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That was too easy. Everything here is too easy. Where the fuck is the challenge?
Her. She’s the challenge. My conquest. One I’ve been watching and waiting to destroy. There are a few times I let my walls down. Moments of weakness, if you will. But all it takes is the remembrance of why I despise her and the walls go back up and the challenge resumes.
I will break her. Show her why she’s never belonged and in the end, she’ll cower and leave. With any luck, the whole Sunder family will be abolished, never to show their faces in front of a Blue Blood again.
It’s bittersweet, really. On one hand, I’ll miss fucking with her; on the other, I won’t have to anymore.
Slapping the faucet on, I let the cold water run into my cupped palms. I lean down over the sink and splash water on my face, blinking away the droplets that form on my eyelashes. Without even lifting my head, I reach over and grab a sheet of paper towel hanging, and it immediately spits out more. Eyes closed, I lift my head and dry my face, then chuck the crumpled paper into the open trash bin.
A deep breath in and I chase away any lingering thoughts of her, only allowing them to return when I have a solid plan. Right now, we need to bring down Jude Beckett for what he’s done. This is all for Maddie. Everything I do is for her—even exposing her so-called best friend for what she really is—a fraud.
* * *
With my sled parkedat the back entrance of the school, I use my master key to open the back door that leads into the kitchen of the cafeteria. I haven’t heard from the guys at all and I really didn’t expect to. Ever since Scar tangled them up in her web, I’ve been left out of everything. I’m not angry about it, though, because, in due time, I’ll have my boys back and Scar will be nothing more than a bad memory.
Snow drops in mounds from my boots as I walk across the marbled floors, taking care not to slip because they’ve got a fresh coat of wax on them. It’s an accident waiting to happen if you ask me.
One push on the shiny doors and I step into the open cafeteria. It’s quiet. So quiet that the thoughts in my head are screaming.
When Riley’s dad, Samson Cross, passed on the information about Elias Stanton to my father, I snatched it off his desk and came straight here. Never even told my father I knew or that I was leaving. I’ve got no doubt in my mind my father had every intention of pushing all the information aside because he’s too busy with the upcoming elections to worry himself with such a mundane task. Because that’s what Maddie’s disappearance is to him—a tiny inconvenience that he wants kept out of the public eye. Same shit happened with my mom when she died and the same shit will happen with every instance that involves me or Maddie in the future. He doesn’t give a damn about us and it’s that cold, hard truth that keeps me moving forward in life. Maddie needs me, and she’s also all I’ve got, so in that sense, I need her, too.
Which brings me here, to the school, because we need to dig up everything we can on Elias—starting with his school records.
Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my phone to check the dozen missed calls I’ve had from my father. He’s set up search parties for Maddie, all the while keeping it on the down-low.
There’s also a few missed calls and messages from the guys, but I already know what they were calling for.Where the hell are you? Hurry your ass up!
I stuff my phone back in my pocket, and as I walk down the long stretch of hallway, my fingers trail across the row of senior lockers, stopping at one in particular. I’m in no hurry, so I decide to check and see what our girl’s been up to. Spinning the lock, I enter her combination and give the lever a lift, popping the door open. Every once in a while, I go through her shit—at school and at home—just to make sure she’s not trying to pull a fast one on us. For a while, I suspected she was, but the evidence pointed elsewhere, so I let go of that suspicion, but we can never be too sure. For all I know, she’s playing from the same hand as Jude Beckett. After all, she did befriend him when no one else did, so I have to ask myself, why? Has she known the truth this whole time?
Every time I do this shit, I get a feeling of elation. Like, I’m on the verge of uncovering another secret I could use against her. Although, lately, I’ve come up empty-handed. Doesn’t matter, though. I’ve got everything I need to blow up her whole world, and her family’s, too.
Crouching down, I shuffle through a few papers just thrown inside as boredom takes hold. There’s not a damn thing in here. Scar’s pretty good at keeping her secrets hidden, so I shouldn’t be shocked. I’m also not surprised at the lack of decor. Most of the girls here have their lockers decked in frilly pink shit—not Scar. In fact, she has no decorations at all. So basic, yet so intricate.The mystery surrounding her is alluring and has me wanting to know everything I might not already know.
“What the hell are you doing?” Her voice hits my ears before I see her.
A smirk draws across my face as I peer inside her open locker. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you that organizing your things is the first step in organizing your life?”
I’m caught off guard when she shoves me aside, the smell of her vanilla body spray, or maybe it’s lotion. No, I’m pretty sure it’s body spray. Saw a bottle sitting on her dresser one day. Anyway, it floods my senses as I tip over to the right, catching the floor with my hand.
“My life is plenty organized without you trying to do it for me.” Her gravelly tone tells me she’s pissed, as she should be—as I like her to be.
Dusting off my hands, I stand up and close the space between us, drawing in a deep breath of her intoxicating scent. I don’t like the girl, but I can’t deny that she looks and smells like a wet dream.
I don’t say anything, just stand with my face inches from hers, when she curls her lip. “What are you doing in my locker, Neo?”
I raise a shoulder, letting it fall slowly. “Just making sure your skeletons aren’t hiding in there.”
Her brows hit her forehead, nostrils flared as she shoves me back a few steps. “Oh yeah? Is that where you hide yours?” Her voice rises to a near shout. “In your fucking school locker?” She shoves me again, walking me back a few steps while a rumble of laughter climbs up my throat. “You must think I’m stupid.”
I throw my hands up in defense. “You said it, not me.”
“Ugh! I hate you so much! Just when I think you’re starting to show a little bit of humanity, you start acting like this again!”
“I guess you really are stupid, because you’d be a fool to mistake any humane gesture for kindness on my part.” Not that I’m sure what instance she’s referring to. As far as I remember, I’ve been nothing but imperious to the girl.
She taps her head mockingly. “You’re right. What the fuck was I thinking?”
“Glad we're on the same page.” I step past her, slamming her locker door shut and continuing down the hall. “If I remember right, we have a mystery to solve with the rest of the Scooby squad.”
