by Laura Lee
“And Bentley,” Whitney adds.
“And Bentley,” Peyton echoes.
I meet her hate-filled gaze dead on. “What are you going to do if I don’t? Beat me up? Break my nose, maybe? An eye for an eye? Is that it?”
I know I’m about to get my ass kicked, but I’m sure as fuck not going down without a fight. I curl my hand into a fist, positioning my thumb over the first two fingers.
A genuine grin stretches across her face. This psycho is actually enjoying this. “It’s a good place to start.”
The bathroom door starts jiggling, someone’s fists pounding on the other side. “Jazz, are you in there?”
Oh, thank fuck. Ainsley can get a janitor to unlock the door. Hopefully I can hold these chicks off until then.
“I’m locked in—” I start to scream.
“Jazz?” Ainsley repeats, panic evident in her voice. “Are you okay?”
Peyton lunges for me, knowing her window is closing, but I dodge her punch.
“Grab her arms, you idiots!” she screams.
It takes four girls to properly restrain me but when they finally do, Peyton bitch slaps me across the face before she punches me right in the stomach, forcing me to double over. Damn it, that hurt. She must have been watching YouTube videos on how to properly throw a punch.
As I’m gasping for breath, the door slams open, several girls grunting as they’re jostled forward violently. Unfortunately for me, their forward momentum causes my head to slam into the wall.
I groan as spots flicker before my eyes. “Jesus.”
I glance toward the doorway and see Kingston, Bentley, and Reed, each staring at the girls with pure fury in their gaze.
“Get out,” Kingston says without any inflection whatsoever. I don’t know why, but his quiet tone makes him seem even more dangerous.
The crowd scurries as all three guys step into the bathroom. Before Peyton can get away, Kingston steps in her path.
“I’ll deal with you later,” he promises.
Peyton blanches. “Baby, it’s not what it looks like. I—”
Kingston’s fists clench as he takes a step toward her. “Save it, Peyton. Get the fuck out of my face before I do something that can’t be undone.”
Her eyes widen before she too, runs out the door.
I flinch when Kingston approaches me and gently runs a finger over my cheek. He frowns as he inspects what I’m sure is a Peyton-sized handprint.
“You okay?” he asks.
My head aches and I feel bruised where Peyton hit me, but other than that, I’m okay.
“Yeah.” I sigh when he places a soft kiss right between my eyebrows. “How’d you get the door unlocked?”
Bentley shakes a key ring. “Master keys. I’ve had these babies since freshman year. They come in handy when you want to fool around in an empty classroom or closet.”
I have no words for this sex-crazed fool.
“Oh my God, Jazz, are you okay?” Ainsley runs into the room, pushing her brother aside. “What the hell happened?”
“They cornered me,” I say. “How’d you know where to find me?”
Ainsley and Kingston share a look before he says, “I installed a tracker on your phone.”
My jaw drops. “You what?!”
He raises an eyebrow. “It proved to be useful, didn’t it?”
I narrow my eyes. “But that doesn’t explain why you did it.”
“Baby girl, let’s not worry about Kingston’s stalker tendencies right now.” Bentley pulls me into a side hug. “We all know you’re not going to get an answer until he’s ready to give you an answer. What do you say we ditch the last few classes? We’ll grab an ice pack for that beautiful cheek of yours and I’ll buy you a big, greasy burger at In-N-Out.” As if on cue, my stomach growls, making him laugh. “See, your stomach likes this idea.”
“Fine,” I mutter. “But only because I’m hungry.”
“I wanna come,” Ainsley says. “Jazz, you can ride with me.”
Bentley glances at Ainsley. “I think Jazz should ride with me. You can take Reed.”
Rich kid problems: driving fancy sports cars that only have two seats.
“Okay.” Ainsley looks at Kingston. “You coming, bro?”
Kingston’s eyes haven’t left me yet. “No. I have something to take care of. I’ll catch up with you guys later.” He steps into me again and presses his forehead to mine. It’s a surprisingly intimate gesture—one I have no idea how to respond to. “Give us a minute.”
