Beautiful Defiance: Cambridge High Mayhem (Kiss Starter: Cambridge High Book 1)

by Ashlyn Mathews

  “Good. That’s good. Ready?”

  “For what?”

  “The magic.”

  I stifle my laughter with my hand. He is giddy with excitement. “Um, sure?”

  “Watch closely.” He moves the quarters from one hand to the other. First, slowly, then he picks up speed. How he doesn’t drop the coins is beyond me. I watch, my eyes narrowed, trying to keep up with his movements. Finally, he stops with his hands balled.

  He nods at the tops of his hands. “Which hand is holding the quarters?”

  I tap his right. He turns his hand and opens his palm. Empty. He shows me his other hand. Also empty. I look at the ground in case he dropped the coins. The lights mounted on the sides of the shed shine on dirt.

  Okay, then.

  “Where’d they go?”

  “Hmm, let me take a gander.”

  A gander? Who talks like this? Laughing, I shake my head.

  “Hold still.” He steps into my personal space, and leaning into me, he slides his hand across my shoulder and under my hair.

  “Hey, what are you doing?” I lift my knee then stop. Rue wouldn’t be friends with a guy who takes advantage of a girl by showing her his “magic trick.”

  “Taking a gander for the coins.”

  “Down my collar?”

  “In your fine-ass hair,” he says near my ear.

  His fingers are firmly trenched in my hair when a large shadow falls on us. In my peripheral vision, Seven is stomping toward us. Trace and Malice fall in line behind him. He is smoking hot in a black shirt and low-hung jeans. I have the strong urge to run over, get him behind a tree, and stick my hands under his shirt and down his pants. He would be solid and warm.

  But why is Seven here instead of at home studying? I twist around and spot Ginger in the crowd. Was him studying an excuse to come to a party he didn’t think I’d be at? Is he here looking for an easy hookup?

  “Seven, what are you doing here?”

  “I should ask the same of you, Leigh.”

  “Ah, so you’re Leigh.”

  Seven’s attention swivels from me to Shay. “What the fuck does that mean? And let the fuck go of her hair, douchebag.”

  “Or else what?”

  “I’ll fuck up your face, that’s what.”

  “Leigh, does this guy mean something to you?” Shay tugs me back against him with his hand on my hip. The way he says the words, his hold on me . . . It speaks of this thing between us.

  Seven steps forward with his fists clenched at his sides and his jaw locked. This will not end well for Rue’s friend, and I don’t want to mess up our friendship before it’s begun.

  “Shay, do as he says.”

  “You know this fucker’s name?” His attention lands back on my face.

  “Seven, please.”

  “What did I tell you about begging, Leigh?”

  I tip my chin. “This isn’t what you think. Shay’s showing me a magic trick. He was looking for these disappearing quarters. My hair got caught in his watch’s wristband.”

  It’s true. When I tipped my chin at Seven, the metal gripped my hair.

  “I don’t give a fuck what you were doing with him so long as he lets you go. Now.”

  He advances with his arm pulled back. Shay shoves me out of the way. His wrist slides out of his watch’s metal band. Landing against the shed, I watch in horror as Seven’s fist connects with Shay’s face again and again.

  Shay punches back, but Seven is quick. He dodges the blows, and with his head down, he plows into Shay’s stomach. The two fall onto the ground.

  “Do something!” I tell Malice.

  Malice blinks out of whatever trance he’s in and yanks Seven off Shay. I hurry to Shay, and on my hands and knees, I apologize over and over.

  “He didn’t mean to. I’m so sorry.”

  His face is swollen, and his lip is split.

  “Help me up.”

  I slide my arm under his shoulders and gently prop him up. “Please don’t press charges,” I say near his ear. “I’ll do anything.”

  “Anything?”

  “Yes.” If Seven is charged for assault, he won’t be able to play for the rest of the season.

  “He’s into you. Why?”

  “He hates me.”

  “Then he’ll hate you more for going to homecoming with the rival school’s quarterback.”

