To anyone else, Jordan would look intimidating as fuck right now. His glare has been known to make pretty much anyone who finds themselves on the business end of it squirm, but I’ve known him, Nico, and Axel for too long for that shit to work on me.
“What the fuck kind of brain damage do you have that you think you can date a fucking Keeper?” Nico cuts in, his voice shaking with anger. “Is the dickthatgood that you’re willing to be a fucking security risk for some emo bitch?—”
I cut the distance between us in a few long strides and grab Nico by the front of his shirt. He’s so surprised by the move he doesn’t fight as I walk him backward and slam him into the drywall.
“Do nottalk about him like that,” I practically snarl, using my body weight to push him against the wall hard enough to force the breath from his lungs.
“Fucking hell,” Axel mutters as powerful hands close around my shoulders.
I let Axel pull me away from Nico, but it takes more effort to let go of him than it should.
“What the actual fuck, Hawthorne?” Axel demands as he shoves me back a few paces.
“Say whatever you want about me,” I tell them, my anger still so close to the surface I can practically taste it. “But I will end anyone who talks shit about him.”
“Jesus fuck.” Nico flips his hair back from his face with a quick flick of his head. “Is it possible that Xavier Hawthorne is in love?”
I shoot him a flat look. “You have something to say about it?”
“Just that I never in a million years woulda thoughtyou’dever catch feelings for someone.” He smirks and steps away from the wall so he can stand next to Axel. “Your boy must have a magic mouth.”
“Easy, Tiger.” Axel steps between us as I lunge for Nico again. “Put the claws away and chill the fuck out.”
“Tell him to watch his fucking mouth,” I tell Axel.
“Dude,” Axel glances back at Nico. “Can you shut the fuck up for five minutes so we can settle this?”
“Fine,” Nico grumbles. “But I’m not saying anything you two aren’t thinking.”
“How long has this been going on?” Jordan asks, his voice even and deadly calm.
“A few weeks.”
The corner of his mouth ticks up in a barely there smirk-smile. “Liar.”
“Since you told me to keep an eye on him,” I say, even though that’s not the truth, either. They don’t need to know about what happened at the rave, or how long this has been going on under their noses.
“You realize that this is unheard of, right?” Axel asks. “No Rebel has ever fucked around with a member of a rival frat. Not in over a century of the frat existing.”
“Not that we know of,” I say with a casual shrug. “But there’s a first time for everything.”
“Since when are you into dick?” Nico asks, but his tone is more curious than belligerent.
“I’m not,” I tell them. “But I’m into him.”
A sardonic grin breaks out on his face. “He must be one hell of a lay if he could makeyouswitch teams.”
“Watch it,” I warn him as Axel steps between us again, preemptively keeping us apart.
Nico raises his hands in mock surrender. “I’m just saying that more than his mouth must be magical if you’re going against the frat for him.”
“Bro.” Axel looks up at the ceiling in exasperation. “Can you stop antagonizing him for five seconds?”
“I could,” Nico says, still grinning like the Joker. “But where’s the fun in that?”
“Is your issue that he’s a Keeper? Or that he’s a he?” I level a glare at Nico.
He snort-laughs. “I don’t give a fuck if you have a newfound love for dick. Whatever, bro, you do you.” The grin drops from his face. “But I have a problem with who that dick belongs to. And so should you.”
