by Eva Ashwood
“I knew Cliff was being weird about Sparrow all last semester,” Gray continues, “but since she beat the shit out of him, he’s really had it out for her. I don’t know if it’s wounded pride or what, but he’s fucking obsessed with her, with making her pay—even though he’s the fuckwad who attacked her. The deal I made with him was to keep Sophie safe, and only that.”
For the first time since Gray told me the truth about Cliff, I start to feel sick. I already knew Cliff is an asshole, but up until now, I didn’t think he’d actually try anything else after our fight in the alley. I thought that he’d back down after that. I didn’t think he’d actually be so pissed that he’d form some kind of sick vendetta against me.
As if I’m the one who had tried to assault him, to fuck up his life. As if he’s the one who deserves justice and vengeance.
He attacked me, but I’m the one who might end up paying for it. All because he has money and power, and I don’t.
“Maybe I should go. Leave Hawthorne.”
The words are past my lips before I realize I’m speaking my thoughts aloud, and all the guys turn to look at me. Even as I say it, I hate the way it sounds, hate the way it feels.
It makes me feel weak, like a fucking coward. I don’t want to run just because Cliff thinks he can boss everyone’s asses around with his daddy’s money. I don’t want to slink away into the night and make it seem like it was my fault that Cliff assaulted me.
I don’t want to back down, but I might have to. My life may depend on it.
“Absolutely fucking not,” Gray says emphatically, and three pairs of eyes snap toward him at the declaration. “I made the wrong decision before. I swear to fucking god, Sparrow, I was only trying to protect you. I was an asshole. I tried to push you away to keep you safe—when all along, it was Declan and Elias who had the right idea. Instead of pushing you away, I should’ve pulled you closer. I should’ve told you every-fucking-thing so we could deal with it together.”
Together.
I nod slowly. I don’t know how exactly we’ll deal with Cliff and this new threat from him, but I have to admit, I like the idea of staying a lot better than I like the thought of slinking away and letting Cliff win.
Gray was right. I am a fighter.
“Those are pretty words. But you’re still a fucking asshole.” Elias’s eyes are narrowed, watching Gray.
“I fucked up,” Gray admits. “I am an asshole. I know that. I shouldn’t have pushed things so far.” He turns to Declan. “And you were right. Beth would be fucking disappointed in me if she could’ve seen how I was acting. That shit messed me up. I tried to justify it, knowing that if she knew why I was doing it, if she knew that I was trying to do the right thing, she’d understand, but you were right. I needed to man up, and I didn’t do it.”
“I was out of line with that one,” Declan says, lifting a shoulder as he studies his friend. “I was pissed as hell at you, but that was too far. Beth loved you, man. And even if the rest of us sometimes think you’re a fuckhead, that won’t change. You were her fucking idol. It’d be great if you could act like it.”
“I’m trying to.” Gray clears his throat. I can tell that talking about his sister has reopened old wounds, but he doesn’t shy away from it like I’ve seen him do before. “And if I ever forget that, you’ve got my permission to deck me again.”
“I will.”
There’s a promise in Declan’s voice. I know he means it, and I don’t doubt that he’d take a swing at Gray if he thought his friend was going to hurt me again. But his shoulders relax a little, and some of the tension in the room clears.
“So, what do we do?” I ask, filling the silence. “Now that we all know what Cliff’s got up his sleeve, how do we stop him from using it?”
“We need to get leverage over him.” Elias speaks up, running a hand through his hair. “He’s trying to blackmail you into leaving, so we need to blackmail him into backing off.”
“Yeah.” Declan nods, pursing his lips. “Just because his family is powerful, that doesn’t mean he’s invincible. He’s gotta have some skeletons in his closet.”
I chew my lip, considering their answer. “It makes sense, I guess. I just wish we had something more solid.”
“We’ll find it.” Gray’s voice is hard and determined. “And if we don’t find it, we’ll create it, just like he did. He’s not the only one who can play dirty if it comes down to it.”
