Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
JINX
I rush to Redwood Prep in the morning. I’d planned to get there before students arrived, but I overslept. Now, I’ll have to hunt around where everyone can see me.
I worked so hard to get Finn’s wallet last night.
I almost died for it.
There’s no way I’m leaving my reward unclaimed.
I check my watch and chew on my bottom lip. It’s almost time for school to begin. If someone else finds that wallet before I get there, it’s over.
“My goodness,” my Uber driver gasps as we near Redwood. “What’s going on out here?”
I look through the windshield and nearly fall out of my seat. Sunlight glints against the roof of shiny, luxury vehicles. The cars form a long, winding line, each one a testament to the wealth of the students.
Traffic inches along, but my driver doesn’t seem too bothered. He’s busy admiring the fleet.
I tap my finger against my knee, struggling not to let my nervous energy spiral out of control. I’ve always prided myself on being able to control my anxiety. It’s a skill I had to learn to survive.
But thanks to Finn seducing me last night, my plans burst into flames. I didn’t get to check the cameras to find out who was fighting behind Redwood yesterday, and I didn’t get to sneak into The Kings’ private practice room either.
I glance at my watch again.
I’m playing it too close. The chances that someone else spotted the wallet by now are increasing every second.
Should I abandon this plan?
Maybe there’s a chance I could steal a card from Dutch or Zane, but I doubt I can get that close to them.
This is my last opportunity.
“You can just let me out here,” I inform the driver.
Once I’m out of the cab, I fast-walk down the sidewalk. I’d break into a run if I could, but sadly, my heart can’t handle that much exertion.
Even now, my watch beeps in protest.
I slow my steps.
Up ahead, the beautiful academy appears. The aged brick and ivy stand in defiance against the clear blue sky. Whoa. Redwood Prep in the daytime is far different from Redwood Prep at night.
The stained glass windows come alive with colors, sunlight bleeding in reds, blues, and golds. Inside, tall lockers stand next to sculptures and art pieces, strategically placed.
Everything is polished to a shine, an intricate mask to distract from the dark secrets hidden beneath the surface.
I like Redwood Prep when it’s like this—all professional and picture-perfect, but it’s a little… I don’t know. Boring. Everything gets more interesting when the masks come off.
I push through the large double doors and enter the crowded hallway. No one notices me. None of them recognize me. I’m a part of Redwood and yet separated from it all.
To finally be here, even for a moment, feels amazing.
“Did you get the invite to Paris’s party?” a cheerleader asks her friend as I pass by.
“No, that witch totally blocked me.”
“Hey, who’s that girl? Have you seen her before?”
“She’s probably lost or something.”
I laugh to myself as the girls dismiss me and continue chatting about the party and what they’ll wear.
Vain.
Self-absorbed.
Delusional.
Or maybe that’s my jealousy talking. Who knows what I would have been if my heart was functioning properly?
A group of jocks laugh and toss a football amongst each other. One of them locks eyes with me. I recognize him as a frequent user of the app. He especially liked asking for pictures of Miss Jamieson.
I hold my breath, wondering if they’ll say something to me.
But they don’t.
I am absolutely invisible.
“No wonder you blended in so well, Cadence,” I mumble, skipping freely amongst the students.
I don’t have a problem flying under the radar, but I do find it funny that Redwood Prep has no idea the anonymous poster they all love and loathe is walking among them.
As I near the chem lab, I hear my name, and my ears perk up.
“Why hasn’t Jinx updated yet?”
“I have no idea.”
“Did you notice Zane took down that video about Miss Jamieson going missing?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Have they found them?”
“If Jinx doesn’t know, how the hell am I supposed to know?”
“I hope they haven’t. I’ve had a crush on Dutch since forever.”
“Same. I spent so much money subscribing to Zane every time he went live.”
“Dutch and I hooked up once. I think I have a chance.”
“Zane and I didn’t, but if he comes to school today, I’ll make sure he doesn’t feel lonely.”
They giggle and walk off.
I have to admire their persistence. They know how to play the game. In a kingdom, all it takes is being chosen by the king to completely change the trajectory of a girl’s life.
Royalty can have as many concubines as they wish, but the problem is they have their eyes set on the wrong royals.
Dutch and Zane have no desire for anyone but their wives.
I wish I could let the girls know.
Inspired, I take out my voice recorder app and speak into my phone as I take the stairs to the second floor.
“It’s a new day in the kingdom. Snare King and Prince Charming have taken their queens. If the belles at this particular ball want a prince, their time would be better spent on the two royal bachelors left. But fair warning, subjects, these princes … aren’t easy to tame.”
My voice echoes through the stairs.
A grand, enveloping warmth falls on my shoulders.
This feels so right.
I smile as I whisper, “Until the next post, keep your enemies close and your secrets even closer.”
The chem lab is empty except for a handful of dutiful students. I move toward the workstation where Finn caught me hiding last night.
