Page 68 of Boys Who Taint (Spine Ridge University #5)

Levi

“Are you fucking for real? You just announced to the fucking world that the Torres family is involved with the Carusos!”

“Hey, there are two Torreses families here. Mine is not yours.”

“The world doesn’t see it like that, asshole,” I say, punching his shoulder. “If her parents find out, they’re going to kill me.”

“Hold your horses there. I didn’t tell anyone you were involved.”

“It. Doesn’t. Fucking. Matter,” I say through gritted teeth. “You put a target on her when we were trying to stay under the radar.”

“The attention will die down, don’t worry,” he says, like it’s all so simple.

I guess it is to a simpleton like him.

“When? After they’ve come for me and ripped me apart, limb from limb?” I quip.

“They won’t. Like I said, I put the attention on her, me, and Grey. You’re still off the hook. Relax, bro.”

“That’s easy for you to say when no one’s trying to kill you.”

“Oh really?” He raises a brow, looking at me.

I fold my arms. “I fucking might after you pulled this stunt.”

“Proving my point.” He snorts. “You worry too much.”

“You worry too little,” I reply.

He taps my forehead. “Or maybe I’m the only sane one out of the four of us.”

I grab his finger and nearly break it. “If you’re the cause of my death … better pray for fucking mercy because I will fucking come to haunt your ass until you die of annoyance.”

He laughs. “Good. Keeps me on edge.”

Aspen

“Did anyone see me?” I ask Grey.

“No. They’re far too busy with something else,” Grey mutters as he looks around at all the people who are talking behind our backs.

“What are they gossiping about?” I hiss.

“Apollo, announcing to the entire school he’s fucking us both.”

The blood leaves my face so quickly I swear I might faint. “He did what?”

“Sorry, I couldn’t stop him. He moved that quickly.” Grey swallows. “He even kissed me in front of everyone.”

I pause. “Oh my God. People know about our foursome?”

No.

Oh God no.

If people know, that means Felix will find out, and then my mom and dad will find out too … and kill him.

“No, no, no,” I mutter to myself.

Grey grabs my arms and sets me down on a bench. “Don’t panic. He only mentioned the three of us. No one else.”

I breathe out a few panicked breaths. “So … No one knows L is involved?”

I don’t know how else to say his name without having people find out.

“No. And I think Apollo just did it to take the focus away from you two,” he says. “That … or he’s really done with suppressing himself.”

“Both,” I say, snorting to myself. “If I know him well enough.”

Suddenly, my phone buzzes, and I whip it out only to do a double take when my half sister Melody’s name appears on the screen.

Melody: Mom wants to talk over dinner tonight. Are you bringing over Grey like you promised??? I wanna meet him.

My eyes widen.

Shit. The family dinner is tonight? How did I forget?

“What’s wrong?” Grey asks.

“Mom’s family dinner. I totally forgot she moved it to today. And I promised them I’d bring you too.”

Grey’s face turns as white as his hair. “Oh … damn.”

“What do I do?”

I pull up my messages and find Levi’s phone number which I only recently unblocked and message him.

Me: Sorry, I can’t do tonight. Totes forgot about family dinner. Tomorrow?

“Can we cancel?” Grey asks.

“No, God no,” I say, hacking up a laugh. “There’s no canceling on my mom. Ever. Don’t even try.”

He looks worried. “Who’s gonna be there?”

My eyes widen as courage sinks into my shoes. “Everyone.”

Apollo

Evening

“What’s this with you and Grey and Aspen?” My half brother Heath asks as he suddenly walks beside me while I’m on the way to the gym for a quick evening workout.

“Where did you come from?”

“Sneaking up on people is my favorite thing in the world,” he says, winking. “Word spread like a wildfire, so give me all the juice.”

“There is no juice. At least none that I haven’t already given to them.”

“TMI,” he replies.

“You asked for it.” I head into the locker room and open one up.

“You should’ve told me sooner,” he says. “I didn’t know you were interested in guys too.”

“Wasn’t it obvious?” I show off my muscles.

He laughs. “I know how it feels.”

“Do you?”

“Yeah, wanting to announce to the world that you’re all together just so people will accept it and all the secrecy stops,” he says, planting his hand against the locker.

I throw my towel over my shoulder and gaze at him. “What … don’t tell me you’re also in a polycule?” I say sarcastically.

He rolls his eyes and he steals the towel, then slaps me on the ass with it. “I’m just saying, if you need any advice, come to me.”

I snatch my towel back. “Now why would I do that?”

“Family always helps each other out,” he says, walking after me into the gym area.

I sit down on the bicycle my Freckles sat on too and savor the memory of seeing her fat cheeks splayed all over the edges of the seat.

“I am wondering, though … why Aspen?”

Why won’t he give it a rest?

“Because I’ve always had her on my radar,” I reply. “End of story.”

Heath sits down on the bike right beside me. “Right … And then you just happened to catch her boyfriend too.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Are you fishing?”

“I’m just wondering where all this suddenly came from. You’re a goddamn playboy. You never settled down, and now you hook two of them at the same time and declare you’re solely going to fuck them in front of the entire school?”

“Why does it matter? I’m a happy man,” I say, focusing on my cardio.

“I’m just saying, the people are talking.”

“Then keep talking. I don’t care.”

“You might not, but our parents do,” he replies. “And when word reaches Aspen’s family, do you think they’ll be kind?”

I pause biking for a second. “Are you just saying this because I’m a Torres?”

He shrugs. “You know as well as I do what happened.”

“Our families aren’t fighting,” I reply.

“Yet.” He glares me down. “Sooner or later, this whole thing is going to blow, and either the Caruso’s or the Torres are going to demand loyalty … the only question is which side you’ll pick.”

My eye twitches.

Now I fucking get why he’s talking to me.

“You’re a lethal weapon, Apollo. And any family would be foolish not to want that for themselves.”

“I’m not going to be fucking used for a fight that isn’t mine.”

“I don’t think we’re gonna be able to choose with the way things are going. After all, Ares and Kai are brothers, and family will protect family.”

“You actually think the Carusos are gonna start something with the Torres family?”

“I don’t think so,” he says, stopping the bike. “I know so.”

My coolness disappears immediately. “Tell me.”

He raises his brows and looks around like he can’t say it out loud in front of these people. I hop off my bike and grasp him, dragging him off too.

“Hey! Let me go!”

I haul him into the locker room and slam the door shut. “Spill it.”

“All right, okay. As long as you don’t tell anyone you heard it from me.” He swallows. “Silas has been planning to abduct Levi.”

I snort. “He’s attacked him before. It didn’t work.”

“That’s not it. He’s going to do it when Levi’s alone.”

“Why? Why not just kill him? Why would he abduct him?” I ask, my fist balling. “He wants to torture him?”

“Yes, but he’s also trying to lure out Kai and Lana.”

My eyes widen. “He wants them to fight the Carusos. Start a war to avenge his sister and erase the Torres family.”

“Like I said, you didn’t hear it from me.”

I grab him by the collar and slam him against the door. “When?”

“Tonight.”