She sighs. “Gross. You can’t wrestle your arm out because he’d notice so you have to play along. What a pathetic piece of shit.”

I snort but I’m glad she has her fire back. “Yep. Arch your back and moan a little and he’ll ease up because he wants you rubbing on him.”

“Right.” She arches and pulls the knife out but leaves the blade covered. Then, without further instruction, she presses it to my groin. the grin I beam down at her is savage and wild.

“Avery Beaumont, you just saved yourself. No white knight required.”

We run through a few more scenarios and Avery’s confidence blooms. When we finish up Ash is nowhere to be seen and Harley sends Blaise off to find him then walks us to our room. I don’t think about what happened in the training session until there’s a knock at the door and I open it to find a fucking wasted Ash, swaying on his feet as he tries to stay upright.

I shove him towards the couch, mumbling under my breath as I lock the door, “My life is now babysitting drunk, spoiled rich kids.”

I sigh and rub my face. “Avery is in the shower, if you need to puke please tell me now so I can get you a bucket.”

He frowns at me and, fuck, drunk Ash is adorable. My body is in danger of melting into a puddle so I step away from him only to have him snatch my wrist and tug me down onto the couch beside him. “I’m not here for Floss.”

His voice isn’t slurred and he doesn’t look like he’s going to lose his stomach contents so I settle back into the couch. “What’s wrong? What do I need to fix now?”

“Did my brother rape you?” He blurts out, zero tact as always. I frown at him and he rubs his eyes. “I know you walked her through it but I need to hear from you, that you got away from him. I need to know that he didn’t get away with it.”

“He tried but I got away from him. Don’t worry about it, I’m not losing sleep over it.”

He groans and leans forward, his elbows on his knees and his face cradled in his hands. I’m not sure what this crisis is and I find myself praying Avery will hurry up and rescue me.

“Fuck, how can you even stand to look at me? I look just like that fucking monster. We're all the spitting fucking image of our father.” He laughs but there’s no humor in his tone. “Harley looks like my mom. He gets to look like the only good we ever had in our lives and I get to stare in the mirror at the demons who own us. Fuck, now I sound like Morrison. Someone get me another fucking drink before I start singing.”

I stare at my own hands for a beat before answering him. “I don't think you look like Joey. I think you look like Avery and she's one of the very best humans on this earth. So yeah, looking like your mom, like Harley, would have been great but looking like Avery is pretty fucking good too. Stop having a meltdown over shit that doesn’t matter.”

The frown is back and the adorable is only increasing in intensity. I can’t fucking breathe. He mumbles at me, “Where the fuck did you come from?”

I snort and pat his leg the way Avery does when she thinks I’m being simple. “A drug addict. Or a meth lab, depending on which specific you were looking for.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

I drag myself through another week of classes and our class loads are so stacked that we’re forced to eat dinner in the dining hall every night. I’ve gotten used to eating alone with Avery and talking about whatever fucking crisis we’re facing without having to censor myself, and I’m grouchy about having to be around the masses of spoilt assholes.

We arrive before the guys do and I fill a tray with food while Avery grumbles at her phone. As I reach for a pitcher of the juice Avery likes my shoulder is shoved out of the way and Harlow jams herself into the line in front of me.

“Oh, sorry Mounty, but students who actually pay to be here shouldn’t have to wait behind charity cases.” She says sweetly and I take a deep breath as I don’t slam her head into a wall.

Avery doesn’t even look up from her phone as she casually says, “Wipe your nose, Roqueford, you’re wasting my brothers best blow on your face instead of in your blood. With any luck the next line will burst your brain.”

Harlow sneers at her and shoves the pitcher of juice at us. “Run along and take your pet Mounty slut with you.”

I grit my teeth and direct Avery over to our seats. The group of girls sitting there move before I can even open my mouth which is nice. If only Harlow could be trained the same way. The guys all arrive as we sit and they jostle each other as they line up for food. When Blaise throws his head back to laugh at something Harley has said I find myself grinning over at them. Ash catches my eye an sneers at me. I groan because what I really need after a hard week of study is to be snarked at by that asshole.

“Be gentle with him today, Lips.” Avery murmurs and I frown at her, the grin just melting right off my face. “Harley had to peel Joey off him last night. The psycho is getting worse now his time at Hannaford is coming to an end. Next year he’ll have to find someone else to torment while we’re gone.”

Fuck that. “What does Joey like? That’s the quickest way to figure out how to get back at him. We need to stop being reactive and start being proactive.”

Avery’s lips quirk up at me as she starts to empty the plates off of the tray. “Nothing but himself and cocaine. And money, I guess, but we can’t touch that without it affecting Ash and me.”

Cocaine. Unfortunately, I had some experience with the shit and I’d give anything to be able to wipe it from the surface of the Earth.

“Okay, I think I can work with that. Give me some time with it.”

She nods and the guys all arrive and take their seats. Ash is moving a little hesitantly and I share a look with Harley. Avery puts her phone away and rolls her eyes at some stupid joke Blaise is telling her. I don’t listen to any of them while I plan.

I grab my iced coffee from the tray then I pour out a glass of juice for Avery. There's a filmy residue on the glass as I pass it to her. It feels slick on my fingers but not soapy. It's more of an oily texture. I think about wiping my fingers on my skirt but I get that pulling feeling in my gut. I've completely zoned out the conversation around me and I don't even hear Blaise start to tease me about smelling my fingers. It smells minty. It's smells like…

My hand shoots out and knocks the cup out of Avery's hand as she raises it to her lips and directly into Ash’s lap. Avery gasps and lurches backwards and Ash snaps at me, “What the fuck is wrong with you, Mounty?”

“The glass is oily. Smell it. It smells like Harlow does after gym class. She rubs down with Wintergreen oil.” Harley’s eyebrows shoot up but the others look at me with blank faces. “It's a type of natural aspirin and she's put it in your juice. She's fucking poisoned your drink, Aves.”

Silence.

Stunned, no one speaks or moves until finally Ash lifts the glass out of his sopping wet lap and smells it. I watch as the storm rolls in over his eyes.

“That. Fucking. Cunt.”

I stand abruptly and look around the dining hall. Blaise gets up to look as well and Harley starts drilling Avery for answers.

“Did you drink any? Are you sure it was her? I need to know I'm fucking killing the right bitch.” Harlow is nowhere to be seen. Ash’s face is starting to crack, the perfect mask he puts on everyday shattering and leaving behind only the ruthless protector. I see the same fire burning there that I’ve seen in Joey dozens of times and it sends a shiver through me. I have to admit to myself that it's not a bad shiver.

“I'll handle this. Avery, go back to our room and get cleaned up. You guys need to walk her up and stay with her until I get back.” I say and then I slip away from the table. I get three steps before Ash’s hand wraps around my elbow and wrenches me around to face him.

“Mounty-” I cut him off, all of the anger and hurt bubbling out of me without a care at who was watching. I’m angry that he’s been hurt again and now Avery’s had another close call. I can’t help but direct it at him.

“How could you ever think I was in on this? How could you think I wanted to hurt her? You've spent the last year watching us together, do you really think I'd try to kill her?”

His eyes flash and then, finally, the soft edge creeps back in. “I don't. I… fuck, you in. You’re family now. I'm coming with you and I'm helping you take Harlow out.”

The girls dorm is a hive of activity and Ash’s presence only makes it worse. I duck into my room to grab my lock picking kit and then I break into Harlow’s room, unconcerned by the whispering audience. She’s had the locks changed and upgraded but nothing could keep me out, not in the fucking rage I’m in now. Ash watches me carefully, his glacial mask dropping so I can see how impressed he is. Once we’re in I find a much cleaner room but there’s still stolen shit everywhere. I scoff and poke around for a second.

“What’s the plan?” says Ash as he grimaces at the clutter. I bet he’s a neat freak like Avery.

“I’ll deal with her. I’m just checking to make sure the psycho bitch isn’t the one stealing my panties.”

Ash grunts in acknowledgment and starts moving piles of clothes around but we both come up empty handed. Dammit. I find one of our assigned textbooks for history, a huge hardback, and grin as I heft it into my arms. Ash eyes it warily.

“What do you want me to do? I don't hit girls but I will help with anything else.” He doesn't look at me as he talks but the sincerity is clear in his tone.

“Go sweet talk Chastity next door and get her to turn her music up loud enough that no one will hear what happens.”

Ash nods and then hesitates. “Don't accidentally kill her…and don't get caught.”

If I kill her it won’t be an accident but I nod and he leaves, shutting the door quietly behind him.

He's much faster than I expected. Less than a minute later the throbbing bass line of the shitty electronica Chastity insists on listening to starts vibrating the walls. I grimace but it'll do the job.

I stand behind the door facing the mirror. There's a chance she’ll see me in it before she steps through properly but that'll make her Ash’s problem. I'm betting on her being complacent. No one has been attacking her in her rooms, everything we've done so far has been about exposing her malicious actions. I'm done with that. I raise the textbook in my arms and focus.

I don't have to wait long.

Harlow eyes connect with mine as the door swings shut behind her. I see the flash of fear in them just as the textbook slams into her nose and breaks it for the second time. She collapses to the ground and I grab a fist full of her hair.

I can't hear the screaming, thank god, and this time instead of holding her still I drag her over to her bed and lay her out. She's sobbing, great heaving breaths bursting out of her chest, and her hands are covering the mess that is her nose. I pull my knife out and show her the blade.

She freezes.

I lean down to speak into her ear so she can hear me over the music. “I thought about slitting your throat for what you did. I thought about gutting you, nice and slow, just like you deserve. I could bleed you out and then call in an old friend to make you disappear, and you would disappear Harlow. No one would ever find you. But instead, I'm going to remind you that you're not invincible just because you bow to Joey Beaumont. You're pathetic and someday soon he’ll run out of uses for you. You'll be his next victim and no amount of loyalty you show him will stop that.”

I hack away at her hair until half her scalp is bared. I need her afraid. I need her so fucking terrified that she will never think about hurting Avery again because if she does I'm going to have to take her out.

“Now, I know you're going to want to run off to the principal or Joey to tattle on me but remember this: Avery Beaumont runs the cleanups at Hannaford. Joey’s too fucking high to manage anything and Trevelen is bought and paid for. He belongs to us. You'll wear this warning and you'll swallow your pride because if you don’t, next time I’ll take your head instead of just your hair.”

I throw the fistful of locks on her chest and I walk out without looking back. Ash takes one look at me and follows me out.

I pull my phone out and text Avery the details.

My arms are shaking.

The dark part of my heart, the inky black stain that lets me become the Wolf, grows and becomes something wild. I’ve never used it to keep someone else safe like this before. It’s the first time I haven’t felt dirty for using it. Avery Beaumont will wake up tomorrow because I’m suspicious and have the gut instinct of a seasoned FBI agent. I’ve never been so relieved to be so damaged.

I stumble and Ash grabs my arm to steady me. He looks down at me with unreadable eyes and I just stare back at him, open and honest about what I’ve done. I mean, I’m covered in blood. There’s no hiding that.

“Come to my room. You can clean up there before you see Avery.” He says, his voice low and raspy. I nod and let him lead me to the boys dorms. There’s a lot of eyes on me as I walk one step behind Ash. At first I think it’s the blood, that would make any normal person curious, but then as we make it into the dorms I spot Lance and I see him frown. My chest tightens like a vise. Of course none of these rich assholes care about some blood. They’re all pissy because they think I’m about to fuck Ash and let him win the goddamn sweep.

I should have gone back to my own room.

“Take a photo of her right now, Smithson, and you’ll never walk again. Do you think your father will still love you if you’re not on the State Track team?” sneers Ash and suddenly the room is moving and no one is looking my way. I can breathe again.

We stop outside a door at the end of the hall while Ash unlocks it. I take note that he has the same lock system as Avery and I do and I know she must’ve organized it. Then he steps aside to beckon me into the room.

It’s fucking surreal.

The room is the exact same layout as the one Avery and I share but with an extra Cal King. There isn't a doubt in my mind over who sleeps where. Ash’s bed is immaculately made, dark bedding, his nightstand only holding a phone charger and a pair of glasses.

Harley's bed is also perfectly made but he has a patchwork blanket on the end and books overflowing from the nightstand. At the foot of his bed there's a bookshelf with even more books.

And then there's the messy nest that Blaise sleeps in. Every looks clean enough but I can still see the exact position he must've woken up in etched into the pillows and blankets. There's a guitar hanging over his bed and picks everywhere. Tantalizing, there's an open notebook on the pillow and I can see his writing and little pictures all over the pages. His lyric book. Fuck me. He’s been sharing little snippets with me for months but it’s still tempting as fuck to look.

I do a double take when I see the photo I gave Avery for Christmas on the wall in their kitchen, framed and placed where they’d all see it everyday. My heart does a weird little flip in my chest and I have to look away.

“I'll grab you something to change into, the towels are under the sink. Use whatever you need.” Ash says as he moves around the room. He doesn't look at me and I'm worried he's regretting bringing me here.

“I can go. Ave’s seen me worse than this, she's fine.”

He snorts and flicks the coffee machine on. My stomach rumbles. I missed out on dinner and caffeine sounds perfect.

“Just take a shower, Mounty.”

So I do.

The bathroom looks more like I'd expect from three guys living here. Piles of dirty laundry and towels are in the overflowing basket and there's shaving cream still in the sink. I strip off and, with little options, I throw my clothes into their washing pile. Avery can get them back for me and I make a note to ask her. The water is cranked and blisteringly hot. I’m weak so I use a little bit of each of their soaps and shampoos. I like them all but I love the smell of all three mixed together more.

Once I'm out and wrapped in a towel Ash knocks and hands me a pile of clothes without looking at me which actually is exactly what I need because I'm a bumbling, blushing idiot only covered by the towel. Then I slip my underwear back on and the yoga pants he's handed me. They're Avery's, I've seen her in them before, so it's a decent fit and I don’t have to think about which girl left them behind in his room. The shirt is one of his, a black v-neck that's softer than cashmere and hangs off of my small frame.

I dry my hair and once it's tied up I take a deep, calming breath to walk out.

There's a cup of coffee on the bench, and Ash has one of his own, so I grab it and take a big gulp, praying the heat soaks into me and the caffeine gives me the energy to get through whatever bullshit Ash is going to throw at me.

“Why did Joey call the juniors off last year? The real reason.” He still doesn't look at me from where he sits on his bed, his long legs braced against the floor and his big hands cradling the coffee cup.

“Someone from Mounts Bay found out about the bet. He's Joey’s dealer. Actually, he's the top of the drug dealing food chain. This guy didn't like the idea of me being a bet so he warned Joey off.”

Ash hums and takes another sip of his coffee before putting it down. “Why didn't Joey just find a new supplier?”

“The guy owns all of the dealers. Everyone in the state leads back to him so he told Joey that he'd never touch an ounce of anything again if he didn't back off.”

Ash nods again and I tip back the last of my drink. I want to fidget but I force myself to stay still. When Ash doesn't say anything else I start to move towards the door, giving him space seems like the right thing to do right now.

His fingers curl around my wrist to stop me. His eyes stay trained on the floor, unblinking, and I take a step towards him. My heart is thumping, I don’t know why but I feel like something has shifted in him and finally the gaping chasm between us is going to disappear. He tugs me into him and moves his free hand to the back of my neck, gently cradling the nape of my neck and rubbing the silky curls there.

With his height and the height of the bed, I still have to tilt my head up to look at him. Standing between his legs, looking up into his icy blue eyes, he’s surrounding me until all I can see, all I can feel, is him. I take a shuddering breath and the sound of it breaks the dam of his control and he pulls me into his kiss.

His lips are hot and demanding, he swallows my gasp and pushes me for more until all I can do is give in to him. I’m less nervous about kissing now, thank god. I want to give him everything I can and he grunts as my teeth tug on his bottom lip. His hands move to fit over the curve of my waist, his fingers stroking and teasing me. He groans and lifts me up against his chest, my feet dangling and his strong arms banding around me, holding my weight like it’s nothing.

I can’t think. The world around us is spinning and turning until I’m laid out on his perfect bed and he’s hovering over me, our bodies only touching at his searing kiss. I want more. I want him pressing me into the bed, I want him grinding against me, I want him to touch every inch of my skin.

I want him to own me.

And it’s that thought that slams reality back into my mind and I break away from his lips. He’s running on a high from saving his sister. He’s cut Annabelle loose. If I let this continue, he doesn’t even know he’s risking his life for a quick fuck. And, as crushing as it is to even think, that’s exactly what I am to him. Another notch on the post of his ridiculously comfortable and luxurious bed. Seriously, where do rich people get their sheets? I squeeze my eyes shut for a second, just to feel and enjoy having him so close for a little longer, and when I finally open them I see he’s doing the same. He’s probably cursing himself out for being stuck here with the frigid Mounty.

“I can’t.” I croak at him and he nods, his eyes still shut.

Neither of us move. I just stare up at his heartbreakingly handsome face until he finally lets out a shuddering breath and rolls off of me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

I decide that all guys are the devil and I need to stay the fuck away from them. I can’t hide from Harley or Blaise but I can stay the hell away from Ash if I’m careful. I figure out pretty quickly that Ash is trying to avoid me as much as I am him. It stings more than it should and I might be hypocritical for feeling that way but when Avery starts getting suspicious of his behavior I pretend I have no clue of what’s she’s talking about. I don’t think I’ve fooled her at all and, if anything, I think I make her even more suspicious.

I can’t tell her about the kiss.

She was accepting of Harley kissing me and pissed about Blaise. I can’t imagine her reaction to hearing I’ve also had a try of her beloved twin brother. Sweet lord, for a virgin I am managing to get around.

Avery obviously decides she’s done with our shit because she sends out a group text the Friday after the kiss with Ash.

Dinner in our room. Attendance is compulsory, this means you Ash.

I frown down at my phone and Harley smirks at me. “We used to have dinner together once a week. Clearly Avery is sick of her brother’s sulking too.”

I text her back privately.

You shouldn’t cook, we have too much class work to waste time on that.

Her reply is instant because she knows I’m avoiding them all like the fucking plague.

I’ve ordered in. Blaise is going to grab it on the way up from his boxing session. No excuses, we’re getting back to normal programming.

I groan and slump down in my chair.

I try to hide in the library, switching my phone off so I can pretend it’s died and I got sidetracked. Unfortunately, Avery has fucking superpowers and finds me before I’m even technically late. She sits across the table from me and places a takeaway coffee on my math workbook, forcing me to stop working on the equations.

