The group of OCK brothers, Jasper, and I all leave the library and make a hurried exit toward the house. Jasper signs,“Don’t you ever—”He coughs, wiping more blood from his swollen lip.“Don’t you ever pull that shit again. She’s not your fucking property.”He straightens with a wince, one hand pressed to his side where I must’ve landed a knee or kick.“I don’t know what the hell’s gotten into you.”
“I—” My throat is dry, the words stuck. I should probably sayI’m sorry. But I can’t form it. Apologizing isn’t in my nature.
Instead, I swallow and force out in a gravelly voice, “Don’t touch her again. Don’t even go near her.”
Jasper’s jaw tightens, and he shakes his head in disbelief, giving me one last look of utter disappointment.“You need help, man. Serious help.”
My lip tastes coppery; I lick it and realize it’s busted too. None of it matters, though. All I can taste isbitterness. All I can feel is this yawning pit in my chest where fury is rapidly bleeding out, leaving something hollow and cold in its place.
We get dropped off at the back of the OCK house. Jasper walks ahead stiffly, one arm braced across his ribs. I swear the asshole is milking it. The back porch light flickers once overhead as I follow.
I head straight for the kitchen, grab a water bottle, and press it to the side of my throbbing jaw.
“You both look like shit,” Talon says, leaning in the doorway.
I don’t look at him. “Not in the mood.”
“No shit,” he says, pushing off the wall.
My glare lifts to him. “You got something to say, say it.”
Talon shrugs, all smug amusement. “Just think it’s funny.”
“What?”
“That you went nuclear over a girl you don’t even fucking know.”
That makes me hurl the bottle across the room. It explodes against the wall, water dripping down the cabinets.
The door creaks and Jasper limps in, face swollen, fingers stiff as he signs,“You done beating the shit out of me so I can sit?”
I rake a hand through my hair and growl, “Yeah.”
Jasper eases onto a barstool, wincing.“Didn’t mean to piss you off. She’s been tutoring me for months.”
“You shouldn’t have to apologize, especially not when she isn’t his. Which makes this next part awkward as fuck.”
I narrow my eyes. “Spit it out.”
“She asked me to fake date her,” Talon says, enjoying every second of it. “Daddy issues, Chase Harrington up her ass. She wants a shield for the rest of the election season I guess.”
Jasper slumps forward, signing dryly,“Let me call CJ. He’ll love round two.”
That drags a short, broken laugh out of me. It hurts my ribs to do it.
“She’s PTO royalty,” I snap. “Her brother runs the fucking house. Do you two even realize what will happen if we startfucking with them? The Syndicate gets involved, and they’ll come down on OCK like a hammer.”
Talon smirks. “Bullshit. You’re not worried about the Syndicate. You’re pissed she didn’t ask you. If she’d come crawling to you, you’d already have her spread across your bed.”
My jaw locks. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”
“Oh, I do,” Talon says, leaning in, “You’ve been circling her for weeks, barking and snapping at anyone who gets too close. But the second she doesn’t play into your hands, suddenly she’s off-limits.Hypocrite.”
I grit my teeth, refusing to give him the satisfaction. “Well… OCK officers always pick a house girl for the year—that’s how it works. So, I guess it’ll be her.”
“Oh, so now it’s tradition? Cute. You didn’t give a fuck about tradition yesterday, but now it’s your excuse.” Talon shrugs. “Fuck you. She’s mine—my girl. And I’m not sharing.”
I scoff. “So, what, you’re going to play boyfriend with America’s sweetheart? You? Fuck that. If she’s with OCK, then she’s all of ours.”
