“No.” She chokes on the word. “I … don’t.”
“What if I told you that I want to fuck you?” he asks, and she whimpers. “I know you’re a virgin, and I want your blood all over my cock. Would you tell me no?”
“Please …”
“Simple yes or no, Lace,” he urges.
“No.” She sniffs. “I’d … tell you nnnooooo.”
He takes a step back from her at the same time Law releases her. He too takes a step back, both giving her plenty of room to breathe now while Dax moves away from the door.
She doesn’t waste another second. She runs out of the room, not even bothering with her books.
HENLEY
I’M WAITING BY my locker for Lacey when I see her all but running down the hallway, shoving kids out of the way.
“Hey.” I reach out and grab her hand as she goes to pass.
She yelps like my touch was fire. Her eyes meet mine, and she’s crying.
“What’s wrong?” I ask immediately.
She’s shaking, her breathing is ragged. She can’t seem to catch her breath. “Lacey …”
Her gasp interrupts me, and she looks over my shoulder. I turn to see Scout, Law, Rellik and Monroe coming down the hallway toward us.
I look back at her. “Did they do something to you?” She’s already backing away, eyes wide. “Lacey …” Before I can finish, she darts out the double doors. I spin around just as the guys come up to me. “What the fuck did you do?” I growl.
“Nothing … yet,” Law answers, licking his lips.
“Scout!” I snap.
He presses his body into mine. His hand comes up, wrapping around my throat, but not tight enough to take away my air. He drops his lips to my ear. “We were just having a little fun.”
My heart pounds, and I know he can feel my pulse race under his hand. “If you touch her, I swear to God …”
His deep chuckle rumbling his chest makes me pause, and I realize what he did. She’s their next move. He knows I want to protect her. Like I couldn’t protect Brenda Nash.
I close my eyes. “What do you want?” I manage to say through gritted teeth.
“It’s time we quit playing this game, little doll.” His nose runs along my jawline, and he gently kisses it.
I shiver. I’ve managed to avoid them all week since our interaction at Death Valley last weekend. I’ve been trying to figure out what I can do to prove what Monroe did to Brenda. And why I still get turned on when Scout touches me knowing that if he had the chance, he’d kill me.
“Everyone should know how you feel about me.”
“I think they’re well aware how much I hate you.” I snap, pushing against him.
His hand around my throat shoves me back into my locker, making it rattle, getting everyone’s attention who wasn’t already watching the exchange. “No, how you really feel.”
My heart stops. Suddenly, I understand. His hand around my throat moves to my hair, and he tilts my head back. My breathing picks up like it always used to when we were this close. Seeing his eyes full of nothing but determination makes my stomach drop. I already know what’s coming yet my thighs tighten.
“Don’t make a scene, little doll,” he whispers.
I’ve never felt more loss. More betrayed than right now. Even after everything, he’s going to make me humiliate myself. Again. Force me to either let him publicly claim me as his, or willingly give up an innocent girl to the wolves. To be picked apart piece by piece. Lacey has already been through too much. On the other hand, I can take it. This was my plan, right? He’s just fast-tracking it. But I still have the control here. Who said I have to pick one or the other? I can handle both.
He doesn’t wait for an answer. Just as his lips lower to mine, I slap him across the face, causing every conversation in the hallway to come to an abrupt stop.
My breathing picks up when he pulls back and gives me a smile. He was testing me. And I realize that I just failed in the worst way. “Stay the fuck away from me, Scout.” I manage to get out.
His hungry eyes look me up and down before he turns and walks away, leaving me shaking and embarrassed.
I don’t have time to process what happened or why my pussy throbs at the thought of us together. Instead, I run out of the school and to my car in the pouring rain. I squeal my tires out of the parking lot. My windshield wipers are on full blast, and I’m still having to squint. Lacey couldn’t have gotten far. I saw her Town Car pulling into the parking lot, so I know she’s got to be walking.
The moment I turn the first corner, I see her. She’s walking down the side of the road in the pouring rain. She’s soaked. I slam on the brakes, bringing it to a stop next to her.