“Before the cup is empty, you’ll tell me why you keep staring at me like you’ve stabbed my puppy.”

Straight for the throat, there’s the dictator I call my best friend.

I sigh and take some deep, deep gulps of the coffee. She raises an eyebrow at me and I fucking cave like a bitch. “I kissed Ash. Well, I think he kissed me but I didn’t stop him.”

Avery’s face stays completely void of any emotion as she cocks her head for me to continue. “I did eventually tell him I couldn’t continue. I’m so fucking weak and stupid. Why do I keep ending up in these situations? I can’t do anything about it with the Jackal’s eyes on me and I’m not a casual type of person. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you and I’m sorry I’ve now made out with all three of your...people.”

Avery nods and drums her fingers on the table. “Do you want a non-casual...relationship with my brother? Or one of the other two?”

I blush and clear my throat. “It’s not an option. I won’t even think about it because it’s not what they’re interested in. Any of them.”

Avery squints at me a little and I try not to squirm. Whatever she’s looking for, she doesn’t find it in my face and with a sigh, she stands up.

“Don’t be dense, Mounty. Kiss whoever the hell you want to but you need to tell them all about the Jackal.”

I notice the tension in the air the second we walk into our room. Ash is sitting on Avery’s bed death glaring at his phone like it’s mortally offended him and Harley…well, Harley is standing in the kitchen, braced against the kitchen counter, with murder in his eyes. Avery frowns at them and then gives me a sidelong look but I shrug. Blaise walks in behind us, carrying bags of Thai takeout, and he’s stomping around as well.

“What’s Joey done now?” Avery snaps.

Blaise won’t look at me as he brushes past us to get into the kitchen. Avery waits another second before snapping, “Well?!”

“It’s not Joey. Harley’s got some emotions he would like to express but he has to work through them first.” says Ash, so condescendingly I cringe for Harley but he doesn’t flinch. In fact, he acts like he hasn’t heard a word Ash has said. He’s the only guy in the room who is looking at me, while the other two are pointedly looking elsewhere. I know for a fact I’m PMS-ing and my nerves are fucking wearing thin so I keep my mouth shut. If I open it I may verbally eviscerate the lot of them and I’m sure Avery doesn’t want to spend her evening scrubbing their innards off the walls.

Blaise sets out everyone's food and continues to ignore me, even after I thank him. Avery glares at him, then Ash, before finally settling her ire on her cousin who is still staring at me like I stabbed a baby.

He makes it through the worlds most awkward and silent dinner before drawling at me, “I didn’t peg you for a liar.”

Ash laughs and throws a napkin at him. “Of course she’s a liar. If you chose to believe anything she’s said that’s your own fucking insanity.”

I set my knife and fork down onto the table carefully and fold my hands. I pull myself into Avery’s signature power pose, ankle fucking crossed and everything, before I sweetly say, “What is up your ass now, Arbour?”

“You. You lied about being in danger, you lied about hating the other Mounty, and now you’ve gone and fucked him. I hope the money was worth it.”

Avery meets my eye from across the table. What the actual hell is he talking about and how widespread is this pile of lies? Her eyebrows ask the same questions and we both slide into damage control. “Uh no, I didn’t. He threw himself at me and I said no.” I state, calmly, though my knees start to grow restless.

Harley snorts at me, pushes out of his chair, and stalks over to the fridge to grab a beer. Avery stands to start cleaning up our dishes and snaps, “What does it matter to you if she did fuck him?”

He shrugs casually but the sneer stays fixed to his face. “You said you didn’t want to fuck any guy at Hannaford but you made an exception for him.”

Ash is watching Avery with narrowed eyes. He knows something is up, something more than what we’re saying. If Harley wasn’t so pissy he’d notice the cleaning too.

“I didn’t fuck him. I kind of thought you’d believed me over the gossiping bitches but clearly I was wrong.” I grit out, the muscles in my jaw twitching.

Harley slams the beer bottle on the bench and moves to stand over me. I don’t back away like everyone else does because I’m not afraid of him. His mobster roots and overbearing size don’t mean shit to me, I know what type of guy he really is. I do hate that I have to tip my head back to look at him right now and the fury in his eyes cuts me worse than his words.

“He handed in proof. He’s been declared the winner and he gets the sweep. All two million dollars of it.”

My stomach drops. My vision blurs, my ears ring, and I think my heart has exploded in my chest cavity.

Fuck.

I’m dead.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

“Right. This is bad.” Avery’s voice is thready and I know mine would sound the same if I could choke some words out.

“So some asshole Mounty guy ends up with the money, what does it matter? With the bet over with Lips won’t be followed around anymore. We should have a word with him about the money. He should really split it with you.” says Blaise, sounding completely at ease even though he’s still refusing to look at me.

“She didn’t fuck him! Get your heads out of your fucking asses and believe us both. We’re fucked because of that asshole’s lie.” Avery screeches.

I can’t think clearly. If they’re still talking I don’t hear it, nothing exists to me anymore except the sheer, blinding terror. The panic clawing at my chest has become so overwhelming that it consumes everything until I’m at it’s mercy. I think I’m going to pass out. My legs give way and I collapse down on the ground. My arms shake. When I still can’t breathe I lie down and begin to count backwards from a hundred in French.

“What are we missing here?” says Ash, carefully, and I look over to find them all staring at me. Harley looks haunted, his eyes so wide I can see the whites all the way around his irises. Nope. I can’t do this. I shut my eyes and get back to counting, out loud so I’m forced to focus. I try to block out the memories of all the things the Jackal will do to me.

“I’m telling them, Lips. We need their help to fix this, that little fuck Lance needs a beating and we all know I can’t throw a punch to save my life.” says Avery and I jerk my head to form some sort of nod. “Okay. If word gets back to Mounts Bay that Lips has fucked Lance her life is in danger. The Jackal will kill Lance, no question, and he deserves it so fuck him. But there’s a good chance he’ll also kidnap, torture, and rape Lips.”

“What?! Why?” snaps Ash as Harley starts cursing up a storm behind him.

“Because he’s a sadistic, egomaniac who thinks he owns her. He threatened Joey away from her because he doesn’t like to share his toys. He’s waiting her out, playing a game that he thinks he’ll win, and if anyone messes with it he takes them out. If we don’t fix this he’s going to rape and kill her.”

I think about throwing up but I’m paralyzed by the liquid terror coursing through my veins. I let it take me. I give over to the fear and let it consume me for a minute so it will burn off enough that I can tamp it down again. The truth is I’m not ever fearless, I’ve just learned to live and work through it.

When I can see again I risk another glance at the others to find Avery trembling in Ash’s arms and Harley staring down at me. I take my first deep breath when he looks at me, like the fire in his eyes thaws something in me and the spark in my soul starts up again. I have survived everything that’s been thrown at me so far. I will survive this too.

Harley gives me a nod and turns back to his friends. “We need to fix this and we need to do it now. Ideas?”

There’s a stunned silence and then, surprisingly, Blaise pipes up, “The bet says proof has to be either a photo or a video. We get our hands on it and prove it’s a fake. No one wants Lance to get the money so it’ll be an easy sell if we can find something.”

Ash snorts derisively, his voice a twisted snarl, “How exactly would that be good proof if no one here has fucked the Mounty before? Who could vouch it’s her?”

“Besides the obvious that her face would have to be in it? The photos last year.” says Harley.

I sit up sharply. The photos from my fucked up walk of shame last year. After I’d had my clothes stolen while showering I’d been made to walk back to my room naked by Harlow, who had also taken photos and shared them around. Fucking bitch. I want to go back to her room and slit her throat.

“We need to get the photos and pray. Lance is taking photography and advanced digital design. I’m sure he’s got the fake photos damn near perfect.” I say, my voice stronger now. I rub my face with shaking hands and consider texting Diarmuid for a hit. I wonder if Avery would spot me the fee? I glance at her and the thunder on her face tells me she would pay the son of a bitch ten times over.

“Give me twenty minutes. I know who’ll have them.” says Blaise and he ducks out of the room.

I stay on the floor until Avery finally drags me up and pushes me into the shower. I try to tell her I’d just had one but she starts on with her ‘hot water heals all’ philosophy and I just give in. I throw my pajamas on and when I walk back out I don’t even care that I’m wearing my Vanth shirt. Avery hands me a bowl of ice cream and I slouch on the couch to eat it. Avery sits with me and chews on her lips as she scrolls aimlessly on her phone. Ash and Harley sit at the bench and talk quietly together, their eyes on me more often than not. I’m scrubbing the bowl clean in the sink by the time the door opens again and Blaise is back.

He startles a little at my shirt then ushers us all to sit at the bench. He hands out a pile of photos so we’re each holding a copy of the three photos Lance has produced as his proof. I can’t look down at them. Not until I’m able to do it with a clinical eye. Instead, I watch Avery as she begins to sift through them next to me.

“Fuck, Avery, don’t look at them.” snaps Ash as he tries to pry them out of her hands. She rolls her eyes and turns away from him.

“I’ve seen nudes before Ash. I’m not happy about being forced to look at that little fuck’s dick but I’m the only person here that’s seen Lips naked besides Lips herself so I’m the best person to be looking.”

Blaise eyes flash and he purses his lips like he’s trying to seal them shut. Harley notices and punches him in the arm but he only shrugs with a wry grin. “I’m not even sorry, I can’t help it.”

Eh? “Can’t help what?”

Avery answers as she holds one of the photos so close to her face that she must be searching it pixel but pixel for inaccuracy. “He’s being gross about how I’ve seen you naked. Boys always are.” Then she grins at Blaise and swipes her tongue over her bottom lip. “I’ve seen her naked, dripping wet in the shower, in every piece of skimpy lace Ash picked out for her, and all sweaty and panting after a long, hard workout. Oh, I’ve also seen her in yoga poses that would make a monk weep.”

I swear I hear all three of them gulp. Huh.

Ash clears his throat. “How exactly does this relate to what we’re doing?”

Harley butts in before Avery can answer. “So about this sex ban the Jackal has you on. Is that the real reason you won’t fuck a Hannaford guy?”

I grit my teeth and try to force myself to look down at the photos while I’m distracted by the conversation. Nope. Can’t do it. “Yes. If there’s a chance it could get back to him that I’m with someone then I can’t do it. Hannaford is a pit of snakes and no one gets laid here without the entire school hearing about it. Just not worth the risk.”

Avery chuckles under her breath. “Besides, the majority of males at this school don’t know how to make it good for girls. Why risk torture and death if you’re not even going to come?”

I snort with unexpected laughter at her. “Better off doing it myself, right?”

Avery cackles and I glance up again to find three sets of smoldering eyes glaring at me with a challenge. A blush starts creeping along my cheeks and I’m struck for the first time with the realization that I’ve kissed all three of them. Sweet Lord. Not only that, each kiss had been so fucking hot I had no reason to doubt their…skills.

I hold my hands up placatingly. “Woah, settle down. I’m sure you guys are…great or whatever. You must be if Annabelle is mourning your dicks like she’s missed out on the second coming of Christ.”

“She’s mourning the potential for a wealthy husband not their dicks.” murmurs Avery, in no way helping me with calming them the fuck down. I shrug and finally force my eyes down onto the photos in front of me.

I feel lightheaded.

Avery yells, startling us all, “HA! There! Lips, we’ve got him.”

My eyes stay glued on the first photo. It’s so fucking disturbing to see you own face on a body that clearly isn’t yours. Yeah, he photoshopped my scars on it but the knees are wrong. The fingers are longer than mine and I’ve never managed to get my nails to that length. The tits are way bigger and the nipples are much darker than mine are. I really, really don’t want to have to flash my nipples to get out of this.

I finally look over to the one Avery is waving at me and that photo is even more obscene. Lance has the girl flipped over and is doing her from behind. He’s leaning back and the photo has been taken with a nice close up of his dick in her, the fleshy globes of her ass spread by his hand. I immediately see what Avery is talking about.

“Snap, motherfucker.” I mutter and Avery tucks her arm into mine.

“Let’s go end that Mounty fuck.”

Harley texts the bet keeper, some senior named Thomas Darcy, to tell him to hold payment until the next day so I don’t have to charge into the boys dorms at midnight in my booty shorts to kill Lance. He arranges to meet after classes in the chapel. At this point, I never want to step foot in that fucking room again but I grin and bear it. I messaged the Jackal last night to cover my ass and buy time, I told him about the fake photos and my plan to deal with Lance.

Send me the photos. I’ll deal with him.

He wants proof they’re not real. I text him and tell him I can handle it on my own but I get the digital copy from Blaise and send it to him. He has people on his payroll that can confirm they’re a photoshop. Now Lance owes me a life-debt. The little fuck.

Avery marches into the Chapel like she’s a general in war and she’s thirsty for they’re blood. I trail behind her and the guys are grumbling together behind me. I had woken up with my period and am now bloated and moody as fuck. I’ve already snapped at Harley during classes so I think he’s warned the other two away from me. Lord help Lance if he is a mouthy dick to me today.

Lance is already there, laughing and joking with Darcy, and when I walk in he bites his lip and makes a big show of leering at my body like he knows what’s hiding underneath my clothes. My hands curl into fists and I take a second to fantasize about feeling the bones in his cheek break when I punch him. Harley cracks his knuckles behind me.

Darcy saunters over to us and smirks at the thunderous look on my face.

“You can’t be pissy just because you finally caved, Mounty. You still have the moral high ground, you fucked one of your own.” Every word out of Darcy’s mouth makes me want to grab him by the balls and twist until they pop.

“It’s a decent photoshop, I’ll give the kid that, but he’s picked the wrong position.”

Darcy laughs and Lance, the little fuck, smirks at me. I manage to keep my breathing nice and even, and I hold my composure. Harley doesn’t, Blaise has to body check him to keep him from throttling the Mounty boy.

“You’re claiming it’s a fake because you don’t fuck doggy style? That’s not good enough, babe.”

Rage. Blackout.

I regain control of my body to find myself kneeling on Darcy’s not-so-smug-anymore body, one leg on his chest and the other cutting off his airway. I really enjoy the terrified look in his eyes as a press in close to him so I can whisper to him. “Don’t you ever call me babe again. I’ll gut you for that alone. Now, the photo shows the chicks entire lower back. I’m willing to show you mine, here and now, and you’ll fucking know that it’s not me getting reamed. The Mounty faked them.”

Darcy nods his head a fraction and I climb off him. Lance is staring at me in horror, seeing for himself just how much he’s underestimated me, and I look back at him like he’s a steaming pile of shit. A spade’s a spade.

Avery slaps a blown up version of Lance’s fake-ass photo down onto the table in front of Darcy. He doesn’t look her in the eye at all, just nods along while he tries to suck deep lungfuls of air through his damaged throat. I shrug off my jacket, handing it to Avery, and then pull my crisp white shirt out from where it’s tucked neatly into my skirt. I turn on my heel to face the guys and show off my lower back to Darcy and Lance instead.

“What the fuck happened to you?” hisses Darcy and my face heats up. I shove the shirt back down and then spin back to him.

“There’s your fucking proof. Are you satisfied?” I snap. Darcy stares at me for a second and then with a glance at the guys behind me he nods and shoots a glare at Lance, who’s backing away from us all like he can get away. Fat chance, dickhead.

“No hard feelings, Mounty. I’m still up for it if you want to end this thing for real.” drawls Darcy and I stomp out of the room, livid at this whole miserable day.

I need alcohol, a nap, a shower, a week away from my life, and a whole list of other shit I’ll never get.

Avery skips to catch up with me and hooks her arm in mine. “I told the guys to destroy him. I’ll get a video of it if you want to enjoy it later.”

I force a laugh and the side eye she gives me says she sees right through me.

“Let’s eat a whole tub of ice cream and plot world domination for a few hours. That always cheers you up.”

“I need all of the chocolate in this damn building, Avery.”

She side eyes me again and then pets my arm in a way that should have been condescending but instead was affectionate. “I hear drinking the blood of you enemies helps with PMS. I’ll ask Ash to bring us a gallon.”

I’m wrapped up in bed with a heat pad, Blaise’s iPod, and a half-eaten tub of ice cream when Avery opens the door to Harley. He glances over to me as he talks to her but the music in my ears drowns him out and I let my eyes close. This weeks playlist makes my heart ache in the best/worst way, all dark and sweet with longing. I’d started putting together a list of songs to give back to him and I knew my list was an answer to his. Whoever it is that Harley is hoping to date, she has done a number on Blaise. I hate her intensely. I keep trying to imagine what she looks like, she must be stunning to have caught both their eyes.

I’m startled out of my thoughts by my bed dipping as Harley sits down. I blush and wince as I sit up, the pain in my abdomen intensifying. I pull out my earphones and glance over to where Avery is perched on her bed, watching us both intensely.

“What? What’s happened?” I croak.

Harley holds an envelope out to me and inside I find dozens of photos. Every single one is of me. They’ve been taken throughout the day at Hannaford and there’s even a few from the trip to Haven I took with Avery. Lance, because I’m sure it’s the work of that little fuck, has been stalking me for months. I feel sick.

“Ash and Morrison are trashing his room as we speak and looking for anything else he might have. He stays on the planner.” Harley says and I glance back up at his fiercely beautiful face. He’s hesitating. I look over at Avery.

“Harley found your underwear on him when he beat him. He was carrying it around like some sick pervert. He said he took it as extra proof for the bet but we all know there’s been dozens of pairs taken.”

Holy shit.

The creepy little fuck.

Seriously, am I some sort of magnet to disgusting rapists and stalkers?! I give myself three seconds of shock and then I get angry. I get fucking livid. I’m not a victim, I’m not some helpless girl he can covet and jerk off to.

I’m the fucking Wolf of Mounts Bay and I’m going to end him.

Harley smirks at me when he sees the fire that’s been lit behind my eyes. He watches me the same as he did when I attacked Harlow, like he’s standing witness to the dark stain inside me and admiring it.

“Give me two days to sort my uterus out and then I’ll deal with him myself.”

Harley snorts with laughter but Avery’s eyes narrow. “I can hand all of this over to the school board and get him expelled, you don’t have to be involved in this.”

I don’t need her concern, I’m not afraid of that pathetic piece of shit. I shake my head. “This sort of disrespect needs to be punished, Aves.”

