Page 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

Jolie

I learned a few things last night.

The Myers house is beyond huge, and I’m almost certain it’s haunted—or it could just be a draft. They also have a basement that is locked. Okay, so I also learned I’m a chickenshit and had to call Jimmie to talk to me until I fell asleep. This stupid house is too big, and once I heard one noise, I just kept hearing them. Turns out I have one more thing to add to my list of things I’m scared of. Matte paper, cotton balls, and big-ass empty houses.

Walking through the school car park this morning, Danika asks, “So, you have one day of freedom left. What do you plan on doing until they get back?”

“We could have a sleepover,” Sinclair suggests.

“It’s not a terrible idea,” I mutter. Danika’s face lights up, but she is focused past me, on something across the courtyard. “Now, who is that hunk of man?”

We all turn to see what, or who, she is referring to.

“Someone with a death wish, if you ask me,” Jimmie adds, rolling his eyes.

I stare at the stranger, who leans over the shrub wall, smoking a cigarette without a care in the world. If Laughn were here, this guy wouldn’t be standing there. He would be quickly thrown over the ledge and into the shrubs.

Sinclair, Jimmie, Joshua, and Danika talk between themselves, but I can’t shake the eerie feeling that I know this guy. He must feel me looking and locks eyes with me for a few moments, neither of us looking away. Until Chelsea and her buddies walk over to him, then he turns his attention to her and gives her a once-over. I watch as he dismisses her with his body language, not that it deters her. She flicks her hair over her shoulder as her other perfectly manicured hand runs down his arm. She then tosses her head back while pushing her cleavage forward and laughs at whatever he just said. She knows the Gods have zero interest in her, so she’s already moving to get her claws into the new guy; it’s extremely humorous to watch.

He looks over at me again and smiles. Chelsea notices and her face puckers like a cat’s asshole. Now that makes me smile—anything to annoy that bitch works just fine for me.

“He keeps looking at you,” Sinclair whispers.

“You know he can’t hear you, right?” Joshua remarks, causing Danika to laugh.

“Of course, I know that. But he’s looking this way again.”

“It’s because Jolie is a magnet that attracts hot guys,” Danika insists, staring at the new guy with no shame.

“Are we complaining about that? Because I’m certainly not,” Jimmie adds before taking a huge bite out of his banana.

“I have a few issues with this,” I interject. “When Boston finds out, we will butt heads about it. And now I’m back on Chelsea’s radar, and by extension, so are you guys, so don’t let her corner you.”

“If you ask me, he looks like trouble. What is with that ‘just rolled out of bed’ look? And is he wearing chucks?”

Joshua keeps going on about the guy’s messy uniform, and I nod along in agreement. I mean, good for him if he thinks he will get away with it, but the jokes on him when he gets sent to the home economics building to have it steamed out. Rich people are allergic to wrinkles on both clothes and skin.

“Do you think they have botox for clothes?” I wonder aloud, and everyone looks at me like I’m an idiot.

“It’s called starch,” Sinclair says. We all look at her. “What? Not all of us have maids twenty-four seven to do our washing.”

Jimmie gasps, his dramatic flair shining strong. “Are you having money problems?”

“No,” she snaps defensively, like being poor is the worst thing in the world. “When my parents go away, I like to have the house to myself.”

“And you have never had a house party. I don’t even know how we are friends,” Danika jokes. Even though we know she would organise and throw a party in a second if Sinclair gave her the go ahead.

I look back at the new guy. He runs a hand through his hair, and his school shirt rides up, showing off his abs. I shake my head and turn my attention back to my friends. If this guy has set his sights on me, there will be a few guys back tomorrow with something to say about it. Which could be fun to use against Boston since he thinks he bloody owns me... but is risking the poor guy’s life worth it if Laughn gets upset?

I can’t lie—while I’m confused and pissed about what Summer told me, the thought of Laughn going feral turns me on. It’s not my fault my libido is a sucker for him.

The bell for form rings and we all head towards the building.

My classroom feels empty without the guys. As I move to take a seat, the teacher looks up and motions for me to come to the front of the class.

“Yes?” I ask.

“The principal wants to speak to you.”

Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I head to the office. When I arrive, the administration lady gives me a look that says she isn’t pleased to see me. “You can go straight in.”

I walk down past her desk and to the principal’s office, and don’t bother knocking since the door is open.

“Jolie, thank you for coming. Take a seat.” He gestures to the chair in front of his desk.

“Is something wrong?” I ask, curious why I would get called to his office, especially on a day when none of the guys are here.

“No, nothing like that. We have a new student today and I need you to show him around,” he says, not looking up from the paperwork on his desk.

“Okay, why me? I’m sure Sinclair is better at being nice.”

“For this particular student, I feel you would be better suited.”

“What are you trying to say, sir?” I question with a raised brow.