  Shay plays for the Daredevils? Is he the football player Seven hates, the one Allison cheated on him with? But he told me it was a Sterling who raped Allison. Except Red never talked football. Unless it’s a different Sterling boy. Seven said they’re a huge family. Gah! I am so confused.

  “Are you by chance a Sterling?”

  “Other than Malice here, I’m it, Leigh.”

  I look in the direction of the familiar voice. “Red?”

  “Wait, you know this fucker too?” Seven’s glower swings from me and Shay to Red and Rue.

  I help Shay stand. No use sitting on our asses. It’s a weak position to be in when there’s a predator nearby.

  “Red saved me from being roadkill.”

  Seven looks from Red to me. His eyes widen, having put two and two together.

  “You owe him?”

  Before I can say a word, Red puts in his two cents. “She does, and I intend on collecting. Tonight. In one of the bedrooms. Unless Leigh would rather owe me in the back of my Escalade.”

  “Red.” I plead with my eyes for him to stop with the taunting. Has he looked at Shay’s face?

  Seven storms over, grabs my arm, and pulls me away from the group, out of earshot.

  “Tell me you evened the score and stole something of his?”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “Because you did it to me. You’re not in the business of owing anyone, remember?”

  “Of course I do. I’m the one who said those words.” I yank my arm out of his grip. “I only steal for leverage or because I care.”

  He narrows his eyes. “Which is it with me?”

  “Both, okay?”

  “Time to pay up, Leigh,” Red says with too much satisfaction in his voice.

  Damn him. I am going to tear into him for taunting Seven. I march over to give him a piece of my mind. Rough hands grab me by the waist and yank me back against a solid body.

  “You’re not going anywhere with that bastard. He hurt Allison.”

  “What the hell did you accuse me of?”

  “You heard me.”

  A crowd is gathering. Red tips his head. “You believe him, Leigh?”

  “I don’t know what to believe, but Seven believes Allison.”

  Red glares at Seven. “You think I dicked around with your girlfriend at that damn party?”

  “That’s what she said, and she is not my girl. Not anymore.”

  Red shakes his head. “Dude, get your head on straight. She’s playing you. Come on, Leigh. Time to pay up.”

  He extends his hand to me. Is Red right and Allison is messing with Seven’s head with her accusation of rape? I’m not clueless she still has feelings for him.

  Why would a girl lie about something as serious as rape? But that girl my foster brother almost raped protected him and turned me in to the cops for breaking his arm. People do strange things in the name of love.

  I take a step toward Red, ready for resistance from Seven. Imagine my disappointment when he lets me go. Setting my hand in Red’s, I reach for Shay

  “Come on, big guy. Let’s get ice on your face and hands.”

  He comes over, and not paying Seven any attention, he reaches under my hair and untangles the watch from the strands. Shay slides the Rolex over his wrist. Seven wedges his body between me and Shay.

  “What am I, chop liver?” He shows me his hands, fingertips pointing at the ground. His knuckles are swollen.

  I angle my head back toward the crowd. “I’m sure Ginger is more than willing to help you with that.”

  I don’t give him the chance to stop me or say somet
hing stupid, like make excuses for his presence here. He came to the party to hook up with her, I’m certain of it.

  Red tugs me behind him to the house, bringing me out of my thoughts. Shay and Rue follow us. They’re talking in low voices. I hope this isn’t the end of our friendship. As we get closer to the house, the path widens. Red yanks me forward, then clasps me against his side. We walk hip to hip up the path.

  Inside the house, he leads me upstairs and to one of the bedrooms. Rue and Shay hang back in the kitchen. Cam’s brother sees Shay’s face. A whistle edges out from between his teeth.

  “Need a pack of peas?”

  “Yeah, thanks.”

  The conversation drifts to us just before Red closes the bedroom door. I back up until my legs hit the bedframe.

  “Red, why are we here?”

  “I’m testing a hunch. One.” He takes a step. “Two.” Another step. “Three.”

  The door crashes open, and Seven barges in. I expect him to throw a punch. What I’m not expecting is the tight control he has over his body. His body is pulled taut. One move from Red and Seven will be on top of him, fists flying.