She picks up on my wording and gives me a curt nod. He’s from the Bay and I can’t send him home without giving him a message. Harley grabs the photos back and shoves them into Avery’s drawer. I slump back and seethe.

I don’t want to call the Jackal. I’m still trying to distance myself from him so he doesn’t have the chance to manipulate me. I could call him right now and Lance would be dead by sunrise. I could kill him myself but cleanup would be near impossible without Avery pulling some serious strings. Besides, I don’t want him dead. I want him afraid. I want him watching every shadow for the rest of his life and wondering if it’s me come to kill him. Well, that settles it.

I have a plan.

I slip my earphones back into my ears and fall asleep.

When I wake up in the early hours of the morning to pee I find Harley sleeping on the floor between the two King Cal’s on the pull out bed Avery keeps under her bed. Ash is tucked up in Avery’s bed, frowning even in his sleep, and Blaise is tangled up in a blanket on the couch. I stare around at them before my bladder forces me to move.

They’re gone before I wake in the morning.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Harley refuses to let me out of his sight. He tells Avery that he’s going to sleep on the roll out bed in our room until Lance has been dealt with. I immediately make the call that Blaise sleeping in our room for three nights was torturous enough and I’ll never willingly put myself through that again. Blaise at least made jokes and played his guitar for me, Harley would sit and stare at me for hours trying to read the secrets written under my skin. So I go with my gut and I throw caution into the wind for the day.

The Jackal sends me a copy of the original photos and I gag when I realize what the photo shop has covered. He also sends me through a little background information on him but it’s nothing Avery hasn’t dug up already. No, it’s the photo that tells me exactly what I need to know and drives home the last nail in Lance’s fucking coffin.

I’m careful about my planning because I need to get him alone. Avery shrugs and jots down a list of places to consider, and it only takes a quick glance to know where it has to take place. The photography classroom is the perfect place to have a little chat with my creepy fucking stalker. It’s where he’s been developing the photos he’s been taking of me and there’s a blacklight in the classroom for creating special effects in photos. Perfect.

The problem is Harley follows me down there when I check the space out. When I confront him over it at breakfast he doesn’t even pretend to look remorseful about messing with my plans.

“I’m not doubting you’re skilled with your knife, I’m just saying any guy at this school is twice as big as you and Lance is clearly fucking deranged.”

Ash glances between the two of us and then shrugs at his cousin. “She took down Rory. Don’t baby her like we do Avery, she doesn’t need it.”

Harley stares him down. “She had the element of surprise with Rory and he had his dick out. She’s inviting Lance somewhere and I doubt she’s going to get him in such a compromising position.”

I shudder and pretend to gag. “I’ve seen more of him then I ever wanted to. If it means that much to you then you can keep watch for me but you’re not coming into the classroom. I’ve got something very specific in mind for the little fuck.”

I’m leaning against a desk when Lance saunters in, though he’s clutching at his ribs I’m sure Harley broke for him. His jaw is mottled and bruised as well and his split lip looks pretty painful but it doesn’t seem to be affecting his mood. The smile is still a mile wide on his face and he gives me this stupid little wave. I just stare at him until he stands before me.

“Changed your mind? I’m still up for the real thing, Lips.”

I clasp my hands in front of my body and take in every detail of his body, slowly dragging my eyes over him. He mistakes my interest, which is my exact intention, and he adjusts his pants suggestively.

“You ever fuck a member of the Twelve before, Lance?”

He blanches and stutters, “Wh-what?”

I lean forward. “I know you’re happy enough to fuck with a member of the Twelve but I don’t know if you’ve ever dropped your pants for one.”

He frowns and take a faltering step away from me. I nod at him, slowly, humming under my breath.

“Listen Lance, you’ve got my attention. I’ve done my research and I know all about you now. I know where you live when you’re not here. I know you grew up in the ‘burbs, you have two loving parents and a little sister. I read your application for the scholarship, it was pretty decent, not as good as mine. I know your taste for girls runs on the damaged side. You want them broken so when you’re finished with them no one will believe them when they say nice guy Lance Micheal Owens would ever stalk, beat, dehumanize, and rape a girl. I know that the money was a good incentive but that’s not why you wanted me. You thought I was just your type, a little foster girl with a tragic backstory. But Lance, I’m telling you now, you thought wrong.”

His chest rattles as he begins to wheeze. I nod again like we’ve come to an agreement.

“You’re going to drop out and go home to the bay. You’re going to keep your head down and never, ever say my name again. You’re going to take a vow of celibacy. You’re going to go to bed every night and pray to fucking god that I don’t come looking for you. You’re going to watch the shadows and remember that I’m watching you. Because I am watching you, Lance. You’ve gotten my attention and, fuck me, you have no idea how bad that really is for you.”

The stupid smile on his face is gone. I’m sure his erection is too but I don’t break eye contact for a single second. I wait until the words have sunk in.

“The mistake you made was thinking the guys who beat you are the predators.”

I flick the lights off and the black light glows. Lances eyes widen and he scrambles to get away from me, falling straight onto his ass as he gapes up at me with horror, the whispers in the Bay precede me and tell a hundred stories in the silence between us.

It's only in black light that you can see the ink that covers me. The skeletal structure I've had tattooed to my skin, the jaw opening wide etched in my cheeks with vicious teeth. Every inch of my body is covered in the whorls and arches that imitate the pelt. The black light shows that underneath the human facade I wear the truth of who I am.

The Wolf.

Harley smirks at me when I step out of the photography classroom and straighten my blazer.

“If I asked you what you did would you tell me?” he drawls and I smile back at him.

“Who says I even did anything? We had a chat.”

Harley snort and pulls out his phone, turning the screen so I can watch the video he’s recorded of Lance bolting from the classroom like the devil himself is on his ass. I bite my lip to stop the smug smirk from forming.

“A chat did that?”

I nod and, without thinking, tuck my arm into his like I do with Avery. It’s as close to a hug as I ever get to giving out. He looks down at our linked arms and when I blush and try to move, he grabs my hand and tugs me along with him, our fingers laced together.

“Uhm-”

“Get over it, Mounty, we’re friends now, remember?”

I sigh and let him drag me back up to the girls dorm. I drop his hand before we walk through the halls because all I need is a photo of the two of us of the ridiculous fucking gossip website to finish off this week. Avery is waiting for us, and Blaise is cackling over the video that Harley sent them all. I smile at her and then laugh when Harley starts making up stupid stories about how I did it. By the time I get out of the shower Blaise calls out to me, “Did you really slice one of his balls off and crush it under your heel?”

I stare at them, all three guys now Ash has showed up, and just quirk an eyebrow.

“Did you know there are quite a few different ways to castrate someone? Lips has talked me through four different methods. If she took her knife to him he would have lost more than a single testicle.” snipes Avery and they all turn a little green. She looks over at me with a smile and says, “Lance dropped out. Packed everything and called his parents to come get him today. Mr Trevelen questioned him and he said he doesn’t belong here. The administration tried to talk him into finishing out the year and he said he needs to leave immediately.”

I make a gesture like I’m ticking a box and say, “Off the planner you go, Mounty fuck.”

I sit next to Avery and pull out my notes for history, ready to ignore the TV and the conversations around me. She murmurs into my ear quietly, “Is he definitely out for good?”

I nod. “He understands he is being watched by the Wolf and that is not a position he is happy to find himself in. I think he actually pissed himself.”

Harley notices us whispering and looks like he wants to push me for more but then Avery flings a leg over his lap and tells him to rub her feet. He scoffs at her and then, to my absolute shock, he pulls her shoe off and gets to work. I love Avery, I really do.

But right this very second, I would bathe in her blood to take her place.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Lance’s departure from Hannaford makes the gossip website and Avery reads every comment out to me while I cook us both pancakes for breakfast. Some of the theories are disgustingly close to the truth and I know Avery is quietly stewing in her own curiosity at how I’ve actually managed to scare him. I haven’t told her about my tattoos yet, I’m saving that truth to mess with her later. For shits and giggles.

Spring break arrives and Harley decides to go home with Blaise as moral support. I think he’s hoping Blaise’s dad will run his mouth in front of him so he can deal with him. Blaise gives me his iPod before he leaves with a wink and when I listen to it I realize it’s all his new unreleased songs.

I have to take a minute to lie down.

Of course Ash decides to walk in midway through my fangirling and he snort at me. I glare back and snap, “What time are you leaving?”

“Avery didn’t tell you? Our father has been called away on business and he told us to stay here. You’re stuck with all three Beaumonts this week, Mounty.”

He watches me carefully for a reaction and I shrug, putting the earphone back into my ear and I try not to shiver lustfully at the heavenly sounds of Blaise’s crooning.

Ash tugs it back out and says, “I haven’t seen my father since you had your mysterious little midnight meeting in Haven. How long should I be expecting this separation to continue?”

I sit up and find Avery staring at me from the bathroom door, a toothbrush hanging from her mouth. “If I had anything to do with your father’s busy schedule, I would think that after graduation you and Avery would both be free of him anyway and the...interference would no longer be necessary.”

Avery nods, wide eyed, and ducks back into the bathroom. Ash stares at me until he finally scoffs and walks away.

I spend the rest of the week studying and avoiding Ash. Avery does her best to keep him busy and away from me but he sleeps on the roll out bed every night, just in case his brother comes out to find us.

The day before the students return from spring break I bite the bullet and text the Jackal. I’ve put it off for too long and I’m only endangering Avery and Ash with my fear.

I’m calling in a favor.

I roll the diamond between my fingers absently while I wait for the reply. Avery watching the little stone move with something predatory in her eyes. She looks at the diamond the way I imagine I look at Harley, Blaise, and Ash and I hope to god they never notice. I think she’s honestly turned on by it. I start to feel weird about playing with it so I sigh and hold it out for her. She lunges for it like a crack addict.

My phone rings.

“What happened to calling me for help, Wolf?”

I flinch at his tone. I don’t need the memories that flood me when I hear the dark rage I have pushed the Jackal into. Avery notices and hesitates before tucking her arm in mine.

“I don’t want to be a burden to you anymore. I need to stand on my own two feet.”

Dead silence. He must be sitting in his bedroom or maybe in the vault, counting his money. I wait him out. I won’t break protocol but he might.

“Should we meet somewhere to discuss your requirements?” He spits out from his clenched teeth. Fuck. If I meet him I think I’ll be kidnapped and my body never found again.

“Over the phone is more than adequate. You have a customer and I would like him cut off. Permanently and from everything you offer.”

He grunts and then says, calmer, “Your little friend just dropped by to see me. I’ll do as you ask but he has enough to last him a few weeks already.”

I take a deep breath. “I have another favor to discuss with you. I’ll see you at the meeting in the summer.”

He pauses and then says, smooth and warm as he tries to trap me once again, “That’s your last favor little Wolf. I hope it’s worth the cost.”

I hang up because my voice wouldn’t be level if i tried to answer him. Avery leans her head on my shoulder as she rolls the diamond obsessively like one of her routines.

“What’s your next favor?”

I pluck the diamond out of her hands and roll it back into the little velvet bag, ready to send back to Mounts Bay with whatever thug the Jackal sends to collect it. “I’ve got a plan. A huge, expensive, utterly terrifying plan but I think it’s going to save Harley’s life so it’s going to be worth it.”

Avery tucks her hand into mine and says, “Those idiot boys have no idea how fiercely the Wolf of Mounts Bay guards them.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

You know that old saying ‘when it rains, it pours’? Well, some bastard was out there with a fire hose aimed right the fuck at me.

The shrill sound of Avery’s phone wakes me. She mumbles out a string of curses as she answers it and a quick check of my own phone tells me it’s 2am. We’ve barely managed to get an hour of sleep. Fuck. I flick the light on and glance over at Avery. She has her Joey face on. Fucking great. I get up and start throwing clothes on.

“We’ll be there shortly. Keep a set of eyes on him until then.” She hangs up, immediately starts a new call, and slides out of bed with the phone pressed to her ear.

When she speaks again she looks at me. “Joey’s at the bar in Haven. Ria said he’s cooked, we’ve got to go now.”

I nod as I slip my knife into my pocket and fumble around for my Doc’s. “Ash coming?”

Avery slips an elegant, tailored coat over her lacy nightgown and instantly looks like she’s dressed to meet some high profile governor. I roll my eyes at her as she smirks at me. “Blaise and Harley are back, too. Blaise will drive us there.”

I throw my hair into a messy high pony and then we’re out the door.

The guys arrive at the stairs as we do and, surprisingly, Ash gives me a respecting nod. I’m thrown a little. Then he tucks Avery under his arm and we head out to the staff car park where Blaise’s Maserati is sitting. “Fucking rich kids.” I mumble and Avery cackles at me.

I end up in the backseat between Ash and Harley, trying my best not to touch either of them. Blaise makes the trip in half the time the schools town cars do, thank god, and we pull up outside the quaint towns only bar.

“Park around the back, Ria will let us in the service entrance. She’s lost sight of him, we need to get in and out fast.” Avery says with her phone at her ear. I think I’m going to suggest getting a bluetooth earpiece to her at some point. Her brothers ensure she’s glued to the damn thing.

Once Blaise parks we pile out and wait by the door. A heavily tattooed woman in her forties opens it and scowls at us all. “It really gonna take five o’ you to git him outta here?”

I raise my eyebrows and expect some fire to spill out of the twins but then Blaise swaggers forward and I nearly choke on my tongue at the smooth, honey tones of his voice. “When have we ever turned down the chance to spend the evening with you, Ria?”

I cast a sidelong look at Harley to find him rolling his eyes so hard for a second I think he’s having a stroke.

The woman sputters and then moves to let us all through. We have to walk through a teeming stock room with boxes of booze precariously stacked floor to ceiling then through a bustling kitchen, a single chef pumping out wings and barking orders at the glassy-eyed waitresses. When we get through to the bar area my eyes have to adjust to the darkness of the room, lit only by fairy lights strung up here and there. During the day it would probably look as charming as the rest of the town but now, in the early morning hours, it was a workplace hazard if I’ve ever seen one.

There are people everywhere and most of them are already wasted. We have to move in single file. Harley takes the lead, Ash pushes Avery in front of him so she’s caged in by them both. I find Blaise doing the same to me and I give him a quick look over my shoulder as we start moving through the hazy room. I feel Blaise’s breath on my neck as he speaks right into my ear. “Two Hannaford girls were assaulted here last year.”

Great. Doesn’t matter where the hell you are, there’s always some dickhead predator looking to destroy someone’s life.

We search the ground floor and then head upstairs. The music is louder up here and there’s less people but they’re dancing and making it even harder to stick together. Blaise wraps an arm around my waist and hauls me in tight to his body. Thank fuck it’s dark and he can’t see the exact shade my cheeks have turned. He’s a wall of solid muscle. I try not to melt into him.

We lose Harley for five minutes and I start to panic that Joey’s stabbed him or something. Ash gestures us over to the restrooms and Blaise finally lets me go. Avery grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze, I squeeze back to reassure her. Ash is glaring out at the room of writhing bodies when the door to the disability restroom opens and Harley’s head pops out.

“Mounty, I need you to look at this.” he snaps out and I rush forward, ducking behind him and he starts to argue with Avery as he blocks the others from following me.

Joey is unconscious on the dirty floor, surrounded by his own vomit. He’s foaming at the mouth and he’s going to choke to death on his back like that.

I’m so fucking tempted to leave him.

“Don’t judge me for asking this but I am supposed to try and save him or are we waiting this out then calling it in for a clean up?”

Harley grunts as Ash punches him in the gut and shoves his way into the room. He’s wild eyed and pale as he looks down at Joey then back to me.

“I die if he does.” he croaks and my body starts moving before my mind does.

I know for sure that he doesn’t mean it like he’d be so torn up or pissy if his brother died. He loathes him. This is the real reason Avery guards Joey’s life with such intensity. Someone is threatening Ash. Christ.

I roll Joey to his side and wince as I clear out his mouth. His hacking breath starts to even out and I prop his head up to help his breathing stay steady.

“I can call a doctor. What does he need to reverse this?” says Avery and I hear the door close and lock behind them. Harley kneels down next to me, right in a puddle of puke, and helps to support Joey’s twitching body. Ash starts rummaging through Joey’s pockets and finds the little clear baggies, so damn familiar to me with their grinning Jackal stamps on them, with a little of the white powder residue still visible.

“There is no drug to reverse a cocaine overdose. They just treat the symptoms.”

“Fuck. Okay.” Avery is starting to panic and I look up to meet her eyes.

“He needs an ambulance and 24 hour care until he gets through. Look, it’s not too bad.” I lie. I feel his pulse and it’s not great but Avery’s eyes are like saucers and I can’t bear to stress her out anymore. The bubbling around his mouth and the jerking also make me wonder if he was having a seizure before we arrived. Harley meets my eyes and he reads me better than Avery can in her state.

“Is there anything we can do while we wait?” His voice is low and calm.

“Recovery position and we need to make sure he doesn’t choke on his own tongue. That’s it about all we can do in this restroom. We should call an ambulance.”

Avery and Ash stare at each other and I start to believe they have some mystical twin connection that lets their minds talk. I can feel their conversation hanging in the air around us. If Ash’s life is in danger then we can’t sweep this under the rug, we need a professional.

“I’m not waiting for an ambulance, we need to move him now.”

I cut a look at Harley and gesture for him to follow me out of the room. Ash and Blaise kneel to take our places besides Joey to keep him where he needs to be. Harley doesn’t speak as we descend the stairs, his protective arm around me, and it’s not until I point to the black van on the curb out front that he raises an eyebrow at me.

“Boost it. We’ll drive him in and dump it at the hospital.” I text Avery to get them moving down to us.

“And why do you think I know how to do that?”

I grin at him and wag my finger in his face. “I was at your court hearing last year, remember? You’re quite proficient in the ol’ grand theft auto. Come on, impress me, Arbour.”

My challenge lights a flame in his eyes. His grin is savage and beautiful and he has the van unlocked, motor running and ready to move in less than a minute. It’s like watching a pro and I must be seriously damaged because it excites me more than sweet words would. Avery slides into the front seat with him and I help the other two load Joey into the back. Ash drops him with such disgust that I think he’ll have a concussion but that will be the least of his concerns if he ever wakes up. We arrange his body so he won’t suffocate on his own tongue and then sit around him.