Nobody dares to question him. They simply leave the bathroom without a word.
“What are you—”
He presses his index finger to my lips. “Are you really okay? You looked pretty shaken up when I first arrived.”
“Yeah... well...” I shrug. “Being trapped in a small room with ten crazy bitches isn’t exactly the most comforting feeling.”
He runs his fingers over my cheek again. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“I hit the back of my head on the wall, but it’s fine. Peyton landed a pretty solid punch to my stomach, but that’s all she could do before you came barging in.”
Kingston crouches down and untucks my shirt.
I bat his hands away. “What are you doing?”
He gives me his I’m in charge look that I’m beginning to know so well. “Let me see.”
I sigh, knowing that arguing with him on this is stupid. I lift my shirt, holding it up right beneath my breasts. Kingston’s jaw clenches as he sees the red bruise blooming on my right side. I wince when he presses down slightly.
“Does it hurt much?”
I shake my head. “I’ll be fine.”
Kingston stares at my stomach for a moment before pressing a kiss to the injured area. I gasp when his lips linger, sliding back and forth.
“Kingston, what are you doing?”
I can feel his smile against my skin. “Kissing it better.”
My lips curl upward. “Well, as nice as the thought is, I don’t need you to kiss my boo boos. I’m a big girl—I can take care of myself.”
“What if I want to take care of you?” he murmurs, tugging the waistband of my skirt down so he can press his lips to my hipbone. “What if I want you to be mine?”
“What?”
I suppress a moan when he starts bunching my skirt and peppering my thigh with kisses. I need to get away from him before I do something stupid—like, I don’t know, letting him eat me out on the bathroom floor—so I sidestep him, breaking the contact. “Quit screwing around. Ainsley and the guys are probably standing right outside the door waiting. Didn’t you say you had something you needed to take care of?”
He stands up and not so discreetly adjusts himself. “I do. Go eat.”
“You sure you don’t want to come?” When he smirks, I add, “To lunch?”
He nods. “I’m sure. If Peyton gives you any more trouble at home, I need you to tell me immediately. I don’t like that you’re vulnerable in that house. Make sure you keep your bedroom door locked.”
I fold my arms over my chest. “I don’t need a knight in shining armor to fight my battles for me.”
Kingston gives me a wicked grin. “I never claimed to be a knight. I’d rather be someone’s nightmare and Peyton is high on my shit list right now.”
“Why? Why do you care what she does to me?”
He wraps his hand around the doorknob. “Because whether you want to admit it or not, Jasmine, you’re mine, which means you’re under my protection. Peyton and every other person in this school knows that, but she got cocky, formed an army, and deemed you a target. Doing so is a direct slap in the face to me, and I will not be disrespected. She and her little followers need a reminder of who’s really running the show around here.”
“What are you going to do?”
“If I tell you... I’d have to kill you. And I rather like keeping you around.” He winks before walking out of the room.
Did Mr. Serious actually crack a
joke?
What in the ever-loving fuck is happening with this guy, and why am I thrilled by the possibilities?
Good Lord, I’m in trouble.
“SHE ACTUALLY SAID THAT?” Ainsley pops a fry into her mouth.
I finish chewing before replying. “Yep.”
Ainsley frowns. “What a bitch. I’m so glad my brother finally stopped worrying about what other people think and dumped her ass.”
I just finished recapping the whole bathroom incident while eating lunch with Ainsley, Reed, and Bentley. The guys share a look as if they’re biting back their own comments. Do they know about the deal Kingston made with Peyton?
“Peyton’s behavior doesn’t surprise me in the least,” Reed says. “But Whitney striking out on her own does.”
I also told them about Whitney rallying our classmates to taunt me.
“Maybe she’ll realize the error of her ways the next time she gets thirsty and I won’t let her milk me dry.” Bentley takes a giant bite of his Animal Style burger.
