Page 22 of Boys Who Taint (Spine Ridge University #5)

Levi

If Grey is at all connected to them, I have to tell Aspen.

Even though I know I’m not supposed to talk to her, even if both my family and her family will kill me when I do, I have to keep her safe, no matter the cost.

He hops into his car and starts the engine, and when he drives off, I casually tail him through the rain without drawing too much attention to myself.

He drives to the outskirts of the city and heads into the parking lot that’s on the edge of an abandoned piece of land. I stay behind on the other side of the street, stopping only to stick up a cigarette and pretend I’m taking a break so I won’t be noticed while I stalk.

But then a second car drives up the parking lot, and I’m keenly aware of their meetup.

Who is this guy, and what does Grey want from him?

Is he a mule for the Bonesmen Brotherhood?

The car stops right behind his, and when a guy steps out, they have a brief chat before another person is pushed out of the vehicle, hands bound. The guy hops back into the car, and it skids around and races off across the rainy road, leaving the shackled person stranded with Grey.

Grey kicks a few loose pebbles off the street as he approaches, his hands in his pockets. Suddenly, he lunges and knocks him out in one blow. Out cold.

My eyes widen as Grey drags the guy to a secluded spot behind a tree, pulls out a knife, and slowly eviscerates the man, blood spraying all over the pavement.

Holy shit.

Guess Silas isn’t the only insane fucker in Aspen’s life. Grey’s an absolute maniac.

I lower my visor and prep my bike, but the moment I rev the engine, Grey homes in on me, so I drive off fast.

Can’t risk him following me.

He may have seen my bike, but he doesn’t know who I am, or that I saw him kill, and I intend to keep it that way. But if he does end up following me, I’ll be ready for him.

I pat my leggings to ensure my knives are still there, before swerving across the streets, back up the mountain to Spine Ridge University grounds.

I have to fucking warn Aspen about his nefarious side job. Even if she won’t listen to me, I have to at least try. I don’t care if she’ll only end up hating me more. I won’t give up. Not now. Not ever.

When I finally get to her sorority, I hop off my bike and tap on the doorbell numerous times until the door finally opens. A girl in her pajamas with a cup of tea in her hands stares me down. “What do you want? I was trying to read.”

“Is Aspen here?”

She frowns. “Who’s asking?”

I push up my visor, and her attitude immediately changes, as she nearly spills her tea on the pavement. “Jesus, Levi?!”

I plant my hand against the door. “Is she here or not?”

“Um … I think so…”

“Get. Her,” I growl. “Now.”

The girl immediately turns around and skedaddles off, leaving me so impatient I nearly storm inside after her. But then I’d most definitely get expelled.

When Aspen finally shows up through the gap in the door, she barely steps close enough to see me.

“So it really is you,” she mutters as she clutches the door. “I thought she was joking.”

“We have to talk.”

She snorts, her red hair cascading over her shoulder. “Gee, that sounds familiar.”

“Can I come inside?”

She looks around and then outside, like she’s concerned someone might’ve heard that. “We’re not supposed to talk, remember?” she hisses.

“I know that. Who do you think told you that?” I retort.

She looks up into my visor, her freckles nearly bouncing in the light cast outside, and I’m at odds with how much I want to grip her face and study them up close.

Resisting, I clear my throat. “It’s important.”

“That’s what I said, and you pretended you didn’t care,” she says, tapping her chin. “No, actually, I remember you were distinctly offended.”

I clutch the door tightly right above where her hand is situated and lean in so close I could shut this visor and cut off a piece of her hair with it. “It’s about Grey.”

Her pupils dilate, and she suddenly grabs my arm, hoists me inside, shuts the door, drags me to the kitchen, then folds her arms. “Talk.”

I’m glad all of her fellow sorority members are either upstairs or out, and that we have the kitchen to ourselves.

“He’s dealing with or is part of the Bonesmen Brotherhood.”

Her thin brows draw together, lips pursed. “Oh … kay.”

Of course, she doesn’t believe me. “It’s true.”

“Where’s your proof?” she asks.

“I don’t—I saw him with my own two eyes, Aspen.”

She tilts her head. “Where?”

“A Bonesmen Brotherhood club. He stepped out looking grimy and jumped into his car, so I followed him.”

She grimaces, her nose crinkling in the most Aspen way possible. “You followed him?!”

“Because I don’t trust that fucker.”

“Of course, you don’t.” She scoffs, rolling her eyes. “You don’t like me hanging out with him. Scratch that, you don’t like me hanging with anyone.”

“This isn’t about you,” I say.

“Then why are you here?”

“To warn you.” I grab both her arms and get up close and personal. “You have to stay away from him.”

