Page 83 of The Secret Girl (Adamson All-Boys Academy 1)
“Are you okay?” Ranger asks, appearing beside me and kneeling down, his combat boots squeaking on the shiny wood floor. The music playing right now is slow and soft, but all I feel like listening to is angry rock.
I turn to look at him, his dark blue eyes locked on mine, and full of shadows.
“Dad wants to send me to Everly to keep me safe,” I whisper, and Ranger's eyes go wide. He shakes his head sharply, the corner of his lip turning up in a sneer.
“You can't go to Everly; Jenica went to Everly.”
“What?” I choke, sitting up suddenly and putting my hand over his on accident. A spark travels up from my fingers and into my chest, like a shot of adrenaline to the heart. He snaps his hand away quickly, making me wonder if we both felt it. “Wait, when?”
“The whole reason my mother petitioned to get her into Adamson in the first place was because she was being tortured at Everly. She was bullied relentlessly, up to the point where Mom thought she was in serious danger.” He reaches up and runs his hand down his face like he's just suddenly tired. “Since Dad was on the Adamson Academy school board, it made the most sense to send her there …” Ranger rises to his feet, and I follow him up.
I don't want to be left alone right now.
Really, all I still want is a hug.
My eyes shift over to his as he stares down at me.
“I can't believe you're a girl,” he whispers, reaching up to touch the back of his head. “Not that it matters because I still don't like you.” My lips twitch in a slight smile. “You're still an asshole, you know? Regardless of what's underneath your clothes.”
“Since this particular asshole almost died tonight …” I start, sniffling slightly and reaching up to fix my glasses. “Could she maybe have a hug?” Ranger's jaw clenches tight, and I start to backpedal. “Haha, never mind. Just kidding.” But then his big, strong arms are sweeping me up, and he's crushing me against his chest.
I've never felt so warm or so protected in my whole life.
And I don't even know the guy.
My fingers curl into his hoodie, and I lean my head against his chest. He's still bleeding; we need to get that stitched up. Ranger squeezes me hard, a real, proper sort of squeeze, and then lets me go …
Just in time to see Spencer staring at us with wide, wide eyes.
“You son of a bitch,” he growls, curling his hands into fists at his sides.
That's the first time I see any real jealousy between the guys, and it's almost funny because in reality, I'm nothing to them. They're nothing to me. We barely know each other.
But that doesn't remain the case for long …For the first few days after we get back, all is quiet. The next Culinary Club meeting is cancelled, seeing as we all just spent the last week baking up a storm for the Valentine's Day party.
Dad puts Nathan on my ass as a protective detail, but to be quite honest, the guy sort of creeps me out. He's always staring, and eating, and he barely talks. Pretty sure he's only in his late twenties, but his beard and beer gut make him seem more like he's forty or fifty.
The twins and Church have been stepping in to take this place, but it doesn't matter. By Friday, I've got another note from 'Adam' on the corkboard.
This time, Ranger is around to read it with us.
“Dear Eve,” he reads, his jaw tightening, nostrils flaring. Last week, when we got back from the V-day thing, I told him all about the other notes, the shadow figure on Halloween, the creepy noises I've been hearing in the bushes. I've never seen a man more furious or determined in my life.
He thinks he's going to catch his sister's killer.
I'm going to help him.
Even if it means I have to be the bait.
“You aren't listening to me. I don't like being ignored. And don't even think about Everly; she's friends with Adam.” Ranger pauses and looks up, clearly furious. “Who the fuck does this guy think he is, and what does he want from you?”
“Sounds like he wants her to go back to California,” Church muses, leaning against the wall with a white chocolate mocha in hand. Merinda makes them special for him at the Jaw Flapper, I've discovered. She has an espresso machine in the back, but if any other customer orders a fancy coffee, she slams down a chipped mug full of black coffee, and tells them if they want cream and sugar they can beg. It's pretty funny to watch actually. “But why?”
“Good question,” the twins say in unison, and then Tobias sighs and pushes red-orange hair from his face while Micah slouches against the wall with his hands tucked in the pockets of his navy slacks. “I thought at first that this psycho just wanted Charlotte out of here because, you know, she has a vagina.”