Reed laughs. “Yeah, right. I’ve never seen you turn down pussy.”
“It’s true!” he insists through a mouthful of food. “I wouldn’t do that to Jazzy Jazz. Besides, it’s not like I don’t have back up.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re a pig.”
“So you’ve told me.” Bentley gets a devious smile on his face. “You know what I think?”
I raise my eyebrows. “No, but I’m sure you’ll tell me.”
He chuckles. “I think you need to teach them a lesson. You and Kingston should lay it on really thick. Make them think you’re both fucking and catching feelings. Once people see that you have Kingston wrapped around your finger, Peyton’s followers will jump ship. They’ll want to worship the girl who got the king’s attention.”
I scoff. “Uh, no thanks. I have no desire to play mind games, nor do I need anyone to worship me.”
“Why not?” Bentley asks. “Sometimes you have to fight dirty. Especially with those catty bitches.”
Ainsley points a fry at Bentley. “I’m gonna agree with him there. Sometimes you have to stoop to their level.”
I shake my head. “Still not interested. Besides, the thought of anyone having Kingston wrapped around their finger is laughable.”
Bentley smirks. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that, boo.” He picks his phone up from the table when it vibrates. “Speaking of...” Bentley runs his thumbs over the screen for a moment before standing up and shoving it in his pocket. “I gotta head out—we’re being summoned. C’mon, Reed.”
Reed takes one more bite of his burger before shoving it back in the bag. “I’ll see you later, Ains?”
Ainsley smiles shyly. “Uh, yeah, sure.”
He nods to me. “Bye, Jazz.”
I wait until the guys are out of earshot before I lay into her. “What was that about?”
She blushes. “He’s been watching me rehearse. It’s no big deal.”
My eyes widen. “How long has that been going on?”
“The last two weeks or so. He’s only shown up a few times.”
“What does your brother think of you getting it on with his bestie?”
“I’m not banging Reed!” she insists.
I lean back in my chair and smile. “But you want to. What about Donovan?”
She frowns. “I haven’t heard from Donovan since I returned the keys to his pool house.”
“What? I thought he was really into you?”
“I think he was more into the thrill of the chase.”
I give her a sad smile. “I’m sorry. It’s his loss.”
“It’s all good. I had to lose my virginity to someone. At least I got a couple of orgasms out of it.”
My eyes widen. “What?! You were a virgin before that? Why didn’t you say something?”
“Because I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it and chicken out. I’ve been wanting to give it up for a while now, but the guy I was interested in wasn’t biting. So... I gave it to someone who did.”
“You wanted it to be Reed, didn’t you?”
She sighs. “Yeah, and I know he likes me, but he has this weird thing about not disrespecting my brother, which is totally lame. It’s none of Kingston’s business who I date. Plus, Reed was fucking around with Imogen. Who knows... he still might be.”
“But he watches your ballet rehearsals? Why would he do that if he didn’t want to pursue something with you?”
Ainsley shrugs. “Ironically, spending the night with Donovan seems to have triggered something. Reed never initiated contact with me before—that was always on me and he’d always tell me nothing could happen between us. Since that party, he’s been...different. Texts me a lot, shows up at my rehearsal. He even asked if I wanted to grab dinner tonight afterward. We’ve never eaten a meal together without someone else present, usually Kingston and Bentley.”
I shake my head. “In other words, he saw that you were moving on and decided he’d better act quickly before he loses his shot.”
“Maybe. Reed’s a hard guy to decode. He’s always so damn stoic.”
“He’s definitely that.” I laugh. “So he no longer cares about your brother’s opinion?”
“I plan on finding out tonight at dinner, one way or the other. He may not want to see me with other guys, but I’m not going to wait around for someone who will never claim me. If Reed can’t grow a pair and tell my brother to fuck off with his, ‘My sister is off-limits,’ bullshit, then fuck him. I’m not going to pine for him while he’s out screwing Imogen or whoever else. It’s not fair.” She releases a heavy sigh. “Enough about my boy problems. What’s going on with you and my brother? And don’t you dare try telling me nothing again. I’ve never seen him act like he does around you. I still can’t believe he took you to see your sister.”