“So, we’re criminals now? We just take things whenever we want them? I’m not sure I have enough black in my wardrobe for this, someone should have pre-warned me.” drawls Blaise as he wipes his hands on his jeans.

“We were always a little criminal, Morrison.” says Ash and I try to ignore their banter. I don’t need their input right now.

“Lips, if we can’t take him to the hospital is there somewhere else we can take him?” says Avery, her voice finally losing the authoritative tone and she sounds like the scared sixteen year old girl she really is.

“How the fuck would she know?” snaps Ash and we both ignore him.

I glance down at Joey. His condition hasn’t gotten any worse. I think he’ll make it to Mounts Bay.

“Yeah. Head to the Bay. I’ll give you directions once we hit the city.”

Harley nods and then we all fall silent.

I’m jostled around by the movement of the van since we’re just sitting in the back without proper chairs or seat belts. The guys are both fine, they’re big enough that they’re stable, but I’m a scrawny Mounty girl and every corner, every pothole, has me lurching and slamming into the sharp metal interior. Finally, after ten minutes of collecting new bruises Ash rolls his eyes and grunts at Blaise, digging his elbow into him. Then, I’m dragged over by them both to be wedged between their giant frames, their hands landing all over me and gripping firmly. I panic a little but then at the next corner I’m held steady by the hands on my hips and legs.

I clear my throat, “Thanks.”

Ash shrugs and Blaise nods, a little distracted.

“What, no smart ass comment?”

Ash stares back at me and then shakes his head slowly. “No. I don’t have anything left to say.”

I don’t know how to answer that so I don’t. I let my eyes fall shut and I start to plan out the rest of our evening. Get to Doc’s, lose the van, find a hotel to stash the rich kids, keep Harley out of sight as much as possible, get Blaise’s Maserati to the hotel to get us back to Hannaford, find clothing because at least three of us are covered in Joey’s vomit, the list goes on and on, endless and exhausting. I check Joey’s pulse again. Still alive.

As we get to the city limits Harley breaks the silence.

“How much will this cost?”

I shrug. “Nothing, I’ll call in a favor.”

Harley snarls and rips his body around to snap at me, “Fuck no. You’re not using up a favor for this fucking murderer. It’s bad enough you spent one on me. Get a price and we’ll pay it.”

Fuck. I forgot he knows about the diamonds. “Not one of those favors. The Doc owes me for some work I did for him last year. It’ll be fine.”

Avery looks between us both and then raises an eyebrow at me. I nod sharply. I’m going to have to sit them both down soon and tell both of them… as close to everything as I’ll ever get. Then Avery won’t have to guess at how much Harley knows and he can protect himself from what being mine entails.

We pull up in front of a quiet suburban house in a shitty neighborhood. The house is the nicest on the street, the grass green and trimmed to perfection. I tell them to wait as I scramble out the back door and up to the house. The front door opens before I can knock. A short, elderly Vietnamese man frowns at me as he takes me in.

“Aren’t you off at school, my girl?”

I grin at him and nod. “I’ve got a patient for you. It’s really important that he lives, Doc.”

He sighs and waves me in. I motion at the van to get the others to join us. Ash and Blaise carry Joey across the grass and into the medical room Doc has set up. It’s well stocked, sterile, and ready for massacre victims at all times.

Doc gets straight to work on his patient and I step out to wash my hands. Ash follows me and stands at the kitchen sink scrubbing the bile from his skin with me. I finally take a shaky breath. If anyone can fix Joey it’ll be Doc.

When we get back to the room Harley is glaring at Doc like he’s planning to stab him and Avery is tucked up in Blaise’s arms. Her shoulders are shaking but her eyes are dry, this is pure panic at the thought of losing Ash.

“Friend of yours?” murmurs Doc.

I don’t ever lie to this man, he can smell it. “No.”

Doc raises an eyebrow at me but his hands don’t falter as he puts an IV line into Joey and starts him on some fluids. “Why bother bringing him in then? Just dig a hole.”

Ash stares at Doc like he’s a bug he’d like to squash. I try to keep the old man busy instead. “He’s worth saving. How’s Maria and the kids?” Maria is Doc’s granddaughter, his pride and joy. She’s eighteen and has three kids already, a typical Mounty girl. She’s sweet enough and good to the old man so I always check in with her when I’m in town.

“She’s pregnant.” He says with a sigh. He moves to start taking down Joey’s temperate, heart rate, lord knows what else, to try and assess how bad the repercussions of this episode will be. This is not my first OD rodeo.

“Fuck.” I reply and he gives me a dry look.

“I’ve tried to get her on the stick but she insists on taking the pill then forgets to half the time. I’ll be building an extension on the house by the end of the year.”

“Maybe tell her to stay away from cocks for a while instead.” I say with a grin and he roars with laughter at me. I’ve seen him carve up a guys face with a scalpel for saying less but I guess I’m just special like that. Doc knows I say it with love and experience. I know exactly what life is like around here for poor Mounty girls. The conversation is a good distraction for everyone. I can see Avery is slowly collecting herself, the unaffected, cool mask slowly sliding back into place.

Doc starts to hook Joey up to all sorts of noisy machines. “You know, if she finally has a girl I’m going to get her to name it after you. You’re a good girl, we need some of that in this house.”

I blanch and then sputter out, “Fuck no! Don’t traumatize the poor spawn. It’ll be bad enough not knowing who the daddy is.”

Doc grimaces. “Oh, I know who the daddy is. Maria will be lucky to get to keep the baby.”

“Why? Who knocked her up?”

Doc surveys the room before he speaks. “Matteo.”

My stomach drops.

Fuck.

That’s really, really bad.

“Doc. Doc, do not let her tell him. Fuck, send her away.”

“I’ve tried, she won’t go. She’s got it in her head that they’re in love.”

I grab his wrist and give him a shake. “I’ll give you the money. I’ll pay to get her away, Doc.”

“I’m not stupid. I know she’s going to be forced to abort the baby.”

She’s going to be killed. It won't matter that's she's Doc’s family. The Jackal will plunge a knife through her heart and then he’ll bury her somewhere she’ll never be found again. Doc will lose her too.

I can’t argue with him without privacy so I shake my head and try to figure out how to help Maria. Poor, stupid, gullible Maria. Taken in by the Jackal’s handsome face.

After another tense minute of silence Doc looks up and smiles at me. “He’ll be ready to go by midday. Stop worrying about my problems and go get some sleep, my girl.”

Avery books us into the same hotel as the last time we were here.

When Harley pulls into the parking I wait until the others are out and then try to get Harley out too.

“I’ll help you ditch it.”

I scowl at him. “I don’t want to get you into any trouble. Just go with the others and I’ll be back in an hour.”

He stares me down until I give in. I direct him from the passenger seat until we pull up into a chop shop owned by the Bear. Gordon, the guy running it, takes one look at me through the window and waves us through into the garage. “Not a single word.” I whisper in what I hope is an authoritative tone to Harley. He just nods and we get out.

“Price?” says Gordon.

I look over the van and glance back to him. “I need it gone and I need a ride back to a hotel. Nothing else.”

Gordon grunts and flicks a hand out at one of the guys who darts off to get us a ride. Then he gives Harley a good, long stare. “I’ll get the boss to call if there’s anything he’s got questions about.”

Fucking perfect. I nod and then follow Gordon out to the awaiting car at the curb. Harley goes to get in the back and I discreetly push him to the front. Protocol, that he knows nothing about, says he gets in the front. I’m supposed to be safely stashed in the back. He eyes me and gives me a tiny nod, opening my door and shutting it behind me. I hope it’s enough.

The car ride is mostly quiet. Harley tells the guy the address and I text Avery to tell her we’re on our way back. The guy seems nervous, he’s practically shaking, and his eyes keep darting to the rearview mirror to watch me. Harley crosses his arms and glowers at him.

“A lot of interest about you, man.” The guy says and I tense.

Harley shrugs and plays along. “I’m sure there is.”

“My boss said he never thought he’d ever see the day she accepted someone. A lot of people want to know what’s so special about you. Can’t just be the pretty face or who your old man was.”

Nope. Not going to let this go on.

I lean forward and put a hand on the guys arm. He nearly runs us off the road before looking back at me. “Are you trying to dig for information on me?”

“Oh, no! Absolutely not! I was just curious, I would never-“

“Then shut up.”

He nods and then drives in silence, sweat dripping from his face and his hands are slick on the wheel. When we pull up I wait for Harley to get out and open my door. I don’t say a word to him or the trembling driver. The tires squeal as the car takes off and the guy flees from us.

“Is there anyone in this city that isn’t afraid of you?” Harley drawls and I shrug at him. “Are you ever going to tell me how it is a little Mounty girl can get grown men to fucking shake in their boots with barely a word?”

I start walking to our rooms and say, “You’ve gotta be all in to know and you’re not all in.”

Harley grunts and walks ahead of me. I stop at the door of the suite and pull out my phone to text the Jackal. If he hears about me being here without checking in with him he’ll get suspicious and start looking into my life at Hannaford. No way I’m letting that happen.

In the Bay. Had to get Joey patched up.

I fidget while I wait for his reply. My head is pounding and I’d kill for ten hours of sleep right now. My phone pings.

Stop off and see me. We can discuss your favor and I can meet the O’Cronin boy.

Fuck no. My hand trembles as I reply.

No time, school tomorrow. I’ll bring Harley to a meeting over the summer break.

I can picture the Jackal’s face so clearly in my mind as he reads the message. I know he’s twitching to punish me, to bend me to him and force me to obey his every command. If I weren’t a member of the Twelve I think he would be finding me tonight. I’m not sure how much longer being the Wolf will keep me safe.

I will see you both soon.

I let out my breath and head into the suite.

The shower is running, Harley must be cleaning the vomit off of his legs, and Avery is in one of the rooms talking in a stern tone down her phone. Clean up for the evil Beaumont child is well underway. The other two are out on the balcony. Blaise is smoking a blunt and Ash has a glass with whiskey over ice. I step out and join them. I don’t want to be alone with the swirling panic in my mind. They’re talking shit about some sporting thing I have no idea about and even less interest in learning. I just sit and stare blankly out at the city I’d do anything to get away from.

I can’t think about anything but all the evil that’s creeping up on us. The Jackal wants Harley dead. He’s knocked up Doc’s little Maria and now she’s going to die. Ash’s head is on the damn chopping block and his life depends on Joey breathing. Fuck.

Eventually Blaise gets up and walks back into the room, hesitating before squeezing my shoulder as he moves past me.

“Drink?” Ash says as he holds out the bottle to me. I take it a drink straight out of it, fuck glasses, and he quirks an eyebrow at me.

“I need a hell of a lot more than a glass can hold right now.”

“Not happy to be home?”

I scoff at him. “Cut me some slack. I just found out Doc’s grandkid is going to be brutally murdered just because she can’t remember to take a damn pill.” I groan and hang my head. It’s an utter waste and a fucking tragedy and I can’t do a thing about it.

“This Matteo will kill her instead of just getting rid of the baby?”

He'd kill her just for the fun of listening to her beg for mercy. “He doesn’t exactly value life, in any form.”

Ash nods and looks back out over the city. “I’ll pay. Get her out and I’ll pay for the costs.”

I stare at him in shock. He gives me a sidelong look and takes Blaise’s blunt from the ashtray. He offers it to me but I wave him away. “I’m not a fan of domestic violence or women being killed. Besides, you just saved Joey. I owe you.”

I take another swig, long enough that I can feel the heat of the liquor pooling in my stomach nicely. I’d like to get drunk. I’d like to get absolutely fucked up but now’s not the time. “Thanks. I’ll reach out to her.”

I hand him back the bottle and he shrugs, drinking straight from it then his tongue darts out to swipe across his lips. My stomach heats for an entirely different reason, he’s just licked the taste of me off of his lips. I wonder if he remembers the taste of me as clearly as I remember the taste of him. Doubtful.

I stand up and as I step back through the door I turn to look at him. “You don’t owe me. I did it for Avery and if you’d just stop hating me, I’d do it for you, too.”

His eyes don’t waiver from the lights of the city but he nods at me.

I don’t know if we’ve made any progress but I go to sleep easier that night.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

I find myself, terrifyingly, only one week ahead in my studies.

We’re down to the last month of the school year and yet with all of the tutoring, singing practice, babysitting, scheming, self-defense lessons, and family dinners I’m now behind. Well, okay, not behind but if I get the flu now I’m fucked academically. Avery rolls her eyes at me and tells me she would never let me lose my scholarship or my place at Hannaford which is reassuring but it doesn’t stop me from turning into a crazed insomniac hell bent on finishing every assignment I have left in three days or less.

I take refuge in the library, texting everyone to tell them I’m skipping dinner, and I slip Blaise’s iPod into my ears to block out what little noise there is. I plow through all of my history, literature, biology, and math like my life depends on it. I wince at my now stone cold coffee, completely forgotten about and now I’m mourning its loss.

When I stop to glance at the clock and stretch my arms and fingers out I find it’s almost nine pm and the library is empty. I only have a few minutes before I’ll be kicked out and the curfew is only thirty minutes after that. Not that the curfew means anything to me, teachers now turn and run if they see me in the same way they do if they see Avery. It’s hilarious.

I’m shoving my textbooks into my bag and yawning when the earphones are yanked out of my ears with enough force that the iPod goes flying. I clench my fists but I recognize the perfume. Annabelle freaking Summers.

“Does Blaise know you’ve stolen his music? He’ll drop you if he finds out you’ve got this, you dumb Mounty slut.” She hisses and I stand up, slinging my bag over my shoulder. When I bend to pick the iPod up she snatches it up first.

“Hand it over or I’ll break every finger on your hand. One warning, that’s all you’re getting.” I say, holding up a finger and giving her a menacing look. She’s sneering back at me and looking nothing like the stunning girl I first met last year, draped around Blaise and giggling prettily. I do a full assessment of her while her lip curls at my slow perusal. Nothing seems out of place except her roots are showing, a cardinal sin amongst the affluent, bratty girls here. Ah, her nails aren’t done either. Her eyelashes are thinner, lighter, and her eyebrows look good but not perfect.

Her parents have cut her off. Whether they’ve run out of funds themselves or she’s pissed them off, I don’t know but I also don’t care. I think she’d fuck me for money at this point, the desperation is seeping from her pores.

I hold out my hand for the iPod and raise an eyebrow at her.

“I’m not fucking giving it back to you. He doesn’t even let Ash touch it! I’ll be walking it back up to his room and telling him-“

“That you’ve stolen my iPod from my friend? That you’re a jealous, desperate mess and instead of doing your own work you want to trap me and leach off of me? That you’re hung up on Harley and hoping you’ll be able to get him back into your bed once you’ve secured eighteen years of child support from me?”

Annabelle lip drops and her eyes are peeled and wild as she whirls to find Blaise glaring at her, dressed in his sweatpants and an old band tee. He doesn’t pause in his scathing rant.

“How about you tell me all about how you manipulated your way into my room to steal my fathers letters and post them for the whole fucking world to see? Or how you’re still posting daily about Rory trying to rape Avery? How about you tell me and the Mounty about how you helped that sick freak Lance steal her underwear and you tried to break into her room to let him mess with her shit?”

“Blaise, I-“

“Hand Lips my iPod. I gave it to her.” She smacks it into my hand and steps toward him, tears streaming down her face and I decide to get the sweet fresh hell out of the library and away from the drama. I’m allergic to this shit and yet I keep finding myself in the middle of it. Blaise slings an arm around my waist as I try to move past him.

“I’m here to walk you back to your room, don’t run off without me.” He murmurs into my hair as he drapes himself over me. I will not blush. I will not crumble, I’m not some desperate groupie. If I keep telling myself this maybe it’ll miraculously come true.

“You know she spent the night with Harley while you were at Avery’s recital. You blame me for loving all three of you but it’s okay for her play you all off on each other.” Annabelle wails at us.

I tense up but when I try to shift away Blaise just holds me closer. I swear I can feel the ridges of his abs where I’m pressed against him. Sweet lord.

“Nice try, Summers, but we all know what’s going on. Harley has not been discreet and, like you said, I don’t give my music away to anyone. C’mon, Mounty. Avery will have my balls if I don’t get you back soon.”

Annabelle calls out to him but he ignores her, grabbing the iPod from me and handing me one of the earphones. When the music starts I don’t know if he’s picked the song, Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls, or if he hit shuffle but it’s an old favorite of mine and my chest always aches when I hear it.

When the song ends he plays it again and I smile down at our feet, mine still covered by the uncomfortable kitten heels girls are required to wear and his only covered by the skulls he has tattooed on him. The bright yellow carnations trapped in the teeth of the skull seem to glow against the shades of black and gray depicting the bone. The same skulls were on his first EP and I loved the artwork so much. The ink only makes me grin harder.

“Don’t ask about the tattoos, it’ll only push me to drink.” He groans and wiggles his toes as we arrive to the door.

I shrug. “I’ll take a stab at it and say your dad. Yellow carnations aren’t exactly the norm to find on album covers so I looked them up. Disappointment and rejection. Didn’t make sense to me back then but now I know what a dick your dad is I get it.”

I fish out my keys but Blaise grabs my hands and leans down until our noses brush one another. I stop breathing.

“Stop me now, Mounty, or I’m going to kiss you. No pity, no ulterior motives, just a kiss because I can’t stop myself.”

My brain just ceases to exist and I tilt my head up to meet his lips halfway. This kiss is nothing like the last one, no hesitance in either of us, and when I suck his bottom lip between my teeth he grunts and slams me into the wall next to my door, his hand cradling the back of my head, preventing the concussion I’m positive that move would’ve given me. Thank fuck Hannaford is built out of solid stone and Avery can’t hear us thumping around out here as I drag him closer, hands fisted in his shirt, and groaning into his mouth. He parts my legs with his knee and presses against me until I see fucking stars. I’m so fucking wet that I’m sure he can feel it and I’m desperate for him to touch me.

He breaks away and I take a second to let go of his shirt.

I clear my throat. “I can’t.”

He nods and presses his forehead against mine. I feel his answers brush across my lips. “I know. I’m being a selfish dick. Just do me a favor and don’t tell Avery?”

I nod. I don’t need to tell him that I’m not talking about the Jackal’s threats. I’m talking about my stupid heart that I need to protect as fiercely as he protects his because when I had nothing at all in this world I still had myself. I can’t afford to give pieces of me away to spoiled rich boys looking for distraction.

I can’t think about Blaise or the kiss.