She seems shocked I’d grab her, but I can’t stop myself, not when it comes to her.

“He’s my boyfriend, Levi.”

“He isn’t right for you,” I grit.

“And you base that on what? His leaving a club?”

“Because I just saw him murder someone,” I answer through gritted teeth.

She’s quiet for just a second, and in just that one second, there are more emotions on her face than in the past damn month. And God, I’d forgotten how much I’ve missed talking with her about just anything, doesn’t matter what.

But that one second is enough to remind me exactly why I haven’t.

“You murdered someone,” she hisses, her face contorting right in front of me. “Someone I loved.”

Of course she’d remind me of my darkest moment.

I release her from my grip. “This is different.”

“You come here accusing Grey of the very same thing you did without a shred of proof. At least I know for a fact you killed Mavis.”

There it is. The bullet that keeps lodging deeper into my flesh.

My jaw tightens. “Do you?”

Thunder suddenly strikes outside, and the lights flicker.

But she and I are still staring at each other without moving even an inch.

“You said it yourself, you killed her,” she says. “You’re a monster. And monsters don’t go around accusing other people of being monsters.”

“I saw what I saw,” I growl. “Grey isn’t good for you, Aspen.”

“Oh, and you are?” She scoffs, offended.

“I never said I was, Firefly,” I say, swallowing away the lump in my throat at the thought. “Or that I wanted to be.”

“Get out.”

Thunder ripples through the sky, and I can hear the rain pitter-pattering onto the roof tiles.

I can’t help but wonder if the rift between us had already opened up before the night Mavis died.

“Didn’t you hear me?” She shoves me. “Get. Out.”

I let her push me around.

I don’t want to leave, but when her hand connects with my rippling abs to push me away again, I can feel the hesitation in her fingers, the pain it inflicts to drive me away like I’ve driven her out.

But I’m already broken beyond repair, and I grab her hand mid-push, forcing it to stay. And she lets me.

Just a few more seconds.

Please.

Just a few more.

Her breathing comes out in short, delectable gasps, and all I wanna do is close the gap and suck them right out of her mouth.

Fuck.

“Stay away from him,” I say, looking down at her through my helmet. “Don’t let him touch you again …”

Her lips part, eyes flickering with confusion. “Or what?”

“I’ll destroy him.”

She jerks free of my grip, and by the time she’s grabbed an actual knife off the kitchen island, I’ve already rushed out the door.

Apollo

The next day

“Surprise!” everyone yells in unison, holding up party poppers as Cecelia walks into my parents' house. “Happy birthday!”

Everyone’s here, even Aspen’s whole family, and I don’t think she expected it. Neither did I, to be fair, because it’s not often we can get together at the same time. Especially for Silas it’s a crazy feat, considering he hates parties that don’t revolve around murder.

Cecelia stares at us for a moment in complete shock before a smile erupts on her face. “Wow. Thank you.”

Heath is the first to approach with a gift, shoving it into her hand. “Congrats, sis.”

She opens it up and pulls out an expensive Louis Vuitton bag, squealing, “Oh my God, Heath!” She jumps into his arms.

“You like it?” he asks.

“I love it!” she replies.

Atlas is up next, placing a tiny box in her hand. “I thought you might appreciate something small.”

She opens up the box, and it’s from Cartier, a ring with plenty of diamonds.

“Love it!” she says, immediately putting it on her ring finger, which already has too many rings. “You guys always know what I like.”

Orion rolls his eyes. “We grew up with you, of course we know how much you love the rich life.” But he still offers her a giant box from Chanel, and she jumps up and down like a little schoolgirl from the excitement before ripping the box open and pulling out the magnificent dress.

“God, I love you guys,” she says.

“Yeah, they sure know how to spoil a spoiled-rotten kid,” I say, winking before I pull out the box I saved. “But they don’t know where your heart truly belongs, now do they?”

She puts it all aside and grabs the box from my hand, throwing off the lid to reveal the sweetest hand-made, velvety cupcakes she has ever laid eyes on, bought by yours truly.

I know what my sister likes. She might shriek for a bunch of expensive branding, but she’ll die for this.

“You didn’t,” she says, gasping with excitement. “These are all mine?”

“All of them. Mom and Dad bought a separate cake for the guests,” I reply. “Happy birthday, Sisi.”

“Fuck yes,” she says, pulling one out to dig in immediately, and her eyes nearly roll into the back of her head.

“Cupcakes, huh?” Orion throws his arm around my shoulders. “Cheapskate.”

“I can’t help that I know what she likes,” I reply, grinning. “More than any of you fuckers.”

She devours the cupcakes like an animal, and we all laugh.