“Cameras are up.” I shake the madness, fighting so damn hard to focus on our conversation. “But I need to run over there this afternoon and update his modem. Based on the Venomous Vipers’ interest with the governor, I think we should put a tail on Pritchard and his daughter. I volunteer myself for the job and can see if Dagger is willing to lend a hand too. Just until we get that Vicious fucker under control.”
“Sounds good. I’ll give Pritchard a heads-up. But make sure you and Dagger are discreet about this shit. We don’t want anyone getting wind that there’s a tie between us and Pritchard.”
There’s that fucking reminder again of why I should be keeping my distance. It’s not just Pritchard who would take issuewith me claiming his little girl. His constituents would see him as a traitor. That fact should warn me off my obsession, but I fear nothing will cure me of my sickness.
10
Zoey
“Okay, I’ll just meet you at your house. Is there anything else you want from the store besides peanut butter cups?”
“Maybe some Symphony bars too.” I have a massive craving for chocolate all of a sudden. Probably on account of my hormones going crazy. I read somewhere that chocolate is a good replacement for sex. Since I’ve never had sex before, I’m not sure if it’s true. But at this point, I’ll try anything. Anything to get me to stop fantasizing about Bones.
“Are you PMSing or something?”
I wish I could blame these crazy feelings on that. But no, I’m nowhere near my time of the month.
“No. I have the same cycle as you, Tea, remember?”
We’ve been in sync for years. Spending every day together will do that.
“You’ve just been kind of out of it today. And now, the chocolate cravings. Just figured there may have been a change in the red tide.” She laughs. “I’ll get all the chocolate I can find and meet you back at your house shortly.”
I give her a nod and then walk across the lot to my car. In the distance is the sound of a rumbling motorcycle. It instantly has me thinking of Bones. Though, I’ve hardly stopped thinking about him today. I even wrote his name down on my assignment. But I caught myself before I turned it in. Thankfully, getting to erase the evidence before my teacher wondered why the word Bones had anything to do with macroeconomics.
As I pull out of the school parking lot, the sound of the motorcycle gets louder. At this point it could be my imagination. I wouldn’t put it past my crazy mind. But when I check my rearview mirror to see if I’m just hearing things, I see him. Two vehicles behind. All of his dominant stature perched on his metal beast. He’s wearing his leather jacket and black sunglasses, but it’s unmistakably him. It’s hard for me to believe that by mere happenstance he showed up at my school at the exact time I was dismissed and is now driving behind me.
But I could be wrong. He might have been driving through town and is not intentionally following me. To prove whether he is or not, I turn on my right turn signal and take the next turn. Butterflies flutter in my stomach when I see him make the turn too. Now, he’s only one car behind me. Wanting to test my theory further, I decide to make the next left. Low and behold, he does the same.
I have to do it once more, but I want it to be obscure. So far, I’ve driven in the direction of the grocery store, and for all I know, he could be in need of some eggs. So, this time, I make a last-minute turn, going down a back alley, which leads to nowhere. There honestly would be no reason for him to take thisroad, but…he does. Now, it’s just the two of us. I almost want to pull to a stop, but I still have to remember that he’s a dangerous man. And there’s no one around to hear me scream.
I keep making my way back home, and he’s directly on my tail, pulling into my driveway right behind me. Parking his ride and cutting his engine. I climb out of my car, realizing that Teagan beat me home. I ended up taking a much longer route with all my turns, adding an extra fifteen minutes. What I want to know is why he followed me?
I walk right over, stepping in front of him and forcing my nerves down as I look into his eyes. He took his sunglasses off, and just like yesterday, I’m caught under his intense stare. My heart is starting to race and a sheen of sweat breaks out across my skin.
“Why are you following me? Are you stalking me?”
I want to retract my question the minute his upper lip stiffens into a straight line. His eyes glance over my shoulder then narrow back in, looking pissed that I could suggest such a thing.
“Don’t be silly, little girl. I’m helping your dad out. It’s my job to make sure you get home safe from school. Believe me, a man like me would not be stalking a kid.”
Little girl.Kid.I couldn’t feel like more of an idiot. Me and my hyper hormones clearly read too much into the situation yesterday. Whatever attraction I thought was there was all in my head. Because the way he’s looking at me now, is far from a man who’s interested.
“My dad failed to mention that I would have a guard dog.” I can’t keep the bite out of my voice. If my dad had been upfront about everything, I wouldn’t have just made a complete ass of myself. There’s obviously more going on than what he’s telling me. He’s now having a Savage Knight follow me to ensure my safety. That’s quite the extreme measure. “I’ll be sure to take myissues up with him.” I turn to face my friend. “Are you ready to go study?”
Teagan’s eyes are rounder than saucers. She doesn’t know what to make of any of this. I just want to get inside and forget this horrific moment ever happened.Stalking me? Did I really have to say that?Of course, a man his age and his dominance wouldn’t be stalking a high school girl. He probably has women, much more mature women, not tiny little “kids” chasing him down. I can’t believe I even thought for one second that we’d shared a moment yesterday.
Idiotshould be stamped across my forehead.
11
Bones
As soon as the coast is clear, I pull out my phone, opening up my app so I can hear what’s being said. She shut the blinds of her window, so I know she’s in her room. That look on her face nearly ripped me in two. Her friend was standing right there. What the hell was I supposed to say?Yes, I’m stalking you. You’re mine whether you realize it or not. I had to make sure her friend didn’t think for a single second that I was interested in the girl. Who the fuck knows who she would’ve told.
What struck me the hardest was the disappointment. It’s as if she wanted me to say yes. Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment. I wanted to grab her and pull her to me and tell her that I’m fucking obsessed.
“Did you seriously just ask that man if he was stalking you? Zoey? Why on earth would he be stalking you? He’s a SavageKnight. No offense, but that man can have any woman he wants. He’s not going to waste his time on a nineteen-year-old girl.”
