It’s not Quinn sending me these messages. She and I have never communicated this way. If she was in trouble, she wouldn’t come to me. I’m the last person Quinn would ask for help.
It’s Dante, pulling at what he thinks are my heartstrings.
I know it’s you D.
I wait a few moments before he messages back.
Still having fun with your school boys?
Now that I’m sure it’s Dante, and that he knows where I am, I’d much rather be on the offensive. Time to skip the rest of class. Swinging by Quinn’s office on the off-chance Dante is being careless and I can follow him, sounds good about now.
I leave quietly, making sure to sign my name at the bottom of the audition interest form pinned to the notice board on my way out. I also make a mental note, when I seduce Mr. Buxton I’m going to have to wear a push up bra.
I don’t get far. A commotion along the walkway leading to the school parking lot draws my attention. I spot Jude under a clump of trees. His broad shoulders and blond hair are too hard to miss. He’s built to play ball on the field and nothing else.
He’s surrounded by Razor’s guys.
I can’t hear what they’re saying but Jude is laughing in their face. Typical that fucking Jude would find the whole thing hilarious enough to get himself killed. They don’t hesitate to start beating the shit out of him as a crowd gathers around the fight. I stay apart, viewing from one of the steps.
I can’t get involved. Not at school.
I need to maintain my cover.
But my hand itches, and my stomach is fucking fluttering to join in. It could be worse. My skin could be crawling right now too. The rage and emptiness that had been building to the point where I couldn’t sleep at night had been causing problems. Until killing Mr. Hans brought back my sanity, if only for a short while. I’ll need to find release again soon. If that’s not lust, it needs to be death.
Black or red.
Take your pick.
My darkness has needs.
As if to taunt me further, my phone vibrates with an incoming message. I know it’s Dante. I just know it.
Entertainment indeed. Jude gives as good as he gets for a guy outnumbered, until a car roars into the parking lot. Several guys get out. One of them, broad-shouldered, tall, about the same build as Dino, has a back line fade shaved into the side of his head with tattoos running under it.
One of the tattoos says Razor.
Jude, blood pouring down his face, grins. “Finally,” he exclaims, knocking the last guy out. “Thought you cunts were hiding from me.”
“Marques, you’re fucking dead,” the newcomer sneers as he takes in the mess of Jude, a vision splattered in sweat-slicked bright red, as several of of his guys hold him for their leader. In Razor’s hand is something sharp that catches the light. His namesake.
A barber’s shiny razor.
My cue to dance too.
I caress the outline of my own blade over my skirt and push my way through the throng of bodies. But a shout causes all of the students to disperse, including Razor and his guys. A few teachers have shown up trying to disband the fight. Jude sees me amidst the fleeing students and saunters over, he grabs me and pulls me to him.
“Shouldn’t you be worried about getting caught red-handed?” I say, as the teachers spot us.
Jude smirks. “Fuck this school. They’re lucky to have a Marques at this dump in the first place.”
“Let me guess, your parents are paying them a fortune?”
“Always.” He runs his eyes over me, seeing the knife in my hand which I quickly tuck away. “God, I’m horny.”
“You’re always horny,” I retort, smoothing my skirt.
Jude, hazel eyes glowing, looks like he’s done ten rounds with a freight train and loved every minute. His uniform is skewed and his hair is a thousand times messy. The urge to lick the blood away from the corner of his lips, comes out of no-fucking-where. I suppress it, like I always do. I can control myself. I’m not an animal.