“In the meantime,” Declan adds, his gaze flicking to Gray, “we need to make sure Cliff knows we’ve all got Sophie’s back. If he knows we’re willing to do whatever it takes to keep her safe, maybe that’ll be enough to hold him off for a while.”
“Agreed,” Gray says immediately. His gaze catches mine, and I see so many emotions swirling in his irises that it almost bowls me over. “You’re mine, Sophie. You’re ours. We won’t let Cliff drive you out, and we won’t let him hurt you if you stay. I’ve got a lot of shit to atone for, and I’m starting right now.”
15
Elias, Declan, and Gray are already waiting for me outside my dorm building when I leave the next morning, like my own personal bodyguards.
And for once, instead of feeling a flare of irritation at the thought that they might think I need to be protected, their presence makes me feel stronger.
It makes me feel like a fucking queen, surrounded by people who care.
We meet up with Max on the way across campus, and her eyebrows shoot up so high at the sight of all three guys around me that I almost laugh. She joins us without a word though, nudging me with her elbow as she jostles in between me and Gray.
The stares start almost immediately, and as we head into the dining hall to grab breakfast, I know the gossip mill of Hawthorne is churning faster than ever, the news spreading around campus.
I might have effectively broken up the Sinners, I’ve also managed to put them back together.
Caitlin narrows her eyes at me when we enter the dining hall, her lip curling. By her side, her little cronies Reagan and Gemma gawk and stare, not entirely sure how they should react to the sight of me surrounded by the three men.
I catch Max up on what’s going on as we eat. After breakfast, the guys won’t even let me walk to my classes alone. Gray joins Declan and Elias in escorting me across campus, staring down anyone who dares to look at me for longer than a few seconds. They’re staking their claim, and if it weren’t for the threat of Cliff hanging over me, I might actually find their over-the-top glares a little amusing.
“Speak of the fucking devil,” Max mutters when I tell her my thoughts quietly enough that the guys can’t hear.
Cliff and the rest of the Saints have just rounded the corner ahead of us. The man with coppery red hair hesitates for a second at the sight of us, his footsteps slowing. Then he scowls.
All three of the Sinners step in front of me in a smooth motion, as if Cliff has a gun pointed at my head and they’re ready to take a bullet for me. Cold fury laces Cliff’s sharp features.
“This is disappointing, Eastwood,” he says evenly. “You’ve become her bitch again.”
Jesus. Fuck this asshole.
I want to lunge at him, but Max wraps a hand around my arm in silent warning. Goddammit, she’s right. We can’t just out-and-out attack Cliff. That’ll only be handing him the perfect leverage to use against me.
Aaron shifts on his feet, looking at Max before dropping his gaze.
He looks… conflicted?
That can’t be right.
Gray’s back straightens as he stares down the Saints. “The deal is off, Montgomery.” He spits out Cliff’s last name like a curse.
Cliff takes a measured step forward, his gaze never leaving Gray’s. “Are you sure you want to do that?” he asks smoothly, his voice laced with a threat.
Gray doesn’t even hesitate. “It’s what I should’ve done from the fucking beginning. Sophie is ours, and a fight against her is a fight against us. So maybe I should be the one asking you,
Cliff, are you really sure you want to do this? You want to start shit with us?”
Cliff’s jaw twitches. “Sophie is mine.”
It’s barely a whisper, so quiet I almost miss it.
But I don’t, and I fight the urge to barf up everything I just ate for breakfast. My heart slams in my chest, adrenaline surging through me at the cold possessiveness in his tone. The words, so similar to Gray’s declaration seconds ago, have an entirely different, fucked up meaning coming from this asshole.
I belong to the Sinners because I’ve chosen to belong to them. Just like they’ve chosen me.
I sure as hell haven’t chosen Cliff, and whatever fucked up claim he thinks he has on me, it scares me almost more than his threat of putting me in jail.
For a second, I think Gray might take a swing at him. Actually, it looks like all three of the Sinners are thinking about it.
