I hate how much he spoils me.
I’m not a little girl anymore.
I don’t need someone to hold my hand.
Even from a distance, my father controls my life. That’s why I had considered not telling him about the car. But then I thought it would look too suspicious when he finally figured out it was stolen. Then, he might have assumed I knew who took it. And if that were the case, he would be right.
How would I have explained to the police why I waited so long? I guess I could have played stupid and pretended I never drove my car. Though, that would have been difficult considering my car has a tracking system. I’ve wondered since that night if Killian was smart enough to disable it. Obviously, he must have been, or he would be behind bars by now.
“Do you have any leads?” Mr. Frost, my father’s attorney, asks Officer Miller.
I sign my name at the bottom of the paper, confirming everything I told the police is true and accurate. Apart from the fact I know who stole my car, my statement is correct. If I hadn’t caught Killian in the act, I would have went on a wild goose chase looking for my car before I broke down and called Mercedes to track it.
“No, not yet.” Officer Miller takes the paper from my hand and pushes his chair out from the table. “We’re waiting to hear back from Mercedes. Once we do, we should have enough data to track the car. We’ll be in touch.”
Mr. Frost thanks the officer and helps me up from the chair. My entire body is still trembling from being put through this endeavor.
My hands are so sweaty and shaky that it’s making me even more paranoid. I’m terrified the police will find out I lied about what happened that night. I signed my name to a piece of paper which now makes me an accomplice to Killian’s crime.
He’s made me a criminal by association, and I haven’t even had the nerve to confront him again since that night.
But I will.
Tomorrow.
After everything is sorted.
I’ll march over to his house and demand he speak to me. I want to know the real Killian Kade, and I want to know what he’s hiding.
Chapter Five
Killian
Coach Bryant divided us into three-man teams for passing drills, with two us standing stationary, waiting our turn to make a figure eight around each other. I’m paired with Tucker and Trent Kane on this half of the ice, while three players occupy the other side, all while Coach Bryant watches from center ice biting on the end of the whistle hanging from his mouth.
After Tucker passes the puck to me, he takes my spot in the face-off circle, and I skate toward Trent moving the puck from left to right as I circle around him and back toward Tucker. I repeat the same motions as if on autopilot once more until it’s my turn to pass the puck to Trent.
Tucker and Trent are identical twins, but I know them well enough to tell them apart. They look alike, but they’re nothing alike in terms of personality. Trent is more focused and quiet, where Tucker is a loudmouth who never shuts the fuck up. He always has to be the center of attention.
Most people remember the fact that Tucker wears his short, blond hair spiky in the front and Trent’s falls onto his forehead. That’s how I differentiated them from the start. Their dad is Tyler Kane, the general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers. Like several of my teammates, their familial connections should take them further in their hockey careers. It doesn’t hurt that they also have the skills to back it up.
Every practice is different. Sometimes, we work on passing, others shooting, or even a scrimmage. I’m just happy we’re not spending this time in the gym. With how shitty I feel after this weekend, it’s easier to skate in a circle and pass a puck than it would be to lift weights. From the looks of Tucker, he’s spent another weekend at the Delta Sigma Phi house. He practically lives there, especially now that he managed to get himself and Trent suspended for two games for cheating on a test.
It’s funny how much wealth and privilege these guys grew up with and how they treat it like it doesn’t mean shit. I never had the luxury to screw around when it came to school. This is my only opportunity to get out of my neighborhood, my only chance to provide a better life for my family. If I hadn’t met Jamie when I was younger, I wouldn’t be here at all. He was one of the few people who ever took a chance on me.
He’s the wealthiest player on the team, probably in the entire city of Philadelphia, and yet he took me under his wing. And it was his father who helped me get into Strickland University.
I need to talk to Jamie about Jade. But before she opens her mouth, I have to find her. Since that night, I haven’t been able to track her down. She’s either with one of her sisters or being escorted places in a limousine.
For all I know, she could have run to the police already. I’ve been a ball of nerves since that night. If I were smart, I would have made sure she didn’t talk right then and there. But I let her walk away knowing she would keep her promise. I don’t know why, but I know she won’t speak a word of what happened.
After practice, I find Jamie in the locker room. He’s standing next to his locker with a towel wrapped around his waist, leaning over to talk to Preston. Jamie and Preston have been friends pretty much since birth. Preston’s dad is Alex Parker, the current coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, and his mom is Coach, a woman so powerful she only needs a nickname. She’s also one of the best sports agents in the business. I would kill to sign with her one day.
All of Jamie’s friends have famous parents. I’m the only one from the wrong side of the tracks. When I first met Jamie, I was a little overwhelmed by how rich and famous their families are. I was intimated to sit in the same room as professional hockey players and legendary gamers. Jamie’s dad is like a god in the tech world. And for some reason, he was the one who intimidated me the most.
Once I found my groove with games and later on with programming and hacking, Jameson O’Connor became my role model and the only real positive male figure I had in my life growing up. With my dad not around, I had applied for the high school internship Jameson offers to students who are interested in learning game development. He grew up even worse than me, and because of that we connected instantly.
