Savage Devil
Devils of Sun Valley High
Daniela Romero
Contents
Prologue: The Summer Before Junior Year
One - 18 months later…
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
fifteen
sixteen
seventeen
eighteen
nineteen
twenty
Twenty-one
twenty-two
twenty-three
Twenty-four
twenty-five
Twenty-six
Twenty-seven
twenty-eight
Twenty-nine
Thirty
Thirty-one
thirty-two
Thirty-three
Thirty-four
Thirty-five
Thirty-six
What to Read Next
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Savage Devil
Devils of Sun Valley High: Two
Copyright © 2021, Daniela Romero
www.daniela-romero.com
All Rights Reserved, including the rights to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the author.
This book is a work of fiction; all characters, names, places, incidents, and events are the product of the authors imagination and either fictitious or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Cover Design: Coffee and Characters
Formatting: Coffee and Characters
Editors: Cynthia Moyer, Lisa Wilson
Esperanza Romero
Feb 6, 1940 - Jan 1, 2021
I am grateful to have been loved by you.
Sad to have lost you.
Thankful for the impact you have made in my life.
May you rest in peace.
In my heart you will always be cherished.
Te Quero Mucho
About the Book
It’s hard to deny a Devil …
Especially one who promises you a night you’ll never forget.
One night.
No exchanging names.
No exchanging numbers.
That was the deal we made.
I was moving away. I’d never see him again and I wanted to leave Sun Valley with zero regrets.
Only I got more than I bargained for and nine months later delivered a bundle of joy complete with ten tiny fingers and ten perfect toes.
A year and a half later, I’m back.
And this Devil is no longer the devil in my dreams. Now he haunts my nightmares.
He’s savage.
He’s sinful.
And I’m barely a blip on his radar.
I came with good intentions. Determined to tell him the truth. But with so much on the line, I’m beginning to reconsider.
Because making a deal with the devil again just might be another mistake.
Prologue: The Summer Before Junior Year
“Come on, Bibi!” Monique whines before adding a coat of clear gloss over her full lips. “We’re going to be late for the party. The one you insisted we go to tonight,” she reminds me now as she toys with her hair. The dark brown box braids hang just past her shoulders. She glowers at me through the reflection in the mirror.
“I have nothing to wear!” Yes, now I’m whining, but sifting through my closet for something sexy—or, at the very least, something that doesn’t scream “I go to a stuck-up private school”—is next to impossible. And being a Suncrest Saint—even if past tense—isn’t something you advertise when mingling with the Sun Valley Devils. With any luck, we won’t run into any of the true Devils tonight. That would cause all sorts of problems, especially since Monique’s brother happens to be one of them.
He was in a car accident last week and is home recovering, so we should be in the clear. At least, I hope.
“Obviously.” Monique reaches into her overnight bag. “That’s why I brought you this.” She pulls out a sleek, black, bodycon dress and tosses it my way.
I catch it and hold up the barely there dress, an immediate scowl on my face. “No way. I can’t wear that,” I tell her with a firm shake of my head.
Hand on her hip, she turns to me. “And why the hell not?”
“Because half the dress is missing, that’s why,” I hiss, careful to keep my voice down as I give the dress another once-over. Mom and her boyfriend—Miguel—are already in bed, and I don’t want to wake either of them. Going out tonight isn’t exactly approved. But you know the saying, “better to ask forgiveness than permission.” Better yet, if Mom doesn’t find out, then there’s nothing to forgive in the first place.
In my hands, the dress looks no bigger than a t-shirt. A child-sized t-shirt. Yeah, no way am I wearing this.
Monique huffs out a breath. “At least try it on. What happened to you wanting to step out of your comfort zone today, huh? Weren’t you the one who said you wanted to do something daring? Live on the edge?” Her brows lift in an expectant expression. “It’s your last night in Sun Valley, Bibi.”
Urgh, please don’t remind me. “That doesn’t mean I want to go out looking like a dime-store hooker,” I tell her with a huff as a wave of sorrow crashes into me. Tonight is my last night in Sun Valley. Tomorrow, I’m moving. New town. New school. New life. In Richland, of all places. It sucks.
She rolls her eyes before turning away to finish her makeup in the full-length mirror that hangs from the back of my bedroom door. “Do I look like a dime-store hooker to you?” she asks over her shoulder.
“Obviously not,” I snort. Monique is a goddess. Five-foot-eleven with rich brown skin, chestnut-colored eyes, and long braids pulled back into a half pony. She looks like Brandy Norwood from her Moesha days and I would kill to look half as good as she does. Her skin is flawless, and unlike me, she’s managed to acquire curves in all the right places. I, on the other hand, am reed thin and straight as a bean pole. Mom swears I’ll fill out eventually, but I doubt it. Not with my luck. At least I have boobs. Not much, but they’re there.
