Page 130 of Dare To Take

“She was sucking your dick.” Miles is gaping at me. “And she didn’t know it was you?”

“She was a little distracted at the time.” I rake a hand through my hair. “It doesn’t matter. It means the people in the video aren’t the ones doing this.”

“Have you checked that cell phone at all?” Kellan straightens.

“I thought about it but, like I said the other day, what’s the point? It was taken by the school.”

“But if someone took that cell and put it in your locker, they might have sent something to the other phone.”

We stare at each other. “You think all this is because I’ve ignored them?”

“Only if they know it’s you on the videos. They might … if they’ve seen your dick before.”

“Wait.” Miles joins the conversation again. “What cell?”

I sigh, dropping onto the edge of my bed. “I gave her a cell phone when we started meeting, so I could contact her.”

“Without her realizing it was Eli,” Kellan adds. “He originally wanted to get her thrown out of the school.” He smirks. “But then he caught feelings.”

“Kellan.” I growl his name.

“You did catch feelings. It’s no lie.”

“Jesus Christ, are you two always like this? Focus!” Miles stands up. “Where’s the cell? Do you still have it?”

“Of course, I—” My eyes widen. “Fuck.” I’m across the room and in the closet before I finish the sentence. The stab of relief that goes through me when I see the box in the corner makes me sag. “Thank fuck for that.”

“You thought they took it when your room got trashed,” Kellan says.

I nod, flipping open the lid of the box and taking out the cell. I stare at it. Now I’m thinking about turning it on, my heart is hammering.

What if there is a message? What if all the fucked up shit that’s happened over the past few weeks could have been avoided? What if this all really is my fucking fault?

Sucking in a deep breath, I look at Kellan, then push the power button.

The silence after it powers up is anti-climactic. Nothing happens.

“I guess that—”

The phone in my hand vibrates, then dings with an incoming message, then another, followed by a string of them in quick succession.

The three of us stare at it as it chimes over and over. Once it falls silent, I glance up at Kellan and lick my lips.

“Well, someone really wanted to talk to you,” he says softly. “You better see what they want.”

Kitten: Sin, please talk to me. Everything has turned upside down, and I don’t have anyone else. I need you.

Kitten: Are you behind the videos?

Kitten: Please, are you there?

Kitten: I don’t know who to talk to. They’re watching me all the time.

Kitten: I want to stop.

Kitten: Sin, are you doing this? I’m so scared. I don’t know how much more I can take.

Kitten: I’m not a bully. I don’t know who I am anymore.

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