AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Holding the door! A gentleman, too!
“Where are you from?” he said.
“Here,” she said. “I just transferred from St. Mary’s in Annapolis.” A complete lie, but Silver had told her that someone from out of town might arouse suspicion—and they couldn’t afford suspicion right now. She’d spent hours in the truck learning landmarks and popular hangouts just so she could pass for a local.
She could almost feel Nick’s power in the air around them, and it took everything she had not to let her guard down.
“Sucks to move in the middle of high school,” he said.
“Not for me. I couldn’t stand those stuffy old nuns.”
He smiled and glanced at her schedule again. “My brother’s a junior, too. Chris.”
God, her brain wasn’t working. She almost said I know. “Nice,” she choked.
“I think he has fourth-period History. If you’re still lost by then, he’d help you out.”
“Thanks,” she said. “I’ll look for him.”
Chris Merrick. Fourth period. Check.
Seriously, this was like shooting fish in a barrel. Silver was going to be stoked.
Nick looked over. “Juniors and seniors have lunch at the same time, so if you need somewhere to sit, feel free to look for me. I could introduce you around.”
And then Nick went and said something like that.
It threw her off balance for a minute.
Then Nick gave her a slightly wicked smile. “Though I don’t think you’ll have any trouble making friends.”
Aha! So there was a little tarnish on his gentlemanly armor. It helped her dial back the bit of conscience niggling at her. She shook hair out of her eyes and looked up at him. “I never do.” She paused. “But I think I’ll take you up on lunch. If you don’t mind.”
“I wouldn’t have offered if I did.” He gave her a breathtaking smile. Nice and handsome.
She almost hated to kill him.
Almost.
CHAPTER 4
Calla was sitting in the cushioned chair in the guidance office, sniffling, cradling her arm. She wouldn’t look at Hunter.
He glared at her and tried to hang on to his temper as the guidance counselor droned on.
“I asked you a question, Hunter,” said Ms. Vickers. “Did you leave those bruises on Calla’s wrist?”
Right this second, he wanted to leave a lot more than bruises. Calla had pretty much just guaranteed he’d have to leave her alone—in school and out. He gritted his teeth and lied right through them. “No.”
Calla sniffed again. “Ms. Vickers, I really don’t feel comfortable being in the room with him.”
“Hunter, we had a talk on your first day here. I said that we wouldn’t be tolerant of any physical altercations with other students. Do you remember this conversation?”
“Yeah,” he said, his voice tight.
“And while I understand that the police found you unarmed during last week’s fire, I do not like the rumors that you have access to a gun.”
“He does,” Calla whispered with a catch in her voice. “He showed it to me. When we were fighting, he said if I didn’t go out with him, he’d—”
