29. Kreed
29
KREED
S omething wasn’t right.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that settled in my gut like a lead weight, a slow, gnawing sense of unease that only grew stronger as the minutes ticked by.
Like all my problems lately, Kaylor was at the heart of it.
She was up to something. I’d bet my fucking car on it.
Glancing at the clock, I did a mental rundown of what class she was supposed to be in at this hour. Math? Or was it lunch?
My knee bounced under the table as I tapped my pen against my desk, my jaw tightening. I didn’t know what exactly, only that it was enough to make me restless, my focus drifting as my teacher droned on about some historical event I couldn’t bring myself to care about.
Kaylor might still be pissed at me, might be giving me the silent treatment, but that didn’t mean I trusted her to stay out of trouble. She had a habit of walking straight into danger, and something told me today was no different.
The bad feeling turned into an itch, one I couldn’t ignore.
I couldn’t take it.
I had to at least check to see if she was safe.
Shooting out of my seat without a word, I dashed down the aisle, Mr. Spearow eyeing me as he continued his lecture. When he saw I headed for the door, he halted his riveting speech mid-sentence. “Mr. Corvo, where do you think you’re going?”
“Bathroom,” I stated, opening the door and closing it behind me without giving him a chance to say anything further. It wouldn’t have mattered. I would have left with or without his permission, and I didn’t care for the annoyed sigh that followed me out of the room.
As soon as I was in the hallway, I pulled out my phone, scrolling through my saved notes until I found what I was looking for—Kaylor’s schedule.
Lunch period.
I swore under my breath.
If she wasn’t in the cafeteria, there was a chance she’d gone off campus with Poppy. That wouldn’t be a problem on its own. Her security detail would have followed, but if that were the case, why was my gut screaming that something was off?
My pace quickened, my sneakers echoing against the tile floors as I rounded the next corner.
Wham.
Someone barreled straight into me.
A startled breath. A flush of warmth against my chest. I caught the person by the arms before they could stumble back. Then I looked down.
And there she was.
The root of all my problems.
My eyes flicked over Kaylor, catching her flushed skin and wide, startled look. Her breathing was uneven, and her lips were parted slightly as if she’d been running or had been caught doing something she shouldn’t.
Yeah. She was definitely up to something.
She glanced over my shoulder as if she was searching for someone.
My hands stayed firm on her arms, the smallest pull keeping her anchored as my gaze traced every flicker in her expression. “Looking for someone?”
Jerking back, she forced me to let go, her gaze darting past me like she was checking to see if anyone else was around. “None of your business,” she said, but the way her voice wavered told me everything I needed to know.
I crossed my arms, smirking. “You sure about that?”
Kaylor’s lips turned down in the sexiest frown that was part pout. I’d spent enough time around her to pick up on her tells—the little things she probably didn’t even realize she did. The way she avoided my gaze when she was hiding something. The way her fingers twitched at her sides like she was debating whether to push past me or stand her ground.
I tilted my head, lowering my voice. “Try again, little raven. What were you doing?”
She scoffed, rolling her eyes as she tried to walk past me, but I stepped into her path. “I was using the bathroom, obviously.”
I arched a brow, glancing toward the restroom door she’d just come from. “That so?”
“Yes.”
She was lying, and whatever she’d been doing in there, she didn’t want me to know about it. I leaned in slightly, just enough to watch her throat bob as she swallowed. “Alone?”
“Do you want to check to see if there is anyone in there? Perhaps you would like me to give you the grand tour of the stalls.”
“Cute.” I brushed past her and pushed open the door to the girls’ bathroom. If she thought I’d be too embarrassed to check, she was sorely mistaken. All of the doors were unlocked and partially open. It appeared to be empty, yet my suspicion remained. I faced Kaylor again. “Who was in there with you?”
“No one. Despite popular belief, girls can go to the bathroom alone.”
“I don’t believe you,” I murmured.
“Well, I guess that’s too damn bad. Aren’t you supposed to be in class or something?”
“Changing the subject won’t deter me. I’ll find out, so you might as well save me the trouble and tell me.”
“Umm, let me think…” Her eyes flicked away, three slow heartbeats stretching between us. Then—“No,” she bit out.
“Hmm, I prefer the difficult way, too. Makes things challenging, and you know I like a challenge on and off the field.”
