Page 29 of Boys Who Taint (Spine Ridge University #5)

Grey

Days later

I place a few papers in front of Apollo and wait until he looks up at me.

I’m not intimidated that easily. I arrived at his class just after the teacher had left early to attend a meeting, and this guy was about to pack up his belongings. The perfect time for an ambush.

“What’s this?” A curious smirk forms on his face.

“My application to the Phantom Society.”

He snorts. “Is this a joke?”

I’m dead serious. “Does it look like it?”

He picks up the paper, and I’m moderately surprised he can actually read. “How did you even find me here?”

“I checked which classes you go to. Asked one of your many admirers to confirm.”

“You went behind your girlfriend’s back?”

My nostrils flare. “You want me to accept you fucking my girlfriend? Then you’ll accept me into your house.”

He looks me up and down, like he’s judging my capabilities by the shape of my body. I know I’m not as bulky as he is, but looks can be deceiving.

He smiles. “I gotta admit, you have balls. I like that.”

“I don’t care what you like,” I grit back. “Just sign the damn papers.”

He glances up at me again, and the glimmer in his half-mast eyes makes me swallow away the lump in my throat.

He tilts his head. “You sure about that? The invite still stands, you know.”

My hands ball into fists, and I grab a pen and shove it into his hand.

“Say I let you join. What makes you think other members will allow it?”

“Because you’re the top dog there, right? You’ll force them to accept it.”

“I like how you think.” He winks. “But you’re not gonna win from Levi’s wrath.”

“I’ve read the rules. There’s no fighting among members,” I say.

A slow smirk forms on his face. “You think immunity will save you? Is that why you want to join? You love her so damn much, you’re willing to sign your life away to us just to stay in her vicinity.”

I point right where his signature is needed. “Sign here. That’s all I need.”

He grabs my wrist. “Fine. I’ll sign the damn document. But you owe me.” He pushes the pen down onto the paper so hard it nearly cracks the ballpoint. “In flesh and blood. And our initiations are brutal.”

“I can handle it,” I say.

He hands me back a signed paper, and I shove it into my backpack. “Can you, Ghost-boy?”

I pause.

Ghost-boy? No one’s ever called me that.

He leans back in his chair and casually toys with his short hair. “Say, why do you have that white hair again? You paint it?”

“It’s poliosis. And I bleached the rest to match.”

He bites his lip. “Interesting. And does your girlfriend know, or do you still keep her in the dark?”

I narrow my eyes. I don’t know what he’s aiming at, and I don’t know if I want to know.

“Your mom had a funny sense of humor, calling you Grey with that hair.” He smiles.

“Thanks,” I say as I walk off.

But his chuckle still makes me glance over my shoulder. “See you at the initiation tonight.”

Aspen

“Give me some of that.”

Before I can even say no, Xavier is already digging into my salad bowl. Again.

“Oh my God, can you please get your own food next time?” I bark.

“No. Yours tastes better,” he replies, still stealing.

“Is there ever a time when you two don’t fight?” Ivy asks.

“No,” we both say in sync.

Grey chuckles. “You two really don’t get along, do you?”

“They never have,” Océane says as she sits down on the grass. “Want a sandwich, Xav?” She opens a package and shows it to him. “Homemade.”

“Fuck yes.” Xavier grabs one of them and finally leaves my salad alone. “Much better than that rabbit food.”

“Well then, why the fuck do you keep stealing it?” I retort.

Everyone laughs.

“I’m helping you,” Xavier says.

I stab him with my fork until he yelps.

“What? You’re the one who keeps popping into the school gym,” he adds.

“To get stronger, not to lose weight.”

“Maybe she just likes the man candy there,” Océane says, and my face goes white immediately.

“Really?” Grey looks my way like I just got caught ogling someone.

“No, I’m just exercising, minding my own business.”

“Right …” Xav mumbles, so I stab him again with my fork for good measure.

He steals the fork from my hand and throws it in the grass.

“Hey! I need that!”

He shrugs. “Shouldn’t have used it to stab me.”

“Fine. I’ll eat with my hands,” I growl back.

“You wouldn’t,” he taunts.

He doesn’t know me as well as he thinks. I dig into the salad, not giving a shit everyone’s looking at me like I’m some kind of animal as I stuff it all into my mouth.

But when Grey gazes at me, I stop midway through eating my cucumbers and stare back. “What?”

He snorts and brings his thumb to my lip, wiping something off. “You have dressing on your face, silly.” And he pushes his thumb into his mouth, groaning. “Delicious.”

My face is probably glowing like a light bulb right now, and everyone’s looking at us, grinning and giggling to themselves.