I spot the glass vials, and suddenly, a memory overtakes me. Time spins backward and I’m watching myself like a movie on repeat.
There I am, caught against the desk.
And there he is.
Finn Cross.
Magnificent.
Cruel.
Dangerous.
A predator toying with his prey.
Back muscles strain against his simple white T-shirt. His silky black hair falls over his firm, expressionless face. Muscles ripple in his arms as he ties my hands behind me in one sure grip. His eyes hold me spellbound, dark and depthless, a black hole sucking me in until I’m lost in him.
Finn thinks I’m holding still because he has me overpowered, but he doesn’t know the truth.
I wouldn’t run even if he set me free.
Someone drags out a chair, and the memory that was choking me releases my throat. I shake my head, tormented by my own breathlessness.
Last night was not romantic.
It was psychotic.
Finn knew my heart was self-destructing, but he didn’t stop.
You didn’t want him to stop either.
I blow out a heavy breath, avoiding the truth in that statement.
I’ve been here before, on the outside looking in.
This is where battles are lost.
Cadence and Miss Jamieson put up a great fight and then fell right at the critical moment. They could not separate the physical beauty of The Kings from the ruthlessness embedded just beneath their skin.
I know where the pitfalls are. I will not be drawn in by a cold force like Finn Cross. He’s a beautiful but soulless masterpiece. An angel carved from ice. He will never be able to return someone’s devotion, and I refuse to be the idiot who becomes blind to that truth.
“Excuse me,” I mumble, shooing away the students and pushing aside the tall stools in front of the lab desks.
The wallet isn’t there.
I look everywhere in the chemistry lab.
Nothing.
I chew on my bottom lip and run a hand through my hair. Someone else found the wallet. It could be anyone. What do I do now?
A musical chime erupts.
First bell.
People give me funny looks as they take their seats.
There’s no more blending in. I clearly don’t belong here.
I make a mad dash for the nearest exit and immediately regret it when my watch beeps in protest and my chest pulls tight. I bend over, placing a hand to my heart.
The pills I took yesterday worked in the moment, but they were just a band-aid. My heart needs time to recover.
I promised the doctors I would be more careful, but they still went through the entire spiel about what I can and cannot do.
As if I needed it.
I’m aware what’s at stake.
Even if Finn makes me feel things I never have before, I can’t get lost in it.
The moment I lose control of this game, I die.
Movement to my left grabs my attention, and I realize that I’m not the only one not in uniform. Three tough-looking boys are making a beeline for the emergency staircase. They move furtively, eyes checking over their shoulders before they disappear.
Why do they seem familiar? I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen any of those guys before.
I straighten, intending to follow them when a voice calls me back.
“Young lady, why aren’t you in uniform?”
I recognize one of the Redwood Prep instructors bearing down on me.
She’s tall and thin with a mole next to her nose.
She was one of the teachers who subscribed to the app, but she mostly clicked on negative news about Miss Jamieson.
Probably out of jealousy that the younger, more beautiful teacher got so much male attention.
“Who are you? I’ve never seen you before.” She inspects me rigidly.
I open my mouth, but a striking pain hits my chest, and I wince.
“Don’t try to act pitiful now,” she mumbles. “First a shooting, now riff-raff are sneaking in. It’s because Harris didn’t lay down the law. Our school has gone completely off the rails.”
“I’m sorry,” I breathe out. The pain disappears as quickly as it set in, and I’m able to straighten to my full height. “I’ll leave.”
She grabs my arm, her mouth a slashing line in her face. “No, you won’t. The police told us to report any suspicious characters lurking around.”
“But I’m not—”
“You can explain it to them,” she snaps, dragging me along.
For an old lady, she has a surprisingly strong grip.
“I can explain,” I plead, trying to free myself.
Abruptly, the teacher stops moving.
I feel a cold wind blowing out of nowhere, and I look up to find Finn standing in the middle of the empty hallway.
He’s wearing a simple button-down shirt beneath a Redwood Prep vest. The academy uniform drapes his lean, broad-shouldered physique like he’s a model in Paris. As usual, his face is blank.
“Mr. Cross,” the teacher says in a startled tone. “W-why aren’t you in class?”
Finn looks past the teacher to me.
I glance away. I’m not sure if his presence is going to make this better or worse.
“That’s mine.” Finn speaks in a quiet voice. It may be because the hallway is empty or the fact that my heart is starting to pound, but his tone—though low—cuts sharper than a blade.
“W-what’s yours?” the teacher stammers.
His expression doesn’t change, and he doesn’t speak again. He just keeps staring at her with that frighteningly unreadable expression.
The teacher’s face drains of color, and she throws my hand away as if it’s poisonous. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”
The woman is about to pee on herself.
But Finn barely bats an eye. He walks away as if both of us aren’t worth his time.
The teacher launches into the nearest classroom as if she can’t get away fast enough. Even her shadow looks scared…
Her shadow?
The answer strikes me at that moment.
I got it!
I know why those three boys looked familiar.