I can’t think about anything except the massive workload I have in all of my classes and the concert I’ll be singing at that’s creeping up on me. When summer break starts I’ll take a few weeks to figure out what the actual fuck is going on with Harley, Ash, and Blaise so I can start my junior year without boy drama.

I tell myself this over and over again to get through my classes and it works. I’m sitting in math when my phone vibrates in my pocket and I secret it out to see what Avery needs. My stomach drops.

It’s done. I’ll collect my diamond when you get home.

I try to shake off the unease that settles deep in my gut but it takes root. He’s getting more and more short with me. I’ve pissed Matteo off and now he’s addressing me only as the Jackal. Old fears creep up my spine and bury themselves into my brain like shards of glass. I remind myself that this is necessary, that separating myself from the Jackal is the first step to finding freedom and safety, but it’s like losing my security blanket at the same time as ridding myself of the monster under the bed. He’s evil, he’s twisted and psychotic, and he’s the only family I have left. He’s cared for me since I was nine years old. He’s abused me, broken me, snapped bones and destroyed me. He’s had my back in every single situation I’ve been in as the Wolf. I can’t think of Matteo without thinking about the Jackal.

I sigh and then startle when I feel a hand tuck into mine. The teacher is still droning on and on about the interpretation of exponential models. Harley hasn’t looked away once, his pen moving rapidly as he takes notes, and yet he’s noticed I’m freaking the hell out. He’s holding my hand, rubbing his thumb over my skin gently and threading his fingers through mine. I squeeze gently and he squeezes back before I move my hand and get back to taking my own notes. Fuck, maybe I am as bad as Annabelle say. Kissing Blaise one night then swooning over Harley holding my hand the next.

When the class finishes, I clear my throat and say, “We need to eat all of our meals in the dining hall together today. All of us. I’ve…had something taken care of and we need to be there to see it.”

Harley just nods and grabs his phone out. When my phone pings I know he’s told the others to join us.

I don’t know how to act now that he’s casually, discreetly, touching me. When we head to the dining hall he moves me to walk in front of him, so I don’t get bowled over by the stream of students bustling around us, and rests his hand on my lower back. The heat of his palm burns through my blazer and shirt, and it feels like a brand.

He grabs us both lunch and then scares off the juniors in our seats with a single look. Before I take my seat I look up and down the table to find that Joey isn’t here yet. Good. I want Avery to see his reaction.

Ash arrives next and he leaves a seat between us for Avery. He quirks an eyebrow at Harley who only shrugs in response. I dig into my food so I won’t be forced to speak to them. Avery and Blaise come in together, laughing and joking, and when they sit with us Avery murmurs quietly into my ear, “Today?”

I nod and she seems to pull herself to sit straighter and more regally. Ash watches us both but doesn’t comment. We’re nearly finished when the door flings open with such force that it bounces off the wall.

I don’t look up. I know who it is and what’s eating his ass.

Avery’s leg tenses against mine and she hisses, “Fuck, here he comes. He looks fucking murderous, Lips. He looks like Father does right before he backhands me, fuck.”

Swearing is never a good sign from Avery. Her eyes are wide and I can see the tremble in her fingers as she picks up her knife and fork from where she’s dropped them. I try to set a good example and I start in on my own plate of pasta, steady and sure. They taste like ash on my tongue but I need to look convincing for her.

“Remember what I said. He's effectively neutered. Don't engage with him.”

Harley and Blaise share a look. Ash gives me a hard look of his own and hisses under his breath at me. “What the fuck does that even mean?”

He’s panicking. I feel bad that I didn’t give him more warning and I don't have time to answer him now. Joey slams his palms onto the table in front of me so hard the china and silverware rattles dangerously. Silence falls over the dining hall. Some of the freshmen around us begin to collect their things and leave, eager to get away from Joey’s wrathful presence. There isn’t a person in the school who doesn’t know what he’s capable of.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Acid drips from his words but I'm not afraid of this asshole, I’ve survived worse than him. I am worse than him in all the ways that count and now I have him on a very short leash. I slowly put down my knife and fork and then I cross my arms over my chest. When I meet his eyes I can see the manic in them. His tight control has slipped and now the drug addict is clearly visible for the world to see.

“Let me tell you how this is going to go from here onwards, Joseph. You will not speak to me, your siblings, your cousin, or Morrison. You will not speak about us. You won't plot, or scheme, or belittle. You will not raise a hand. You’re going to pretend we don't exist. If you come across one of us in the halls you will avert your gaze and walk the fuck away. Am I clear?”

Joey’s breath is heaving out of his chest like he's running a marathon and his eyes are wild and darting around the room. Withdrawals are a bitch. I’ve watched my mom go through this a hundred times so I know just how much his skin is crawling. I know just how frayed his nerves are. Fuck him. I hope it burns.

“The Jackal sends his regards.” I say and I make sure my tone is even, low, placid. Then I pick my fork back up and dig back into my breakfast.

The room is holding its breath.

Joey roars and turns on his heel. He shoves a couple of juniors on his way out and whispers start up all around us.

“What the fuck just happened?” Blaise says, and I look up to see all three boys gaping at me. Avery looks smug as fuck but I know she's dying to spill to them how I did it. I give them the watered down version.

“Joey likes three things. I couldn't touch his money, that will take more time than we have. I couldn't kill him without risking Ash. That left his addiction.”

“Holy shit. You cut him off. You cut him off?!” Blaise yells.

“There isn’t a dealer in the state that will sell to him now.”

Ash and Harley share a look while Blaise gapes at me.

“How the fuck does a Mounty have that much pull?”

I smirk at them but I can see Harley’s mind working. He’s too smart. He’s book smart and street smart, common sense and imaginative thinking all in one devastating package. “Fuck. You used a favor.”

I nod slowly, staring straight into his eyes and ignoring the looks around us. He lets out the breath he was holding and rubs his neck.

I pitch my voice low so no one around us can hear. “I used one to save you. One to get Senior out of the way until graduation. Now I've used another to cut Joey off. I don't regret it and I'd do it again. We’re all getting out of this alive, even if I have to call in every favor I have. That's why I have them.”

Avery's hand slips into mine. Ash is blinking at me like I've sprouted fucking wings and Blaise is frowning at us.

I tuck back into my food, ignoring them until they’re forced to find something else to talk about.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

The last week of classes before exams is so hectic I forget about Joey completely.

My bad leg has a flare up from how hard I push myself and the lack of sleep I get. Every morning I wake up with it feeling worse than before. I see the nurse but she refuses to give me anything stronger than aspirin for it.

My tutoring sessions with Blaise become a free-for-all with everyone showing up and Avery ordering take-out so we don’t have to stop to cook.

Harley insists on walking me back to the room every night and sitting next to me as we study, even though Ash is technically my tutoring student and Harley is on par with me. When I question him he looks at me like I’m mentally compromised so I drop it and give in without any further questioning.

I focus myself entirely on my exams because if I think about my choir performance I lose my stomach contents, which Blaise learns the hard way by asking me which song I’ve picked only to have me spew in the bathroom sink. Avery throws a textbook at his head and cusses him out. No one talks about choir after that.

I practice with Avery and she tells me over and over again how good I am. I know that should be enough to calm my insane nerves but I go to sleep each night with a sense of dread.

I’m picking swimming next year.

I wake up on the morning of our Choir performances with dread lying heavy in my gut. The same amount of dread I imagine a person on death row would feel the morning of their execution. Avery nearly strains her eyes she rolls them that hard at me when I tell her.

The flare up in my leg only gets worse and I find myself walking gingerly to each of my classes. Harley watches me carefully and starts to snap at any other students walking around us if they get too close to me. It’s sweet and I find myself very glad he’s decided we’re friends.

I refuse to eat all day and instead drink eight cups of coffee until finally Harley notices the tremors in my hands and narks on me. Avery hides the coffee and stalks me so I can’t have anymore. What a bunch of assholes.

The tremble is a full body case of the shakes by the time I get to the chapel. It’s full of students and various bored looking teachers trying to corral them into some semblance of quiet and calm. I spot Harley and Ash straight away because they’ve cleared the bench around them for us to join them as we finish. I must look miserable because Avery tucks her arm in mine and Blaise slings a casual arm over my shoulders. I don’t even have the mental capacity to enjoy the feeling. I could definitely vomit on my shoes right now and I wouldn’t even care, it would not bother me in the least.

Because Miss Umber hates me, truly despises me I’m sure of it, she saves me for last. Avery goes first and sounds great. She’s got a decent range, clear tones, and hits the notes she needs to. I clap with everyone else even though we’re behind the curtain and she won’t see. Blaise is third so he finds us a quiet spot to sit and then keeps me tucked under his arm until he has to move. When Miss Umber calls him he gives me a little squeeze and then heads out.

He’s amazing.

The girls behind the curtain swoon and pant after him. I crawl out of my miserable fog for long enough to glare at them a bit, not that I blame them. I hope Avery has taken a video of it for me to enjoy later because I’m too fucking nervous to function right now. I breathe and center myself until all of my chaos is contained inside my head and not plastered over my face for everyone to see.

I watch as, one by one, the girls all disappear until Miss Umber is calling my name.

If my scholarship didn’t ride on this assignment I would leave.

Fuck.

I slip one of the earplugs into my ears as I walk up to the microphone on stage. I don’t look at the crowd. I don’t even look at Avery. I wait until they start the song, to count myself in, before I slip the other earplug in and the silence in only broken by the thumping of my own heart. I fix my eyes onto the rose colored glass on the far wall and then I sing.

Weeks and weeks of practice.

So many sleepless nights stressing about this moment.

I fucking love it.

I lose myself in the mechanics of singing and I give it everything I’ve got. I pour sixteen years of anger, frustration, longing, and loneliness into my voice and when I feel the tears pick at the back of my eyes I don’t even care that I’m on a stage for the entire school to see.

I push my luck and reach up to loosen one earplug just a fraction so I can hear just a little of my song. I’m fucking incredible. My hand shakes a little but I push through and finish the damn song, hearing every word I’m singing. I feel invincible.

I know in my broken and bent bones I’ll sing without fear someday.

I step away from the microphone and duck my head so I don’t have to look at anyone while I’m feeling so exposed. I feel raw, like my soul has been torn open and splayed out for all of Hannaford to see.

I faintly hear the applause as I move to the side of the stage and I pop out the earplugs. Avery is yelling, “Yes bitch!” at me like a lunatic and I let out a weak chuckle. Stepping down from the stage, I walk over to sit beside her on jelly legs, adrenaline riding me hard. She looks so elated that I've managed to sing the whole song without shitting myself and I grin back at her. All three boys gape at me, mirror images of shock.

“That was perfect. You should have seen how Blaise looked when you opened your mouth.” Avery whispers in my ear. I fight the blush that threatens to bloom over my entire body.

I exhale and settle into my chair to watch as the first of the band students walks out with a cello and sets up. It's quiet for a second and then Blaise and Harley start bickering.

“Move.” says Blaise.

“Fuck off. You've just decided to do something about it because she passed your little singing test?”

“Don't be a jealous dick and move. I need to tell her-”

“You'd have to climb over my dead fucking body and we both know I could take you. Now shut up before you get us in the shit.”

What the hell? Avery is grinning so hard her face might split open when I look past her to the others. Ash has his arm linked with hers and he's staring ahead like he can't hear the war happening next to him but I can see the nerve twitching in his cheek. Harley’s face is flushed with anger and he looks over at me. I don't recognize the emotion in his eyes and I'm worried he's pissed off at me again. I've just barely managed to negotiate a ceasefire with Ash, I don't want something else to start up in its place.

I fidget my way through the rest of the performances and when Mr Trevelen finally dismisses us I’m feeling the effects of skipping food all day. When my stomach rumbles Avery sighs at me then turns to the guys. “I’m making dinner, are you coming up to eat with us or are you hitting the dining hall?”

They agree to come up and nervous flutters start deep in my stomach. My leg is still aching and when we all stand to leave my knee buckles and gives way. I manage to catch myself on the bench and when I stand again Avery wraps a hand under my elbow to support me.

“You know how I tell you not to buy me shit? If a new leg is on the table, I'll take it.” I say through clenched teeth. Avery rubs my back with a little smile and helps me to hobble out of the auditorium. I must look pathetic because Ash wraps a strong arm around my waist and pulls me into his body tightly. It takes me a second to remember exactly how to breathe when I feel the hard lines of his body against mine. I hear Harley begin to grumble behind us.

“What happened?” Ash murmurs.

“My leg just likes to remind me that violence is never the answer.”

Ash chuckles under his breath and my legs start to wobble for an entirely different reason. He looks down at me and the concern is easy to see. I’m so fucking confused.

“I’ll be fine, I just need to get off my feet for a few days.”

He nods and Harley pries Avery off of my elbow so he can support the other side of my body until I’m pretty much being carried by the two of them. Avery stares at each of the guys, one by one, like she’s going to stage an intervention. When she opens her mouth Blaise tucks her under his arm and pulls her to lead the way. What the sweet fresh hell is going on?

When we get to the girls dorms I feel every single set of eyes in the hallway follow me from where I’m wedged between Ash and Harley. Annabelle takes two steps towards us before Ash shuts her down with a single look. She hovers just outside her room and watches Harley pass with devastated eyes. He doesn’t spare her so much as a glance. Mentally, I flip her the bird like a smug-ass bitch. How much does his lack of trust fund matter now, you gold digging bitch?

Avery unlocks the door and I get deposited gently on my bed. I’m too busy easing my shoes and socks off my aching leg, wincing and trying not to whimper pathetically, to realize an argument is starting around me. I only take notice when Harley’s temper erupts and he yells, “Fuck you, Morrison! You and Ash are as bad as each other.”

My head snaps up to see Avery standing in the middle of all three guys. Harley has his back to me but Blaise is flushed and glaring, and while Ash’s face looks blank, his fists are clenched and his shoulders are rigid.

Avery glares at Harley and then pokes him on his heaving chest with a finger. “Calm the hell down. I'm not having you break my room because you're in a mood.”

Harley doesn't register her words, he just widens his stance and stares down his two best friends like they’re going to be brawling in under a minute.

Jesus fuck.

Clearly, I've missed something vital.

Avery thinks so, too.

“One of you idiots had better start explaining what the fuck is going on. Now. I've never seen you fight like this before!”

No one moves or says a word. Then, the three guys all turn and look at me.

Oh. They don't want an audience for this and clearly they still don't trust me. It's stings, it fucking stings a whole lot because I think I've proved myself to each of them a hundred times over this year, but I try not to show it. I slide off my bed and mumble something about having a shower to give them some privacy.

When Blaise takes a step towards me to help me as I hobble past them pathetically Harley honest-to-fucking-god growls at him and Avery steps up to take my arm.

“I need a fucking drink after this.” she murmurs to me as she ferries me into the bathroom.

I take as long as I possibly can to shower, dress, and dry my hair. I brush my teeth. Floss them meticulously. I even pluck a few stray eyebrow hairs just to ensure they've finished their little chat.

I take a deep breath and exit the bathroom. Harley and Ash are already eating the Seafood Carbonara Avery has made. Blaise is doing dishes and Avery is standing at the bench grinning at me like a maniac. Like the Joker and the Cheshire Cat had a secret love child and named her Avery fucking Beaumont.

“Why are you so happy? Did Annabelle choke on a dick or something?” I ask and she gives me her best witchy cackle.

“Better. So much better. We’ll talk tomorrow, just eat some dinner and rest your leg for now.”

“We could talk about it now.“ Harley grumbles into his plate but Avery’s crazy grin shifts into a glare.

“Eat your damn pasta, Arbour.”

I give her a puzzled look and grab a plate. Avery helps me sit on the couch and then tries to talk me into taking some of the other pain pills her private, and I believe, shady doctor gave her. I refuse and try to focus on the TV instead of the tension in the room.

It's a weird night.

CHAPTER THIRTY

The next morning I’m in the shower before classes when I hear a knock and Avery’s head pokes in the room.

“Can I come in? I need to pee.”

I nod and she shuts and locks the door behind her. She doesn’t move to the toilet, instead she props herself up against the counter and gives me a smug-as-fuck look. I raise my eyebrows at her as I wash my hair out. I love the smell of this shampoo and I close my eyes as I take in deep lungfuls of it. I never want to know how much Avery spends on it.

“The boys are here for you. All three of them. They want to walk you down to breakfast.” she whispers and I startle out of my daydreaming, looking over at her quickly. She grins and wiggles her eyebrows at me. Sweet Lord. I move a bit faster as I wash out my hair. I don’t know if I can take much more of their arguing and strange behavior.

“Are you going to tell me what the hell was going on yesterday?”

The next-level, maniacal grin is back on her face. “They were bickering over your performance. Then Ash pulled you into his arms to get you back up here and all hell broke loose. Harley lost it, he already wants to kill Blaise because he’s got his eye on you. Even more so because you look at him like he’s dinner and you’re starving. Now he has to contend with Ash too and he snapped.”

I shut the water off and try to process what Avery is saying. Blaise has his eye on me? Harley is pissed? What the damned hell?! I grab a towel and step out of the stall. I can’t find any words, but Avery doesn’t seem to need my input.

“It’s killing Harley that you look at Blaise like that. I think at this point he would give up his entire inheritance all over again to get you to look at him with those eyes instead. They we’re about to throw down last night and I told them I would speak to you. I didn’t want our room being destroyed when you picked which one you want. This way you can text them or something and they can throw their pity party elsewhere and my good china will be safe.”

I can hear my heart pounding in my ears. I’m a little lightheaded and woozy. This is too much. I can’t exist like this. There’s still a week left before we leave Hannaford for the summer break and I’ll have to lock myself in our room until then. It occurs to me that I’ve spent the entire time I’ve been at Hannaford lusting after these guys, hating any girl I’ve spotted them with, and now I apparently have their attention I want to crawl under my covers and die. I’m not equipped for casual hookups, even without the Jackal looming over me, and I know for a fact they don’t do commitment. I am not the girl for them.

I need to call in reinforcements.

“Can you-can you do something for me?”

Avery’s answer is instant and whispered.

“Of course. Anything.”

I smile. I know she means it too. That’s how this friendship thing works. Ride or die. “I need you to talk to them. All three of them. And, like, make it so they won’t give me shit about what I’m about to say because I have no fucking idea how to say this to any of them without pissing them off and starting a whole new war.”