“Speaking about gyms,” Océane says, “Did you hear the rumor going around that some people actually had sex in the dressing room?”

I nearly choke on my cucumber.

“Whoa, you okay there?” Grey asks.

“Yeah.” I cough a little.

“That has to be just a rumor, right?” Ivy asks.

Océane shrugs. “Apparently, they made so much noise the entire gym could hear them moan.”

Suddenly, something blocks the sun, and I look up only to stare right into Apollo Torres’s eyes. “Moaning? Sounds like they had a great time in there.”

The smirk forming on his face is so goddamn annoying that it nearly makes me want to throw my salad in his face.

I don’t need him to remind me of what we did, especially not with Grey sitting right beside me. I already feel guilty about having to exchange my body for his safety. He doesn’t need the added shame of Apollo trying to shove it in his face.

“Hey there, Freckles.”

Ivy snorts. “ Freckles ?”

“What are you doing here?” I hiss.

“Inviting you to the Phantom party this weekend.” He throws a pamphlet in my lap. “And your friends, of course.”

“I’m not interested,” I say, handing it back to him.

“Oh, c’mon, you could use the time to relax,” Océane says. “Besides, the Phantoms aren’t all bad.”

“You only say that because your boyfriend joined them.” Xavier raises his brow at her.

“Listen to the girl, not your brother,” Apollo muses, handing me back the flyer. “Join the party.”

I put my salad down and get up. “One sec, guys.”

“Is something going on?” Grey asks.

“Yes,” Apollo says, so I swiftly say, “No. He’s just … enthusiastic.”

“I spread joy wherever I go,” Apollo adds with a grin.

I hook my arm around his and drag him away from the group until we’re at a safe enough distance where they can’t hear us.

“What are you doing?” I hiss. “Do you want me to get in trouble or something?”

“Trouble? Now why would I want that, Freckles?” The sarcasm is dripping off as he leans against the tree in an obnoxious way. “I’m just trying to invite you to my party. That’s it.”

I fold my arms. “I already told you, I’m not going.”

“You sure about that? Because your boyfriend would be very disappointed.”

“Don’t bring Grey into this.”

“He’s already been involved from the moment you begged me to protect him.”

I gasp. “I did not beg.”

He leans in, one hand still on the tree trunk. “I sure as hell remember you on your knees in front of my cock, Freckles.”

“I did what I had to do.” I tap his chest. “And you’d better hold up your end of the deal.”

He grabs my hand. “I will … if you come to the party.”

I narrow my eyes. “Are you blackmailing me?”

He tilts his head. “It’s considered polite to say yes when someone invites you, but if you want to label it that way, sure.”

I try to jerk back my hand so I can slap him, but he grips my wrist tighter and pulls me closer. “Careful, Freckles, don’t want to make a scene in public, unless you want everyone to know about our little affair.”

My jaw drops. “You wouldn’t.”

He leans in closer. “Fuck around … and find out.”

I finally manage to pull away, and he pushes another paper into my hand. “Come or don’t, the choice is yours. But if you don’t …”

“You’re going to tell everyone I was the one who got fucked in the gym’s dressing room.”

“ Licked , Freckles. No one got fucked, because if I did fuck you with my ungodly cock, you wouldn’t be able to stop talking about it.”

Oh my God.

The absolute balls of this dude.

He winks. “See you at the party.”

He struts off like it’s nobody’s business, leaving me wanting to spout steam from my ears like a kettle boiling over.

Grey

I walk into the Phantom House with five other initiates. From what I’ve heard, they don’t allow many into their ranks. The other guys seem uneasy. Off. As though they’ve never had to face the dark corners of their own depraved minds, but they’ll know if they’re able to hone them after tonight.

I’ve heard stories about these initiations at previous Phantom parties I attended, and they’re not fucking pretty.

In the hallway, a Phantom Society member awaits us. “Welcome, pledges. My name is Talon Landon. As of today, you will be initiated into the Phantom Society. If you do not follow our protocol, your application will be terminated.”

And your life.

But they don’t say that part out loud.

“Here are some of our ground rules. Whatever happens here tonight, you will repeat to no one.”

I swallow at the warning while another guy begins chewing his nails.

“Obey the house leader. That’s currently Apollo Torres.

Phantoms first. That means anywhere, everywhere, all the time.

We protect each other at all costs, and no Phantom will ever hurt another Phantom.

You do what you’re told, no matter the consequence.

The Phantom Society, in return, will protect you.

Our alums are among the country’s most well-known CEOs, as well as many major stars, and they all took part in this same initiation you’re about to endure.

Take heed. This is not for the faint-hearted.

What you’re about to do may be considered wrong, heinous, illegal. ”

A pledge beside me gulps.