  “What game are you playing at, Sterling?”

  “The game of who gets her first. I saved your girl’s life. She owes me.”

  “You’re wrong. She’s my property, so it’ll be me who owes you.”

  I am his property?

  “Name your price and I’ll give. Then we’ll call ourselves even.”

  “Anything?”

  “Anything.”

  “What if I want a night with her?”

  “Hey, I’m right here.” I wedge between them and glare.

  Seven moves me off to the side with his hands on my shoulders.

  “Not in the cards. Ask for something else.”

  “You sure about that? It’d be easy to walk out that door and forget her.”

  “I’m sure.”

  “Last chance, Shanahan. There’s plenty of pussy out there waiting for you.”

  “I said I’m sure. What do you want, Sterling?”

  Ruthless gleam in Red’s eyes. “Your lucky coin. Hand it over.”

  25

  LEIGH

  After Seven handed his lucky coin over to Red, he left the room, not even sparing me a backward glance.

  He did what he came into the room for. He evened the score. I don’t owe Red anymore. That doesn’t mean I’m less pissed at either of them. I am not Seven’s property or to be used by Red to get back at Seven for the hate that boils between them.

  The next day at school, I avoid Seven. At one point, he pulled me into an empty hallway on my way back to class from the restroom. I shook off his hold and demanded he apologize to Shay. Otherwise, he needs to leave me alone. If he doesn’t, he’ll get a size-six boot shoved up his ass, speaking figuratively.

  He’d slammed his palm on the locker and said no way in hell would he apologize. It’s beneath him. What a jerk!

  “Red, why is there bad blood between you and Seven?” I scoot forward in my seat. Red is driving us to Dumas, and Rue is riding shotgun. Though I’ve only known Red for a short time, I believe him. That he didn’t hurt Allison. Otherwise, his ass wouldn’t be on this trip with us.

  “You still pissed at me?”

  “I am.”

  “For messing with you, right?”

  “Messing with the both of us. You made the situation worse rather than better. If you were wrong, he would always believe something happened between us.”

  “Don’t you want him to?”

  “I don’t like misleading people.”

  “He messed with me, Leigh. Misled this girl into thinking I didn’t like her when I did. Misled her into believing I slept with her best friend. That’s the kind of stand-up dude you’re falling for.”

  I sit back and cross my arms. “I’m not falling for Seven.”

  “Sure looked like jealousy I saw on your face when you said Ginger’s name.”

  “That’s my resting bitch face.”

  He scoffs. “I saw what I saw, Leigh. Drop it already.”

  “What will it take to make things right between you two?”

  “When my team kicks his team’s ass at the homecoming game.”

  Shit. I agreed on going to that game and the homecoming dance with Shay the following night.

  “Where’s the girl now?” I ask. Anything to distract me from my agreement with Seven’s rival.

  “She moved away when I was away at camp. I never got to tell her the truth.”

  No wonder he’s mad. “I’m sorry.”

  “Let the fucker go, Leigh. There are other guys. Guys with heart.”

  “Like Shay?”

  “Shay’s hung up on a girl. Winslow isn’t.”

  “Did he catch feelings for the new girl?”

  “Nah, he was making the girl he wants jealous.”

  “One of my friends,” Rue says. “Blair. Tall, pretty blonde standing next to the table of drinks and food.”

  I remember her.

  “She’s super shy. Shay was hoping she’d fight this new girl for his attention.”

  I roll my eyes. “There is something wrong with all of you.”

  “Welcome to high school drama.” Rue shoots a toothy grin at me over her shoulder. “We’re almost to Dumas. Are you excited?”

  “I’d be more excited if we were staying with your sister instead of with Midnight.”

  “But he is so hot. And Dare? He’s smoking hot.”

  “Gross, Rue.”

  “It’s the truth, Red.”

  “Can it, okay? I don’t need to know my best friend girl is wet for my brother and my cousin. Make sure you don’t stay in a room with Dare for too long, Leigh. He’s persuasive.”

  “Persuasive good? Or persuasive bad?” I ask, my face warm. Seven can be persuasive. Like take off my yoga pants and kiss on my scars persuasive.