I groan. “I don’t know, Ains. I think he’s a jerk more often than not and I don’t trust him, but then he does something so unexpectantly sweet like taking me to see Belle, not to mention how great he was with her. And today—he looked like he was going to murder Peyton on the spot when he burst into that bathroom. When he got to me, when he hovered over me protectively, with a gentleness I would’ve never thought he was capable of, it confused me. He confuses me.”
Ainsley scrunches her face. “Boys are stupid.”
I clink my soda cup against hers. “I’ll drink to that.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
KINGSTON
“What’s the plan?” Reed takes a drag from his joint.
We’re standing in the Windsor parking lot, right outside of the gym, waiting for Peyton to get out of cheerleading practice.
I look at him out of the corner of my eye. “I’m just going to have a few words with her.”
“Why’d you need us for that?”
“Because we need to present a united front. These people need to know that if anyone fucks with Jazz, they’re going to have to deal with all three of us.”
“Man, I’ve never wanted to hit a girl before, but that girl tempts me,” Bentley adds. “I can’t believe she ganged up on Jasmine like that. I mean, I’m all for chick fights because they’re totally hot, but locking her in a room and expecting her to fight off ten bitches at once is just bullshit. Even I’m not that fucking shady.”
I raise an eyebrow. “You two know you need to cut off Whitney and Imogen as well, right? They’re just as guilty.”
“Already did,” Reed says.
“On the same page, brother,” Bentley adds.
Speaking of shady bitches... a group of cheerleaders just walked out of the gym. Peyton freezes when she spots us, causing the others to slam into her back. I can tell she’s scared but she’s so concerned about appearances, she pastes a fake ass smile on her face and walks over here, swaying her hips dramatically.
“Hey, guys,” she says. “What are you doing here?”
“We need to have a word, Peyton.”
Whitney joins us and curls her arm around Be
ntley’s. “Hey, baby.”
He shoves her off of him. “Get the fuck off me, whore. I don’t need whatever STD you’re carrying this week.”
A collective gasp rings throughout the crowd. Seven of the girls in that bathroom today were cheerleaders, which is exactly why I chose this moment to have this conversation. I wanted them to witness their supposed queens’ humiliation.
Whitney’s jaw drops. “What the hell, Bentley?”
Bentley’s eyes run the length of her body with disinterest. “I’m done slumming it with you, Whit. I can no longer pretend that your loose-as-fuck pussy turns me on. You should probably get that shit checked out by a doctor. I hear vaginal reconstruction surgery is all the rage these days.”
Bentley may be easy-going for the most part, but the guy is a mean fuck when he wants to be. Dude’s got his own demons just waiting to burst out.
Whitney’s face flushes and her eyes fill with tears when the laughter begins. The entire football team has now joined the audience. The fact that Imogen is trying to blend in with the masses does not go unnoticed.
“What do you want, Kingston?” Peyton shouts. “Why are you guys being such assholes?”
I smirk, but there’s no mirth behind it. “Oh, Peyton, I think you know exactly why we’re here.”
She folds her arms across her overinflated chest. “You’re actually defending that piece of trash?”
“Jasmine has more class than you ever will,” I seethe. “And I came here today to tell you that if you ever fuck with her again, you’ll be answering to me.” I look over the crowd. “That applies to every-fucking-one of you.”
Peyton releases a scream so high-pitched, I’m surprised windows aren’t breaking right now. “You can’t be fucking serious, Kingston! What the hell kind of voodoo pussy is that bitch rocking?”
Bentley and Reed hop into Bentley’s Porsche, instinctively knowing I’m about done here.
I flip the Agera door open and give Peyton one last look of revulsion before saying, “I can have that crown you’re so fond of, ripped off of your bleached blonde head at the snap of my fingers. Don’t test me, Peyton. You won’t like the outcome.”