Page 134 of Dare To Take

“Do you need a moment to relive the experience?” Kellan’s voice is dry.

I glare at him. “I should go and check on her.”

“No, you shouldn’t.” He closes the video and tosses his cell onto the bed. “She’s fine. If anyone was going to try and get into her room, they’d have done it by now. They’re just trying to scare her to make sure she does what they want.”

He settles back against his pillows. “You need to act normal tomorrow … today when you see her. No talking to her or acting like you don’t want her dead. No rushing to her rescue when the assholes start their shit.”

“I’m not sure I can do that.”

“You have to. Otherwise, we’ll never find out who’s behind it. They need to believe you have no idea that she’s not doing this for her own reasons.”

My gaze drops to my hands, where they’re curled into fists on my thighs. “I need to tell her who I am.” I lift my gaze to find Kellan. “She’s never going to fucking trust me again.”

“It’s trust you or keep on doing as she’s told for the rest of the school year. And once we reach the end, then what?” His voice turns sad. “Zoey got a couple of text messages, do you remember, wanting her to play. She did the first two, then refused the third but never told us what she was asked to do.”

“Three days before she died. I remember.”

The unspoken thought that history could be about to repeat itself hangs between us.

***

I can’t stop myself from searching her out when we walk into class. She’s already at her desk, head resting on her arms, eyes squeezed closed as she tries to block out the catcalls and lewd comments from the guys surrounding her.

I clear my throat behind Garrett, making him jump, and he spins to look at me. When he realizes who it is, he raises his hands.

“We haven’t touched her. Just making promises for when we can.”

I lift an eyebrow and move around him until I’m in front of her desk. Kellan has told me I need to keep up the pretense that I’m furious about the things she’s been doing and react accordingly.

I wrap a hand into her hair and tug her head up. “Wake up, Princess. It’s a new day.” I wait for her lashes to lift and grit my teeth against the bleak expression on her face. “Are we going to play today? Should I keep a change of clothes in my bag?”

She doesn’t respond, just looks up at me through empty eyes. I release her hair and pat her cheek. “Alright then, you can make it a surprise. I’ll be waiting with bated breath.”

I move to my desk and sit down. With my bag on my lap, I reach in and tap out a quick text.

ME: Smile, Kitten.

I’m not sure if she has the cell with her, but if not, it’ll be waiting for her when she checks.

The English class passes without incident, and as soon as the bell rings, everyone surges out of the room. I take my time, waiting for everyone to leave before standing. Art is next, and other than showing my face in the main art studio to Mr. McIntyre, my plan is to work on my sculpture until lunchtime.

Classes are ending early today, to give Lacy and her cronies time to prepare for the Valentine’s Ball tomorrow. Kellan has arranged to sneak off somewhere with Miles, so I have nowhere else to be until I go to meet Arabella after curfew.

My mind turns to her.

How the fuck am I going to break it to her that I am Sin?

Chapter 82

Arabella

Sin: Smile, Kitten.

I stare down at the message, and tug my lips up, but a smile feels unnatural on my face. There’s nothing for me to be happy about, and not even his text can change that. The hours are crawling by. The day is dragging unbelievably slowly. All I want is to get to curfew so I can creep out to the cemetery.

And what if they see me? What if I’m caught? What will they do to me then?

I don’t even want to think about it because it takes me deeper into the dark place I’m already struggling to survive. There’s movement outside the stall, and I listen to the footsteps in the restroom. I’m supposed to be in art, but I’m hiding out instead. So far, my blackmailer hasn’t noticed or contacted me to ask where I am. That gives me hope that maybe they can’t watch me all the time.

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