  “What does that mean?” Red volleys back.

  “Both,” Rue says. “He’ll charm your socks off, then use your socks to jack off in to.”

  She laughs. I shake my head. Boys.

  On the last leg of the drive, I send a text message to Thomas and Hannah that I’m spending the night at a friend’s house. They send back a thumbs-up emoji. Wouldn’t want Thomas worried when he and Eleanor arrive home from their vacation this evening.

  Soon, Red is parking the SUV in front of a two-story house. Midnight and Dare don’t go to Dumas University. Rue said the moment Riley moved to Dumas, Midnight followed. Dare, bored without his wingman and best friend, followed. Midnight bought this house and a block of businesses on the border of Dumas.

  We get out of the SUV. We’re only staying one night, but when there’s a rocking party to go to and a cheating bitch to take down, my friends and I pack for an epic trip of a lifetime.

  Red hits a button on the key fob, and the back window rolls down. He walks around, grabs our luggage, and hits the button again. The SUV beeps, and the back window goes up. Rue and I follow him up the brick steps and to the front of the door painted black.

  “Is black his favorite color?”

  “It’s his signature color, yeah. Goes with his name.”

  “Does that mean yours is red?”

  “Nah, mine’s blue.”

  “For the color of your eyes?”

  “You got that right, baby.” He gives me a sly grin over his shoulder.

  I roll my eyes.

  Red rings the doorbell. Silence. Then we hear it.

  “Get the fucking door, Dare.”

  “You do it, moron. He’s your brother.”

  “Your cousin, bro.”

  Rue’s laughing into her hand. I smile. “How old did you say they are again?”

  “Twenty-three.”

  “Very mature,” I say.

  “Hey, go easy on them. They got dropped on their heads by my mom and my aunt.”

  The door swings open, and had Rue not smacked me across the shoulder, my jaw would’ve dropped
all the way to the ground. Instead, I pick it up off my chest. To say the guy standing on the other side of the door is drop dead gorgeous is an understatement. Spiky jet-ink hair. Deep blue eyes. Dark stubble on a face that would make a saint weep with longing. Tall. Muscular. Tatted. Wearing no shirt. Heather-gray sweatpants hanging low on his hips. Good God, that V-cut. Sculpted some?

  “You must be Leigh.”

  I open my mouth. It’s cotton ball dry. I lick my lips. Try uttering a coherent sentence. “I am. Thanks for offering to help us and on short notice.”

  “Any friend of Rue’s is a friend of mine.”

  “Stop kissing up, man. She ain’t gonna help you get in Riley’s good graces.”

  An equally sexy Adonis steps up to the door, and shoving Midnight aside, he sticks out his hand.

  “Dare. Nice to meet you, Leigh.”

  “You too.”

  “Come inside our abode. Your bedrooms await you.” He rolls his arm and ducks his head.

  Midnight pushes him into the door.

  “Stop being a dumbass.”

  I smile. Yep, boys.

  For the rest of our time, we go over the plan, then get ready for the party. The party is at this rich guy’s place a few blocks from campus. Galley Rutherford is a rugby player known for throwing wild parties. If we can get him and his friends, Xander Brody and Zeke Harrington, to stick with Henry, Henry will be set for the rest of his time at Dumas University.

  The girls will love him, and the guys will want to “hang” with him is what Dare promises. Those guys are that popular and have that much sway on and off campus.

  “Hey, Leigh, test something for me?”

  “What’s that?” I rise off the couch, smooth my palm over my red mini dress, and walk over to Dare. He’s on the other side of the wet bar.

  “There’s this thing going around campus. Can two people fall in love if they look into each other’s eyes for four minutes?”

  “Four minutes is a long time,” I say.

  “That’s a minute of time out hugging times four,” Rue says before she pops a potato chip into her mouth.

  “I can do the math, Rue.”

  “Just saying.”

  “Fine. I can handle four minutes.”

  “Yes or no?” Dare asks.

  “My vote is no, two people cannot fall in love from only looking into each other’s eyes.”