“Easy. Done.” she says and the little lines between her eyebrows appear, the ones that mean she’s in cleanup mode. Good luck cleaning this up, I want to say but I manage to reel myself in.

“Right. I had to desensitize myself from Harley. I had to spend weeks looking at abstract parts of him until I could look at him front on, in the face, without passing out.”

I’m blushing so hard I think the whole room is heating up from it. Avery is clearly trying her best not to dissolve into a fit of laughter and god do I love her for it. She even manages to smother her snort into a polite cough.

“I almost had the same problem with Ash but he has always distracted me with his attitude so I can forget how… yeah. I’m still having a hard time with Blaise because I spent so long before I met him being obsessed with his songs. I used to listen to him all the time to escape from the group home and everything with the Twelve. It means that he’s tied up with that whole part of my life and I can’t look at him without feeling… safe. So please explain that to them all so they don’t think I’m some crazed psycho fan and just let them know I’m dealing with it. I want to be their friend and not look at him like he’s…dinner. I don’t want to ruin their friendships or ours just for a quick fuck.”

Avery gives me this look, with her brows arched up and her eyes squinted up a little, like she’s trying to figure out just how dense I am. I try not to squirm.

“You know all three of them are bordering on obsessed with you, right? Ash is freaking the hell out because he can’t figure out when his loathing of you turned into admiration, affection, and lust. Blaise damn near died when he heard you sing because he’d been trying to put you in the little ‘do-not-touch’ box in his head because of Harley and then your voice burnt the box right down to the ground and, well, we all know how Harley feels. This is not about sex. Well, I’m sure they would be very interested in having sex with you but it’s more than that.”

Panic rises in my chest, bubbling and frothing until I think I might choke on it. My voice comes out thready as I say, “No, I didn’t know. I know nothing. This is all very new information for me.”

“Jesus H. Christ, Lips. I thought you were refusing to start anything with any of them because you were pissed about last year and wanted to string them along a bit. I was kind of assuming the hot/cold thing you have with them all was foreplay!”

I crumble onto the floor in a heap, oblivious to the fact I am only half wrapped in a towel and I am probably showing off a whole heap of skin to Avery. She sighs and cracks the door open an inch. I blush again, remembering that all three of the guys are waiting in our room for us to come out. I take a deep breath and try not to expire right there on the floor. They can’t see me with Avery’s body blocking me. Can I look them in the eye after this? God, this is worse than fighting my way through the Game. Give me a target to take out and I’m golden, give me three guys who like me and I’m dying inside. What the hell am I going to do?

“We’ll meet you guys down at the dining hall…no, we’re fine… Ash, I have cramps and I need a minute to get myself together and I’d rather not have you lot out there listening to me change out tampons… well, if you listened to me the first time I wouldn’t have to supply you with the details… no, Lips is still getting dressed… we’re girls, she isn’t worried about my period, she has her own to deal with. Bye!”

She closes the door and smirks at me.

“You’ve clearly scarred your brother for life.” I choke out but I’m smiling, her joy is infectious.

“I had to go to great lengths to get them the hell out. Harley did not flinch, by the way, he was totally prepared to deal with a blood-soaked armageddon to stay here and walk you down. The other two manhandled him out.”

I flip onto my back and groan. Avery finally breaks and laughs hysterically. When she finally calms down, wiping tears from her cheeks, she pegs me with a look though it’s a gentle one.

“We’ve never actually talked about this so I’m requesting this as your truth for the day. Are you a virgin?”

I groan. “As if you can’t tell from my absolute meltdown. Yes, I am. I’m attracted to guys but I’ve always stayed the hell away from them. The risks with the Jackal were just too much to even try to get my head around it.”

Avery hands me my underwear and then she fluffs her hair and checks her makeup while I dress.

“I am too. I’ve always wanted a boy who loves me like the boys do and Rory was the first guy I thought came close. And, well, you know what happened with Atticus. Clearly I’m terrible at judging a mans character.”

I blow out a breath and button my blouse. White hot rage courses through me every time the name Rory comes out of Avery’s mouth.

“Don’t beat yourself up. I thought he was obsessed with you too. I just didn’t realize he saw you as an object rather than a person.”

She shrugs and gives me a sad smile in the mirror. “We can’t fix my love life so let’s sort yours out. Which one do you like the best? No judgment.”

I stop and sit on the closed toilet seat. Which one? Fuck. I think about Ash’s face when we did CPR on that kid last year. I think about Blaise’s staunch defense when Devon cornered me in the girls locker room. I think about Harley’s eyes when he watched me break Harlow’s nose. My body is taken over by a shiver.

“I don’t know. I like them all.”

Avery pauses then a slow smile spreads across her face as she scoots my shoes towards me. She basically dressing me, helping me through my breakdown. “I can work with that. I did tell those guys the only way they would ever have a relationship that worked is if were with the same girl.”

A hot wave of lust throbs through my body even as I gasp and sputter at her. “The same girl? You think they’ll all want to date me together? Avery!”

She cackles and shoves open the bathroom door. I hesitantly peek out to make sure the room is in fact empty.

“They love each other too much to truly let this come between them. But I also think they all might like you too much to let you go. I’ve never seen them fight over a girl before and the bickering that happens when you’re not around is getting extreme.”

I blanch. How would that even work? I’m a virgin and not exactly ready for a gang bang! Holy fucking shit. Avery pulls out her phone and starts tapping out a text. I wring my hands for a minute until she notices and gives me a smirk.

“I can see you melting down over this. Don’t panic. I’m just saying Harley has never wanted to date someone. Ever. Blaise burned the dating bridge years ago after something happened. Ash… doesn’t ever let people in. That’s the real reason he pushed back about us being friends and now he can’t stand the idea of going home at the end of the week and not seeing you for summer break. He’s already bugging me about finding a way to escape from Father and stay with you and Harley in the Bay. Just trust that we can work something out that makes everyone happy.”

“What about you? Wouldn’t it be weird to have all of us together like that?” I tuck my arm into hers as we start down the hall towards breakfast.

“Not really. It actually makes my life easier. I trust you. I trust you with my brother. I trust you with Harley and Blaise. I’m not worried about you stabbing us all in the back. This is the best idea I’ve ever had.”

We arrive at the dining hall to find it very nearly empty. With the stress of exams at an all time high most students just didn’t care about coming down and eating a formal breakfast so the boys were only joined by a small handful of freshmen, so terrified of them that they’re sitting at the opposite end of the table. My stomach roils at the sight of them.

“Breathe kid.” Avery says with a smile as she squeezes my arm that’s tucked in close to her own.

I don’t look over at the table because I’m barely keeping my aching leg in line as it is, I can’t afford to go weak at the knees. Avery grabs a tray but I doubt I’ll be able to eat while I’m thinking about my potential polyandrous relationship. Or the ramifications of said relationship if the Jackal finds out. Sweet lord. I grab a glass of juice and an apple and ignore Avery’s sharp look.

“You’re skin and bones as it is. I’m getting you some french toast.”

I do love the french toast they serve here. I give her a tiny nod and she directs me to the table. I can feel all three of the boys watching us and I want to scream. Avery must feel my arm tense and she drops her tray with more force than necessary and their attention snaps away from me. She sits and arches an eyebrow at them while she sets out our food.

“Don’t start. Lips can’t eat when she’s stressed.”

Great. Now I feel pathetic. I cringe and nudge the plate away from me.

“If Harley is bothering you-“ Avery cuts Blaise off.

“I said, don’t start.” she hisses. I glance up just in time to see Harley elbow Blaise in the stomach while Ash watches me intently.

“I’m never going to eat again. Goodbye boobs, it was nice having you.” I mutter and Avery cackles.

“That will shut them up! The boobs are in danger.”

Harley snorts and shoves the french toast back at me. “Save the boobs, Mounty.”

I flush and start eating while they all laugh around me. I refuse to look up from my plate. By not meeting any of their eyes my stomach settles enough that I can begin to eat.

“So! Plans for summer break?” Avery says brightly and is met with a chorus of groans.

“I’m getting dragged to New York by my father to see what’s new with the Kora branch there. I’m looking forward to exactly none of it and I’m pissed off I won’t be touring.” says Blaise and he pours me another glass of juice. I manage to thank him without stuttering and I’m so damn proud of myself.

Harley scratches the back of his head and chips in, “Two weeks on the coast to see my mom. Then Mounts Bay.” He says it like a promise. The other two give him a look and I glance away from them all.

“We’ll be going to Amsterdam to celebrate Joey’s graduation. He chose the city and Father agreed because he’ll want to spend some time in the red light district I imagine. Hopefully he catches something terminal. Or at the very least something that makes his dick rot and fall off. Lips?” says Ash.

I snort at his optimism. I push my now empty plate aside and wipe my mouth with one of the linen napkins Hannaford supplies, like this is a fancy restaurant not a high school dining hall. Harley is watching me with his usual intensity but now I see it for what it is. He likes me. Sweet lord.

“I have a couple of jobs lined up. Oh, and some Club events to go to.” I say mildly. Avery watches me with interest but she doesn’t question me. I know she’s waiting to see just how much I’m willing to say in front of the boys. “I have some…plans in the pipeline that I’m working on. Lots of groundwork and carefully thought out moves.”

Avery hums and pulls out her phone like I’ve reminded her of her own plans. I’m hit in the chest at how much I’m going to miss talking to her over the break. Texting just isn’t the same and I’ve gotten used to bouncing ideas off of her. It sucks.

Ash clears his throat and he asks, tentatively, “You’re going back to the Jackal, then?”

All or nothing. If I’m not honest with them about this then I can’t date… any of them. They have to know the real risks. I glance around but we’re still alone. “No, I’m not going back to him. Do you guys know what the Club is? Who the Twelve are?”

Only Blaise looks unsure. “They’re like gang leaders, right?”

I wince. Not a good start. “Not quite. Some are, the Jackal included. He deals drugs, runs fire arms, dabbles in extortion when the payoff is high enough. But really, each member of the Twelve have their own set of skills and they build on that.” They all nod along and I give myself one last inhale before I blurt it out.

“I was thirteen when the Hawk died and a spot opened up in the Twelve. They ran the Game, which should really have it’s name changed to ‘brutal torture sessions’. The Jackal sponsored me. I went up against thirty men and I won.”

Avery’s hand slips into mine and she squeezes, lending her support even though she doesn’t look up from her phone. I try not to hold my breath as I wait. It takes a second and then they all speak at once.

“You won?”

“Thirty men?”

“What the fuck?!”

Avery scoffs at them all and looks up from the screen. “All hail the Wolf of Mounts Bay.”

“The Wolf?!” sputters Harley. Oh, crap. He’s heard about me. His eyes roam all over my face and my arms then he ducks down and looks under the table at my legs. Avery kicks him in the shin sharply. “We’re wearing skirts, idiot!”

He doesn’t look fazed as he faces me again, my cheeks on fire, and says, “You took out one of my distant cousins in the Game. His dad was fucking livid and went after you with a blowtorch.”

Avery’s hand does a sort of spasm in mine. She’s seen that particular scar a few times though I’ve never told her how I got it. It’s the one I had to show Darcy to prove Lance was lying about fucking me.

“Yeah. Sorry about that.”

Harley stares at me for another second and then tips his head back to roar with laughter. “I can’t believe we were all worried about Joey killing you. If only he knew everything you’ve done. Why didn’t you just sneak into his room and slit his throat while he slept?”

I want the ground to open up and swallow me. He knows. He knows exactly what skill set I have that is so highly sought after. I feel dizzy. Maybe I’m not ready for the two separate lives I live to merge. Fuck.

“Shut up, asshole, you’re freaking her out.” growls Blaise. He growls it, just like he growls into his microphone on the stage but I’m too anxious to enjoy the sound of it. I fix my eyes on my cutlery, still sticky with the syrup from my breakfast, until the pounding in my ears stops.

I take a deep breath before I look back up at them. I know I’m going to see disgust and fear and even hatred on their faces. How could anyone hear about what I’ve done without thinking about just how dirty my hands are? All this time the guys had all been talking about how much of a sociopath Joey is but the truth is…

The truth is my hands are bloodier than his.

Harley looks gutted, all the amusement wiped clean from his face. Blaise looks pissed. Ash is, well, he’s got his cold detached mask fixed carefully over his features.

“I’m at Hannaford to get as far away from that life as I can. I wasn’t a willing participant. I had two choices: play the Game or die at the Jackal’s hands. Everything I’ve done has been to keep myself alive.”

“I didn’t mean-“ Harley says but Avery cuts him off.

“Lips, you should head to class. I’ll meet you there, I need to have a chat with the guys.”

I nod and stoop down to grab my bag. I can hear them start to bicker and pointedly don’t look back as I hobble out of the dining hall.

I was so close to having something I really want and once again my past has ruined it for me.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

My leg gives out halfway to my first class and I’m forced to grit my teeth and hobble back to my room. When the pain of my legs hits I can always feel exactly where the pins are holding the bones together. It’s like they’re pulsing under my skin and muscles, and I get queasy if I think about it too much. I shoot Avery a quick text to let her know where I am then climb back into the shower to try and ease some of the pain in my aching bones with the scalding water.

It takes me ten minutes to get dry and dressed while hopping on one leg and I’m in so much pain I finally cave and take some of the pain medication Avery found for me.

As predicted, the second they kick in I’m high as a kite.

The benefits of having a low drug tolerance is I am no longer worried about the guys reaction over breakfast. My brain is soup and I’m giggling over nothing for hours, rolling around on my bed and just cackling to myself. I can kind of see why my mom was so hell bent in staying in this state of euphoria. The sheets feel amazing on my bare skin.

I hear a knock at the door sometime later but I can’t make my legs work to get up and answer it. I’m not sure I even manage to call out but I hear the person stomp away and leave me to my delirium.

Then there’s the sound of keys and I know only Avery has those so I leave my eyes shut and keep stroking the soft sheets on my bed. Avery bought me these sheets. She’s so nice. I think about telling her that.

“You’re not thinking anything, you’re speaking. How fucking high are you?”

My eyes pop open. That’s not Avery’s voice.

“No shit. She’s still got exams so I came up to check that you’re okay. She told me to force the pills down your throat but it looks like you’ve got that under control.”

Nope. I squeeze my eyes shut again. I cannot have Blaise in this room while I’m off my tits. Bad idea. I can’t have him around until I’m back… on my tits. Or whatever the opposite of this is.

“Stop saying tits. Look, I can’t leave you here like this. Fuck knows what you could end up doing to yourself. Stop stroking the sheets, it’s… kinda hot and I’m feeling like a perv watching you. Just get in the bed. In, Lips. Get in bed. Fucking hell, here.”

I feel his hands touching me as he guides me under the sheets and I shiver. I clamp my mouth shut, I even slap a hand over it for good measure, and then, lord help me, I feel his breath on the nape of my neck as he huffs out a laugh. I feel the bed dip as the blankets are pulled up around my chin.

I open my eyes and find Blaise sitting with his back against my headboard, his legs stretched out and pressed against me, with his phone out and a smirk on his face. He’s on top on the blankets so I’m trapped. He’s not wearing his uniform, he has an old Vanth shirt on that I would steal from him in a heartbeat and some sweatpants that look like regular ones but probably cost more than a months rent in LA. He hits the dial button and then he’s talking too loud and way too smug.

“Have you ever seen Lips high before? It’s adorable…she’s fine but I’m not leaving her… she’s in bed…I’ve finished my exams, I’ll email the rest of my classes for the day and tell them I have a migraine or whatever… I swear to you, she’s fine, she’s just off her tits. Her words, not mine… okay, bye.”

He tosses his phone onto my nightstand and then shuffles down until his head is on my pillow and he turns to lay on his side, facing me. When I turn my head to look at him we’re so close that the back of my hand, still clamped tightly over my mouth, brushes against his lips. I feel him smile and I snatch my hand away quickly.

I will not leave this room with my dignity intact.

“What’s wrong, little Nightingale?” Blaise murmurs and his hand brushes my hair away from my face. I think my cheeks would be on fire if I wasn’t so out of it. My eyes roam over his face in a way I’ve never let myself before. I take in his jawline, the dusting of light freckles over his nose I’ve never noticed before, the eery clear depths of his eyes.

“This is going to go very badly and then you’re never going to speak to me again. After all my work this year to get you guys to trust me and now I’ve fucked it.” It takes a ton of focus to get the words out and my voice is still all weird and floaty. Floaty is a strange word.

“Right, it is a strange word but let’s stay on topic.” Shit, I’m saying stuff without realizing it again. “Yes, you are. You haven’t fucked anything. Harley wasn’t pissed this morning, he was impressed. Then he was awkward and embarrassed because he upset you.”

Huh.

I try to file that away in my brain for later but I think I’ve lost the filing cabinet. I think the office is closed for maintenance. I hope they repaint.

“Fuck, we need to get you stoned. I need to see you on THC.”

Nope. Whiskey or nothing. Vodka in emergencies. Possibly tequila but sometimes I get mouthy and fight…-y on tequila.

“Duly noted. Your phone keeps buzzing. Want me to get it?”

I nod and then when Blaise leans away from me I take a second to try and breathe while he’s out of my space. When he comes back I still feel like there’s not enough oxygen in my blood. Or my damn brain.

He hands me my phone but I can’t get my eyes to focus, they just dance away from the screen and back onto the little dip in the middle of Blaise’s clavicle. It’s a nice dip.

“Here. It’s from Matteo, who’s that? He says he can’t wait to see you tomorrow. He calls you Starbright, what the hell does that mean?”

I struggle to sit up out of my cocoon and Blaise has to prop me up. I think whatever my face is doing worries him enough to help me out. I grab his biceps and give him a little shake. “Don’t ever tell anyone. That’s the Jackal. He’s bad. You can’t tell anyone his name. He wants me to go to see him but I’m going to put him off. I don’t like him and I definitely don’t want to fuck him.”

I’m shockingly coherent for a second. Blaise nods and runs his hand up and down my spine, soothing me like I’m a skittish toddler. Well, I guess I am at the moment. Sweet lord, I am never taking any medication from Avery again. I take a deep breath and focus myself for another moment.

“Most importantly, don’t ever tell anyone my middle name is Starbright.”

I watch the acrobatics his eyebrows and mouth go through as he struggles to stop himself from laughing at me. I’m too fucked to appreciate it fully. When his stunning green eyes finally meet my own he speaks with such sincerity that I know he means every word.