“That I have noticed you are friends with the likes of Laughn Taylor? And...”

“With all due respect, if this guy is anything like Laughn, then why does he need a student guide?”

“Because, beautiful, I don’t like to be alone. Misery loves company.”

I turn to look behind me where the new guy from this morning stands, leaning against the door frame. He is an average height, and his brown hair falls across his face, almost hiding his green eyes. His arm tattoos are visible with his shirt sleeves rolled to his elbows.

“That would insinuate that I’m miserable.”

“I can see the shards in your eyes. There is beauty in how deep you’re broken. Your kind of hurt makes you a force to be reckoned with.”

“Kaiser, glad you’re here,” the principal says, cutting off our banter.

“Just Kai,” he says, walking further into the room and perching his ass on the side of my chair.

“Sorry, Kai, Jolie is going to show you around and help you find your classes for the day.”

“Lucky me, my own personal escort.” He smirks, and I roll my eyes at his audacity.

I turn my body slightly and push him off the side of my chair. He falls to the floor with a burst of laughter.

The principal stands at the same time I do, but Kai sits up. “I like you. Let’s get this tour started, shall we?”

We both walk from the principal’s office, and Kai throws a flirty wink at the admin lady on our way past while I roll my eyes.

“Can I see your timetable? That way, we don’t waste my time going to places you don’t need to see.”

I stare at him as he hands me the sheet of paper. “Do we know each other?” Something about him seems familiar.

“Maybe we are soulmates.” I throw him a sceptical look that makes him smile. “We could know each other from a past life.”

“I will take that as a no then,” I huff, deciding to start at the lockers so we can dump his stuff.

By the time the bell goes for the first break, I have shown Kai where all his classes are. We walk together to the cafeteria and order food before he follows me to my regular table, where he takes a seat next to me.

“You can sit here today, but it may be best for you to make some other friends. I come with baggage, and they don’t take nicely to strangers loitering near me.”

“So, you’re the type to do whatever you’re told?” he asks, unwrapping his sandwich.

“I wouldn’t say that. It’s for your own good.”

“What if I make friends with your friends? What happens then?” he asks, smirking as if he is so damn smart.

“I suggest you start dating one of them,” I reply with a shrug.

He is silent for a minute until Sinclair and Danika join us, Sinclair raising her brow at me.

“I will take that into consideration,” he says, looking up at the girls. “Hello ladies, I’m Kai.” He stands and extends his hand to Sinclair and then Danika.

Jimmie also joins us, squeezing in between the two girls. “So, you’re the dead man.”

“Why would you say that?” Kai asks as he takes a bite of his apple, having finished his sandwich in a few bites.

“Well, for one, you were standing in the Gods’ spot this morning, and that won’t go unreported. Someone would have sent them a picture. And for seconders...”

Sinclair interrupts, scoffing, “Jimmie, you are getting a top-tier education and you use a word like seconders?”

He pokes his tongue at her and continues. “Jolie here belongs to them.” I cut a glare at him and he shrugs. “What? It’s true.”

“I don’t belong to anyone, thank you very much.”

“Girl, I wouldn’t be complaining if I were you. Have you seen them?” Danika says animatedly.

Looking over at Jimmie, I catch him staring at Kai with hearts in his eyes. Glancing sideways, I see Kai is eye-fucking him back.

I grab Kai on the thigh and dig my nails into his leg. He doesn’t flinch, just looks over at me and smiles.

I lean in and whisper in his ear. “Hurt him and the Gods will be the least of your worries.”

I release him, and he smiles at me and leans in to whisper, “Don’t worry, Wildflower, there is enough of me to go around.”

I freeze at being called Wildflower. Why does it sound so familiar? It feels like a memory that is just out of reach, and I can’t quite put my finger on why I recognise it. I throw him a look, but Sinclair interrupts my thoughts.

“What’s with the secrets?” she asks.

“I was just telling Kai you’re all single pringles. If he doesn’t want to die tomorrow, he needs to have a reason to sit here.”

Sinclair laughs and Danika bats her eyelashes.

“I volunteer as tribute,” Jimmie declares, raising his hand, and I shake my head at his enthusiasm. “Kai should come over tonight.”

“I don’t know.” Eyeing Kai suspiciously, I have a feeling he will break Jimmie’s heart.

“It would piss Boston off when he gets home. You know he will check the security feed,” Jimmie says.

“Looks like you’re invited to a sleepover tonight,” I announce, and everyone laughs. Damn Jimmie, he knew right where to hit to get his own way. Pissing off Boston is my favourite pastime.

“And why is there a sleepover on a school night?” Kai asks, raising his brow. “Besides, you’re all eighteen.”

