Page 118 of Conquered (Highgate Preparatory Academ:y Compendium)

“Hello, Gerald,” I reply, beaming at him. “Have a good Christmas and New Year?”

“Yes, thank you. And yourself?” he politely enquires.

I decide against telling him that I went to Bali to see one of my boyfriends who's recovering from steroid abuse, discovered that I’m rich in my own right, have stocks and shares in a company of dubious intentions, and visited my mother’s grave for the first time.

“Lovely, thank you,” I say instead.

“Do you ladies know what you want today?” he asks, looking from me to Willow.

“Ummm…” she starts, looking all kinds of flustered as her cheeks heat up.

“I’ll take the steak, chunky fries, and side salad please, and a glass of full-fat coke with ice,” I tell him. My intention was to have a salad, but I’m suddenly craving meat. Snort. Not that kind of meat. Although…

“Of course. And you, Miss Anderson?” he questions Willow, who looks like a rabbit in headlights.

“Uh, I’ll take the same,” she quickly replies, breathing out a relieved sigh.

“I’ll put the order in and bring your drinks back shortly,” he tells us with a smile. I grin back, I like the old man. Not like that butler, fucking Crow. Speaking of, I haven’t seen him around for a while.

“What kind of school canteen is this?” Willow hisses at me, interrupting my thoughts, and I laugh at her.

“I know, right. The day’s menu choices are on your iPad. Or you can just order what the fuck you like, and they’ll make it for you,” I inform her with a roll of my eyes. Rich pricks .

“Jesus,” she murmurs, going still as the whole place goes quiet. Her eyes widen again, and it really is adorable.

I turn round, a huge smile lifting my lips as my Knights walk in looking all kinds of dark and dangerous. My core twinges at the sight of them. They spot me and head towards our table. Having spent the past few weeks with them, I’d forgotten just how imposing they can be.

Ash in his usual pristine black suit, tie, and smoothly styled jet hair, his eyes the colour of steel.

Jax dressed head to toe in black, his bulging muscles threatening to rip his T-shirt in a Hulk moment.

His lips twitch ever so slightly when his sparkling blue eyes meet mine, and I savour that almost smile that’s meant for me alone.

Kai is the epitome of geek chic in green chinos, a chequered shirt, navy bow tie, and a mustard cardigan.

He looks so damn hot I can feel my temperature rise just watching him.

Loki struts in like a fucking peacock, his auburn hair artfully disheveled, his low slung jeans hugging his toned legs, his white T-shirt sculpted to his torso in the most mouth-watering way.

Today his shirt has a drawing of an eye in black ink, an anatomical heart in red, and an etching of a cockerel.

A delighted laugh tumbles from my lips as my hands cover my mouth, and his face lights up with an arrogant as fuck smirk. When they finally reach our table, he swoops down, capturing my lips in a bruising kiss that leaves me breathless and tingling.

“I missed you, Pretty Girl,” he says, his lush lips turning down in a pout as he sits in the seat next to me and pulls my chair closer to his.

Jax sits on my other side, scooting his chair closer, then leans in and tangles his hand in the hair on the back of my head.

Using his grip, he turns my head until I’m facing him, then proceeds to decimate my lips with his velvety ones.

Her Vagisty is panting like a bitch in heat by the time he pulls away, and my heart races seeing the look of wild hunger in his blue eyes.

“I missed you, too, Baby Girl,” he rumbles against my lips as he pulls away, his own lips lifting as he sees my dazed look.

“Shit, girl! That was hot!” Willow blurts out, and all eyes turn to her, Ash and Kai having sat down too, making her squirm in her seat.

“Who the fuck are you?” Jax growls, letting go of my hair and levelling her with his piercing stare. She swallows audibly.

“Hey!” I scold, whacking his pec with the back of my hand. Fuck! When will I ever learn that their muscles are hard as fucking rock? “That’s Willow. She’s my new bestie, so play nice.”

Bad bitch that she is, she holds her hand out, waiting for Jax to shake it. To his credit, he does and doesn’t pull a dick move like squeezing too hard either. Brownie points, Jax.

“Jax Griffiths,” he introduces himself, letting go of her hand with a small nod.

“Nice to meet you, Jax,” she replies politely, holding her hand out to Loki next, then Kai, who both introduce themselves. Finally, it’s Ash’s turn.

“Asher Vanderbilt,” he states, shaking her outstretched hand. His voice is cold, but not unfriendly. “Your brother is Hunter Anderson, co-leader of The Shadows crew, based in the World’s End Estate, Chelsea. And Iris Montgomery convinced her father to sponsor your senior year here.”

I look at him with wide eyes, almost as round as Willow’s.

“That’s right,” she says, her voice a little shaky. “How did you know all of that?” she questions, suspicion laced in her tone.

“I make it a point to know things, especially if they involve my girlfriend,” he tells her, and my heart does a little pitty-pat at the term. Stupid really, given all that we’ve gone through.

“Good to know,” Willow murmurs, just as Gerald comes back with our drinks.

He takes the guys’ orders, then heads off again, leaving us in a slightly strained silence.

“Fuck’s sake,” I huff out, turning to Willow and ignoring the brooding arseholes around me. “How was your first morning?”

She proceeds to tell me all about it, and before long Loki joins in, with the odd word from Ash and Kai.

Jax remains quiet, but that’s no surprise given his usual engagement level with strangers being zero.

Our food arrives, and we all eat, continuing to chat.

I invite Willow back to our dorm for dinner later, both of us silencing any arguments by offering to make shepherd's pie for the guys.

I’d call that a successful introduction.

After all, they didn’t threaten to kill her.