“I will take your secret to the grave, Mounty.”

I wake up slowly, hazy and disorientated.

The room is dark, illuminated only by the dancing colored lights from the TV. I’m not lying straight on the bed how I fell asleep, my back is curved and my pillow is pressed into my spine. There’s a weight over my hips holding me still. I wriggle a little and I hear a groan behind me.

“For the love of god, Mounty, don’t move like that. Avery has already threatened to castrate me twice tonight.” whispers Harley and I struggle to sit up with a gasp.

My lower half is draped over his lap, legs bare and my ass barely covered in my teeny pajama shorts. My upper half, Jesus fucking Christ, is tucked in Blaise’s lap. He grins down at me and I notice his hands are tangled in my hair, like he’s been playing with it while I slept.

I scoot off of them both and my ass lands between them.

“What the-“

“Chill. You were thrashing about in your sleep and it took all three of us to settle you back down.” Avery chips in from the kitchen where she’s brewing her usual cup of chamomile tea. She’s wiping down every surface as she goes with a calm hand and that relaxes something in my chest.

I refuse to look at either of the guys as I wriggle back to sit between them against the headboard. Blaise huffs a laugh at me and I blush. “You must be feeling better, there’s color on your cheeks again.”

The flush on my cheeks gets worse and I clear my throat. “Thank you for checking on me. And letting me word vomit for hours on end. Please leave me to die of shame with what little dignity I have left.”

Harley scoffs and pulls out his phone, bringing up a video and handing it over to me. There I am, sitting on Blaise’s lap, giggling like a mad woman and stroking his chest like I had spent hours doing to the sheets. I can see he’s filming us both and with the smug look on his face it’s clear he sent this to Harley to piss him off.

I elbow him but it’s like elbowing a freaking wall.

“Hey, they asked me why I called you adorable. I figured a video was better than any explanation I could come up with.”

“I am never taking those pills again. I’ll white knuckle it through the pain next time.” I declare and they all, Avery included, laugh their asses off at me. I can’t remember much from the day. I know Blaise has been here the longest but my brain feels like it’s full of fog when I try to think about what happened. Not great.

There’s a knock at the door and Avery opens it to find Ash standing there in his track uniform and a gym bag slung over his shoulder. Sweaty, flushed, and utterly delectable. I’m sandwiched between two insanely hot guys and I’m still managing to drool over a third. What the hell is wrong with me?

“Mr Ember is a demon. I’m not doing track next year, fuck him and his shitty attitude.” he sulks as he strides in. Avery scrunches her nose up at him and shoves him towards the bathroom.

“Go shower, you’re not sleeping here covered in sweat.”

I mean, I’d let him sleep in my bed covered in sweat except there is literally no room left with the other two lounging on it.

It’s then that I remember my conversation with Blaise. We’d been in the bathroom after my leg had given out on my way to the toilet. For a single horrifying second I can’t remember if he was there while I peed but then the memory clears. He stepped out and waited for me to yell for him. Sweet merciful lord, this is bad.

He’d held me up while I washed my hands and told me about how they decided to share me. They sat at the freaking dining hall table and came to an agreement to share me. All of the blood in my head drains out and I feel floaty all over again.

I scramble onto my hands and knees again and slide straight off the bed, wincing as my leg protests. I don’t look back to see the guys reactions and Avery giggles at me as I tug her into the closet by the sleeve of her Chanel robe.

“What happened to discreet?” I croak and she gives me a side eye.

“I was discreet. Then they decided to woo you as a group and as a result we’re having to deal with them all here at once. Now that you’re awake and Ash is here we’re going to watch some bullshit thriller movie Blaise insists on and then they’ll sleep here.”

Woo me? Christ. I do not like the look on Avery’s face at all. It’s glee mixed with her usual dose of evil and I’m really getting worried that she’s about to throw me under the bus. Not anything mean or dangerous, just embarrass the utter crap out of me for her own sick pleasure. There’s a reason we’ve ended up best friends.

“Why are the two of you whispering in the closet?”

I squeak and turn to see Ash standing in the doorway, rubbing his hair with one of Avery’s fluffy white towels. He has one of those damn tank tops on again and I refuse to look at his nipples.

“Secret girls business.” says Avery in her most innocent voice.

He rolls his eyes at her. “With the two of you that could be anything from pairing the correct shoes with an outfit to plotting the murder of a filthy rich senator for your own gain.”

I scoff at him and cross my arms but he makes a good point. Avery pats him on the chest and says, “Lips is freaking out about where everyone is sleeping. The drugs have scrambled her brain and she’s woken up in her ideal fantasy orgy.”

Nope.

I spin on my heel and charge towards the bathroom to lock myself away from his raucous laughter at Avery’s words. I’ve never heard him laugh like that before. He calls out to me as I pass him, “You’ll have to pause those dirty thoughts, Mounty, Avery has already threatened our dicks if we so much as kiss your cheek in front of her.”

They all laugh and I close the door firmly, flicking the lock.

I cannot survive this.

The movie is terrible but the popcorn is good.

Ash kicks Blaise off of my bed and he sprawls onto the floor so he’s closer to the TV. Avery gives up on watching it twenty minutes in and falls asleep, perfectly comfortable in her Cal King bed by herself.

It takes me most of the movie to stop twitching and settle down enough to get tired. Ash and Harley don’t try to touch me at all, true to their word to Avery, and it’s only after Blaise turns the TV off and settles himself on the couch that I realize they’re not planning on leaving the bed.

I’ve never shared a bed before and it makes me panic for a bit in the dark. What if I’m annoying in my sleep? What if I thrash around or snore or drool? What if all of the sexy, irresistible testosterone in the room gives me a sex dream and I moan in my sleep? Christ.

I can hear by his breathing when Harley falls asleep and then when Blaise passes out he’s gently snoring. It’s a cute sound and I smile. I relax back into the mattress and sigh.

I’m almost asleep when I feel a hand on my hip and then Ash is turning me to face away from him and he’s tucking me into his chest. Once he’s got me where he wants me, a leg between mine and my head pillowed on his bicep, he strokes the bare skin of my leg gently. It’s not a sexual touch, just a light comforting stroke until I doze off too.

I’ve never been so comfortable.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

I’m too warm.

There’s a thumb tracing the seam of my lips, stroking the soft skin rhythmically, and when I shift the arm around my waist tightens. I open my eyes to find Harley staring at me in the darkness, the blue of his eyes barely visible in the shadows. Ash’s breathing is still deep and steady on my neck so I know he’s still asleep and Blaise’s gentle snores are still the only noise in the room.

Harley moves to brush his fingers over my cheek and my heart does a little dance in my chest. I want to know what time it is but I don’t want to speak or move in case we wake the others. This little moment is just for us.

Harley’s eyebrows do that thing where he’s asking me a question. I’m not entirely fluent in the language yet but I nod. Whatever he wants right now I’m ready to give him.

His lips pull into a slow, lascivious smirk and then he presses a finger to them to tell me to stay silent. I nod, just a little so Ash doesn’t wake up, and then he shifts forward to cup my face in his hands and he kisses me.

It starts out sweet, all light touches and gentle sweeps of his tongue on mine, but he’s been hungry for me for a long time and I’ve been starving for him for longer. He pushes and pushes until he’s pressed up against me, pressing me back into his sleeping cousin, and I’m shaking. I hold his wrists just so I have an anchor because I’m drunk on his mouth and rapidly forgetting that we’re supposed to be quiet. His thumbs stroke my cheeks reverently even as his mouth is a hot, demanding brand on my own.

“Avery is going to fucking murder you.” whispers Ash and I startle away from Harley’s lips.

Oh god.

I know they said they were going to share me but I don’t know if this was what they were intending. I’m tangled in Ash’s limbs and making out with Harley like his lips are an oxygen tank and I’m fucking drowning. My entire body flushes scarlet and I squirm with shame. Harley leans forward and breathes, “Shh…” onto my lips as he kisses me again. I wriggle to pull away from him but then I feel Ash’s lips graze my neck and his arm across my waist tightens to keep me where I am. Harley swallows my sigh and Ash grins against my skin before sucking and biting the soft curve where my neck meets my shoulder. As he pulls my shirt collar to find more skin he mumbles, “I’m blaming you if she catches us.”

Harley only pulls away from me long enough to whisper back, “Fucking worth it,” and then he’s sucking my bottom lip into his mouth and dragging his hands down my throat possessively. It’s a move that would send me spiraling if any other person were to do it but with Harley it sets my blood on fire and I start to squirm all over again. Ash grunts and plants a hand on my hip to stop my movement and Harley pulls away again, panting.

“Fuck. I’m going to be late for training. I was supposed to be at the pool ten minutes ago.” he says, scowling and staring at my lips. I lick them without thinking and he groans.

“That sound had better be an oh-i-hate-waking-up sort of sound and not a my-dick-is-so-hard kind of sound, Harley Éibhear Arbour.” snaps Avery.

I am mortified.

The two idiots in my bed are not.

Harley rolls out and when Avery screeches at him and throws a pillow at him he stalks to the bathroom laughing, “I can’t help having morning wood, Aves. Better get used to it because me and my blue balls will be here all week.”

Avery levels Ash with a vicious glare and his face shifts into an innocent mask. I snort at his attempt to placate her.

“Don’t you dare get out of that bed until you have your dick under control or I will cut it the fuck off. I know how, Lips taught me.” She hisses and then throws herself out of bed and stomps to the coffee machine.

“Good morning, my beloved sister, I hope you’ve slept well. I’d love a coffee, thank you for asking.”

Avery starts slamming cups onto the bench and cursing us all out. I choose to plead the fifth and keep my mouth shut. Harley emerges from the bathroom dressed in his sports gear and kisses Avery’s cheek with a grin. She cusses him out too but hands him one of her reusable takeaway cups to take down to the pool. He ducks back to the bed and pecks me on the cheek too, with a wink, and then he’s out the door.

“What time is it and why the fuck are we awake? It’s the weekend, for fucks sake.” Blaise grumbles.

“How is your dick this morning, Morrison?” Avery says as she stomps into the bathroom and slams the door.

Blaise blinks and then turns to face us. “It’s too fucking early for this shit.”

He rolls off the couch and stumbles over to the bed, slipping into the side Harley just climbed out of.

“Getting in here is just going to piss her off more.” I say but I’m secretly swooning. Ash scoffs at me and kisses my neck again before untangling his limbs from mine and sliding out of the bed. He starts rummaging through Avery’s drawers and pulls out a pair of his jeans to pull on. It must be nice to have so many clothes you can just leave them everywhere, just in case you may need them. Sigh. Rich kids.

“I’ll walk her to ballet and then we can all meet for a late breakfast in the dining hall. Morrison, you have one hour. Use it wisely.”

Blaise is already snoring.

I laugh at him and stretch out like a cat in the sun. I’m content. I’m nervous as all fuck about…dating, I guess…three guys, the three hottest guys at Hannaford, but I’m still so happy I could scream.

I get up and drink my coffee, even though it’s on the colder side. Avery squeezes my hand as she passes with a little grin which I return. I know she’s being a tyrant about the guys so they take things slow with me. She may be the master manipulator but I’m getting pretty good at spotting her work.

Blaise is still asleep when I’m out of the shower and ready to eat. If I were bold I’d go climb on top of him and wake him with a kiss. Or more.

I’m still pathetically nervous about this.

So I stomp around the room like a herd of elephants only to find that Blaise could sleep through the apocalypse if need be. Great. I send a message to the group text to confirm the time we’re heading down and he doesn’t wake for his phone either. Fucks sake!

I pull my big girl panties on and give him a little shake. He moans obscenely and I blush. He’s made that noise for me before but I was sucking on his tongue at the time.

“If you want to join us all for breakfast you need to get up now.”

He cracks one eye open and squints at me. His voice is rough and delicious. “Why can’t we eat here? In four hours like normal people?”

“I want french toast. Avery will have fruit and yogurt, Ash will get pancakes and you and Harley will have mountains of scrambled eggs and bacon. I’m not cooking four different breakfasts and Avery will stab you if you ask her to. Come on, we only have a week left of catered breakfasts.”

He pushes himself up and I have to squash the urge to run my hands through his hair. His arms flex invitingly as he leans back to look at me. He grins and jerks his head at me.

“Get over here. I want a good morning kiss, then I’ll get up.”

I scoff at him and arch an eyebrow but his grin just gets wider. I lean down to give him a quick peck on the cheek and he snaps his hands out to jerk me into his lap. I’m not at all proud of the squeal that comes out of me but I manage to tamp down my reflexes so I don’t punch him in the throat.

I should probably warn them all about that.

“A proper kiss, little Nightingale, don’t cheat me.”

We’re going to be late for breakfast.

Blaise tucks me under his arm as we walk down to the dining hall and I decide I’m never going to get used to being that close to him. He didn’t shower, just threw a pair of jeans on like Ash did, and yet he smells incredible. I kind of thought guys were supposed to be dirty and smelly but these three, my three, were obviously the unicorns of the species. Lucky freaking me. No, seriously.

We find Avery and Ash waiting outside the dining hall for us and when we slip into the line Harley texts to say he’s on his way. Ash grabs food for Avery, Harley, and himself and Blaise organizes ours. Again, it’s something I’ve seen them do for each other a hundred times and finding myself included is jarring but in the best way.

Avery scares the shit out of some freshmen sitting in our usual seats and we sit. By the time we have the plates set out Harley arrives, his hair dripping and his eyes a little red from all the chlorine.

“How are the blue balls?” Avery says sweetly and I groan, burying my face in my hands.

Harley gives her a haughty look. “I’ll worry about my own balls thanks, Floss.”

I abandon my french toast and grab my apple. Ash’s eyes narrow at me and he pushes the plate back in front of me. Great. More food police.

“Well, my balls aren’t blue. Harley will just have to learn to jerk off a bit more often.” drawls Blaise and Ash snorts at him.

Avery eyes reach subzero temperatures. “Not in my shower he won’t. Keep those activities in your room.”

Blaise grins and hands me his iPod. I have a mouthful so I nod in thanks and scroll through the playlist. He’s titled it ‘Starlight, Starbright’, the cheeky asshole, and I kinda wanna throat punch him. He laughs at the face I pull and says to Avery, “It’s fine, we’ll just tempt Lips into our room for the rest of the week.”

Lord have mercy on my fucking soul.

I tense and Harley, who’s watching me carefully, kicks Blaise in the shin so hard his chair scrapes back. Blaise grunts and curses Harley with such vehemence that the students around us take notice. Ash joins Harley to glare at him.

“Are you fucking dense? We’re surrounded, there’s an ongoing bet, and Lips is still being watched.” hisses Ash, while Avery laughs so no one around us can hear him.

Blaise cringes and looks at me apologetically. I take pity on him because, well, I did let him walk me down here with his arm around me and we haven’t exactly talked about what we’re doing and the risks.

“Don’t bother. Lips has no interest in fucking a guy from Hannaford, she’s said it a million times. Find someone who’s actually up for it.” Harley says, loud enough that the students eating around us can hear and start whispering amongst themselves.

I shoot him a thankful look. Avery takes over and starts talking about her dance recital that we’re all going to on Monday.

When the room empties out a bit and we have a little more privacy I decide to address the elephant in the room, the third…wait, no, fifth wheel in our relationship. Fuck.

“I feel like we should be talking about the dangers of doing this. I mean, we can’t even sit here and have a conversation without my…baggage coming into it.”

Avery clears her throat, kisses my cheek, and then walks off with her phone. I was kind of hoping for her support and input but I guess this is technically a relationship conversation.

“We’re not in this for the bet and until you get the Jackal situation under control we’ll just be more… discreet about what's going on. Our only other option is to wait until he’s not a problem anymore and I don’t want to do that. ” Harley crosses his arms and stares across the table at me.

Ash hums under his breath, his eyes watching over Avery as she takes a call on the far side of the room. “Is there a plan to get him to back off? Do we have any idea of how long it will take?”

I shrug and push my empty plate away. “There is a plan but it’s not underway yet. It hasn’t been my focus. I’ve been working on more pressing issues.”

The guys all share a look and then Ash says, “I think it’s now the most pressing issue.”

I blush but I don’t let myself break eye contact with him. “I understand that it’s important but there’s still other things that need to be dealt with. Joey, Senior, the O’Cronin family, all of them are important to take care of as well.”

Harley shakes his head but Blaise answers for them all, “No, top priority is now dealing with the Jackal. Your life is the one at stake and the other situations are…survivable.”

Only because I’ve been working on them but I don’t mention it so instead I nod and try to blink back the tears prickling my eyes.

Avery having my back all year has been a totally foreign concept, even if I have loved every second of it but this is almost too much for me. These three have all just agreed that I’m the priority, that my safety trumps every other issue we have going on. My welfare and safety has never been a priority to anyone other than myself. It’s a terrifying, amazing thing.

Every night for the last week of school I go to sleep with at least one other person in my bed. There’s no more kissing because the guys all seem worried about Avery’s self-confessed castration skills but it helps me to settle into being close to them. I mean, they’re too fucking hot and I can’t think about them agreeing to share me without ruining my panties but I no longer blush at their mere proximity.

On Wednesday there’s an argument over dinner about who has to take the couch and Avery kicks them all out. I wake in the morning with my face smooshed into Harley’s chest and Avery yelling at him for breaking in. She rants at him all day until he finally admits he swiped her keys on the way out and then used them to get back in when he knew she’d be asleep. Sneaky little shit.

On Friday Avery is getting ready for her end-of-year ballet party and tells the guys they have to clean out all of their clothes they’ve left behind. I’m sitting on my bed and stressing about leaving Hannaford tomorrow. I don’t know how to be in a relationship at all and now I’m trying to navigate a secret plural relationship long distance, with a mobsters son, a murderous billionaires son, and a rockstar. I try to be subtle about asking what the hell we’re doing but I’m not exactly a subtle kind of girl. Harley laughs at my attempts.

“Where are you staying in Mounts Bay? Like I said, I’m taking two weeks to visit my Ma and then I’m staying in the Bay. I can get a hotel or stay with you, your choice.”

He’s folding shirts Avery left in a pile on her bed for him and shoving them in a bag while she throws things into her dance bag. Ash is digging through her closet and Blaise is raiding the fridge for beer. I take a breath and just drive in. “Look, Avery’s informed me that there's going to be… wooing.”