“Don’t be a judgy pants, okay? Jolie thinks she is all of a sudden scared of being in that big house alone and?—”

“I’m not scared! I don’t come from money, and these big houses make some weird-ass noises.” If I didn’t like Jimmie so much, I would hurt him for telling a stranger that I’m scared to be home alone.

They continue to tease me until the bell rings. Kai is in my next class, so we say goodbye to everyone and head off to get through the rest of our day.

After school, I race home to order some supplies. A teacher made a comment about her dog going missing and that they were lucky it had a tracking device embedded in its collar. After asking her where she ordered it from, she emailed me the link. I want to know where these guys are at all times. While online, I also managed to find some recording devices.

I don’t know what to believe or who to trust. Summer seems to think that if the guys believe I’m this Zircon girl, they won’t ever hurt me. I wonder which of the guys is the weakest link; Case seems to be the most affected by this girl. I need to get them to trust me.

Some people say I use sex as a weapon, and it’s partly true. I do love sex, that temporary connection, a feeling of being wanted. For a minute I almost feel guilty about planning to seduce Case—he seems so damn sweet—but then I remember they know something about Trace. Sending him a message seems the place to start.

Me

Hey

He doesn’t respond straight away, so I sync my phone to the Bluetooth sound system and jump in the shower to wash away the day.

“Hand in My Pocket” by Alanis Morissette blasts through the room as water cascades over my body. I belt out the lyrics and they make me feel closer to Trace—he would always put on her music when I felt down. I soap myself up and dance to the music, using the shampoo bottle as a microphone.

The song changes to “ You Oughta Know,” but when the line about going down on someone in a theatre comes from my lips, I don’t expect to be answered.

“I’m down for that.”

A few things happen simultaneously. I scream and slip on a half turn, landing in a heap on the bottom of the shower, and Kai ends up bent down in the shower, sweeping my hair from my face with a gentle hand as he looks me over.

“ Are you okay?” he asks.

I blink up at him, taking a second to come to the realisation that I’m naked.

“What the fuck are you doing in here?” I screech as he offers me a hand to help me up. Hesitating before I take it, I wait for his explanation.

“Sorry, I rang the doorbell, but no one answered.” He pulls me to my feet. “So, I followed the music and when I heard you singing, I may have just listened for a bit.”

He turns his back and reaches for the towel on the sink, then holds it out to me. I wrap myself before he turns back around.

“Your head is bleeding. Do you have a first aid kit?”

“There is one in the kitchen under the sink.” I only know that because Petra cut her finger and needed a Band-Aid.

“I will run down and get it. You sit and wait.” He rushes from the bathroom, and I walk into my room and take a seat on the bed.

Kai is only gone a few minutes, then he reappears with a first aid kit. “Found it.” He smiles, and I take him in.

He is decent looking, with dark-brown hair that flops to the side. He isn’t overly tall or built, but you can tell he has a lot of muscle tone and works out. The flower tattoo on his neck is bright compared to the grey wash on his arms. He is rocking an Andy Black vibe.

“This might hurt,” he grimaces, pulling out some gauze and spraying it with something. I hiss when he dabs it on my forehead.

Once he has finished cleaning and bandaging my cut, he looks at me and doesn’t break eye contact, cupping my jaw with one hand and running his thumb down my face. It confuses me because there is no lust in his eyes, just sadness.

The moment is ruined by a primal growl.

“I’m going to fucking kill you,” is all I hear before Case runs into the room.

Kai jumps up and stands in front of me protectively, and it clicks. Summer mentioned handlers—could he be mine?

“Calm down,” Kai implores, still blocking Case from me. “Let’s talk about this.”

Case launches himself at Kai, and both bodies come flying towards me. Rolling across the bed like a damn ninja warrior and landing on my feet on the opposite side, I look towards the guys who are throwing punches. Laughn is casually standing at the door, eyeing me, and I belatedly realise my towel has dropped to the floor, pooling at my feet.

“Stop them from fighting!” I shout, bending down to pick up my towel.

Covering my naked flesh seems to snap him out of his trance, and he grabs Case and pulls him backwards.

“Let me fucking go, Laughn. He won’t keep me from her. I will kill him!”

Laughn drags Case from the room and Kai smiles, blood coating his teeth. “Brotherly love.”

What the fuck—they’re brothers? He must see the confusion in my eyes. “It’s a long story and one Case should tell you. Since he’s back now, I’ll go.”

“That’s probably a good idea.”

“Would you mind if I got Jimmie’s number before I leave?” A cheeky smile reaches his lips.

“How about I ask him, and if he gives the okay, I will send it to you?”

“Sounds good. See you at school tomorrow,” he says with a wink.

I already have his number—he insisted, just in case he got lost and I couldn’t find him. Not that I would have looked for him, but I humoured him by taking it anyway.

