Page 294 of Blackwood

Holy hell. They walk out, and I swear the floor shakes.

Cut-off jean shorts that barely qualify as legal. Black cowboy boots stomping like a warning. And the tops? God help us all. Ellie’s in a tiny yellow halter that says“Rez Wrecked Me”across the front. Rez is howling, damn near tears in his eyes.

Haley’s is lime green with“Why Choose?”in glitter, complete with Sharpie arrows. One pointing left that saysChase, the other to the right that saysDeShawn. The boys lose it. DeShawn’s laughing so hard he nearly drops his beer.

But then Bella steps out and Lex stops breathing. Red. Fiery. Blinding. Sinful. And across her chest, bold black letters scream,“Lex’s Bitch.”

Lex doesn’t laugh. Doesn’t blink. Just stares like he’s ready to throw hands with anyone who looks too long. “I’m gonna fucking explode.”

I laugh. “In your pants?”

“In my soul,” he hisses.

Knox throws his hands up as the crowd starts chanting. “And now,” Knox shouts over the mic, “Nickelback, baby. A filthy mashup of some of their greatest hits.”

The beat slams—gritty, heavy, unapologetic—and my heart punches my ribs. She did this for me. Nickelback. My favorite band. My guilty pleasure, my no-shame soundtrack.

She remembered.

The girls own the stage like they’ve got a patent on lust and I’m gone. Absolutely fucking gone.

Lex groans beside me, tilting his head back like he’s in physical pain. “Fucking Canadian rockers corrupting my soul. I swear to God, Cade, I’m about five seconds from dragging her off that stage and letting the song finish without her.”

I watch her look over, straight at us and smile.

“Make it three,” I counter.

Chapter 80

LEX

The Catacombs – About to murder Callum Whitmore… again.

63 Days Since Henry’s Death

The last beat of the Nickelback mashup slams into the floor like a meteor. The crowd’s still roaring when Knox steps up to the mic again.

“Trifecta, stay on the floor.”

The girls freeze and then all three of them start laughing as three burgundy and black high-top tables are wheeled onto the dance floor.

Cade leans in. “Are they gonna dance on the tables?”

“Holy hell, these girls… goddamn.”

Knox grins like a demon. “Ladies, you know what time it is.”

They each step behind one of the tables. The crowd roars louder as three of Wexley’s finest start strutting out—Callum, August, and the tight end, Jalen.

They each take a spot in front of a girl, and of fucking course, Callum goes to Bella’s table.Then three Legacy girls come out carrying trays stacked with neon-colored shot glasses, ten on each tray.

Cade stiffens beside me, eyes locked on Bella. “This is not going to end well. Last time she took shots with Cal, they ended up skinny-dipping in the Hamptons.”

“The fuck they did.”

“Relax, babe. It was years ago. And technically, I think it was her idea.”

Knox is grinning like a lunatic. “Wexley, it’s time to find out if our Trifecta can out drink some of our big, bad Wolves!”