She snapped her fingers. “Ah, right, football. Isn’t the big game this weekend? You should try putting as much focus into preparing for that as you do annoying me.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Her stomach rumbled loud enough for me to hear. My eyes shifted down her body before moving slowly back to her face, taking in the pinkening of her cheeks. Why did she have to look so damn good? Why did I want to shove her against the wall and possess those lips? I’d wanted this irrational craving for her to have been satiated, but if anything, my need for her had tripled.
Her hand went to cover her belly. She had the kind of stomach I wanted to bite, lick, and kiss until she trembled. “I skipped breakfast this morning,” she explained when she really didn’t need to.
She wasn’t the only one hungry except it wasn’t food I wanted. “Of course, you did.” I grabbed her wrist, dragging her down the hall and leading her to the exit.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Out.”
She shuddered from the cold. I glanced back, taking in the thin sweater she wore. Not very winter appropriate. Shrugging out of my hoodie, I tugged it over her head. Once she had her arms through the sleeves, I reached for her hand, lacing my fingers with hers. Somehow, it felt like the most natural thing to be holding hands with her.
She looked at our joined fingers, and I figured she was seconds away from protesting, but then her arm relaxed, her fingers clinging to mine.
I don’t think I’d ever held hands with a girl at school. Not since the second grade, and it had me questioning what was wrong with me. It was easy to tell myself it was so she didn’t take off on me and I could keep a close eye on her. Perhaps some truth lay in the excuse, but only partially.
“Aren’t you going to get detention for skipping?” she asked.
“The starting quarterback the week before the championship game? Not likely.” We stopped at my SUV. Raking my fingers through my hair, I opened the car door for her. “This is so annoying,” I muttered at this weird feeling fluttering in my chest.
“What’s annoying? Me?” She jerked her hand away from mine. “I didn’t ask you to drag me out here.”
I maneuvered my body so she couldn’t bolt, giving her no choice but to climb into the passenger seat. “Get in, little raven. Unless you want me to push you up against the car and show you just how annoying I find you right now.”
She stared at me, confusion lines wrinkling above her brows as she tried to figure me out. “Is annoying a metaphor for something else?” She bravely or stupidly stepped closer as if to test her theory.
My eyes darkened as they darted to her lips. I was thinking about kissing her. It was all I was thinking about. “Do you thirst for danger?”
Her head angled to the side, those light-blue eyes glimmering. “Not until I met you.”
Curbing my needs wasn’t something I tended to do, especially when it was clear we wanted the same thing, but I had to be smart, careful, cautious, and a dozen other warnings when it came to her. “You might change your mind after you’ve eaten. Hunger can make people do crazy things.” Closing the door, I walked around the car and got behind the wheel.
“We’re eating?” she asked as I slid into the seat.
My seat belt snapped into place. “You’re hungry, aren’t you?”
There was no denying it since her stomach decided to make it obvious she was. “I guess I can suffer a meal in your presence.”
The corner of my lips twitched. “You didn’t seem to mind sharing my bed.”
She let a small gasp before her mouth settled into a hint of a smile. “I had a moment of insanity.”
I pushed the start button, starting the SUV’s engine and cranking the heat. The place I had in mind wasn’t far from school, but there was a chance we wouldn’t make it back in time for our next class. I hoped she was prepared to skip.
A few minutes later, I turned into Pa’s Place, a local diner.
Kaylor stared at the homey, small establishment. “No club?” she joked with a straight face.
“The last thing either of us needs is booze and half naked women.” My self-control hung by a thread. If we went to one of my father’s clubs, we wouldn’t head to the bar but to one of the back rooms.
“So, you opted for Pa’s instead.”
“Is that a problem?”
She shook her head. “Are you kidding? I could devour an entire buffet of food right now.”
“Get whatever you want,” I said.
No matter what time of day, Pa’s always had someone lingering about. Lunch tended to be one of their busiest hours. The counter bar had only two empty seats when we walked in. “I had a feeling I’d be seeing you today.” Bea, the owner, greeted me, her twinkling eyes shifting to Kaylor at my side briefly. Another first. I’d never brought a girl to lunch. Dinner was out of the question. “Your booth is open. Go on, take a seat. One of the girls will be by in a minute to take your order.” I caught the wink she gave Kaylor as we moved to the far-right corner of the diner where the guys and I usually sat. It had been our booth for years.
“You come here often, I take it,” Kaylor said, slipping into the seat.
I shrugged. “The food’s good.”
Kate, one of Bea’s usual servers, stopped at our table as we were getting settled. She smiled at me, pulling a pen out from behind her ear. “The usual today, Kreed?”