I let out a breath and grab an oversized shirt and underwear, getting dressed before I go and look for Case. I also send messages to Sinclair, Danika, and Jimmie. Sinclair replies with a smiley face, Danika still thinks we should have a sleepover, and Jimmie sends me a GIF of someone doing that stupid Fortnite dance when I ask if I can pass on his number to Kai.

I wander down the stairs and find Laughn and Case sitting in the kitchen. Glancing around for the others, I see they’re not here. Case looks up at me as I join them.

“I’ll give you two some space. I’m starving, so I’ll get us all some food. The others will be back shortly,” Laughn says, and I nod as he leaves the room.

I hold my hand out to Case and help him up. He follows me down to what I call the movie room; it’s like a mini cinema, and I’m pissed no one showed it to me earlier.

He takes a seat and pulls me down to straddle his lap. I lean in closer, resting my forehead against his.

“Please not him,” he whispers.

“I don’t think I have a choice if he is in my life,” I return just as quietly, leaning back and cupping his face.

He looks up at me, meeting my eyes. “You don’t.”

“Why can’t you just tell me what I want to know?”

Case closes his eyes and tilts his head back against the couch, avoiding me again. “Because it’s not my story to tell. But you will know soon enough.”

“Will I still want to be here when I know the truth?”

Not answering, he leans forward and places his lips on mine, grabbing my hips and pulling my body closer to his. The thin material of my underwear is barely any barrier, but adds to the friction as I grind myself against his erection trapped behind his pants. I delve my hand between our bodies, flicking open the button on his jeans, and when I slide underneath, touching skin, he breaks our kiss to let out a groan of pleasure.

Needing little encouragement, Case lifts his ass to help slide his jeans down his legs. His erection springs out and I blink a few times; he has his dick pierced. I have seen pictures before, but never in person—unless you count Laughn’s ball bearings. I run my finger gently over the metal and he hisses at the contact, throwing his head back against the lounge.

Sliding down to the ground, I pull his pants from his legs, tossing them to the side and positioning myself between his knees. I pause, wondering how I will fit his cock in my mouth. His girth is impressive... I think I might even be intimidated by it.

Never one to back down from a challenge, I lean forward, running my tongue up his shaft and around his tip, exploring him.

“Fuuuck,” he grits out as he stares down at me with hooded eyes.

Mouth open as wide as I can, the corners of my lips slightly burn as I take him in as far as he’ll go. Case tangles his hand in my hair, guiding the pace as I eagerly suck him off, his soft moans spurring me on.

“Stop,” he soon pants out, tightening his grip on the back of my head and stilling my movements. “I need to feel you before I come.”

He lets go of my hair, and I stand, moving forward to straddle him once again.

I don’t bother removing my clothes. Instead, his fingers hurriedly pull my underwear to the side, and he slides them along my slit. I line up our bodies and sink down slowly onto his shaft, allowing my body to accommodate his size. The girth fills me and stretches me to the max, causing me to be the one to groan.

He gives me a minute to get comfortable before he grabs my hips and rocks me against his pelvis. We move together in perfect unison. Case lifts the side of my shirt and guides it over my head, his tattooed hands roaming along my skin until he reaches my breasts. He leans forward, taking a nipple in his mouth, sending tingles throughout my body. As he sucks and plays with them, I keep the momentum going, grinding into him. The sensation of his piercing rubbing against my G-spot has my orgasm building fast. Case grips my hips and rotates my pelvis, causing my clit to grind against him.

“Oh shit!” I cry out as overwhelming waves of pleasure crash through my body.

His thrusts get faster until he holds me still as he finishes, pulling me into his body and wrapping his arms around my waist.

We sit in silence for a few long moments as we recover, then he rolls us both onto our sides, facing each other.

I run my finger along the tattoo on his jaw, the one that says Checkmate. “Why did you get that tattooed on your face?”

“Someone a long time ago used to say it to me. I wanted to keep them close in some way.” His hand tightens on my hip as he talks.

“I can understand that.” I want to see how far I can push the conversation. “She must have meant a lot to you.”

“She does.” I don’t miss how he uses the present tense.

“Is she the same one that has you all upset?”

He closes his eyes and nods. “She was our everything. Our whole life revolved around her and then she was gone.”

“Will you tell me about her?”

“She was the light of our world—no matter what was thrown at us, we had her. She would walk into a room and draw everyone’s attention. Have you ever met anyone like that?”

I shake my head. I don’t have any memories from my childhood. All I remember is having Trace until child services came and took me away. He took care of me and made me feel safe.

“One day she wanted takeout. We were all busy, so she was hanging out with Kai and...” He hesitates. “And one of his friends. Kai was messaging a girl, organising a party, and his friend offered to take her. There was an accident... I blame Kai, Jolie. He should have taken her. He promised to look out for her. If he went, she would have been sitting in the back seat. We wouldn’t have lost her.” His beautiful green eyes water at the memories.