“Are you fucking sure you want to play this game?” Gray’s voice is so full of fury it makes a shiver run down my spine. “Because if I were you, I’d back the fuck down right now.”
Cliff’s focus flicks to me, his eyes narrowing. My skin crawls under his gaze, like he’s reached out and touched me against my will, and I force myself to remain completely still. He wants to see me flinch—whether it’s toward him or away from him, I don’t think he cares. He just wants to get a reaction from me, and I refuse to give him that.
He finally tears his gaze away from me, settling it back on Gray. “You’re making a mistake,” he says calmly. “Shouldn’t waste time on trash like that.”
So much for keeping my fucking cool.
I can’t take it anymore. Pushing my way through the Sinners, I face Cliff full on.
“Fuck you, Cliff. The way I remember it, you were more than willing to waste time on trash like me. Do you tell every girl you get a hard on for that it’s fucking fate?” I mock, my lips twisting into a cruel smile. “That it’s meant to be? A connection that I shouldn’t be able to deny?”
There’s a laugh from the crowd that’s slowly been gathering around us. I swear, the drama that seems to follow me everywhere I go is probably more entertaining for these people than whatever reality TV show is popular right now.
Cliff flushes, and a vicious thrill runs through me. It takes him a long second to find words, but when he does, he growls them out.
“You better watch the fuck out,” he says, angling his threat at the guys and not at me, because apparently, he thinks he’d be able to pull me down just fine on his own. “My father won’t stand for anyone besmirching my family name.”
I crack a smirk. He sounds like fucking Draco Malfoy, a sorry little asshole who still needs daddy to do everything for him. But before I can say anything, he turns and stalks off. The other two Saints turn and follow him, Aaron casting a glance over his shoulder as they go.
When the crowd realizes there isn’t going to be a fight, they slowly disperse around us, but my head is still reeling from everything.
“He’s fucking serious, isn’t he?” I ask as Gray turns around to face me, his eyes scanning my body.
Not that I didn’t think Cliff was serious, but to hear him get so pissed about stupid little me? It’s fucked up. I don’t understand why he’s this goddamn obsessed with me, besides the fact that I beat his ass up for trying to assault me. Is he so butt hurt about that?
Elias makes a noise in his throat, still staring at the spot where Cliff and his buddies disappeared around the corner. “I guess it’s war, then.”
“Good.” Gray’s eyes are steely. Coming up to me, he wraps a possessive arm around me, pulling me close to the broad hardness of his body that fits so well against the softer curves of mine. “It’s about time someone taught that bastard a lesson.”
As we walk the rest of the way to class, I can feel every beat of my heart. It pounds out a heavy rhythm, but the emotion that’s making my pulse quicken isn’t fear. It’s amazement.
For the first time in my life, I’ve got people on my side, something almost like family.
Family.
I’ve never really known what that’s like, never experienced it before.
But if this is what family means?
I think I like it.
16
The next couple of weeks pass quicker than I would like. Somehow, I manage to keep my grades up while spending every free second I have trying to get shit on Cliff.
And in the midst of all of it, I haven’t dreamed. Not once.
I’m not sure if I’m happy about the fact. My dreams are never good, but I still can’t shake the feeling that they’re my brain trying to tell me something, trying to help me remember.
“How locked up are his family secrets?” Max grumbles, scrolling on her phone with one finger as the five of us sit at a table tucked into a corner of the cafeteria. “I swear, you can usually find shit on these kinds of people anywhere—rumors, the fucking internet. Cliff is somehow clean and connected to way too many wealthy families. Someone has to know something.”
“They probably do,” Elias says, “but even if they did, they’re sure as hell not going to say anything if you ask them. It’s the way the world works. Cover your ass by covering someone else's ass.” When I give him a questioning look, he shrugs. “The more connected you are, the more secrets you hold, and vice versa.”
“So the Montgomerys are holding a lot of secrets then?” I frown. “Seems to me they’ve got a pretty clean track record.”
