Page 67 of Brutal Little Secrets

Keira smiles. “Damon didn’t claim that girl. Yes, Olivia made her life hell, but only because she thought Damon was claimable. So if he wants to claim you, then claim him.”

“But what about getting back at Chase?” I ask.

“That can’t be the only thing driving you with this relationship, right?” Keira sits next to me. “Damon wants you. Hell, three guys want you. Your ex was an asshole who fucked you over. Him seeing you with those three will drive him crazy. It’s the best revenge a girl can have.”

I smile, but will it be enough revenge for Damon? Will he want to go after Olivia since she was part of his accident? I can’t watch that. Stand by and let him do whatever he wants as revenge? I don’t know what I would do, but I couldn’t be present for him trying to get one over on Olivia by seducing her.

I won’t know until I have a chance to talk to him tonight. After rehearsal and after Cam’s tutoring session. Until then, I need to do what I always do. Compartmentalize and go on with the show.

“Are you ready now?” Keira asks softly.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Chapter 20

Hawk

I got to the black box early in the hopes of finding Annie alone or close to alone. Enough that I can at least flirt with her before the rest of the cast shows up. But she’s not in here, so I take a seat in the audience and pull out my phone.

I have a few contacts at Riordan’s school. I reached out to see what I can find out about the guy since we haven’t been around him in years. If he’s the one coming after Annie, we need to get ahead of him. There’s no way I’m letting her get trapped with him or Chase alone again.

With Riordan, what I don’t get is why now? Why is he suddenly interested in her again after two years? That day at the rink. He looked at her with interest, but it wasn’t obsession. At least I don’t think it was. I need to talk to Annie about it.

Chase walks into the room and looks at the table where Annie usually sits. He’s disappointed she isn’t here too. Maybe he does want her more than just as an alibi for all his wrong doing. Or maybe he’s just an asshole who doesn’t want his toy taken away.

He looks me over. I smile because Annie’s mine. If I thought she’d let me, I’d drag her to a closet and fuck her until she screams, so everyone knows. But that’s not the plan. No, Annieneeds to find out why he wants her so much, and we’re going to show him exactly how he made her feel.

Chase nods at me. Apparently, eye contact and a smile was an invitation to come over and talk. He crosses the stage and sits down near me.

“You’re here early.” He glances at me like he wants to take the temperature of my involvement with Annie maybe. Either that or he wants to talk about Damon having access to his girl.

I’m all over his girl. If I could have found her, I would have given her a stress break because she looked at me for help at lunch and I couldn’t do a damn thing to help her. Not without hurting her. We don’t know if our interest in Annie is why Riordan wants her. If it will make him back off or want her more.

Fuck, this is complicated. Since Chase didn’t ask an actual question, I give him the non-answer.

“You and Damon are friends, right?”

I lean back in my chair and close my eyes. “Yeah.”

Where the fuck is he going with this line of questioning?

“I’m trying everything I can to get back with EvanAnn. Could you let him know to back off? She’s not the kind of girl he’s used to.” Chase’s voice is low and private.

I straighten and meet his eyes. “And what kind of girl is Annie?”

He swallows and glances toward the door. “Inexperienced. I was with her for months and didn’t get any. So if he’s hoping she’ll fuck him?—”

I laugh and he cuts off. He doesn’t know how quickly we got her into our bed.

But he tries again, “EvanAnn is cute. She’s not as hot as most of the girls in our school, and she’s not fast.”

If he only knew.

“So you want me to tell Damon to, what?” I arch an eyebrow.

“She’s in his house. Just ignore her like he does at school. Give me a chance to figure out my shit with her.” Chase runs a hand through his hair and glances at the doors. “He’ll just hurt her.”

I scoff. “You’re fucking around on her.”