Chapter 23
The Alliance
Jack
Even though Harper claimed us, the girls in the cafeteria still haven’t gotten the message. Their hungry gazes follow me. If I happen to look their way, they preen for me. Show a little skin. Smile a little smile. Throw some fuck-me eyes.
Sure, I’m a huge flirt and encouraged them for years... Okay, yeah, that’s all I’ve got. I love the attention and I love to be wanted. But now that I have Harper, I’m looking at these girls differently.
One of them might be fucking with Harper or leading the charge against us over some suspected slight. Or worse, an actual slight. I’m an easy-going guy, but even I fuck up when it comes to letting someone down easy or just ripping their heart out.
It may not have been intentional at the time. But I know when a girl is putting too much weight on a sexual encounter that should have just been fun. Unfortunately, that didn’t always stop me.
“Hey, Jack.” Becca joins me in my walk across the cafeteria to our table.
Again? I expel my breath and turn to her. She keeps trying with me. What’s her deal? We haven’t fucked in the past. I don’t want her, but I’m curious why she keeps coming at me like I should.
“What’s up, Becca?”
She practically beams when I acknowledge her. I stop a few feet from our table and turn to look at her. She’s pretty enough and I wasn’t nearly as picky about girls as Luke was. I probably would have gone for her last year. Added another notch.
Twirling her blond hair around her finger, she looks up with her devious blue eyes. “Can’t I say hey to you? You may have a ‘girlfriend,’ but I don’t mind.”
She actually uses air quotes. Like Harper isn’t really my girlfriend. I’ll make her regret ever thinking that out of all of us, I’d be the easy one to break.
“What are you looking for here, Becca? A fuck? A badge? A humiliation greater than you seeking me out and me rejecting you over and over again?” I arch an eyebrow. Honestly, what can she possibly want with me?
She backs up a step and her eyes narrow like she realizes she kicked a hornet’s nest.
I close the distance. “Or are you looking to make enemies? Do you think I’ll be tempted by you? That I’ll betray my word and my girl to fuck someone like you?”
I look her up and down dismissively. She doesn’t hold a candle to Harper. Anger burns through me. Fuck this girl.
“Are you just trying to stir the pot? Maybe make Harper jealous? Hope she goes crying back to wherever she came from?” I step back with a cruel smirk on my lips. Girls like this make me so fucking angry. They think they’re entitled to me just because I gave myself so freely before.
I’m dimly aware everyone in the cafeteria is watching my little play. Good, because she just volunteered to be a lesson for the rest of them.
There’s fear in her eyes now as she looks for an escape. But it’s too late for her.
“Well, Becca, what is it? How do you want to spin this game? Because I haven’t sought you out. You’ve come up to me multiple times now, expecting what? That I’ll be impressed with your nerve?”
She shrugs and decides to brazen it out. “I’m better than a lot of the other girls you’ve fucked.”
I chuckle. “And how exactly do you know that? Did you fuck them too?”
“What? No.” She looks confused.
“Then how do you know you’re better than them?” The room is quiet around us. Some people still set down trays and silverware scrapes plates, but otherwise, no one speaks.
“Why do you have to be so mean?” She straightens and glares. “It’s not like you don’t fuck everything that moves. And by everything, I mean, everything.”
My status as bi isn’t exactly common knowledge, but it definitely won’t hurt me.
Everyone I care about knows about it and they accept me for who I am.
Fuck, most of my classmates are probably bi or asexual or demi or pan.
A few people might judge, but most just want people to be their authentic self.
I smirk and tap my lip while looking her up and down. “Okay, so what? You’re offended that I don’t want to fuck you?”
Becca sputters.
“That’s it, right?” I chuckle. I step in closer again and lower myself so our faces are level. “Guess what? I may have gotten around, but that’s over. So, get over yourself and go find someone else to fuck.”
She lowers her head and turns back to her table.
When I straighten, my gaze flows over the faces surrounding me. I shouldn’t have to announce to them what we’ve already told them over and over again. If they don’t want to be publicly humiliated, they’ll take the fucking hint.
When I sit at our table, Eli holds his fist out to me and I bump it.
“You’d think they’d get tired of being told no.” Luke shakes his head as he leans back in his chair. His gaze is trained on the door.
Nico comes in, but Harper and Caden aren’t with him. Nico’s brow furrows as he realizes they aren’t here. I take my phone out and track Harper’s GPS ring. She’s in a... closet?
