Page 17 of Savage Salvation

“That’s enough, Kinsley.” Cabot employs more harshness than he usually does, but it’s still not much. Not that it would make a difference to the wildcat who jumps out of her chair, slamming her palms against the solid mahogany desktop.

“Call the fucking cops already. Give me the expulsion or whatever you plan to do to only me. And let me get the fuck out of here.” Her voice breaks at the last word but I know it has nothing to do with leaving this school. It’s the possibility of losing out on what’s been promised to her once she graduates Sacred Creed.

Rising from his chair, Cabot waves over me. “Gage isn’t pressing charges and asked that the administration doesn’t either.”

Her mouth drops open as she glances to me then back to Cabot. “Why the hell do you let him run this school? What the fuck does he have on you?”

Cabot’s level of unease overflows as he shouts, “Sit down, Kinsley.”

A knock sounds on the door as the secretary pushes it open, waving for Cabot to the door. He turns back, saying over his shoulder. “Get to class. And Miss Miller, please don’t stab anyone else.”

My chuckle at the statement draws Kinsley’s livid gawk. “No promises.” But Cabot is already gone, and I take the opportunity to follow behind her as she stomps down the empty corridor.

“I swear, Gage, if you don’t back the fuck off of me right now, I will stab you again. Harder.”

“You should be thanking me. Cabot was going to expel you.” It hadn’t taken much to convince him to change his mind because Kinsley is correct. He doesn’t run this school. I do.

“I should just withdraw and get as far away from this place as possible,” she mutters, tugging the strap of her bag tighter over her shoulder.

“You won’t.”

Her feet halt, her head slowly turning to face me. “I will if it means getting the hell away from you.”

“No. It’s not this school, or even me, you’d be leaving behind. It’s the incentive you’ll receive the day you graduate from this academy that you won’t give up.”

For a second, I swear tears are forming in her eyes. But Kinsley doesn’t cry, not anymore. “How do you know about that?”

“I told you, I know more than you realize.”

“Ryan told you about it.”

“No, he didn’t have to.” But I know the letter that’s promised to her, the one her mother wrote her, is what she’ll receive when she graduates and what’s kept her here and within the Wagoners’ control. “But I didn’t want you to miss out. So, I made sure Cabot knew your enrollment here wasn’t up for debate.”

“Of course.” She starts walking away.

“You’re welcome.” My shout stops her.

She swings around and walks back to me. Her face in mine. “The only thing I’ll ever thank you for is jumping off a fuckin’ cliff.”

“Well, then you should. Because I have. Several, in fact.” Some literal, some not. “We can go now. Cliff jumping can be a thrilling way to pass the time.”

“Like I’d go anywhere with you.”

“It’s not me that’ll keep you off the ledge, it’s the heights.” Panic moves into her eyes as she realizes I know another thing she believed was so well hidden—her fear of heights. “But what I want to know is if you’ll catch me when I jump.”

“No.” Her straightforward, blunt response isn’t unexpected. And I have no doubt that she’d stand by and let me plummet to the ground without a second thought. Her lack of giving a shit rubs me wrong. Though, I smile at the notion of her conquering her fear and jumping off the cliff with me. “I’d catch you.”

“Yeah. After you pushed me off in the first place.” She pivots and heads away without waiting to hear a response from me.

“You took me with you,” I whisper to the temptress who pulled me over the cliff years ago, leaving me to free fall without a safety net.

I’ll keep at it until I catch her. Hopefully, she doesn’t stab me again before then. I’ve taken some hard punches in the ring, the pain from the pencil wasn’t anything I couldn’t take, but I absolutely wasn’t braced for it. Never saw it coming. And once the pencil was jabbed into my leg, I was just grateful she hadn’t aimed for my dick.

She’s fled down the corridor when I hear Isaac speak from behind me. “You’re taking it too far.”

“It’s not up to you.”

“I won’t stand by and let you keep hurting her.”