Page 89 of I Was Born Ruined (Death by Daybreak MC 1)
“Cat wants to me to kill a kid,” I whisper, and Crown tenses up, eyes narrowing as he glances around for any possible eavesdroppers. There aren’t any. Only an idiot would get this close to the devil. Then, of course, there’s little old me, wanting to fuck the devil. What does that say about my personality? “When have you ever tried to talk him out of anything?”
Crown’s face shuts down, and he looks away, watching as Dena, Chardou, and Amiya make their way toward us.
Fantastic.
They haven’t talked to me all day, and now that Crown is here, they can’t seem to get over here fast enough. I cross my arms over my chest and watch them, waiting to see what this shit’s about.
“Hey Gidget,” Dena says, flipping her blonde hair over one shoulder. Her outfit reminds me of something Posey would’ve worn, pink and tight and short. My stomach turns over, but I lift an eyebrow in greeting. “And … Crown, was it?” Dena looks at my bodyguard—or prison guard, depending on how you look at it—with an appreciation that can’t be faked. She’s just not that good of a fucking actress. “What are you doing hanging around with a bunch of kids?”
Crown just gives her one of his big grins and says nothing, folding his own arms over his chest. What a pair we must make.
“Can I help you with something?” I ask, wishing that damn bell would ring. Lunchbreak has never felt so long. “You’ve been avoiding me all day, so clearly there must be something you want.”
Chardou and Amiya exchange looks, and the latter speaks up for her leader.
“You hurt Reba,” she says, her lipstick too purple, her eyeshadow too green. Somebody needs to teach this girl how to put makeup on without hiding behind a mask of it. She flips her dark braid over a shoulder and pops out a hip. “Emotionally and physically. She has a huge bruise on her back.” My heart clenches, but I don’t give anything away. How can I explain that I have to push Reba away to save her?
“But,” Dena interrupts, taking over the conversation again. That’s what she’s good at, attention seeking. Never seen any other talent out of her. I stare down those bright, blue eyes of hers, wondering what she sees in mine. Shadows? Darkness? Blood? I’m bathed in all three, wearing a dirty crown of chrome. “She wants you to come to Trevone’s party anyway.” Dena pauses, like she’s waiting for me to say something. When I don’t, she happily fills the silence. “It’s after school tonight, but not at his place anymore.”
“Trouble with the parents?” I ask, feeling the burn of Crown’s eyes on me. He’s watching me, taking me in with those bright eyes of his. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why. Clearly, I’m not about to bolt in the middle of the hallway. So he must be staring for another reason, right?
Maybe he’s wondering what happened between me, Gaz, and Beast? How his brother-in-arms ended up getting sent away?
I push the feeling aside, refusing to let myself think about Beast. So what if he … fought Gaz for me? That doesn’t change anything. These men and their feelings—or lack thereof in the case of Grainger—don’t have any bearing on my decision. I have to run before Cat kills me or damages my soul in irreparable ways.
Dena shrugs, her gaze on Crown. She can see that he’s only got eyes for me, and it’s pissing her off.
“They came back early, so we’re having the party at the Artefact.”
A shiver tickles my spine. The Artefact. It’s been a while since I’ve even considered going there. “If you want to party for real, get on.” Sin’s words echo in my mind, giving me a horrible sense of déjà vu.
“Think you’ll be able to make it?” Chardou asks, playing with her ponytail of braids. She raises a brow in challenge, but it’s Crown who answers for me.
“She’ll be there,” he says with a small smile, startling the crap out of me. I flick a wide-eyed glance his direction, but if he says I’m going then there’s a reason for it. More specifically, there’s a Cat-ordained reason for it. And Cat, well, he never does anything out of the goodness of his heart. I’m being used.
My jaw clenches, but I force the tension out and make myself smile. Seeing the confused looks on the girls’ faces almost makes it all worth it. Almost. But then I realize that Reba will be at the party, looking for me. My presence there is a threat to her.
Fuck.
I can’t get a goddamn break.
Finally, blessedly, the bell rings, and I back up a step, heart pounding. I won’t go anywhere today, that’d be far too reckless. But what I am going to do is plan out an escape route. Whatever I’ll be doing at that party tonight, it won’t be fun. Cat is closing ranks, and I’m running out of time.