He went from a foster home in Chicago, where he also met Coach, to running a multi-billion dollar tech company. His story inspired me to turn my life around. Throughout my internship, I got my head in the game because of Jamie and him. I found a new purpose for my life. And somehow, I even managed to like hockey just as much as programming.
Most of the guys on the team come from some kind of wealth. You need money to afford this college. Scholarship kids are so few and far between at Strick U. Lucky for me, school always came naturally to me. I never had to put in much effort to get an A, but I learned at an early age that book smarts wasn’t worth as much as street smarts.
“Hey, J.” I tap him on the shoulder to get his attention. “I need to talk to you for a sec.”
He nods and turns away from Preston. “What’s up?”
“You’re with Shannon, right?”
He moves his hands to his waist and flexes his jaw. “Yeah, why?”
I almost laugh at how quickly his mood has changed. “Damn, dude, chill out. I don’t want Shannon.” I slap him on the back, shaking my head. “What do you know about her friend, Jade?”
Jamie relaxes a bit. “Jade?” His nose scrunches in confusion as he mulls over her name. “Does she have blonde hair and big tits?”
“You just described a lot of girls on campus, but yeah, she does.”
“If she’s the one who always does favors for Shannon, then I know her. She has a nasally accent. New York, I think.”
I nod. “Yeah, that’s her. She’s in Kappa Delta, right?”
“Yeah.”
“So, she lives in the house at the end of Greek Row with green and white shit on the porch?”
He nods. “Yeah, but I wouldn’t just show up there. Abby’s weird about guys coming over for some reason. Shannon usually has to
meet me outside.”
“Abby’s not a fan of mine either.” I laugh at the thought of how hard I dismissed her last year at a party. “I can’t stand her. She’s such an uptight bitch.”
“Tell me about it. Shannon hates her, but she’s the president of her sorority, so she has to put up with her shit.”
“Can you ask Shannon to talk to Jade for me? I need to ask her something.”
His eyebrows rise in curiosity. “Why don’t you just talk to her?”
“I was going to show up at her house, but since you don’t think that would be a good idea, what choice do I have other than to relay messages through you? I was gonna ask Shannon tomorrow in class but figured maybe you would know where I can find her.”
“Hold on.” He faces his locker and digs out his cell phone, tapping on the keys at a feverish pace. Then, he turns back to me, smirking. “Done. Since you’re too much of a pussy to ask Jade out, Shannon will have to do it for you.”
“Yo, I never said I want to ask her out.” I elbow him hard in the arm. “Tell her you were joking. I need to talk to Jade about something. I don’t want to go out with her.”
Jamie looks even more confused than he did before. He bites the inside of his cheek and then says, “Explain.”
“She’s in the middle of something she shouldn’t have been a party to.” I try to find the words to elaborate, but as a beat passes between us, Jamie nods as if he understands.
“Your side hustle?”
“You could say that,” I mutter. “She saw something she shouldn’t have.”
Jamie moves closer to me, concern scrolling across his face. “There’s only so much I can help you with, you know that.”
“I never asked you to do anything illegal,” I whisper so only he can hear.
Jamie snorts. “You only ask me to teach you how to do the illegal things.”
“Just get me in contact with Jade, and I’ll handle the rest.”
“I’ll talk to Shannon later. Okay?”
“She can’t know about any of this. Pretend I like Jade if it makes things easier.”
“You don’t?” Jamie smirks. “Not at all? She’s pretty hot.”
I roll my shoulders. “I’d fuck her.”
“Why don’t you drop a class and switch into one of Jade’s? Then you can keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn’t talk.”
“And I’m supposed to be the criminal.”
He laughs. “It’s not a bad idea. She’s in my Econ class, you could swap electives and still graduate. The drop date isn’t for another week.”
“Yeah, I can do that. I’ll make the switch when I get back to the house.”
“One more thing,” Jamie says under his breath. “You’ve heard about The Queen. She’s going after our team for some reason. Be careful.”
Our team has been the highlight of a new blog called Dethroned, and the girl who writes it calls herself The Queen. She’s a real bitch and has been making my friends lives a living hell. If anyone needs to stay under her radar, it’s me. She could do more damage than Jade if news of my extracurricular activities gets out.
“I’m always careful,” I lie.
At least I was until the night I stole Jade’s car.
Jamie turns his back to me, facing his locker, and as I walk toward mine, I let out the breath I was holding.
The plan is simple.
But now comes the hard part—convincing Jade to keep her silence. Otherwise, my life is over.
Chapter Six
Jade
“Why is Killian Kade asking about you?” Shannon sits on my bed in the Kappa Delta chapter house where I live. “He asked Jamie to talk to me about you.”
I bite the inside of my cheek wishing I didn’t have to conceal the truth from Shannon. She knows everything about me. We share everything. But should I tell her this? Contemplating her question, I lean back on the mattress and thread my fingers together above my head.
“He owes me a favor,” I lie.
She chuckles, rolling onto her side to look at me. “Seriously? I didn’t even know you were friends with him. Killian doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who would do anyone a favor. He’s one of those hot loner types.”