Just to make sure, I pull up my phone tracking app and sure enough, Caden and Harper’s phones are in the closet. Good for them. I smirk and hold it to show Eli and Luke.
“So, what’s the situation now?” I lean in as Nico takes his seat. I show him my phone so he knows they’re tied up, but fine. “We’ll still have time with Harper after practice?”
“When we don’t have other shit to do.” Eli rakes a hand through his hair. “We need to figure out this thing with Zach and his crew. That’s going to take time.”
We have a plan for that, but yeah, stalking dudes isn’t exactly high on my priority list these days. But it’s a necessity.
“Reviewing the surveillance footage from Sidney’s bedroom,” Nico points out.
“And their texts.” I nod.
“Dealing with our dads.” Luke shakes his head. “Whoever put Harper’s mom on third shift did us a favor before.”
“Yeah, for you and Caden.” It’s hard to feel mad about them having crappy home lives and me having a solid family that wants me to come home at night.
“Except now Caden’s sister is back.” I eat a chip. “That means she’s going to be his number one priority.”
That was the major issue with Ava’s rebellion with Tanner.
It made Caden hyperaware of his sister and her safety.
She couldn’t move ten feet without him knowing it.
He’d been researching tagging her for tracking when he found the rings like the one we bought for Harper.
It was almost a blessing when his parents decided to send Ava to boarding school.
Otherwise, his whole senior year would have been tied up in keeping her safe. At least with Harper, he’s in a relationship with her and doesn’t have to worry about other guys encroaching on his territory.
But with Ava being here, it means we all need to help watch out for her.
“I might have an idea for Ava.” Luke leans back and his gaze falls on a table with sophomores. The football players are on JV. I don’t see Ava’s friends there, but there are a few other girls at the table too.
“Whatever it is, Caden might not like it.” I shrug.
Luke’s gaze returns to the door and I turn to see Caden with his arm wrapped around Harper’s shoulders. Her cheeks are flushed with color.
He texted me last night about making sure Tanner stopped coming after Ava. That bastard was texting her still. I’d kept an eye on Caden’s location until he returned home and went to sleep.
Harper had class with Tanner and Caden, so my guess is she figured out what he did last night. I don’t blame him. Tanner is like a cancer. You have to do everything to eradicate him from your system or he’ll keep coming back. But Harper might not understand.
Caden leads Harper to our table and then sits with her in his lap. Her brown eyes focus on mine and I give her a smile.
“You missed the show, sweetheart.”
She cocks her head to the side. “The show?”
I glance over at the table of girls usually eager for an invitation. They don’t dare make eye contact now. Not one of them preens for me.
Harper follows my gaze and her eyes widen. “What did you do?”
“Made sure they knew we’re taken.” I meet her gaze again and she smiles softly. It may not seem like a lot, but I noticed the way she relaxed when the girls didn’t call her names this morning and when the guys' gazes didn’t follow her like they were imagining her naked.
Harper isn’t used to attention, and while she may crave it from us, too much from elsewhere makes her nervous.
Sidney and her crew are sitting with the basketball guys again. Zach isn’t paying attention to Sidney though. His gaze is locked on Harper. If Sidney is a power play and we just pushed Harper into power... Fuck.
He seemed to give up on taking Harper from us when he found out we’d already taken her virginity. But what if he decides she’s the key to power now?
I nudge Eli and lean in close. “We need to figure out Zach’s plan and fast.”
Eli glances that way and nods. “Let me see what I can do about Ashley.”
Eli
At the end of lunch, we part ways. I need to figure out the Ashley situation and that’s going to take some effort. There’s a guy who graduated last year who I knew had some kinks that align with mine.
The girls who liked it rough usually ended up going to either of us. Wilder Bishop went to college, but it’s not far away. If anyone can do what Ashley needs, it’s him. The question is will she go for it? She seemed to avoid him when he was here, but I’m not sure if that was intentional or not.
I walk out of the building and to the parking lot. I’m not usually one to skip class, but I have a doctor’s note for today. This is important. The college is an hour and a half away, so I should be able to make it back before practice.
Could I call Wilder? Maybe. I don’t think he’d take my call or even call me back. Definitely wouldn’t answer a text. He’d want to know my angle. That’s what I would do.
While I was lying in bed last night watching Harper toss and turn, I kept considering how I could get the information and not give Ashley what she wants. The reason Ashley and I worked well together is she’s as cold and calculating as I am.
