If I could rear back, I would. His question completely throws me off. Why the hell should he care why I keep a knife under my pillow? “That’s none of your goddamn business.”
“Why?” he demands, clearly one who’s not used to having to repeat himself.
“Why don’t you tell me why the hell you broke into my home and took it upon yourself to creep into my bedroom.”
“I had scouts come out to see that game,” he says, taking on that low, terrifying tone again. “You fucking embarrassed me and lost me my shot at playing college ball.” I roll my eyes. A guy like Slade already has a college picked out. The scouts still saw him play and as much as I hate admitting it, the part they did see was him kicking ass. My little prank did nothing to ruin his chances there. “I had to sit out the rest of the game like a fucking loser. Coach suspended me for two weeks. We were fucking lucky that Damian and Blake were able to run the game without me.”
“Lucky?” I scoff, feeling kind of bad about him getting suspended, but that’s something I’ll have to think over later. “Blake could have won the whole game by himself but you were too focused on beating Roman to notice that he was open. He’s the lucky one that you got put off and he finally got a chance to actually show what he’s got. Hopefully, that scout is now interested in him.”
Slade’s voice raises a notch but not loud enough to cause any damage. “I look like a fucking smurf, Skylah.”
I hold back a grin. “Yeah, I noticed that. You must have really pissed someone off to deserve that. Actually, you should introduce me. I’m sure I’d get along with that bitch really well.”
“For fuck’s sake,” he growls, slamming his hand against the drywall beside my head while trying to keep his voice low. “Don’t act like I don’t know it was you. You took a fucking bow.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lie.
“You destroyed my fucking uniform.”
“You’re being a little dramatic, don’t you think? It’s hardly destroyed. Have you ever heard of a washing machine?”
“You’re fucking kidding me,” he snaps, stepping away from me so quickly that my knees nearly crumble beneath me. “You’re making a joke out of this bullshit.”
I walk toward him, stepping right in front and pushing up onto my tippy toes though it doesn’t get me far. “Payback is a real bitch,” I remind him. “You brought this shit down on yourself and unfortunately for you, you’ve had to learn the hard way not to fuck with the wrong person.”
Slade laughs before taking on a serious tone as he looks back down at me. “No, Virago,” he says, crowding me back against the wall again. “You’ve got this all wrong. You think you’ve won something here? You’re not even close. I’m going to come for you every fucking day, anywhere, anytime. You fucked things up for me and now I’m going to do the same. You may think your bad attitude makes you untouchable, but you’re not. You’re mine.”
A thrill runs through me at hearing the words ‘you’re mine’ on his lips. I know he means them in a bad way but they still have the same effect. What he’s telling me is what I already know. I raise my chin once again and my cheek grazes past his. I lower my voice to a breathy whisper. “You want me, don’t you? You can’t stop thinking about me and it’s torturing you. In the shower, in bed, at school. Every minute of every day I’m in your head and it’s driving you insane. I occupy your thoughts and you don’t know whether to hate it or make your move.” I lick my lips and allow the very tip of my tongue to brush over his neck. “I was right. I do scare you.”
Slade shakes his head and steps back from me faster than lightning, making a smirk cut across my face. Fucking bingo. I knew it, though I doubt being the obsessive thought in his head could be a good thing, especially when a lot of those thoughts are centered around revenge.
“This is your last warning,” he tells me. “You fuck with me and I fuck with you.”
I drop down onto my bed and grin up at him as I wave my hand toward the window. “Be careful what you wish for, Cruz. I’m not like those easy bitches who fall at your feet. I told you before, if it’s a war you want, then it’s a war you’ll get and I won’t hold back. I will win this thing. You don’t have even the slightest idea who you’re messing with.”
“No, Virago. You don’t know who the fuck you’re messing with.”