Placing a finger to my lips, I nodded once and then opened the door to my uncle’s newly restored ‘75 Mustang. Gemma hesitated at first, and I felt the strangest little tug in my chest at the thought of her backing out, of having to follow Bain on my own—as usual—without her near. It was fucked up. Cade was right. I was being risky and reckless. A taunting voice in the back of my head whispered, “Selfish.”
A heavy breath left me as I came face to face with the realization that I was being selfish and impulsive, knowing very well that whatever it was I was feeling for her was never going to last. I wouldn’t let it get that far. Nothing would change for me. I was still taking on the responsibility of my father’s fucked-up empire, and I would never put someone like her in a position where she could end up as a suffering victim from the life I led.
I would never let it get to that, even if I could feel the pricking of deeper feelings underneath my skin. Gemma meant something to me—and in such a short time, too. It was fucking terrifying, and I didn’t admit my fears easily.
The car came to life a second after I climbed behind the wheel. The engine was loud, but I wasn’t worried about my uncle waking up and finding me. He knew I’d taken his car before and why. He likely wouldn't approve of Gemma being with me, but what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.
“We could get into some serious trouble if someone catches us leaving the school,” Gemma whispered, sitting stark still in the passenger seat. “Wouldn’t that ruin everything?”
“Put your seatbelt on.” I pushed the car into reverse and slowly began creeping away from St. Mary’s. I flicked the lights on just as we made it through the entrance, the car dropping down as we rolled over the dip in the driveway.
Gemma’s soft tone filled the dark interior after her seatbelt clicked. “Whose car is this? I didn’t think students could have cars.”
I chuckled, making a right turn to follow the pin that Brantley had sent me. “That’s correct.” I paused, scanning the street for any other moving vehicles. “It’s my uncle’s.”
Her gasp made me smile.
“What?!”
I rested my hand on her bare knee for a quick second before putting it back on the wheel. Bad idea. “Will you relax? I thought you said you trusted me.”
Her arms whipped across her chest. “You’re totally taking that out of context.”
“Ah,” I murmured, still scanning the empty street. We were parked across from the address I had on my phone, wedged between a few other cars. “So you only trust me with my hands underneath your skirt. I see.”
She gasped again, this time whizzing her entire body toward me. My lip jutted upward, and if it weren’t so dark in here, I knew her face would be a lovely shade of red. “I…I…”
A laugh started to creep up my throat, and as soon as it was out in the open, bellowing from my mouth, she sighed. I was pretty sure she was trying to act annoyed with me, but instead, her cheek twitched, followed by her smashing her lips together.
My laughing eventually stopped when I watched a midnight-colored Bentley prowl through the entrance of a dilapidated warehouse and whip out onto the road, taking a right up at the stop sign. I crept my foot along the gas before speeding up just far enough that I could keep eyes on which direction he’d gone but not close enough that he’d see me.
Or maybe he had seen me.
Unlikely. But it was possible.
My phone dinged in the cup holder, and I caught Gemma’s eye. “Read that to me, will you?”
She looked shocked for a split second before she uncrossed her arms and pulled the phone to her face. “It says it’s from Brantley. He says he remained unseen.”
I nodded once, and she placed the phone back down and re-crossed her arms. After a few more seconds of tense silence, her voice cut through the stuffy air. “Why am I with you right now?”
My eyebrow hitched as I kept my eyes on Bain. “Do you not want to be with me right now?”
“I didn’t say that.” She waited for a moment and then shifted in her seat. “But what if you get caught? You’re on probation. Isn’t that the whole reason why you have me? To cover for you when you…follow Bain?”
I put my blinker on and turned left, slowing down a little as Bain’s speed had decreased.
Gemma didn’t give me a chance to answer her as another question popped out. “Do you make it a habit to sneak out of St. Mary’s to follow Bain? Is this where you go when you leave tutoring early?”
“So many questions,” I deadpanned.
“Isaiah!” she shouted, and I couldn’t help but smile. God, she was cute when she was feisty. “If I
’m going to get in trouble, I better know why!”
“You won’t get in trouble, Gemma. I wouldn’t let that happen.”
She threw her hands out and pushed her lithe frame into the leather seat. “If we get caught, we will get in trouble!”