Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“Fingerprint. Yours.”
“You seriously broke into my phone using my finger while I was passed out?”
“Yep.”
“Unbelievable.”
“Believe it, rat.”
“Fine.”
“Fine, what?”
“I’ll pick Charlotte up and bring her to the gymnasium. Penny has to come too, though.”
He smiles—real and beautiful. “I like that broody kid.”
“Are we…is this a truce?”
His features darken. “No. It’s you helping my fucking sister be happy because it’s the right thing to do.”
“Which makes you happy,” I bite back. “What the hell do I get out of it?”
“You keep from getting your ass kicked. I’ll call off the dogs.”
“For how long?”
“Depends on how long your sister stays friends with Roux.”
“Feels like blackmail.”
“Feels like the truth.”
Roan
Defeated.
Exhausted.
Ruined.
I know the feeling. I live it every day. For some reason, I’m fascinated with seeing it so blatantly displayed on someone else. Hollis. He’s still wearing the dirty pair of jeans from this morning, but it’s long since dried. I track him as he walks into the lunchroom. Alone.
“That kid is such a pussy,” Cal says with a laugh. “Did you see him nearly piss his pants this morning?”
Jordy growls. “The rat needs to watch his back.”
“What did he do to piss you guys off anyway?” Terrence asks as he shoves a handful of fries into his mouth. “Did he fuck your mom, Cal?”
“Don’t be a dick,” Cal bites out, whacking Terrence’s hand and sending his new handful of fries scattering across the table.
“He’s a rich asshole who thinks he’s better than us,” Jordy snaps. “And he knows about Roux.”
Cal and Terrence sober up.
“He’s messing with Roux?” Terrence demands, popping his knuckles. “That’s not right, man.”
With a sigh, I finally speak. “He’s Ms. Frazier’s nephew. Hollis lives there.”
“No shit?” Cal gapes at me from across the table. “Is he threatening to tell about your deal with his aunt?”
“Nah,” I say, “I already told him he’s not allowed to.”
“If the rat tries to use Roux against Roan, he’ll fucking pay,” Jordy warns.
My eyes drift back over to Hollis. He’s standing in line, now smiling brightly at some nerd and Sidney. Of course Sidney would be all up on his nuts. He’s the hot new kid. I’m surprised she hasn’t charmed him into her bed yet. Sid’s fucked every single one of us at this table except Jordy. Some of us more than a few times. That someone being me.
She notices my staring and makes a deliberate attempt to flirt with Hollis in an apparent effort to make me jealous. His smile is fake as fuck, but she believes it. I’m pretty sure he’s gay. Sidney is barking up the wrong tree. For some reason, this satisfies me. Not because I’m jealous of him sleeping with Sidney. I don’t even like Sidney most days. I just…I don’t think he needs to fuck her.
The nerd speaks up and somehow manages to engage Sidney in talking to him. Her flirtation fades as she has a serious conversation with the kid. Hollis seems to be relieved at the loss of her attention. He stares hard at the menu board, his jaw clenching. They go through the line and where the other two emerge with trays, he walks out holding an apple.
What the fuck?
I know he eats. I saw him eat at dinner last night. He barely touched the lasagna but filled up on bread and salad. I’d think he has some kind of stupid, prissy rich kid eating disorder, but now I’m not so sure. He has a muscular body. I caught a glimpse of his stomach yesterday and felt his biceps when I moved him to his car this morning. You don’t get fit like that and not eat. It’s like he’s sick.
My heart thuds hard in my chest, confusing me.
I get that nervous, worried feeling whenever something is wrong with Roux. Not some random kid I met yesterday and whom I also hate.
They sit at a table and he waves off offerings from both Sidney and the nerd. At least they notice it too. It’s strange he’s not eating.
“You think he’s fucking her?” Cal gestures toward them.
“Sidney is Hoodlum property,” Jordy snaps, challenging me with a glare to argue. “We’ll make sure he doesn’t.”
I nod, not because she’s our property, but because I don’t think Hollis will fuck her anyway. “I thought you didn’t like Sidney.”
Jordy’s dark eyes glitter evilly. “I don’t. She’s your and Cal and Terrence’s little slut.”
“Awfully protective of our little slut,” Cal teases him, batting his lashes at him in a dramatic way.
Jordy cracks a smile. “Do you always have to be an idiot?”
“Only always,” Cal says seriously, making me and Terrence snort.
“We’re done with her,” I offer. “You seem like you could get laid. Maybe time to finally hit that.”
“And catch whatever STDs you assholes are carrying? Fuck that,” Jordy says, taking a bite of his burger and talking over his chewing. “She’s all yours.”