Page 103 of The Ruthless Note

It’s Dutch’s phone.

He releases me, takes it out and checks the screen. His brows wrinkle. He looks at the message with an unfeeling, aloof expression, making his earlier passion seem like a trick of the light.

Curiously, I crane my neck to see the phone and notice that the sender is his dad. Dutch catches me spying and tilts the screen away.

“Where’s your next class?” he asks, pocketing his phone for good measure. “I’ll walk you.”

I scowl. “I’ll find it myself.”

In typical Dutch fashion, he does whatever the hell he wants.

The hallway is crawling with students, but they all seem smaller than Dutch. His presence overshadows the whole room. It’s instant, the way he commands every space he walks into.

The air is different today. Usually, when Dutch and I are heading in the same direction, it’s because I’m thrown over his shoulder like a potato sack, my skirt flaring up and exposing everything.

But today, people scurry out ofmyway the same as they do with Dutch. They stare at me with curious eyes, angry eyes, jealous eyes. It’s like there’s some kind of invisible shield around me. Dutch’s shield.

And while they simultaneously hate me for being in that bubble, they’ll respect me because of him.

It’s creepy as hell.

I preferred it when I was the invisible girl at Redwood Prep.

Dutch takes me to class and I have no idea how he knew I was in Lit third period. I sure didn’t tell him.

He touches my cheek. “Don’t worry about Miller. I’ll handle him.”

“How?”

“All you need to know,” his eyes land heavily on me, “is that he won’t touch you.” His knuckles brush under my chin and lift my head. In a hard voice, he warns, “I’m not finished with you yet.”

I wrench my chin away. “You’re such a piece of crap.”

Dutch chuckles and takes a step back, still staring at me. I feel this strange, tingling sensation slide through my veins. Like I’m free-falling and the ground is still far enough away that it feels like I’m flying.

But I’m not dumb enough to think I can jump off a cliff without meeting the consequences of gravity. How much of me will break when I finally smack the ground?

* * *

Jinx: Redwood Prep’s Hunger Games

Just in! My sources tell me three students are on the chopping block after one heated meeting with the powers that be. In the lineup? Our beloved Solar System himself.

What will the Crown Prince do to save his friend? Or will he leave his romantic rival to rot while he trots away with his precious Cinderella?

Given Prince Charming’s tongue was caught several inches down Cinderella’s throat, I think I have an idea who’s in his top pick.

Until then…

Keep your enemies close and your secrets even closer,

Jinx

CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE

CADENCE

At lunch, I slide my tray past the gourmet racks as usual, only to hear one of the lunch ladies call me by name.