Falcon (Trinity Academy 1)

“Lake’s father is the vice-president of CRC Holdings.” She stops and looking at me asks, “You’ve heard of the company, right?’

Nodding, I answer, “Yeah.”

“Oh, then I must be boring you with useless information,” Kingsley laughs.

“Actually, I don’t know much about them,” I admit.

Mom never talks about her work with me. To be honest, that’s putting it lightly. I hardly get to see Mom because she’s either at the office or away on a business trip with Mr. Reyes.

“Cool, then I’ll go on.” Kingsley immediately proceeds by pointing at the guy next to Lake. “That’s Mason Chargill.”

The second I look at Mason, a shiver slithers down my spine, and every one of my alarms begin to go off. The guy looks like trouble with a capital T. There’s a condescending smirk on his face, only adding to the menacing look courtesy of features which might as well have been carved from stone. Handsome… but the indifference and contempt rolling off his shoulders make him look threatening.

I’ll be sure to avoid him at all costs.

“Mason’s father is the president of the company. I heard Mason, Falcon, and Lake are studying to take over from their fathers, which makes sense seeing as the three of them are the heirs to CRC Holdings.”

When Kingsley doesn’t continue, I ask, “So the third guy is Falcon Reyes?” Mom told me to be on my best behavior because Mr. Reyes’ youngest son is a senior here at the academy, but I’ve never met any of them in person. Now that I know what the heirs look like, it will make it easier to avoid them.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry, I got stuck on Mason,” she admits with a grin. “I could stare at him all day long.”

My eyes drift over the guys before stopping at Falcon. My first impression of Falcon is no better than the one I have of Mason. With a sharp, intelligent look, he reeks of arrogance wrapped in an icy layer of indifference.

He lifts his chin and glances in my direction as if he can feel my eyes on him. From across the auditorium, our eyes lock and every muscle in my body tenses as an unnerving feeling ripples over me. There are easily ten rows of chairs between Falcon and me, yet his cold gaze has the power to make me feel like I’ve just been singled out. His shoulders are set square, commanding and formidable, giving me the impression he’s the leader of the three.

Breaking eye-contact, I slide down in my chair and hide behind the guy sitting right in front of me.

Yeah, definitely gonna stay away from Falcon.

“Falcon’s father is the CEO and chairman of CRC Holdings.” Kingsley lets out a sigh. “With the kind of wealth they come from, they might be gorgeous to look at but deadly to play with.”

“That, my friend, I one hundred percent agree with.”

The introduction begins, and all the students quiet down. I usually pride myself in paying attention, but today, I find myself zoning out as my eyes get stuck on the three men sitting up front.

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have such wealth – not having to worry about your bank account ever running on fumes.

Deep in thought, my eyes leave them only to jump from one student to the next. Most are wearing watches I’ve never seen before, making my TAG Heuer look like a pavement special. It’s not like I’m into the latest fashion and luxury brands, but coming to this college, you quickly notice it’s what sets you apart from the rest of the students.

Once the introduction is over, we all file out of the auditorium and into the bright California sunlight.

“Which building are you staying in?” Kingsley asks as we walk over the well-maintained green lawn toward the residence section.

I scrunch my nose because I think the names for the buildings are lame. “I’m staying in the Hope Diamond. What’s with the weird names for the buildings?” I ask, hoping Kingsley will be able to tell me more.

Instead, her eyes widen, and she grabs my arm. “You’re so lucky! How did you manage to get a room in their building?”

“Their building?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

“The penthouse belongs to Falcon, Mason, and Lake. Usually, only other business partners can get a suite in The Hope Diamond.”

I blink as she rambles overly excited, and once I find my bearings, I mumble, “It makes no difference to me where I stay.”

I hope she doesn’t ask about my family because I’d hate to lie to her, but there’s no way I’m trusting her with my secret only minutes after meeting her.

“Well, you’re lucky. Your family must be business partners with CRC then?” Kingsley asks the question I’ve been dreading most.

“Something like that,” I skirt around the truth hoping it won’t come back to bite me in the ass.