“Glad we both agree. I’m wearing the exact same dress just in green. Try it on. You’ll like it.”
I roll my eyes but do as she says. It’s not like I have a lot of options here. Most of my things are already packed. And even if they weren’t, I still probably wouldn’t have anything to wear. “Sexy” isn’t really in my wardrobe vocabulary.
“Where did you get this from anyway?” I ask. “And how the heck did you manage to hide it from your mom?”
“Online. And I ordered it when she had a stupid floral shipment arrive for one of her charity things. There were so many delivery people in and out that day, she never noticed my lonely little Fashion Nova box.”
“Sneaky,” I tell her with a wink.
Monique and I have been best friends since middle school, which is how I know her parents would never approve of her wearing a dress like this. It’s all about appearances for the Price family. They even took issue with our school-issued uniform skirts and had hers custom ordered three inches longer than standard. Though the hemline isn’t the only thing about the dress they’d object to. They’d also balk at her wearing a
nything that wasn’t designer and didn’t cost a fortune. Can’t wear the same clothes as the common folk.
Slipping the dress over my head, I smooth down the fabric and eye myself in the mirror.
“Damn, girl.” Monique whistles. “You look stunning!”
I grimace. “This is…a lot.” Though I can’t pull my eyes away from my reflection. Monique is seven inches taller than me, so while her dress comes down just far enough to cover her butt, mine falls to mid-thigh. It’s strapless and hugs my body like a second skin, giving the illusion of curves I know I don’t have. But…wow.
Monique comes up behind me and pulls the clip from the back of my head, making my long, curly black hair fall around my face.
“This is perfect,” she tells me. “It’s sexy and screams for the love of God, please take my virginity.”
I smack her arm but don’t bother fighting my laugh. “I’m not trying to announce I want my virginity taken.”
She tosses my hair clip on the bed and hands me a tube of bright red lipstick. “Doesn’t change the fact that that is exactly what you’re after. Come on, Bibi. This was your idea. Let’s be rebels for once. We need this. A last hoorah before you abandon me.”
I chew my bottom lip but accept the lipstick and move closer to the mirror to put it on. Squaring my shoulders, I remind myself that I’m leaving Sun Valley with zero regrets. I’ve spent the last sixteen years of my life being the good girl. The girl who never stepped out of line. Never caused a fuss. Never broke the rules.
I need to breathe. Even if it’s only for one night.
At first, I was always on my best behavior because Mom was pregnant. She was older, the pregnancy unplanned, and it wasn’t without complications. She needed help and support and I wanted to be there for her.
Then it was because my baby brother was sick. My parents had their hands full dealing with Afonso’s condition. I didn’t need to add to their plate by being reckless, and I didn’t want to take attention away from Afonso. He was my baby brother. He was everything.
Then, right before his third birthday, he died. It gutted our family. Mom needed to grieve. No way would she have been able to handle me acting out on top of everything else. So, I continued to be the good girl. The rule follower. I can count on one hand the number of times my parents have ever needed to scold me.
Less than a year after Afonso passed, Dad left.
My family has been hit in the face with life again and again. There is never a good time to…I don’t know…be a kid. To make mistakes. To act impulsively. Guilt worms its way through my chest reminding me now still isn’t a good time. But then, when will it ever be? I’m sixteen years old. I want to be young and dumb. Not forever, but for a night. Just this one time. I want to make mistakes I can look back on. I want to know that I was wild and free. That I spread my wings and lived.
Afonso’s been gone for three years now. Dad’s been gone for two. It’s been a whirlwind for Mom and I, but things have gotten better. Mom has a boyfriend. He’s kinda weird but she smiles a lot more than she has in years, and I think she really loves him. He makes her happy. And I want her to be happy.
She’s been through so much.
It’s why I’m not complaining about the move. Well, not out loud at least. And why I stuffed back my tears and smiled ear to ear when she told me the good news. She deserves to be happy. I just…I want that for me, too.
“Okay. Let’s go before I lose my nerve.”
Monique’s smile widens. “Eeeeee! This is going to be so much fun!”
I don’t know if I share her enthusiasm, but I’m committed to this course nonetheless. For one night, I’m not going to be Bibiana Sousa—the good girl. I’m going to be the rebel. The wild child. A girl that goes with the flow, lets her hair down, and for once in her life, makes some freaking mistakes.
No one bats an eye as Monique and I stroll up to tonight’s party house. I have no idea whose it is, but I also don’t care. Suncrest Academy kids don’t throw ragers like this, and by crashing a Sun Valley High party, we’re less likely to run into anyone we know and have word get back to either of our parents.