“That would be great. Kaylor?” I prompted, shifting my attention away from our server to across the table.
“Can I have an iced tea, please,” she said, glancing at Kate.
Kate blinked at her as if she had just realized I wasn’t alone. I watched the array of emotions pass over her features. She couldn’t be more than a few years older than me, closer to Raine’s age. She was pretty enough, but I hadn’t thought about her in any way other than as a friend.
“Can we get a bread basket with our drinks?” I added, lightening my tone. “Thanks, Kate.”
“Of course,” she replied, quickly shoving her small notepad back into the front pocket of her apron as she turned to check on her next table.
“Did she just sigh?” Kaylor asked.
Why was she asking me that? “I don’t know.”
She leaned her elbows on the table, pressing her chin into the top of her joined hands. “I’m sure you’re so used to girls fawning over you that you don’t even notice. That girl has a serious crush on you.”
I struggled to keep my focus on what she was saying when all I could think about was a dozen other things those lips could be doing. “And you can tell that from the one-minute interaction we had?”
Kaylor didn’t so much as bat her eyes. “Yes. It was obvious. She wasn’t subtle about her interest, Kreed.”
I groaned at the sound of my name, my fingers curling under the table. Fuck, I really wished I had my drink. I needed to do something with my mouth that didn’t involve what I wanted to do to Kaylor. “How many times have I warned you about saying my name?”
“I don’t see what the big deal is, Kreed. Kreed. Kreed…” My name purred from her lips as she leaned farther over the table with a mocking twist of her lips.
Someone was feeling extra naughty today. What the hell had gotten into her? And why did I like it so much? “If you think I’m above dragging you into the bathroom and taking you against the sink, you’re mistaken. Don’t test me, little raven, unless you can handle the consequences.”
She tilted her head, her eyes dancing with something that sent a sharp pulse through my body. “Perhaps you’re underestimating me. I’m not as good or innocent as you think I am.”
I lifted my hand, reaching across the table to grab her fingers and make good on my threat when Kate came back with our drinks, setting them down in front of us.
“Are you ready to order?” she asked sweetly.
I didn’t move, my gaze still locked on Kaylor, my hand still half reaching for hers.
Kaylor smiled as she dragged her focus to Kate. “I’ll have the Cali chicken sandwich with extra avocado and no bacon.”
I huffed a laugh. “No bacon? That’s a crime.” My thumb traced soft circles over the top of her hand before I could stop myself. “I’ll take her bacon. You can add it to my usual.” I hadn’t meant to keep touching her, but I couldn’t pull away.
“I’ll make sure the chef hooks you up,” Kate assured.
I finally looked up, trying not to be a dick, and forced my lips to curve. “You’re the best.”
She glanced between Kaylor and me, her smirk deepening as she tapped the end of her pen on the notepad in her hand. “She’s a cutie.”
My mouth straightened as I stared at the girl across the table. “She’s a pain in my ass.”
“The best ones always are.”
Kaylor turned toward me, feigning innocence. “Kate might have questionable taste in guys, but at least she has a good eye.”
“Hmm,” I hummed, lifting my drink to my lips. “While I have you alone, I wanted to tell you it’s best if you stop sniffing around. Let the police do their job. The less trouble you create, the faster you’ll have answers.”
Her expression shifted, the teasing glint dimming just a fraction. “Why does everyone keep telling me to let the police handle things? I know I’m only almost eighteen, but that doesn’t mean I don’t deserve the truth. I deserve closure.”
I set my drink down, fingers tapping the rim, my eyes narrowing. “Who else is giving you advice?” It wasn’t like she had a lot of people to talk to. We made sure of it by isolating her. Even at school, it was public knowledge that Kaylor was to be left alone. Only one person ignored our warning, but since I didn’t see the harm in letting her have a single friend, I gave Poppy a pass until the moment she crossed the line.
Kaylor hesitated. Just for a second. But I caught it. “Everyone.”
“Define everyone. I need specific names because I’m getting that feeling again that you’re hiding something from me.”
She exhaled, shaking her head. “I thought we moved past your paranoia.”
“Stop deflecting.” Our lunch arrived, and I paused my interrogation to let her get some food into her system, but this conversation was far from over. It would have been one-sided anyway. The girl didn’t even stop to breathe. Was she starving herself?
She finished the entire sandwich and all the fries. I could count on one hand the last time I’d seen a girl clean her plate.
