Page 48 of Beautiful Dark Temptation

Since Dasher had blown me off, I startedhanging out with Jack and his crew. Getting high was familiar andJack didn’t expect anything from me.

Kieran ignored me during biology. He’d sataway from me. I had become the bitch who’d been discarded. Why hadit hurt? So what if I was bisexual? That truth didn’t bother me.This place bothered me. I hated that I was in this prison.

“I want to get out of here,” I blurted toJack and his crew as they completed a set. “How would I go aboutdoing that?”

Amir smirked. “You don’t. Not unless youhave a sanctioned pass by either Casera or your sponsor.”

Mad Dog hadn’t responded to my texts indays. And Casera wouldn’t do anything without Mad Dog’sconsent.

“And if I don’t have a sanctioned pass? Howcould I do it?”

“Dude,” Morgan said. “You sure you want toget out of here?”

I gave him a duh look. I wouldn’t be askingif I didn’t. Jack didn’t say anything right away, just looked atme, trying to decide how serious I was about this shit.

He finally called practice over. “Let’s meetnext week,” he said to the guys. Amir whispered something to himthat clamped Jack’s jaw so tight I thought he’d probably crack atooth. “I got it,” he said.

Amir took off.

I watched as he calmly pulled out a joint,stuck it in his mouth, and lit it. He sat on a stool, watching mecarefully. There was something aged about Jack. He was a secondyear but looked much older. It could’ve been the drugs, butsomething bugged me about it. There was something else I wasn’tgetting when it came to Jack. Something I should. He blew outsmoke.

“Getting out is easy. Coming backisn’t.”

“I don’t intend on coming back.”

He sucked the joint, blew out smoke. “Thereis a way, but you have to be willing to do anything for it.”

“I’m not killing anyone, but yeah.”

Jack smirked, his eyes haunted in suspicion.“You can’t tell Dasher. Not even say goodbye. He belongs to Fox andhe’s like a loyal dog. This is just you and me, or it’snothing.”

I hated that he called Dasher a loyal dog.Dasher had tried to protect me during the hazing. The only one. Buthe’d abandoned me too. Stopped talking to me outside theatre.Stopped answering my texts. He just became another face in thecrowd of students at Arcadia who did The Ark Boys’ bidding. Inodded. “Agreed.”

The plan was simple and smart. I wasactually surprised Jack had thought up such a scheme. He must’vebeen thinking about doing the same for a long while. But he neededme for this to work. And like clockwork, once Friday came around, Iwas ready.

Kieran came out of his room dressed to thenines. I, too, took liberties of using the clothes he’d bought me.Dark slacks, a white button down, shoes. He looked startled for asecond when he caught sight of me, and I hated that I liked theslow drag he gave me with his eyes. Of course, he wouldn’t doanything, so I did. I pushed him against the counter and slammed mymouth against his in a feral, heated kiss that swept down to mytoes. He shoved me away after a few seconds, his lips swollen, wet,and then he gripped my shirt and seamed his lips over mine again,continuing where we left off. The only buzz I had in my head waswhy? Why Kieran? Why couldn’t we just be like this? Why hide? Whydid he want to hurt me? I shoved all that to the side, holding onto the mission at hand. Getting out. Angry, I bit his lip hard. Hehissed as I pulled back. His lips already swelling.

“Fuck you,” I said, not able to stop thevenom spilling from my voice, letting my anger surge to thesurface. The jealousy. “You don’t deserve me.” I started to walkaway, but he grabbed my arm, slamming me against the counter hard.He cupped my throat and swept his thumb across my pulse point. Thetouch sent my skin ablaze.

“No,” he said. “I don’t deserve you. Butyou’re mine anyway.”

“Then take me out of this place. Take me outwith you.” I sucked in a breath and held it. If he said no, theplan was doomed. If he said yes, I was fucked having to watch himprobably pick up some girl to take with him to save face.

The sound of footsteps upstairs forced usapart. He turned away to fix himself a plate of food as if wehadn’t just had a moment. His face revealed nothing. It made merealize he was a good liar, and I wondered which parts of him werereal.

Wren came down, River after him, and Foxglared at me. I crossed my arms over my chest.

Wren gave me a slow drag and I didn’t feelthe same way I felt when Kieran did it, but I liked the way Kieranheld on to that knife as if he wanted to stab Wren in the eyeballwith it. “You’re coming with us?” Wren asked.

I pushed off the wall. “No, I actually havea date,” I said. Two could play games.

“Who’s the lucky chick, or guy? I do notjudge,” Wren said, lifting a brow.

I smirked, ignoring the madman with theknife at the counter. “I do not kiss and tell. But have fun.” Iwalked out of the kitchen. A part of me felt relieved that Iwouldn’t have to go with them. I sucked at lying, and this was abig lie.

I grabbed my long coat, heavier than itshould be, and started to shrug into it when a shadow loomed behindme. I couldn’t ignore his presence. It was like death. I planted mysmile and turned.

“Cancel,” Kieran said, his lips tight.“You’re coming with us.”

---