“Come on, let’s grab a drink.” Monique hauls me through the front door and leads me in the obvious direction of the kitchen where a keg has been set up. Grabbing a red cup, she hands it to one of the guys manning the keg and he fills it for her, giving her an interested once-over.
“You here with anyone?” he asks, handing her the beer and tilting his head toward me in silent question. I shake my head, and wave off the offered alcohol, grabbing a water bottle from the open coolers instead. I know plenty of students who have zero issue with underage drinking but…I don’t know…coming to the party to hook up with a guy seems risqué enough for me for one night. Drinking when I’ve just barely turned sixteen feels like I would be pushing it.
“Nope. Just my girl,” Monique says, giving him a come-hither look as she takes a sip of her beer. The guys at Suncrest Academy don’t give Monique a second glance. I’m pretty sure it’s because they’re intimidated by her. She’s tall, a complete beast on the basketball court, and she has a spitfire personality. But it could also be because they’re idiots. Actually, if I had to put money on it, it’d be because they’re all idiots.
He tugs her close and she squeaks, though secretly I know she’s thrilled by the attention. Like me, Monique is kept in a sheltered little box, rarely let out to play. We might say tonight is my night, but it’s equally for her. We both need this escape from the constricting lives we lead, and Monique deserves to feel like the goddess she is.
“I’m gonna go mingle,” I tell her, giving her the out she needs to have fun and not worry about me. She makes a face, about to argue, and I shake my head. “Have fun. You can’t stick by my side all night, anyway. Remember?”
She rolls her eyes but smiles. “Fine. But find me if you need me, okay? And don’t go home with anyone.”
“Yes, Mom!” I snicker and turn around, following the sound of music coming from the back of the house.
I cut through the kitchen and dining room until I get to a set of double doors that leads to the back patio. A DJ booth has been set up. People are drinking and dancing, having a good time. I crack open my water bottle, taking a sip as I soak in the cool evening air, letting my gaze wander over the crowd. Everyone is clustered in these little groups as though natural cliques have formed and I kinda hate it. It’s so high school.
I continue to scan the clusters when a guy on my far right grabs my attention. He’s cute. My age with light blond hair and broad shoulders. He’s laughing at something his friend says when our gazes connect. He stares for a second before lifting his cup as if to say hello. I smile. He smiles back. And then he goes back to talking. But every few seconds his eyes come back to me.
I linger where I stand for a moment, debating whether or not to head in his direction. It’s obvious he’s no longer listening to whatever his friends are saying. And he’s not being shy about staring either. His perusal of my body lets me know he’s interested but—
No.
Come on, Bibi. You can do this.
I take a deep breath. Be a rebel, I tell myself. I’m not going to just stand here like an idiot hoping he’ll approach me. I’m going to be bold. I can do this.
I take a step forward when a voice behind me stops me in my tracks. “I wouldn’t waste my time on Carson Bailey if I were you.”
I whirl around, a scowl on my face as my eyes land on a boy hovering close behind me. “He has a small dick,” he says, a savage grin on his face.
“Who said I was interested in his dick?” I ask, quirking a brow. And okay, yeah, maybe I am, but I don’t have to admit it to this guy. Whoever the hell he is.
He snorts. “With a body like yours in a dress like that, you’re looking for something, and it’s not cookies at a bake sale. My money is on dick.”
I roll my eyes. Jerk. “Maybe I just wanted to feel pretty.”
He licks his lips,
his eyes roving over my body in obvious appreciation. “Nah. You already know you’re pretty. You want something else.” His dark gaze is challenging as he boldly steps forward, our chests almost touching. A wave of heat floods through me at his proximity, and I take a second to drink him in. He’s not just cute like the other guy. He’s hot. He has dark brown hair and equally dark eyes that lift the smallest amount at the corners. He’s Hispanic. Not Mexican, though. His jaw line is sharp. His brows angular. Not Brazilian like me either.
Honduran, maybe Guatemalan if I had to guess. Latin American for sure, there’s a little too much indigenous in his features to be Spaniard but I don’t bother asking to confirm.
Dressed in low-slung jeans and a form-fitting black shirt, it does nothing to hide his muscular body. He’s most likely an athlete. No surprise there. He definitely has the confident swagger of one.
I force my feet to stay rooted as he towers over my tiny frame. He’s much taller than me, maybe six feet. I have to tilt my head back to meet his stare, and a part of me itches to reach up on tiptoe and close the distance between our mouths, the blond boy all but forgotten thanks to his arrival.
My chest rises and falls with each of my breaths. My heart suddenly eager to beat out of my chest. I’ve never reacted to a boy like this. It’s…intoxicating.
Savage Devil: A Secret Baby, High School Bully Romance (Devils of Sun Valley High Book 2) Page 1