Page 89 of Twisted Fate

“No offense, but its causing problems that you’re being nice to me, so they’ll start thinking I’m crossing them if we’re buddies who text about bargains at the local mall.”

He raised an eyebrow, reaching out so that his fingertips brushed my arm.

“C’mon, you know I don’t want to be your buddy. Unless it’s a fuck buddy, I could totally live with that.”

I forced myself to take a step back, giving him a tight smile.

“That won’t happen. I’m loyal to the Psychos, so bumping uglies with the enemy would be a bad idea.”

“There’d be no bumping babe, it would be a fucking pounding. Have a good day, try and stay alive,” he winked, jamming his helmet over his head and revving the bike loudly.

I chuckled, giving him a wave as he shot out of the parking lot as I turned to walk to class.

I dodged Caden’s hand as I walked past them, ignoring them completely and headed to my locker to collect my books.

I wasn’t going to put up with their bullshit.

“Rory? Where have you been?” Claire asked as she wandered over to me, and I gave her a fake smile.

It made me nervous that she knew about the murders, despite Skeeter threatening her into silence.

“Hey, I’ve been around.”

“Why didn’t you come to school with the others? Who was on the bike?” She babbled as we walked towards class together.

“You ask a lot of questions,” I said flatly, gripping my books tightly and considering hitting her over the head with them as a back-up plan.

“Sorry. People saw you avoiding Caden and the others on your way inside the school, and I was worried that talk would…”

“People can say whatever they want, I’m not with Caden and the guys anymore,” I cut her off with a shrug, making her gasp as if it affected her life.

“Any of them?”

“Nope. Skeet and I broke up too, so I’m as single as a fucking pringle.”

“Who was on the bike?”

“Someone who shouldn’t have been here,” I muttered, thankful when she shut her big mouth to do her work the moment the teacher walked in.

I ignored my phone as it rang, and I continued to ignore it three hours later.

I didn’t recognize the number, and I didn’t like answering unknown ones anyway.

I’d just walked to my locker to dump my books when Hunter cornered me, appearing upset with me as if I’d stolen his last fucking cookie.

I pressed my back into the lockers and frowned up at him and his lack of personal space.

“What’s wrong?”

“What’s fucking wrong? Let me see, I’ve been calling you all morning to let you know the Soldiers are in town right now. I thought maybe they’d fucking found you since you didn’t answer your goddamn phone,” he bit out, his eyes roaming over my face as if he was going to find damage.

I instantly felt bad, placing a hand on his chest to feel his rapid heart rate, his muscles flexing under my palm.

“Hey, I’m sorry for worrying you. I don’t answer unknown numbers.”

He relaxed when I didn’t argue with him, moving against me and boldly placing his hands on my waist as if it were an everyday occurrence.

“Then save my number so you answer next time. Jesus fucking Christ.”