“We’re not friends,” I correct. “I helped him with something a while ago.” A beat passes between us before I speak again. “What do you know about Killian? He’s so… mysterious.”
I’m not even sure that’s the right word to describe Killian Kade. No one seems to know him. At least no one I know does. Everyone on campus loves him, and yet not a single person can tell me anything about him other than he plays hockey.
“He’s friends with Jamie,” Shannon offers. “Jamie said they’ve known each other for years. They’re on the hockey team together.” She scratches her jaw, thinking it over. “I think he’s from the Italian Market section of South Philly. He has a younger brother who looks just like him. I’ve seen him at some of his hockey games. His dad died when he was younger, so he pretty much takes care of his mom and brother. With his schedule, I’m not sure how he does it, though.”
I have a pretty good idea.
“Is that it?”
She shrugs. “Yeah, he’s pretty low-key. I know he likes video games and computers. That’s how he became friends with Jamie.”
“Is he dating anyone?”
She smiles. “You like him?”
“No, it’s not like that. I’ve never seen him on campus with girls.”
“He’s not around much on the weekends. Sometimes he comes to parties at Delta Sig, but that doesn’t happen often.”
“Yeah, I hardly ever see him there.” Except for the few times when he ignored me. “I was surprised he was at The Sixth Floor on Saturday.”
“The entire hockey team was there. Jamie came to see me dance. You know that girl, Bex, who fell off the stage?” I nod and she continues, “She’s hooking up with Preston Parker.”
“Oh, I was wondering where she came from.”
“You ready to head over to the cafeteria? The pledges are serving us tonight.”
“I remember when we had to do that in our freshman year. It sucked so hard.”
She pushes her hands to the mattress and chuckles. “Right? Pledging was the worst, but at least it was worth it.”
Shannon helps me up from the bed, and after we join our sisters downstairs, we head over to the Student Activity Center, known as the SAC to everyone on campus. Located on the top floor of the SAC, the intoxicating aroma of fried food flows out from the cafeteria. Most of the girls in my sorority are dressed to the nines, their hair and makeup perfect.
That was something my mother taught me from birth. She’s a New York socialite, the daughter of a congressman and the wife of successful investment banker. My mother never leaves the house without a full face of makeup and her hair perfectly coiffed. When I was a kid, she would make me feel like shit if I didn’t look perfect, and now that I’m free of her, I don’t have to impress anyone.
Instead of waiting for the pledges, I walk inside the crowded cafeteria, grab a tray from the stack, and slide it down the metal counter behind Shannon. They serve everything from burgers and fries to Chinese food. My gaze wanders over to the massive salad bar at the center of the buffet lines—because my mother has conditioned me to watch what I eat—but I’m craving junk food.
I search the expanse of the hall for an open table, only to catch someone’s attention. My breath catches in my throat—broad shoulders, tanned skin covered in tats, wavy black hair that sweeps over his forehead, and those striking green eyes stare back at me. Killian Kade looks different in the light, his perfect features and muscular body even more impressive. Everything about him oozes sex and trouble.
I know he’s a bad guy.
What kind of person steals cars?
He intrigues me.
Even though I should hate him, I want to be the first to know the real Killian Kade. Excitement shoots through me, the electricity between us prickling my
skin. But I come to my senses. He stole my car. Killian owes me. And if there’s one thing I learned from my banker father, it’s that at some point, everyone has to pay.
Something about him provokes a sudden rage in me, followed by an overwhelming curiosity. Impervious to the good-looking jocks at Strickland University, I hate myself for feeling anything toward Killian even if that emotion is anger laced with a bit of sexual tension.
As he violates me with his eyes, I fix my hair, creating a wall between us. In desperate need of a distraction, I add food to my plate, not caring what I eat. My appetite is gone and replaced by the nerves churning in my stomach. He nears the cash register with a tray of food, his mossy green eyes fixed on mine.
Shannon taps my arm, stealing my attention. “You okay, Jade?”
“Umm…” I turn to face her and push my tray down the metal ledge with my fingers. “Yeah, I’m good. Just looking for a place for us to sit.”
“Our usual table is open,” she informs me. “The pledges are warming our seats. They were supposed to serve us but you ran off.”
“Right.” I shrug. “But I’d rather serve myself.”
I grew up with people waiting on me hand and foot. My parents—especially my mother—wouldn’t have it any other way. But how do you learn how to do anything if you don’t do it for yourself?
By the time we pay, Killian has vanished, and I feel my body untighten. The tension between us was electric, so much so I could feel the air pulsing between us. Whenever I’m close to Killian, my entire body comes to life as if his gaze alone can spark something inside me.
Once we reach our table, I set my tray next to Shannon’s, taking a seat with a flustered sigh. Killian is still in my head, somehow managing to irritate me.
Jordan and Abby are across from me picking at their salads. They shove a few forkfuls into their mouths before Jordan breaks the silence between us.
“Are you coming to the party on Saturday?” Abby asks.
Kissing Killian: Face-Off Legacy #5 Page 3