“What the actual fuck is wooing?” Harley sounds appropriately disgusted. Blaise roars with laughter, the type that makes him throw his head back and clutch his stomach. It's a good look. He hands Harley a beer and lounges on my bed as he drinks his own.

Ash sounds smug as he calls out, “Avery is secretly eighty years old and thinks that wooing is the current terminology for-”

“For what, Ash?” Avery cuts in sweetly. He pauses and she knows she's got him trapped. It's hilarious and anxiety inducing. Then he shocks the shit out us both by smiling at her and just laying it out there. “For starting something important.”

Right. I tug on the front of Blaise’s Vanth shirt to get his attention. It’s not the one I got back from Harlow for him but it’s still super rare. “I really don't care what we’re calling it. I'm taking this shirt. I'm also taking that black one of Ash’s, and Harley’s gray sweatshirt. I'll give them back after the break.”

Blaise stares at me, stunned, and then sits up to reach over his head with one arm and pull the shirt off in the typical hot guy way. When he hands it to me the fabric still warm from his skin. I'm getting better at containing my swooning but sweet lord. Fuck. Me.

No, seriously.

Fuck. Me.

He's all golden skin, colorful tattoos, and toned muscles. I struggle to focus anywhere other than his naked torso. I'm not sure what I was expecting to happen when I literally told him I wanted the shirt from his back but it sure as shit wasn't this.

“Thank you.” I squeak and he fucking winks at me before rooting around in his bag to pull on another one.

Avery side eyes the shit out of me and then she grins. “How long have you wanted that Vanth shirt?”

I shrug. “Oh, you know, all my life. I'm totally lying, he’ll have to pry this from my cold, dead hands. I know at least eight Mounty girls that would gut me for it so I’m going to wear it to the next party I have to go to.”

I see the glimmer in Harley's eyes as he laughs with Avery and for a second I'm afraid he's jealous. When he tugs his sweatshirt over my head I instinctively inhale and take in a big lungful of his heady scent. He watches me and the glimmer turns into something predatory. I love it.

Avery waves at us all and then heads out for her party. Ash wanders back over from the closet with an armful of his clothes.

“You're taking our shit so you can smell us while we’re gone? That's horribly sappy, Mounty.” drawls Ash but he hands over the black shirt I requested and then neatly piles his clothes into a box.

“I'm weird. I wear guys shirts and sweaters with booty shorts and skirts. I listen to the same three albums on repeat. I like French toast, coffee, and cherry anything. I don't function my birthday or Christmas. I can kill a grown man eight different ways with nothing but my bare hands. I’m never going to be normal.”

Ash grabs my chin and stares down at me, the blank mask gone and in its place a smoldering intensity. I can’t look away.

“If you're trying to warn us off it’s not going to work. We've never agreed to anything as quickly as when we agreed to share you. I'm not planning on wooing you, I'm planning on doing whatever I need to do to get to keep you.”

I swallow and he licks his lips.

“I want us to keep you. I don't want you all to myself, I want to share you with my best friends and I want you to love every fucking second of it.”

There isn't a lie in his eyes, only plain truth and desire. I nod and he eases up a little with a smirk.

“I won't get out of bed before the coffee machine is on. I hate blues music and listen to Vanth as religiously as you do. I run track because it makes me feel like I'm dying and sometimes I need to feel like that. I miss my mom and I hate my father. My brother is trying to kill me and my father is taking bets on how long it’ll take him to succeed. Finding Joey standing over Avery's lifeless body broke something in me that I don't think I'll ever be able to fix. I’m a bigger monster than you because I don't give a fuck who you've killed or why you did it. In fact, from here out I’m helping you bury the bodies.”

It’s totally ridiculous but I fixate on probably the least important thing he’s said. “I cannot believe you're a Vanth super fan and you've given me all that shit about it. You're a real piece of work, Beaumont.”

Blaise sniggers behind me like it’s some big fucking secret they’ve been keeping from me and Ash smirks as he says, “I told Blaise he should get you to sing on his next album. I'll listen to that on repeat, too.”

My heart stops beating.

That is the best, worst idea ever and you know what? I'm all fucking in.

“I’ll write you a song, Mounty. While you and Arbour are shacked up and loving every second of the break, I’ll mope around New York with my parents and write you love songs.” Blaise sulks and Harley throws an empty coat hanger at him. I pass him the iPod and he flashes me a gorgeous grin.

“I’ll video chat you guys. Harley can stay with me and if you guys can get away to the Bay you can stay too.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Harley arrives at our door first.

Avery groans when she opens the door and he shoves his way into the room, a single duffel bag slung over his broad shoulder. “This is my life now, isn't it? You lot showing up at my door every hour of the day to make eyes at my best friend.”

Harley grabs a beer out of our fridge and drinks half of it in two big gulps. “Get single rooms next year. Be a fuck load easier for us if you’re not watching our every move.”

Avery slaps his arm and then shoves a box into his chest, directing him to start packing up her glut of belongings. “I'm looking out for my Mounty. I don't want you lot corrupting her.”

Harley snorts at her and I try not to be too insulted. My bags are all packed, everything except my safe. I wriggle myself under my bed and use the light on my phone to see as I start to wrench the floorboards loose with my knife.

There's a knock at the door while I’m grunting at the effort to uncover my most valuable possessions. Then I hear the other two guys talking and joking around. I might slow my work down a bit to give myself time to stop blushing.

“Great view.” says Blaise and I hear him grunt as someone hits him. “What? I'm allowed to appreciate my girls ass, especially in those shorts. What are you doing, Mounty?”

His girl. Sweet lord. I don’t think I have it in me to get used to that. “Construction work.” I tease and then Avery ducks down to have a look at what I'm doing.

“That's where you hid that!”

“Hid what?”

“Her stash.” says Harley and he's so smug. He loves knowing more about me than the others.

I wriggle back out and drag the safe with me. Avery does her gimme hands at me and I chuckle. “I'm not sure I can trust you with these, Beaumont.”

She bites her lips and stares at the metal box with lusty eyes. “I solemnly swear I'm up to no good.”

“Nerd.” I say but I open the safe and hand over the velvet box.

Avery moans as she cracks the lid and Ash looks so fucking mortified that we all get to have a laugh at his expense. “Sex toys? You can't fit a pair of Louboutin’s in a box that small and I can’t think of anything else that gets Floss that excited.” He grumbles.

“Better. So much better. Diamonds!” Avery squeals and then she starts pawing through them. Harley’s eyebrows shoot up and damn near disappear into his hairline as he looks over her shoulder.

“How many of them do you have?”

Forty-eight. I shrug. “I'm good at what I do and I'm stockpiling so we can get clear of our shit after graduation.”

Harley’s eyes flash possessively. Avery rolls one of the blood diamonds in her fingers and I swear she's panting. Harley clears his throat at her. “Put them back, Floss. Make Morrison buy you one for your birthday.”

Blaise is too busy staring, gaping, at the contents of the box to snap out a comeback. Avery pouts as she carefully packs the diamonds back into the safe. “I don't want boring old diamonds. I want priceless, blood soaked, favor diamonds.”

“Someone needs to start explaining what the hell is going on.” grumbles Ash.

Avery is still pouting as I bury the safe in my duffle bag and cover it with my clothes so it's obscured and nestled nicely. She answers Ash for me. “The Twelve trade each other favors in times of need. Diamonds are used as a physical representation of the favors and Lips has dozens of them. Dozens!”

“Why? Why not use them and become rich? Why come to school here and put up with us?” says Ash.

I shrug, entirely uncomfortable talking about them. “I nearly died for most of those. I’ve only ever used two favors and that was for situations that were life threatening. I won’t use them for less than that.”

My phone pings and I try not to cringe. Avery shoots me a look because she knows who it must be. Only one person outside of this room has my number.

The building is bigger than I thought it would be. I hope your inductee packs light, I’ve brought the BMW to bring you both home.

Fuck.

Fuck, this is bad. Bad. Baaaaaaaad.

I glance away from the Jackal’s text to find Harley laughing and moving boxes for Avery. He looks so damn happy and I’m going to ruin that by telling him his life is in serious danger. I should have worked harder on getting out from the Jackal. I should have focused on my GPA a little less and stopped avoiding the bigger issue.

I know my face must show every ounce of my fear because one look at it has Avery and Harley both dropping the boxes and bolting to me.

“Lips, what-“

“Fuck, babe-“

I sink to the bed and give myself ten seconds to freak out. Ten seconds and then I’m going to pull myself back together and get through this.

“The Jackal is here. He’s picking us up.” I croak.

Joey is waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs. His eye’s bounce over each of us until they land back on me.

“How the fuck do you know the Jackal? He’s here for you.”

I arch an eyebrow and step around him. Harley follows, exactly how I told him to, and my heart flutters in my chest. Joey moves like he’s going to stalk after us but then I hear Ash hiss at him, “Do you want to fucking die?”

I can’t look back at them to see the answer.

The Jackal is here.

I can’t see him yet but every student, every parent, every teacher, they’re all turned towards the same man, terror and horror hangs thick in the air. Enough people recognize him and they’re all waiting for the killing to start.

I take one last deep breath.

I push down Lips Anderson in my mind. I put her in the little box and I forget about her. I forget about the breakfasts with Avery and dancing to old records together, I forget about planning our futures and world domination. I forget about my GPA and the panic of my Choir performance. I forget about the itch of my skirt and the crisp lines of my blazer.

I fucking bury every thought of the three guys I’m on the edge of falling in love with.

And then, all I am, is the Wolf.

“There you are.”

I loathe the sound of his voice.

He’s brought Luca and Diarmuid and they’re standing either side of him. I take note that all three of them are carrying guns, Diarmuid even has a thigh holster with a ten inch knife strapped in. I knew they would be but it doesn’t help with the nerves that are trying to worm their way into my mind. Diarmuid grins and sweeps me into a big hug. I laugh joylessly and give him a little pat on his back. He whispers in my ear, barely more than a breath, “I came to keep our boy safe,” and then he drops me back onto my feet and sweeps behind me to hug Harley. I really want to know how Harley reacts to that but I can’t risk looking at him.

Luca steps forward and takes my bag from me with a smile I return easily. His eyes are intense and locked behind me as he stoops down to kiss my cheek.

Lord save me from the pissing contest this is going to turn into.

Once Luca steps away I turn to the real monster in the room. The Jackal is tall, well muscled, and attractive in his crisp navy suit. His Italian roots are easily distinguishable. His deep brown hair falls in waves around his face and his eyes are the same color, dark pools looking out from his olive skin. Even with the thick black lines of his tattoos dancing across the skin of his cheeks he’s a handsome man but not to me. All I see is the evil living inside of him.

I meet his eyes and fake a little smile, one I’ve given him a thousand times before. He looks over every inch of me like he’ll be able to see all of the lies I’m telling him etched into my skin. I breathe in deeply and force my heart to slow down while I wait him out.

Finally, he says, “Where’s my hug, little Starbright?”

I roll my eyes and step forward into his arms. He presses himself into me fully, chest to thigh, and I focus on where I can feel his weapons so I don’t have to think about this public claiming he’s hellbent on.

I pull away from him and he tucks my body under his arm, flicking out a hand to get Harley and his men to follow us.

“We have so much to talk about, my Wolf. Or do you belong to someone else now?” He murmurs into my ear.

Fuck.

He knows about Harley.

Fuck.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A huge thank you to Laura Frazier for beta reading, midnight texts, speculating about storylines, gossiping about our mutual love of SJM, sending me whiskey, putting up with my spoilers, and being a supportive friend when everything went to shit! You can’t know how much you have touched my life and helped me get through a really dark time for my family. This book was made possible by you <3

Thank you to Laura Marrero for beta reading, cheerleading, swapping photos of hot guys, listening to me ramble, and being such a supportive member of the indie book community. I am so glad you reached out to me!

And thank you to my amazing readers who gave JDO a chance and came back for more Hannaford madness. I hope you come back for Year Three.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J Bree is a dreamer, writer, mother, farmer, and cat-wrangler. The order of priorities changes daily.

She lives on a small farm in a tiny rural town in Australia that no one has ever heard of. She spends her days dreaming about all of her book boyfriends, listening to her partner moan about how the wine grapes are growing, and being a snack bitch to her two kids.

If you want to know when J’s next book will come out, please visit her website at http://www.jbreeauthor.com, and sign up for the newsletter or join her Facebook group, Breezies Wolves.

CONTINUE READING FOR AN EXCEPT FROM

Play the Game

Hannaford Prep Year Three

Available now on Kindle Unlimited

PROLOGUE

Harley

I’M FORCED to walk behind the sick fuck who is holding Lips at his side, pressing her into him until they’re moving as one.

Every eye at Hannaford is on us, the building is holding its breath as we walk out to the waiting car. It’s a statement, a public claiming, and I know that when we return to school for our junior year Lips will be treated with a whole new level of suspicious reverence. I’m going to fucking hate it, but maybe it’ll keep her safe.

The BMW waiting for us is the same type my grandfather owns. It looks fucking showy, but it’s the unseen elements that make it worth well over the mil mark. Bulletproof, flame retardant, and supposedly able to withstand a bombing, it’s not a status symbol.

It’s a vehicle built for war.

Diarmuid drops his arm from where it’s slung around my shoulders to open the door and usher me in. Lips warned me about protocol and I know this is a clear move from my uncle, telling the Jackal I’m a protected player. I hate it; I hate what my life is costing everyone, but if it keeps Lips safe too, then I’ll play along.

He climbs in beside me and we sit in the rearward facing seats. It’s risky because I’ll be facing Lips and there’s no way I can look at her while the Jackal watches us both.

He watches her like he fucking owns her. He watches her like he’s picking out the inches of her skin that he’s going to brand with his mark to keep her chained by his side.

I fucking hate it.

The rage that grows inside my chest expands until I can’t breathe and it’s only the echo of her words, the rules she told me back in her room, bouncing around inside my skull that stops me from reaching forward and choking him the fuck out. My uncle sits beside me, grinning like a fucking idiot, and I try not to look back at the posturing dickhead that keeps kissing and touching my Mounty. I know he’s just trying to get a rise out of me, but you know what? He’s succeeding. I keep my eyes on my own hands or on the Jackal’s hands.

He’s gripping her knee hard enough that I know it has to be hurting her. It’s her bad leg, and she’s just gotten over the flare up. She ignores him, doesn’t attempt to brush him off, and I know she’s trying not to provoke the sick fuck. I want to kill him.

When, finally, the barren, gray wasteland of Mounts Bay looms over us, he breaks the silence in the car.

“Where are you staying this year, little Wolf? I’ll check your security and make sure you are safe.” He murmurs and I clench my fists. Diarmuid nudges me discreetly. I take a deep breath and force myself to unclench.

Lips hums under her breath, a habit she’s picked up from Floss, and says, “Take us to the docks, Luca.”

“Anything for you, princess.” The dickhead says and Lips scoffs at him.

“Where are you staying?” The Jackal asks again, his voice harder. I roll my shoulders back, ready to grab the fuck if he goes for a weapon.

Lips shrugs. “Arbour is heading back up the coast and I have a few jobs lined up. I’m meeting with a friend at the docks to discuss the terms of my acceptance. You know I only take certain jobs.”

He speaks through his gritted teeth. “I’m not asking what you’re doing in the Bay, I’m asking where you’re staying.”

She pauses and then with a flat voice she says, “And I’m choosing not to provide you with that information. I told you months ago, I’m learning to stand on my own two feet. I appreciate the ride, but I’m on my own. It’s me and Arbour, and any other person I choose to induct. If you wanted me to be one of yours, you should have inducted me instead of sponsoring me.”

“I tried. You told me you’d rather die.” He snaps.

That’s news to me. I look up and meet her eyes.

I know why Floss warned me not to look at her around the Jackal; I know I can’t keep the longing and the worship out of my face, and only Lips has been blind to it. I can’t help but look at her now and the clenching on the Jackal’s jaw lets me know he sees it for what it is.

Lips stares at me as she replies to him, “I will never be owned, and certainly not by you. I’m the Wolf.”

I’m fucking flirting with danger, I know it deep in my bones, but I grin at her with the savage joy that her words rip through me. She tips her head back and laughs like a lunatic, and that’s when I know she does feel fear. She’s just as affected by this as I am.

The car pulls into the docks and the Jackal’s hand tightens on her knee until she grunts. I lurch forward and grab his wrist, ready to choke the fucker out if I have to, and he reaches for his gun with his free hand. I hear the click of a gun to my right and tense up.

“You’re hurting the little girlie, Jackal. Best you let her go.” Diarmuid croons.

Luca parks the car and flings the door open, presumably to help his boss now he has a loaded gun pointed at him, but there’s a beat of silence before I hear, “Boss. You’d better get out of the car.”

The Jackal is sneering at Diarmuid as he wrenches his wrist out of my hand. “Pointing a gun at me? You’re a fucking dead man, O’Cronin.”

Diarmuid clucks at him. “Hurting a fellow member of the Twelve? You wouldn’t want that getting back to the meetings, now would you? Think of what the Crow would do to you, he’s been waiting a long time to take you out.”

“She’s mine!” he roars, grabbing her arm, and the door on his side of the car is ripped open with such force I think it will tear right off the hinges.

“Get your fucking hands off her, D’Ardo.” roars the newcomer. My eyes stay glued on the Jackal until he drops her arm. He looks out the door, grimacing, and finally his face shifts into something close to wary.

I blow out a breath and yank Lips into my arms, shoving us both out of the door on the other side of the car. She’s not shaking, no racing heart in her chest or shallow breathing, but I can’t say I’m that as unaffected by the little spat. Once we’re out, and I’ve run my hands over her to be sure he didn’t fucking knife her without me noticing, I glance up only to find the fucking Butcher of the Bay staring back at me.

I gape back at him like an idiot. He winks at me.

Fuck me.

What the hell have I gotten myself into?

“I told you, I called for reinforcements. Illi’s a good guy, the best.” The Mounty whispers in my ear and then pulls away from me, stepping back into her role as the Wolf.

A good guy.

He’s a cage fighter, a trained killer, his weapons of choice are his fists or a fucking meat cleaver, he shows no mercy and has no conscience, and, according to my crazy hot girlfriend, he’s a good guy.

I think I’m going to have a fucking stroke.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Dedication

Contents

Copyright

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Acknowledgments

About the Author

CONTINUE READING FOR AN EXCEPT FROM

Prologue