Kate returned with the check as I polished off the last bite of my burger, wondering if I should feel funny that Kaylor had finished before me. I took the bill off the table, replacing it with a twenty for Kate’s tip. “You ready?” I asked as Kaylor took one last sip of her drink before scooting out of the booth and following me out of the diner to my car.
She was frowning when she climbed into the SUV. “Did you leave without paying?”
My lips curved, and I passed her the receipt.
Her eyes scanned over the bill. “The balance is zero.”
I shrugged. “The owners are big football fans. Their son used to play on the team years ago. They won’t take our money.”
Kaylor scoffed, shaking her head. “Must be nice to be a star.”
I wasn’t a star, and I didn’t like the spotlight or the special treatment, but I also didn’t want to hurt the owners’ feelings. They meant well. “Must be nice to charm everyone you meet with that good-girl attitude.”
She smiled. “You should try it sometime. A smile or two wouldn’t hurt. Wait. I take that back. Don’t be casually throwing around smirks. You’ll send the female population into a meltdown.”
I lifted a brow. “Did you just give me a compliment?”
“You’re one and only. Savor it.” She stretched her arms with a sigh, settling in as I began the drive back to school. “I’m trying to decide if this lunch was worth the detention waiting for me when we return.”
I leaned an elbow on the center console, resting my hand just above the shifter. “Don’t sweat it, little raven. I’ll handle it.”
She shook her head, exasperation flickering across her face. “I don’t get you.”
“Good. That means I’m doing something right.”
“If your goal is to fuck with my head, then I’d agree.” Her arm brushed against mine as she rested on the center console, sharing the space with me.
It was a mistake letting her touch me.
This whole afternoon was a mistake. I shouldn’t have taken her to lunch. What was I doing? Hanging out with her?
“At least I haven’t lost my touch,” I retorted.
“You don’t fool me, Kreed Corvo. I’ve seen another side of you. I’ve seen the guy under the mask.”
She had, and I hated that I let my guard down. I never let anyone see me. No one but family. “Be careful, little raven.”
A phantom of pain flashed over her eyes that made me want to banish it. “What could you do to me that’s worse than what I’ve already been through?”
She had no fucking idea.
And because I’d been thinking about her lips for too long, I finally gave in. Consequences weren’t something I considered. Why start now? And just like that, the last fraying thread of control gave way. “Fuck it,” I muttered while I leaned forward.
As if she had the same thought, she met me halfway, our mouths colliding in a kiss that was nothing but desperate need. The kiss lacked all finesse, nothing but desperate need. She crawled over the seat, straddling me in one fluid movement, our mouths never breaking.
So much for a one-time thing. Or never touching her again. How stupidly fucking foolish.
I was supposed to be the realistic, levelheaded one.
My tongue slid against hers, the taste of her sending a low growl into my chest. “Lose the hoodie,” I muttered, my fingers already at the hem, pushing the material up. I had to feel her skin—had to touch her. I needed her softness. “Now.”
Her fingers raked through my hair, her body arching into mine. “It’s cold.”
“Trust me. It won’t be in a second.”
She ran her tongue over my lower lip, and suddenly, I didn’t give a shit about her clothes anymore. I needed her mouth on mine again.
HONKKKKKKK!
A horn blared through the parking lot. Kaylor jumped, her body jerking against me as she slammed back into the steering wheel. Our heavy breathing filled the car, the heat between us momentarily severed.
Fucking fantastic.
I shot a glare out the windshield, searching for the idiot stupid enough to interrupt me. They had a fucking death wish because I was going to kill them as soon as I got my hands on them.
Despite the interruption, the bulge straining in my pants wasn’t ready for me to let go of her. My hands settled on her hips as my eyes zeroed in on Nash’s BMW. He and Maddox were parked in front of my SUV, blocking us in. Nash was laughing his ass off. Maddox was scowling.
“Un-fucking-believable.” I flipped them off. A moment later, Nash hit the gas, tires squealing as he sped off. “Cocksuckers,” I muttered, my head falling back against the seat.
Kaylor exhaled, adjusting her hoodie as she slid back into the passenger seat. “We should probably get to class.”
My body immediately missed her warmth, the weight of her pressing into me, and the sweet smell of her hair and skin. This girl was making me lose my goddamn mind. I’d nearly ripped her clothes off in my car—in the middle of the school parking lot.
There were people everywhere, and I hadn’t given a single shit.
That wasn’t the unusual part.
The real problem?
I cared about what happened to her.
And I had no fucking clue when that started.
Or how to stop it.