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“How’d you know?” I asked under my breath, looking at her out of the corner of my eye.
“Know what?” she asked with faked innocence.
“Rynn,” Jace warned. “How do you know the fucking police chief?”
“I don’t,” she answered. “He keeps track of all the students on the honor roll.”
“Bullshit.” I didn’t believe that for a second. The way Torres looked at her—she knew him outside of school.
She sighed. “I’m late for class—”
“We’re on break,” Jace cut her off, giving her a long look.
I grabbed her arm when she tried turning down a different hall, and she faced me, her eyes growing cold. “How did you know we were going to be there?”
Her lips twitched upward as she raised on her tiptoes to whisper in my ear. “You think you two are the only ones good with devices? Jace tracking my car, and you sticking one in my bag? The second I found out you were in Sterling, I had someone bug your rooms.”
“Oh my fuck,” Jace muttered, clearly having heard her words.
She giggled before pushing me away. “Try again to kick me out, and I won’t be as nice. Campus is mine like it always has been.”
She strode down the hall, disappearing around a corner while Jace and I stared after her. I wracked my brain, trying to remember if I’d said anything in my room that she shouldn’t know. How the hell did I not think to check the room when we got back? And why would she openly admit it?
“I guess she’s back,” Jace mumbled. “Fuck. I hope Pratt hasn’t said anything stupid the last two days.”
“If he did, I’m sure you’ll find out about it,” I replied as we left the building.
“Alicia’s party is still on,” Jace said, changing the subject. “You going?”
“Yeah. Rynn will be there. I want to make sure she’s not planning anything.”
“See you tomorrow night, then.”
Jace veered toward his dorm, and I continued toward mine, surprise filtering through me at how civil we were being. He was still an asshole, but I didn’t have the urge to beat his ass every second he was in my presence.
I didn’t know how I felt about that.
22
Once again,Alicia had outdone herself for her New Year’s Eve party. The club she rented out for the night was gorgeous and decked out in décor for the new year. The back area had high-topped tables, and in front of them was a large dance floor with a spot for the DJ table. I walked up the few steps to the raised floor that surrounded the main area. There were couches and plush chairs with small tables near them, and I made my way toward the VIP area. Alicia was rushing around, making sure everything was in place before the doors opened in twenty minutes.
I pushed back my bangs, careful not to bump any of the bobby pins. My hair was up in the perfect messy bun that took an hour to get right. It was rainy and humid, and I didn’t feel like dealing with frizzy hair all night. I usually kept it down, but there was a reason my tattoo was invisible unless under black light.
Glancing down at my outfit, I made sure my tiny top was still in place. It was black leather, just like my skirt, and most of my stomach and back were exposed. My boots had thick heels, but they were stable enough that I didn’t need to worry about breaking an ankle when I danced. To complete my outfit, I was wearing black lipstick and a dark smoky eye. I felt fucking hot and had every intention of enjoying the night. After what happened in Sterling, I needed the escape of a good time.
“I still think you should have stayed on campus,” Gage breathed out irritably from behind me. “I don’t like this.”
I spun around, shooting him an annoyed look. “What’s wrong with you? First, you try to get me to stay with Ellie instead of coming back to school, and now you don’t want me to leave campus?”
“That’s why I’m here, isn’t it?” he snapped. “To keep you safe.”
“I’m safe here,” I tossed back. “You’re here. And Ellie has people all over Little Haven keeping watch. I’m sure there will be a few here tonight. Grimrose and the Disciples won’t try anything. Not when I’m sure the police chief has the building being watched by half the police officers on duty tonight because hisdaughteris throwing a party. They might not know why there’s extra protection here, but they’ll see the police cars.”
He messed with his tongue piercing, not answering me. I moved forward two steps, eliminating the space between us as I searched his face. He’d been acting weird since I got back to campus a couple of days ago, and I didn’t know what to make of it. He was on edge, and at first, I thought it was because I’d spent the night at Reese’s house. But it was more than that. Not that he’d tell me what it was.
“Is there a reason I need to be even more cautious?” I asked in a low voice. “Because if there is, I should probably know.”
He kept my stare, his expression not giving anything away. I scoffed and moved to back up until he suddenly grasped my hips, pulling me into his chest. He lowered his head, and his lips grazed my cheek before he whispered in my ear.
