Page 98 of The Ruthless Note

Running a hand through his hair, he drains the rest of his beer and grabs his backpack. “I’m heading home for the day.”

“I’ll take you,” Zane offers.

I jut my chin at Finn.

He nods once and starts to go with them.

I grab his elbow. “Before you leave, tell Cadence I need to see her.”

“She’s not going to listen,” he says.

“Make her listen.”

Finn leaves and I pick up my guitar. The high-pitched notes don’t soothe my aching nerves at all. Sol is pissed, but that’s not what gets to me.

He’s pissed we targetedCadence.

And I’m not convinced his affections for her are brotherly.

That suspicion is like a piece of dirt in my eye, always at the corner, slightly irritating, but not terrible enough that I’m ready to do something about it. Not yet. But I know the day will come when I’ll have to.

And I don’t know if I’ll ever be prepared to take the knife and cut that dirt out.

There’s a pounding on the door.

I glance up.

“The hell do you want, Dutch?” Cadence screams from outside.

Despite the tension still living in my chest, I smile slightly.

Good.

Miller didn’t crush out her spark. Not surprising. I spent weeks trying to break her and she never folded. Maybe that’s why I’m so drawn to her, to that strength.

I throw the door open. Cadence stands in the doorway, looking ready to stab me in the gut. Her hair is pulled messily back into a ponytail, but a few strands fall out and frame her face. Her lips are pursed and her eyes are flashing obsidian.

“Get in,” I say in a low voice.

She remains stubbornly at the doorway. “Finn came and hi-jacked me out of class like a freaking thug. You guys must really think you run this school, don’t you?”

Her tone is scorching. I just want to step into that flame. Let it burn me. Let it show what’s really beating underneath my chest.

I’m not through with her yet.

I’m not done.

No one is going to take her from me until I’m ready.

Not Sol.

Not Miller.

No one.

I grab her by the wrist and drag her into the room. Kicking the door shut with my foot, I whirl her around and push her back, slamming her into the wall—not hard enough to hurt but firm enough to knock the breath out of her lungs.

She’s panting, shaking, glaring at me with eyes so black it could drown me if I’m not careful.