Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
RILEY
Imade enough from the estate sale to last me several months of expenses. It wasn't enough to pay off what was owed for the mortgage or continue to pay it, but I had a few months to figure out what to do.
I didn't know if Jax was serious about buying it during the inevitable foreclosure auction, but that might be the route I took. That would give him too much leverage over me though. If he was my landlord, he could kick me out or make my life even more hellish.
"I've been doing some research on that knife of yours and found a knife specialist that thinks it might be an artifact worth millions." Aiden was nearly bouncing as we walked toward the gates at school.
I stopped. "You what?"
"I researched your knife. I have the guy's email if you want to contact him. He said he would be willing to pay all cash once he examined it and verified its origin." Aiden grabbed my arm and moved me to the side as a car passed. "What's wrong?"
The thing was, I didn't know what was wrong, but a sudden feeling of dread washed over me at the mention of someone buying the knife. I clutched my bag in front of me and frowned at Aiden.
"What did you tell him exactly?" I stayed rooted in place. "Does he know where we live?"
Aiden laughed uncomfortably. "I'm not an idiot.
In a forum for knife aficionados, I asked if anyone knew of a type of knife that could cut through anything.
Some people responded that I was crazy, but then someone with the username of KnifeGuy said to email him.
" The first bell rang and Aiden looked over his shoulder.
"I described it to him in an email and he said it was probably worth millions. "
"Did he give you a name?" I looked past Aiden to see Blake at the gate, watching us with interest. "Can you forward me the emails?"
"I didn't get his name, and yeah, I can forward the emails to you." Aiden walked backwards in front of me. "We're going to be late, are you coming?"
"I need to talk to Blake. Send the emails and screenshots of your post and the comments to me as soon as you get to class." I needed to know exactly what information he gave. It was one thing to search for information on the internet, but to post in a public forum? It made me feel uneasy.
"Did I fuck up?" Aiden's brows furrowed.
"No. It'll be fine." I couldn't blame him when I hadn't exactly been forthcoming with everything in regard to the knife. Not to mention their disbelief over me being a siren.
When I stayed standing in the middle of the parking lot, Blake walked cautiously toward me. "What's wrong?"
"The knife." I walked toward his car and he followed, popping the locks as we got near.
I slid into the passenger seat and pulled out my phone, waiting for Aiden to text me. Blake adjusted his seat so he could turn toward me. "What about the knife?"
"Aiden and Ivy know." His eyes widened and hurt flashed in his eyes. "Not about you guys. I just told them about me and they thought I needed to see a shrink. I showed them I can stab through a hardback book with the knife."
My phone buzzed with a new email, and I opened the forwarded chain of messages. I handed Blake the phone, and he rubbed his jaw as he read through them.
"Let's hope it really is an antique dealer and he just thinks it's something valuable." He handed me the phone back. "Tell him to block the guy and delete his post."
Once I texted Aiden, I put my phone away and put my head back against the headrest. "Maybe we should destroy the knife. You said the other knives-"
"No." He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. "We can't destroy the knife."
The feeling of fear rolled in my stomach again. "Why?"
He let go of my chin and put his head on the steering wheel. "Not all sirens have knives like you do, but when they do, they become very attached to it."
"What?" My voice squeaked, and I clutched my bag tighter to my chest. "But I'm not attached to it. I'm not even really a siren."
"The knife is in your bag, isn't it?" He reached for it and I pulled it away, putting it between me and the door. "It's already taken effect. You're protective of it. Your mom must be pretty strong to have left it behind."
"Why are you telling me all this?"
"It's part of who you are." He put his hand on the headrest by my head and twirled a finger in the hair of my ponytail. "You're taking all of this a little too well."
"I'm just holding my breath until it's all over." I turned my head to look at him and he ran his finger down my jaw to my chin.
"You can only hold your breath for so long." His eyes dipped to my lips and my breath caught in my throat.
Don't do it, Riley. He stabbed you with a syringe. But he also saved you from what could have been pure torture.
My mind was battling it out while my body thrummed with a need that was frightening and awakening at the same time. Why did I want these three so badly? Was it because whatever percent of me was like them in a way? Was it because I had a thing for assholes?
Blake's hand slid to the back of my neck and then his fingers ran up the back of my head, under my ponytail. My breath became shallower as he leaned closer while pulling me toward him. His lips were mere centimeters from mine, his breath tickling them.
"Let us breathe for you." His lips moved across mine and my eyes closed.
His lips were soft and full, and I wanted to suck and nibble them until they turned red. I leaned onto the center console and angled my head to deepen the kiss, our mouths working together in a way that was too tame for my liking.
I wanted him to kiss me hard and make all my thoughts vanish. I wanted to forget about the past month and how they had pushed me to my limits and made me do and say things I normally wouldn't.
I moved onto my knees and then broke the kiss, leaning over him and pressing the lever to make the seat recline and move back.
"Riley, what are you doing?" Blake moved my ponytail out of my face as I waited for the seat to adjust.
I didn't say anything and climbed over the console and straddled him, nearly kneeing him in the crotch. I wasn't graceful or seductive at all, but I had made it to his seat without causing bodily harm or honking the horn with my butt.
I sat back on his thighs and looked down at him. His eyes were dilated, and a smile played at the corners of his mouth.
