Page 60 of Vicious Little Snakes

I grin and shrug. “Hurry up. I’m gonna go play pool because we both know you’ll take an hour to pick your outfit, princess.”

“Fuck off,” he bellows, throwing up middle fingers as he leaves me standing in his massive, cold-ass dining room.

I nab a piece of steak still left on my plate and head out of the door. Making my way through the living room, I cut around the couch to the hall that leads to the library—where the pool table is. I’m walking down the hallway, minding my own business, hand in my pocket as an arm shoots out from behind a door and pulls me inside of a closet.

“What the—”fuck,I almost say until I recognize my captor.

A small hand covers my mouth. “Shhh. I’m hiding.”

I wrap my fingers around Caroline’s wrist, gently pulling her hand off my mouth, whispering, “Who are you hiding from?”

“None of your business.”

I’m still cuffed around her wrist, amused, enchanted. I don’t know which.

“You’re still weird.”

Her shoulders shrug as my eyes begin to acclimate to the dark.

“Incidentally, why can’t we turn on the light?”

This time she tilts her head from side to side, saying, “Umm. Because the dark makes everything easier to say.”

And I decide on amused.

I let go of her wrist and put my hand back in my pocket. “Are you about to tell me that you’re going to murder me?”

She laughs again, “No idiot. I want to say thank you for what you said to my mother. You know about—”

“I know,” I answer, cutting in. “She’s a bitch. Does she do that a lot?”

Caroline gives a deep inhale, answering as she lets out the breath.

“Depends on what you mean by ‘that.’ Do you mean taking my food away, then yes. If you mean insulting me, also yes.”

“I’m sorry…and don’t take that as pity—I know you hate that.”

She pokes my hard stomach.

“So you do remember me, Liam Brooks.”

Never mind, I’m enchanted.

I lean down towards her, bending at the waist. “Who says I could’ve ever forgotten.”

My name is bellowed out, breaking the moment, so I open the door, letting in some light, and assault her with a quick peck on the cheek.

“See ya around, Carebear.”

Caroline

“Explain to me again why you’re all wearing this getup,” I ask, astonished at the sight of Grey, Liam, and Kai in white T-shirts and girls’ school skirts as they crawl into the back of the limo.

Liam takes a swig from the flask as he settles in next to me. “Because, Carebear. We’re going to Red Oak’s St. Patrick’s Day party.”

He says it like it’s supposed to make sense, making my shoulders shake.

Over the last month, Liam’s taken to calling me that nickname and to smiling at me the way he’s doing right now. But when anyone asks about my nickname, he says it’s because I wear my heart on my sleeve, as long as you can make it past my bite.