She’d never give me anything without something in return. Not even if Harper’s life was in danger. If she knew though, she’d tell me, expecting a favor in the future.
If I can get Wilder on board, then the trade will be equal. I give her what she needs and I get what I want.
When I reach Crowne Mawr University, I park in the visitor lot and walk onto campus. I’ve been to football camps once or twice here. We’ve all applied to Crowne because it’s a decent school with a Division I football team. They offered Luke a full ride to play with them.
It’s just a little too close to our families for comfort. But it’s definitely under consideration.
The campus has that college gothic vibe with stone buildings and the odd gargoyle on the corners of roofs. It’s an academically challenging school. It could be perfect for us.
I had Jack pull up Wilder’s schedule during lunch, so I know he should be getting out of Econ 101 in about ten minutes. There’s a bench outside the building, so I sit and watch the door.
Wilder was on the hockey team, but we hung out occasionally at parties. He’s a chill guy. We never compared notes on women. But from what I understand from a couple of girls, he’s into domination and punishment. Maybe even a little degradation.
Just the guy to take care of Ashley and hopefully get her out of my sphere.
The doors open to the building and students flood out into the courtyard. I wait because Wilder is taller than me. He’s noticeable even in a crowd.
When I notice his dark hair, I stand. He’s talking to a couple of guys I don’t recognize. They’re big guys like him. His green eyes meet mine and he says something to his friends before they head off.
“Campus tour?” Wilder asks as he stops in front of me.
I glance around. “Nah, I’m good.”
He smirks. “Wasn’t offering, asshole. Why are you here?”
“You got a few minutes?”
Wilder looks around and then nods. “Let’s head to the library. There’s a coffee cart there I like to frequent.”
I follow him through campus as people greet him and smile. He was a big name at Sherman High, but I always figured you would have to start over in college. Build a name again. Prove yourself.
We stop at the cart and I pay the cute girl for the coffee. She drew little hearts on Wilder’s cup.
“Are you seeing someone?” I nod toward his cup as we sit down outside.
He smirks. “Nah. But I’m definitely collecting numbers.”
Him dating someone could have been a problem for what I need to ask him to do.
“So why is Eli Jacobs visiting me at college? You run out of pussy at school?” Wilder leans his elbows on the table and gives me a knowing grin. “You could make out like a bandit here.”
I chuckle. “I’m sure you’re taking care of the population.”
Wilder smiles knowingly and leans back, waiting for me to tell him why I’m here.
“What I require is sensitive.” I drink some of my coffee. “Some girls have mentioned you and I are very similar.”
Wilder laughs. “Are you coming on to me? Fuck, man, I mean, you’re pretty, but I like softer playmates.”
“Similar in dominance and punishment. We’d be horrible together. We’d have to take turns beating each other up and that’s just not me living my best life.” I smile. “Besides, I have a woman and I’m not offering to share.”
Wilder’s eyes widen with interest. “Okay, so, how does this involve you driving to see me?”
“You know Ashley Kim?”
His eyes flare hot at the name, but his voice is cool and collected. “Sure, who doesn’t know the bitchy cheerleader?”
“I used to give her sessions. She may have information I need and she’s willing to trade, but I can’t betray my girlfriend by helping out Ashley.” I search his eyes.
He remains cool, but there’s a hint of interest. “What kind of session?”
“Caning.” I don’t need to draw this out. “She likes it hard and swift and doesn’t want someone who thinks she’s fragile and can’t take it.”
He rubs his fingers over his lips. “And you think this is something I can do for her?”
“It’s worth an ask.” This is the part I don’t like, showing my cards. “Someone’s gunning for us and going through our girl to do it. Ashley might have information that will be useful.”
“So why don’t you just do it?” Wilder acts like it isn’t a big deal.
“I’m being respectful of my girlfriend’s wishes.”
“Meaning she doesn’t want you to do it.” Wilder smirks and leans in. “That’s why I don’t let a bitch control me like that.”
“What will it take?” I’m ready for whatever he wants.
His smile is evil when he leans back. “She’ll know it’s me?”
“It makes sense.”
“I’ll do it, but only if she doesn’t know it’s me. I’ll cover my face. She lets me do what I want with her within her limits.”
I stroke my jaw. “If she agrees to that, then yes.”
Wilder holds his hand out and I take it. It feels like a devil’s bargain even if it doesn’t cost me anything, but if Ashley will agree to that and has information that’s useful, I’ll be ahead of the game.