We’ve been digging around for weeks, hoping to find something we can use against Cliff, just like he planned to use Melissa’s death against me. The protection the Sinners have offered me seems to be holding Cliff off from using whatever evidence he’s built up that would make me look like a murderer, but we can’t count on that lasting. He’s already proved he’s reckless, stupid, and obsessed with me. That’s a dangerous combination, and it means that at any moment, he could ratchet up his attack on me.
Unfortunately, aside from the fact that Cliff is a lecherous jackass, his family appears to be the perfect wealthy American family. Pretty faces, philanthropists, top donors to every good cause.
“All the more reason to suspect they’re hiding something,” Declan says. “I don’t fucking trust them.”
We all nod in agreement and finish up our lunches, our conversation shifting to lighter topics for a little while.
“You sure you’ve got her?” Declan asks Max as he gets up from the table, a teasing smile playing at his lips.
The guys are still escorting me around campus whenever they can—all three of them, now. And when they can’t have eyes on me, Max picks up the slack. I swear, I feel like I’ve got an entourage of bodyguards.
My best friend rolls her eyes. “You know I’d beat ass if anyone tried to touch her,” she says, giving them a shooing motion. “Get the fuck outta here. We’re gonna talk about girly things.”
Gray gives me a lingering look as the Sinners walk away. Things are getting better between us, but the time we were apart and the bad blood that built up over those weeks still hovers in the air sometimes. I know he wishes he could banish it entirely, and honestly, I do too.
But I think it’ll just take time.
“Girly things?” I ask, cocking an eyebrow at Max once the guys are gone. “We never talk about girly shit.”
“I know. But men are scared of girl talk,” Max says, laughing. “Even those assholes. It’s the quickest way to get them to bail.”
I pretend to be offended. “Those assholes are my friends,” I say, liking the way that word sounds. A lot. “And yours too.”
Max’s eyes soften a little. “Yeah. I guess they are.”
“So…” I draw the word out, grinning at her. “You don’t have any girly shit to tell me?”
“No. Well, yes. Well… no.”
My eyebrows lift even higher. “Huh. That’s convincing.”
She grimaces, chewing her lip as she scoots a little closer to me, leaning her elbows on the table. I mirror
her action, and she drops her voice like she’s afraid we’re being spied on. “I think Aaron kind of likes me.”
“Aaron Reeves? The Saint?”
“Yeah.” Her nose wrinkles. “I dunno. I could be wrong, but I’ve been getting that vibe from him. Like he’s interested.”
“Are you?” I question, a little shocked. I don’t know Aaron well at all, but I kind of have a blanket hatred of all the Saints.
“I don’t know.” She looks a little confused, then shakes her head, her expression hardening. “But that’s not the point. The point is, I was thinking maybe he’d be an in. A way to get information about Cliff. They’re friends, after all. So maybe I could get Aaron talking and find out some stuff we can’t dig up anywhere else.”
“You mean like sexual espionage?” I ask dryly, and she flushes.
“Well, I’m not really thinking it’d go that far, but I thought it could be worth trying.”
I narrow my eyes, my tone growing serious. “Are you sure about this, Max? I don’t want to pimp my friends out, not even for dirt on Cliff.”
“Yeah.” Her gaze flicks across the large cafeteria room, and I swear the pink tinge to her cheeks darkens a little as she catches sight of Aaron. “I don’t mind. You’re not making me do anything, and I think it could be worth a shot.”
“Okay.” I drum my fingers over the table top. Honestly, I kind of hate this idea, but I don’t want to shoot her down. “Just be careful, all right? If you get any weird vibes from him, drop it immediately. And let me or one of the guys know if you’re ever gonna be alone with him. Just so we can be ready to jump in if we have to.”
I doubt anyone could be as creepy and gross as Cliff, and Aaron gives off a much different vibe than that asshole, but I’m not willing to take the risk where my best friend is concerned.
“That makes sense.” She nods enthusiastically. “I’ll let you know if I get anything.”