Page 176 of Dare To Live

He rolls his eyes. “Maybe I should buy you a bulletproof vest for your next birthday.”

My lips twitch. “Don’t worry. I’m not planning on becoming a superhero any time soon.”

Ivan is standing by the window. He’s been silent since I told them about what happened when we saw Zoey’s grave. The little room where I’m working on the final touches for the dress that I’ll wear at the Prom tomorrow is secure enough for us to talk.

“We don’t even know who’s working with Evan.” Miles points out. “It could be anyone.”

I stroke my fingers over the material in front of me. “What if there are two people? A man. It has to be one of the jocks.”

“Brad and Lacy have already left.”

“So that leaves Jace…I thought I saw Kevin at breakfast.”

Miles nods. “I did too.”

“And Bret.”

Ivan’s eyebrow arches. “The priest?”

I meet his gaze. “How do we know that Evan hasn’t still got his hooks into him? How can we trust what he says? Whoever it is would say anything to make us believe them.”

“Garrett was a jock, and so was Miles.” He murmurs, his steely stare unwavering. “Are you suspicious of them too?”

“I was on the swim team. We weren’t the same as the football jocks.”

“Evan had sway over one of the teachers.” He ignores Miles. “A Mr. Drake if I recall. The police discovered he was being blackmailed. Evan found pornographic photos of some of the female students on Drake’s personal computer.”

I nod slowly. “I remember being warned about him.”

“Evan was also paying off some of the security guards to look the other way.”

“I didn’t know that.” Miles twists in his seat to face his fiancé.

Ivan smiles. “I am very thorough when I want to know something. It’s all there if you know where to look.”

“That would explain why none of the security guards were ever around when I needed them.”

“People will do anything for money when they don’t have it.” He turns his head, attention moving to the scenery beyond the window. “There’s no way to tell who else he had influence over.”

“It might not even be someone who attended the Academy. What if it’s someone he met in prison who’s since been released? Someone he’s brainwashed into sending you those flowers. Who’s toying with us now. They might be here under false pretenses.” Miles’ expression is troubled. “I don’t care if they are playing games just to fuck with us. I want to get through the prom and go home.”

“There’s nothing stopping you from leaving now,” I remind him.

“Ivan wants to stay.”

The older man straightens and moves toward us. “We aren’t going to leave you, Arabella. I talked you into this and we are staying until the end.”

I smile as he bends to drop a kiss on Miles’ forehead.

“Eli or Garrett would drive me back to the airport.”

Miles reaches for Ivan’s hand and rubs his cheek against it. “Have you told Eli you’re madly in love with him yet?”

A tiny pang of jealousy stabs my heart seeing them so happy together.

“No.”

“Why not?”

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