I clear my throat and hold a tentative hand out. “Hey,” I say awkwardly.
I suck my lip in and place my hand back in my lap. I know of their families due to my father, but I’ve never personally spoken to them. Not that they’re unfriendly, I just keep to myself, but after my awkward introduction, I wouldn’t be surprised if they never look my way again. They’re usually too busy sleeping around anyways.
“Gray, huh.” Clara breaks the silence by eye fucking the one with a long shaggy dark mane and hollow, blank expression.
Slade ignores her comment entirely; his eyes still locked onto me as if I’m the only one in the room. “Here’s my number, beautiful. Hope to hear from you.” His voice is smooth like honey as he hands me a folded up piece of paper. He winks, and they all disperse towards the food line.
I sink in my seat.
“Damn, Vesp. You’ve certainly got your pick, huh?” She cackles, drawing attention to us. The other nearby occupied tables are now whispering, and Ihateit. “Shh. It isn’t like that. Keep it down!” Crimson paints my cheeks. I could die of embarrassment. I have no idea why Slade is suddenly interested in me, but it doesn’t hurt to have an ally. “Shit, if you’re not gonna call him, can I?” she whispers in a playful tone. I sit upward, mortified. “Clara!”
She puts her hands up defensively. “What? If you don’t want him, I sure do!” She scrapes the last of the salad from her bowl, shoving it in her mouth.
Slowly, I open the note. His number is neatly written in the middle of the paper. The top has Grimshaw’s seal. I punch in his number and dabble with the idea of texting now. I don’t want to look interestedordesperate.
Clara peers over my shoulder. “Just say hi,” she whispers. “Are you worried what Zain will say?”
I nod tentatively. The guy has a tendency to hurt anyone who talks to me, so naturally my mind falls to him hurting Slade. I’m sure Kieran has already told him about our run-in at the library. I only hope Kieran doesn’t tell him about our conversation. That’ll just piss Zain off more.
I stare blankly at the screen. The cursor blinks, waiting for me to type out anything. I decided to keep it simple and formal so he doesn’t get the wrong idea. I send a simple hi.
I internally sigh when I see his reply flicker across the screen. He calls me beautiful. Clara’s mouth opens into a wide O over my shoulder. “Damn, Vesp.”
“It’s not like that.” I shrug. It isn’t. At least for me. I look up and find Slade smiling at me from across the mess hall.
“So, when are you and Zain going back to your family’s estate?” she shuffles in her seat.
I shrug. “I don’t think we’ve discussed it, and what’s worse is I haven’t even told my father. I thought I’d surprise him over the weekend. Dante usually picks me up when I tell Father I’m coming home. I thought I’d talk to Zain first.”
She chokes out a cough. Water spills from her lips. “What perfect timing. You can ask him, because he’s coming straight this way.”
I crane my neck around so fast my hair slaps my face. Sure enough, Zain is storming over to my table with a murderous glint in his eye. The entire room goes silent, and all eyes are on me. I should have known Kieran wouldn’t keep his mouth shut.
Slade fuckin’ Hexwood. Dude can’t leave well enough alone. Fuckin’ asswipe. Kieran told me all about the incident at the library, which got me fired up. But what really set me ablaze was the fuckin’ text message.
Hey, beautiful.
The prick dares fuck with what isn’t his. He knows she’s off-limits. Fuckin’mine. The entire fuckin’ school knows. I’ve made my claim clear as fuckin’ crystal. Killing two Elites in one school year would be a travesty but fuck it.
She’s like a sitting duck at her table. She sees me locked in on her. The look of pure terror flickering over her face tells me she knows exactlywhyI’m plodding towards her.
Once I reach her, I pull her chair back. I cage her in between my thick biceps, slamming my hands on either side of the chair’s arms surrounding her. She sits back against the seat back, straight as an arrow. “Zain. Is everything okay?” Her eyes snake over my tattoos hungrily. Just can’t help her body’s natural response to me.
I slowly and methodically shake my head before cocking it. “Try again,beautiful,” I mock.
She sucks in a harrowed breath. Clara takes her cue to leave, shuffling away from the table in a whirlwind. First smart thing her friend has done.
“Vesper.” Her name leaves my lips in a scathing bite. A warning.
Of course she doesn’t reply. Can see her trying to piece together how the fuck I know.
Oh, songbird, I know everything about you. Where you are. Who you’re with. When your hand is shoved in your pants. All of it.“Did Kieran tell you?” she asks in a meek voice. Her deep-green eyes are wide like saucers; two glimmering emeralds. Her fingers grip the chair as if it will protect her from my wrath. Nothin’ will protect her from me.
I shrug. “Doesn’t matter,” I say darkly. My lip curls into a sinister smirk. I pull out the seat next to her, slamming it against the flagstone floor, making it reverberate through the hall. I sit backwards in the chair, straddling it. My thumb and forefinger reach out to grip the ends of her long, dark hair. I run the soft strands against my skin.
The tables around us start whispering, but I don’t give a fuck. If there was a fuckin’ inkling she might be available, they know now.
“I don’t share. Don’t push me. You won’t like the outcome.” I study her while I caress her strands. I imagine them wet with blood while I bend her over and pound into her relentlessly. The tinge of her panic flows through the air. I taste it on my tongue. Her pulse thrums against her neck. Wanna drink the blood that flows through her veins. Too long since I’ve satisfied my sick craving. It’s never enough.
