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Ineededto know what they were arguing about, but I knew Asher would never tell me. I could force him, but I didn’t want to. I’d pushed him hard enough already. Honestly, he didn’t deserve it. I wasn’t above using my friends when needed—something they knew came with the territory of being friends with me—but Asher was typically off limits to me. He was the only one I didn’t like fucking with. Mostly because we were basically brothers.
But there was just something about this whole situation and thatgirlthat made me more irritable with him than usual. I had a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach when Harper initially came to me to get rid of her that had all my instincts on alert.
Why the hell wouldHarperneedmyhelp getting rid of someone? I’ve watched her do far,farworse than I could even dream up, and yet, she needed me? That made no sense.
Why the hell couldn’t Daddy Dearest know about it? What was it about that girl that had Rick so defensive? Against his precious baby andonlychild, Harper, no less? She could murder someone right in front of him, and I didn’t think he’d give two fucks. Mess with Wilder, though, and she had problems? Again… that made no sense.
Not to mention the fact that, at least from what I could tell, Wilder had her head on straight. She wasn’t interested in money. That was obvious. If she was, she would have been all over me. The only reason she wanted me was because I was the dangerous bad boy, and I’d kind of inserted myself into her life. She sure as hell didn’t want me there, but she begrudgingly accepted it for now. Though, shewouldfight tooth and nail the whole way.
So, she wasn’t motivated by money. Didn’t care about status.
What was it?
What the hell kind of threat could shepossiblypose to Harper and her family that had her so worried?
Those were the things that had nagged me since the moment Harper made that deal. A deal she wanted enough that she agreed to let me collar her—for months! That wasn’t like Harper. That was true desperation on her part, and I wanted to know why.
The mystery before me had permeated my entire life. It was all I could think of. If I wasn’t arguing with my father about something, trying to avoid his wrath, or fucking with football practice, I was obsessing over this Harper and Wilder situation. Working my angles until I could figure out a way to find the truth.
It was only a matter of time before I did, but in the meantime, poor Asher was suffering for it. Not only had I threatened to involve his little sister, but I’d treated him like shit otherwise. I’d taken the one girl he’d shown any interest in and kindness to and made her off limits to him. I’d be pissed, too.
Only… I was.
Iwaspissed.
I was pissed because there was something about her that I couldn’t leave alone. She was bitter, angry, and defensive. Shehatedme so fucking much, but…
She alsowantedme.
All that hatred, all that anger, and somehow, she still saw through my bullshit enough to want me. She didn’t want my money or my position in this school. She was looking for something else, but I just couldn’t figure that out, and it intrigued me. She obviously hated me, so it wasn’t like she was crushing on me.
No, it was something else. Yet another mystery for me to obsess over and figure out.
Ugh… This girl is going to be a problem.
I scrubbed my hands over my face as I slowly made my way to class, groaning as I smelled her on my hand.Fuck, she smelled and tasted good.
When I’d threatened to take her out to the woods and fuck her until she screamed, I’d really hoped she’d beg me to. I could tell she wanted to, but she just couldn’t bring herself to let go that much yet.
She will, though.
My face scrunched up at that thought. Did I really want to push her that far? Everything I’d done so far had been mild. I loved playing mind games, and I’d play those with her all day. That wasn’t a problem. Torturing her at school was something I could do for a job or for fun. Didn’t matter to me.
Sexual sabotage was something else entirely. I might have been a dick but hurting women in that way or physically was something I’d absolutely never do. That was a huge no-no for me. It was why I had the rules I did at my parties.
So, why the hell did I keep pushing Wilder like I had?
A thought bubbled up to the surface, but I pushed it back down. Surely to God, I wasn’t one to get off on a girl beating my ass and embarrassing me in front of the school. Because, let’s face it; that was the only interaction I’d really had with her before I’d pinned her in that bathroom.
Before I’d touched her silky legs…
Listened to her pant for me…
Before I’d knelt for her, and kissed her perfect pussy…
I shook my head. I’d been called a sadist, but I’d never thought of myself as a masochist. No, it wasn’t her taking me to the floor. It was something else.
Fuck!That girl… Ugh. I needed to get rid of her.Fast.Before she drove me fucking crazy.