"Does this mean you forgive us?" He linked our fingers together.
"No." I leaned forward and took his mouth the way I wanted to. Hard and fast.
He groaned, and his hands went to my hips where he gripped me with a strong squeeze. I pulled his bottom lip between my teeth and then sucked on it. If his lips felt this good on mine, what would they feel like between my legs?
I kissed my way to his ear and gently took his earlobe in my teeth. He made a growling noise in his throat and I sucked and nipped at it until he was panting.
"Riley." His voice had lowered and rumbled out of him. "If you don't stop that, I'm going to come without you even touching my dick."
I smiled against his ear. "That means you'll walk around all day thinking about what I did to you."
I bit his ear again and his hand went to my ponytail, fisting it and pulling my head away. The sharp sting in my scalp sent a wave of tingles through my core. "Let me punish you."
"Jesus Christ." He let my hair go and shut his eyes.
A wave of confidence rolled down my spine and I moved to feel him between my legs. The hardness of his cock in his jeans pressed against me and I leaned forward to suck on his neck.
I had the urge to mark him, and I sucked harder while grinding against him. His hands went into my back pockets and squeezed me through my jeans. The car felt like it had heated up and I moved back to his lips.
His tongue slipped past my lips and tangled with mine. If we weren't in his car, I'd want my naked chest pressed up against his.
There was a knock at the window and I sat up way too quickly, bumping my head on the roof of the car. My hand went to my head and then to the pair of angry blue eyes staring in at us.
"You're in trouble now." Blake chuckled and rubbed at his neck. "Did you give me a hickey?"
I couldn't take my eyes off Jax. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against his car next to Blake's. He was going to wait us out.
Blake touched my chin and brought my attention back to him. "He's claimed you as his."
I climbed back over the console. "I'm not a possession."
"No, but you are a woman who has three male tritons craving you." He put up the seat and looked in his visor mirror. "Damn. You marked me."
"Is there a problem with that?" I opened the passenger door. "I'll see you in class."
"Riley." He leaned over the console and looked up at me as I exited. "You might want to go straighten yourself up before going to class. You look thoroughly tongue fucked."
My cheeks heated and I shut the door. I looked over the top to find Jax, but he was gone.
I was called to the front office during last period to meet with the new counselor taking Mrs. Miller's place. I wanted to track her down and find out what really happened, but that might have been crossing a line.
I knocked on the door to Mr. Gale's office. I wasn't planning on actually talking about anything regarding the Tritons or my mother anymore. It was too dangerous to let anyone know about it.
"Come in."
I opened the door and stood gaping at the man sitting at the desk. He looked like he'd been plucked straight off the Vampire Diaries and plopped into our school. Men that looked like he did should not exist.
"Riley Kline, I presume?" He looked away from his computer screen and I nearly melted into the ground.
He had a chiseled jawline with stubble that was just shy of being too long. His eyes sparkled blue and his smile was brighter than the sun. He should have been a model, not a high school counselor.
I bit my lip. "Yes. You wanted to meet with me?"
"I did. Please, have a seat." He gestured to one of the chairs in front of the desk. "You can leave the door open."
I appreciated that he realized how awkward it might be being female and having such an attractive school counselor. Or it was just protocol for a first meeting.
I sat down in the chair and looked around the office. It used to be warm and inviting, but now it looked like something I'd expect a correctional facility to use as an office.
"I was reading up on your file and wanted to check in with you. How are things going with locating your mother?" He put his elbows on the desk and steepled his fingers. "It can be hard not having a parent present."
"She hasn't been located, but I believe she's alive."
"Is that so? What makes you think that?" His head cocked to the side in question.
He just skipped straight to the hard questions, didn't he? Before this school year, I had been a pretty trusting person, but now I was wary of his questions.
"Do you know what happened to Mrs. Miller?"
He scratched at his stubble. "I'm not at liberty to talk about it. It was a hard decision for her to resign."
She resigned? Did the detective also quit? Something fishy was going on, and I didn't like it at all.
"Where did you come from?" I shifted in the seat and crossed my legs. "It's a month into the school year."
He laughed at my inquisition. "I've been doing some humanitarian work in Greece. It took some time to get my paperwork sorted once I got here and then this opportunity presented itself."
I didn't believe him for one second. There was something a little off about him, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. He kept smiling at me and barely blinked as he stared at me.
"We have a yearbook deadline coming up. Can I get back to class?" I put my bag in my lap.
"One more thing. These boys, the Tritons, are they bullying you?" I didn't respond, and he nodded as if he understood. "Do you want me to take care of them?" His voice had lowered, and a flash of violence crossed his eyes. Was he serious?
"No. We're okay with each other now." I stood. He didn't need to know just how okay I was with them. "Thanks for the chat, Mr. Gale."
"Oh, and Ms. Kline? Congratulations on being nominated to be homecoming queen." He went back to whatever he was doing on the computer as I left the office.
I'd been nominated? It had to be some kind of joke. I wasn't even planning on going to homecoming, and even if I was, I'd seen enough movies and read enough books to know that the social pariah only wins so they can be embarrassed while accepting the crown.
As I walked back to class, I couldn't help but replay my interaction with Mr. Gale in my head. His questions hadn't been about how I was doing. Instead, they were about my mom and the Tritons. I didn't have a good feeling about him.