Ash laughs derisively and pegs me with a look.
“I wonder what it was you offered him, what someone like you could offer him, to get his protection. I know exactly what the other girls here do. I guess it was only a matter of time before you gave it up to him, too.”
That final jab hurt far more than it should.
* * *
Possibly the biggest problem of being expelled is dealing with Harley.
Word will have already reached the O’Cronin family. I can’t rescind my protection; he’ll be killed the second he walks out of this school if I do. I could call Diarmuid and tell him the problem, but then I’ll have to admit why I told him I was keeping him in the first place, and he’ll have leverage over me. Leverage that the Jackal will pay him big money for.
I can’t leave Harley here without some sort of warning, either. There’s a whole list of people that would kill him to prove a point with me and, again, the Jackal is at the top of that list.
My only chance at stopping Ash is to talk to Harley and try to make him understand that I don’t want anything to do with Joey. He’s in a better position than anyone to believe me, knowing what he does about the world I’m from.
It’s the weekend, so I have to search the entire school to find him. When I can’t find him in the main building, I’m forced to look through the outbuildings and sports facilities. I’m about to give up and walk right into the boys’ dorms when I find him.
My jaw drops, and I think I destroy my panties instantaneously.
The school has a boxing ring in the gym. I’ve never been down here, and I’m suddenly pissed I didn’t pick gym instead of choir. In the ring, sparring, are Harley and Blaise.
Shirtless.
Teeny, tiny black shorts.
Legs, tattoos, muscles, sweat, oh my god I’ve fucking died and gone to the one place I know I’m not going to end up.
They don’t notice me come in, thank god, so I have a minute to collect my brains from where they’ve spilled out onto the floor. My legs are shaking so badly I have to give myself a stern talking-to about how serious my current situation is. I don’t have time to turn into a puddle at boys’ feet. Even if they areridiculouslyattractive.
Blaise is covered in colorful tattoos. They stretch from his collarbones down both arms and his chest. One of his legs is covered, and the other has a few on his thighs, obviously a work in progress. It’s shocking to see, because with his uniform on, you can’t see any of them. He looks like every other polished rich kid.
Harley has a chest piece, wings and a crowned heart like a bastardized claddagh ring, all in black and white and shades of gray. It makes his chest look even wider and more impressive. I can’t breathe.
I get all the way to the ropes before they notice me. Blaise’s eyes flick to mine, and Harley uses the opportunity to smack him in the ribs, and then wrestle him to the ground. It’s all just a writhing pile of bulging biceps, defined legs, and sweaty chests.
It’s basically better than porn.
Resisting the urge to get my phone out and film this for, ahem, later and more intensive viewing, I call out to them instead. “Sorry to interrupt. Harley, can I speak to you for a minute, please?”
He releases Blaise, who stays panting on the floor, and gets up to walk over to me. He’s not panting or red. The only sign of his exertion is the sheen on his chest. He unwinds the strapping on his hands and tightens it casually, like he’s done it a million times before. He won’t look me in the eye. Unease begins to pool in my gut.
“What do you want, Mounty? We’re busy.”
Yes, you are. My eyes flick over to Blaise, who’s still lying on the ground, but his head has turned so he can watch us both intently. I choose my words carefully. “Are you aware of Ash’s intention to get me kicked out of Hannaford?”
Harley smirks and nods, his eyes still focused over my shoulder. Not what I’m expecting. I wasn’t expecting him to bitch out his cousin and best friends, but I was kind of hoping after everything I’ve done for him, he could at leastcarethat my life was about to be ruined.
“Do you really want to discuss this with him here?” he drawls, jerking his head at Blaise.
“Will you make him leave?” I snap back.
“Nope.”
I grit my teeth and smile so it looks like I’m baring them, “I guess I have no choice then, do I? If Ash gets me kicked out, then we have some things to discuss.”
“Oh yeah? Like what.”
“Like the fact that you’ll need to be very careful without me being here to keep an eye on you. Like there are teachers here who are on the payroll for someone other than the Beaumonts, and he’s looking for an opportunity to remove you from my protection. Like you need my contact details so if something does happen, I can fix it.”
