Diamond in the Dust (Lost Kings MC 18)

My mouth fell open. “They did?”

She swallowed hard and averted her eyes. “I’m sure they were thorough in their investigation.”

Jesus.

“We’ll get through this, Logan,” she promised me.

“Sure.” I pushed away from the table.

“I’ll let you know when dinner’s ready.”

I nodded and headed to my room. Not like I had anything else to do tonight or for the near future. No football. No more after-parties. No school.

Not that I loved school, but my friends were there.

Or at least people I thought were my friends.

Not one person bothered to call and check up on me that afternoon. No one asked why I left school early. None of my teammates were concerned about why I was suddenly cut from the game.

Nothing.

Jensen had my back. But he was already more like a brother than a friend.

Em and Boone talked to him privately about how they wanted him to handle things at school. They contacted lawyers. There were meetings. Some of them I had to attend and listen to men in suits argue about my life like I was some fictional character instead of a flesh and blood person.

I hated all of it.

“I swear I’m gonna drop out,” Jensen said one night after Em and Boone had gone to bed.

“The fuck you are,” I growled. I’d been stuck with tutors coming over to homeschool me every damn day. “If I can suffer through Mr. McHairy Pitstains sweating all over the kitchen table while he tutors me in Biology, you can go to class.”

“Why can’t I just do the homeschool thing with you?”

“They already chased me out. They’re not chasing you out too.” I was being an asshole. While I didn’t mind school, he hated it, and without me there, it would be closer to torture than a learning experience.

He hesitated and picked at one of the threads of the throw rug he was sitting on. “Ashley had the nerve to ask me to come to one of the lake house parties this weekend.”

Anger, irritation, jealousy—something flared up inside me. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, though. “I’m shocked she’d even talk to you since she’s supposedly so scared of me.” I couldn’t hide the bitterness in my tone.

“Her parents are probably using her to get information about the lawsuit or something.”

“Probably,” I snorted.

He hesitated and still wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“Did she say something else?” I asked.

“She kinda hinted she wants to…”

“Fuck you?”

The harsh words seemed to startle him. Wide, guilty eyes stared back at me.

“Go for it. I don’t give a shit.” I let out a harsh laugh and threw myself down on the bed. “You could use the experience.”

All things considered, that was cruel, but I was in a shit mood.

Except for a grunt of agreement, he remained quiet.

I sat up and squinted down at him. “I thought you couldn’t stand her?”

“Do I have to like her to fuck her?”

“No.” I studied him for a few seconds. “How come you never liked her, anyway?”

“Girl’s got no loyalty.”

“You don’t say.” My heart hammered as I reconsidered his words. “Why’d you think that?”

His gaze landed everywhere in the room but on me. “I didn’t want to tell you this before.”

“What?” I already had a sinking feeling I knew the answer to my question.

“She’s suggested we do…stuff before.” Two red splotches spread over his cheeks. “When you guys were together.”

“Figures.” Why should I expect any different? The only thing that surprised me was how little I actually cared. Ashley already betrayed me in the most brutal way possible. Trying to fuck my best friend was pretty tame in comparison.

“I never encouraged her.” His voice held an edge. “I kept trying to tell you she was a cunt.”

I reached down and whacked him upside the head with my pillow. “Free tip, little brother, stop calling women cunts, or they’re never gonna let you in theirs.”

“If anyone’s earned it, she has.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, warming up to this idea. “But having to teach you how to fuck seems like punishment enough.”

He cackled and threw a sneaker at my head. “I guess that means I have your blessing.”

I opened my nightstand drawer and flung a handful of condoms at him. “Knock yourself out.”

Having Jensen fuck and dump my ex might be the only revenge I’d ever get for what she’d done.

Chapter Fifteen

Shelby

“Oh my God,” I whispered. I can’t stop staring at Logan. “That has to be the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Now you understand why she tracked you down in L.A. to get even with me?”

“Honestly, no, I really don’t. She got you kicked out of school. What more did she want?”

“Well, my aunt wasn’t fucking around. She wouldn’t let it go. She sued the school district, the mayor, and Ashley’s parents personally.”

My jaw dropped. “Seriously?”

“Yup.” Bittersweet affection shines in his eyes. “They made the mistake of messing with her family.”