Page 24 of Colton

“You came here with a purpose.”

She nods, slowly. “I’m sorry. It’s not something I can tell you right now.”

“Is it dangerous?”

She shakes her head. “No! I’m not that stupid. I’m not involved in anything illegal, either. Please, trust me on this one.”

It’s hard to trust her. Grace is the most reckless one out of the four, and if anyone’s going to get in trouble for the sake of it, it’s her. Sophia’s a lot more sophisticated in that sense, and will try other ways if she can. She won’t tarnish her reputation for shits and giggles. Lila is too reserved even to attempt it. I’m just scared this will come to bite her in the ass, and I’ll be forced to beg for Sophia’s money to bail her out of jail.

“Fine,” I sigh. “But once we’re back, you’re telling me.”

“I promise.” She nods, relief washing over her features.

We continue to eat in silence, and the worry keeps growing inside of me. It’s difficult to enjoy the meal, no matter how delicious it is, now that I know she has a hidden agenda. Since she’s not willing to tell me what it is, I can only assume she’s going to do it on her own.

We’re in a town that we know little to nothing about, and she’s here without protection. Too many things could go wrong and end up biting her in the ass.

“Oh, look who is here.”

The voice makes me jolt, and my head snaps to the left. Artemis stands there, a small smirk on her face. The dark lipstick matches the dark suit she’s wearing, and I’m surprised to see her in that attire. When she’s out of the uniform, she’s usually in leather jackets, fishnets, and short skirts. She looks professional, like a businesswoman just leaving a meeting.

She looks good.

“Artemis,” Grace greets her, and she’s not even trying to hide the disdain. She’s looking her up and down, then rolls her eyes. “To what do we owe this pleasure, Your Highness?”

Artemis laughs, then sits next to me. “Still calling me that? I thought you got over this.”

I frown, observing the two. Artemis looks almost giddy to be here, grabbing a couple of French fries off Grace’s plate, and plopping them into her mouth, a grin on her face. Grace, on the other hand, looks ready to murder her right here and now. I wouldn’t get on Grace’s bad side if I were Artemis.

Though, I can tell I’m missing something.

Grace may dislike Artemis, but she’s downright hostile. Her body is rigid, her jaw is clenched tightly, and her eyes are filled with hatred. The kind that doesn’t appear when you find someone annoying — something happened between these two.

“What do you want, Artemis?” Grace bites out, seething with rage. Her hand curls around the fork, and I’m scared she’ll try to poke Artemis’ eyes out.

“I was passing by when I noticed you two. I thought I’d say hello.”

Grace’s suspicion grows. “Why aren’t you at the Academy?”

“Why aren’t you?” Artemis shoots back.

“Uh, am I missing something here?” I ask, confused by the absurdity of this encounter.

“Ah, Gracie here is a bit bitter.”

“Don’t call me that,” Grace grits out, her knuckles turning white.

“You see, the two of us dated back in our freshman year.”

My eyes widen like saucers, my jaw dropping open. It’s not that I didn’t know that Grace is bisexual — everyone knows that. It’s just that I never pegged her as the type to go out with someone as dangerous as Artemis.

“We hooked up a couple of times. I’d hardly call it dating.”

A gasp comes from me, and Grace kicks me in the shin under the table. My eyes snap shut because damn, the girl can kick. The pain shoots through my body, and I can feel the bruise start to form. I breathe out, then look at Grace with a bewildered look.

She gives me a pleading one, and I don’t understand if it’s to change the subject or to somehow kick Artemis out of this place. I’m not someone who could ever kick Artemis out, so I take it as a sign to change the topic. I turn to Artemis with a forced smile.

“So, what’s really bringing you here?”