“No, you don’t understand. Everyone is in deep shit, and it’s my fault.”
“I’m not judging you, James.”
“Yeah, but you’re right. Maybe you should go.” He jerked his head at the door.
“Maybe we better all go,” I insisted, seeing the anguished look on his face.
“Tell Jackson and Will I’m staying here.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “And I’m not going without you.”
We stared at each other for a few moments.
“Do you know why I asked you to come, White?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“Well, there isn’t any reason.”
This time, I looked up. James came closer, bringing his face to the loose locks of hair falling on my shoulders. He whispered something, making me shiver.
“You think I use people. Maybe I felt like using you today.” His gruff voice made me jump. With my cheeks on fire, I shook my head.
“I don’t think that at all, James.”
And without saying anything else, his gaze turned to my lips, then my neck. A rush of adrenaline went down my spine when his eyes slowly drifted to my white uniform shirt. It lasted a brief moment, enough time to make my stomach twist in knots, then he looked away.
“You don’t know what I’m capable of. And you’d be smart to believe me, princess.” I craned my neck when he slid his thumb under my ear, moving it until he caressed my jaw.
“Well, look who’s here.”
Ethan Austin’s thundering voice pierced the already tension-filled atmosphere.
“Aww, how cute, they’re both wearing the same school uniform,” he mocked, coming into the bathroom. “How does the little beggar pay for private school?”
All it took was for Austin to take one look at me, and James jumped in front of me to cover me.
“Hunter, what’s wrong? Scared your innocent little friend will give me another lap dance?”
I wanted to talk back to him, but the guy could be armed, he could hurt James, and that possibility scared me so much that I kept my mouth shut.
I shrank behind James’s back.
“This time she can bang me right here.”
James’s shoulders were too broad and blocked my view, but I saw Austin put his hand on his pants in the mirror.
But I didn’t expect James’s reaction. Without saying a word, he punched Austin right in the nose. When I saw Austin’s face covered in blood, I felt the instinct to scream.
“James, no!”
He turned around suddenly as soon as he heard my scream, and Austin took advantage of it to take him by surprise from behind.
He grabbed James by the collar of his button-down shirt and slammed him against the wall, before pulling a gun out of his jeans.
“Oh my god,” I stuttered, terrified when I saw Austin put the gun to his head.
“Go on, do it,” snarled James through clenched teeth.
