“Kinsey...” Jax shook his head, voice trailing away.
“I’m going to be careful, okay? I’ll take that cake knife with me, and if she tries anything at all, I won’t hesitate to defend myself,” I said, making a small slashing motion with my right hand. “Also, we’ll just be outside in the gazebo. It’s not that far from here.”
Jax quirked a brow. “Okay, honestly, I’m picturing you as a deadly assassin now, and it’s pretty fucking hot,” he said, moving his hands down to my hips. “But I still don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go outside. I don’t trust Cerina at all. Not after everything she’s done.”
“I don’t trust her either. But like I said, I’ll be careful. If there’s even the slightest hint that she’s trying to fuck with me, I’ll leave.”
Jax rubbed his jaw. “How long do you think it’ll take for you two to talk?” he asked, still sounding reluctant.
“She said she needs ten minutes. Maybe fifteen.”
“And you’re really not going to let me come?”
“I wish I could, but she insisted on talking to me alone.”
Jax sighed and glanced at his watch. “You’re really sure about this?”
“Yes. I’ll be fine.”
He nodded slowly. “If you aren’t back here by nine, I’m going to come out there and check on you. Okay?”
“Deal.” I gave him a quick hug. Then I headed over to the cake table. Mr. Blythe was standing by it again, keeping a keen eye on the nearby drinks table.
“I’m just getting some more cake,” I said when I stepped closer and caught his attention.
“Ah. It’s good, isn’t it?” he said, turning to focus his gaze on a passing group of students, all of whom were raucously shrieking and giggling. They were obviously drunk or high on something, so I was sure they would take away most of the attention from me.
I was right. Mr. Blythe didn’t notice me pick up the cake knife and slip it into my purse, even though he was barely three feet away.
I slipped through the exit and headed out into the night. The transition from the hot and sweaty air in the dance hall to the freezing wind outside made my teeth chatter as goosebumps sprang up on my bare arms. I set my jaw with grim intensity and continued down the main path.
The quad consisted of an enormous lawn crisscrossed by small pathways and benches. In the center lay a series of decorative pavers surrounding a white latticed gazebo with an ivy-decorated entrance. As I drew closer, I spotted a small figure in pink standing in the middle of the gazebo.
Cerina was in there alone, just like she promised.
I still didn’t trust her, though. I raised my gaze to the trees scattered on the far side of the quad. The trunks all looked too thin for anyone to hide behind, so I turned my attention to the stone benches on the far left instead. No one was crouched behind any of them. Cerina truly appeared to be alone in the quad.
I took a deep breath and pulled the cake knife out of my purse. Clutching it tightly, I hurried forward and stepped up to the gazebo.
When she spotted me, Cerina folded her arms, face twisted into a scowl. “It’s about fucking time,” she said. “What the hell took you so long?”
“I told you, I needed a few minutes,” I said, voice laced with irritation.
“Whatever. Nice knife, by the way. I’m sure all the cupcakes around here are terrified of you.” Cerina rolled her eyes upward and hugged her thin arms around herself, rubbing her bare skin with her fingertips. “Anyway, what’s so important that you had to drag me all the way out here in the freezing cold to tell me?”
My brows shot up. “Um, you’rethe one who asked me to come out here.”
“Huh? No I didn’t.”
“Great,” I said. “So this was just another one of your stupid games.”
“This isn’t a game. You literally asked me to meet you here. You said you had something important to tell me about Jax,” Cerina said.
“No, that’s whatyoutoldme. You said it was about my safety. That Jax and Erin are hiding stuff from me.”
Cerina narrowed her eyes and lifted her palms. “What the fuck is going on here? I didn’t contact you.Youcontactedme.”
“I didn’t. Just look.” I reached into my purse and grabbed my phone. Cerina did the same.