The fact we know that Mr. Baxter was Rose’s sugar daddy, paying for an apartment and a life away from Thistle Cove.

The four of us carry the disturbing detail that he’s most definitely BD, the man that sent me messages, then flowers, and finally, intimate, sexy lingerie.

We’re burdened with the knowledge that the men in Thistle Cove seem to get away with everything, including murder. That there are no boundaries. Not even the sacred one like a relationship with a friend’s daughter.

Who are these men? Why are they so powerful and bold?

I obsess over it, day in and day out. Watching Coach Chandler lean against the wall outside his office talking to the girls at school. A wolf in our midst. More than once I see Alice smile at him as she walks down the hall.

While I obsess, Ezra seems lost. I can’t coax him out. Not to the gym. Not to the storage closet between classes. Not for a late-night ride on his motorcycle. He’s quiet, deep in thought. I don’t blame him. Finding out your father is part of an elaborate predatorial system—a legitimate one if you’re of age, an illegal one if you’re not.

Rose wasn’t of age.

Fortunately, there is one event that draws him out of his funk. The state championship ring ceremony. It’s held in the city—actually in the ballroom of a five-star hotel. Thistle Cove isn’t the only school getting their state rings—there are different divisions—six in all. I learn all of this while sitting at a table in the back corner with Ozzy. We’re officially here as Valhalla staff, Mr. Russell giving us special passes to attend. The team, including Ezra and Finn, are up near the stage. Their families are a table back.

“I had no idea people could talk so much about football,” I mutter, cutting into my not-five-star chicken dinner. I can’t help but keep an eye on the Thistle Cove Three, as I’ve started to call them; Waller, Chandler, and Baxter. They’re as close to the stage as possible, all smiles and smug expressions.

“They’re in their element,” Ozzy says. He shifts his tie, a reminder that he’s definitely not in his element. He looks adorable, even in his discomfort.

“The alumni are probably one step from an orgasm just being here again.”

Ozzy chokes on his water and makes a face. “You have to stop saying things like that.”

“I can’t. It’s obvious they get off on shit like this, basking in the glow of their adoring fans. They’re so…repulsive.”

It’s especially hard here, where they’re treated like some kind of royalty. They’re liars, cheats, perverts, and possibly murderers. There’s no way I can view them as anything else, but in this world they’re heroes. One-time-boys turned successful men. I glance at my boys across the room, hoping I don’t lose them to the same mentality.

“Finn and Ezra aren’t like them,” Ozzy says, reading my mind. “Finn, he’s driven and loves the game, but he’s also not into the power play. He works hard for his success and doesn’t want to step on others to get it. Ezra? I get the feeling he just wants the hell away from anything that has to do with his dad.”

“And what about you, Ozzy Drake? What do you want?”

His blue eyes sweep over me and his hand skims my knee. “Other than you, I’m not sure.”

It’s not true. Ozzy’s going to write the next great American novel, or create the next start-up, or break out as an incredible journalist. He downplays his interests, preferring to be quiet and keep them to himself, but I have no doubt that he’ll be brilliant regardless of what he does.

We finish our dinner and gorge ourselves on dessert—sticky, sweet, chocolate mousse. There’s a break before the actual ring presentation and Ezra and Finn walk over to our table. Finn’s fingers graze the back of my neck before he takes the empty seat next to me, sending a delicious chill down my spine.

“Bored yet?” he asks.

“Listening to people drone on about statistics and college commitments?” I ask with a grin. “No. Never.?

?

He squeezes my knee under the table. “You’re a good sport.”

“Hey, I’m here on official business.” I hold up the camera and scan the room. That’s when I notice Mr. Waller. He crosses the room to shake hands with someone from another school—not a coach or player. The players and coaches all wear matching coats and ties, silver and blue, a small crest on the pocket of their jackets. It must be one of the dads.

“What school is that?” I ask.

Ozzy shrugs. Ezra, who is more quiet than normal says, “Sparrowood Academy.”

“You mean that rich-kid boarding south down south?” Finn asks.

I frown. The name sounds vaguely familiar, but if they aren’t in our division, we wouldn’t cross paths much.

“Near Kingston,” Ezra adds, leaning his elbows on the table. “My dad has been threatening to send me there for years.”

I blink. “Seriously? He threatened to send you to boarding school?”

Tags: Angel Lawson Thistle Cove Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net