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“No way,” I replied, boxing her shoulder. “We’re pulling this off, just like we pull off everything else in this damn town.”

And then the three of us got out.

I tried not to focus on all the students staring at us as they walked by or turned toward us from the beach.

At some point, they would be busy with themselves and the beach party. And then my opportunity would come.

I just hoped that he was here too and not sitting at home, which was why I immediately scanned the area for the Copeland pack.

“Larissa,” Miles murmured, and I looked at him. “If anything happens…”

Bayla appeared at my side, and I raised both hands.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

Miles gave me a serious look, but I was already pulling Bayla’s hand to get her out of sight of the party guests.

The Copelands didn't need to know she was here with us.

“Damn it, DeLoughrey!” I heard a guy shout discontentedly over the loud music.

As I disappeared into the crowd with Bayla and stopped breathing, I looked around and spotted Noah. I slowed down and watched as he and the others in the group turned around.

And then I spotted him. Kieran Wheeler. Next to him was a girl with pink hair.

I stopped completely and looked at the pretty girl in the black hoodie. She was older than me, probably also a master's student...

His girlfriend?

I raised both eyebrows.

As if anyone could stand this guy. Didn't he fuck someone new every day anyway?

“Looks like someone really thought they could party without us,” I heard my brother joke.

Miles walked straight up to the Copelands. But it wasn’t the Copelands who started moving. It was Emely’s future fiancé and the massive guys he always walked around campus with.

Emely had told Bay and me that they occasionally spent time on campus because certain seminar rooms could be used for meetings, but I suspected that this odd guy wanted to keep an eye on his future wife. As if the fact that Emely was submitting to this forced marriage wasn't crazy enough.

Emely broke away from a group of girls I could tell were the basketball team, her eyes wide with shock when she spotted Miles, then Mikhail.

“What the hell are you doing here?!” she blurted out, striding toward Miles, but Mikhail pulled her back and then behind him.

This guy was so incredibly possessive. Jesus Christ.

“Very stupid of you to show up here!” the blond, handsome guy with his Russian accent gritted out.

Bastien had warned us about the Rolanows. And I didn’t like that I hadn’t taken these people into account and that Miles was now confronted with this man.

A few months ago, he had played against him on the field, but back then Mikhail had seemed unsettled, merely eyeing Miles with hostility.

Now he seemed aggressive. As if he was having trouble getting used to the fact that Legacy Ruisangors lived in Blairville and he couldn't just wipe them out.

“Mikhail Rolan-woof,” Miles said with a provocative smirk before his expression changed to consternation. “Rolanow,” he corrected himself with a clearing of his throat, his flat hand resting on his chest. “Sorry. How rude of me.”

His serious expression turned mocking, and I didn't miss how Mikhail's hands clenched into fists.

“Good to see you. How's the diamond business going?”