Page 46 of Take My Place

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I take extra care over my appearance the next morning. It isn’t that I want to impress Lucas, but if a hint of cleavage and pouty lips could persuade him to reveal a little more about what my father is up to, I am not afraid to use what feminine charms I have to figure out what the hell is going on.

“You look good today.” Romy’s eyes travel up and down my body when I get out to the car. “Poor Lucas won’t know what’s hit him. Just remember you come home to me, okay?”

“Like I could ever forget.” I lightly kiss him before getting into the car.

“Do you know where you’re going tonight?” Romy asks as we head off to school.

“I thought I’d take Lucas to that coffee shop around the corner from the Academy,” I reply. “We can walk there and there’ll be plenty of people around to make sure he behaves himself.”

“I like the way you think,” Romy says. “Do you want me to come and lurk in the background to keep an eye on you?”

“I think I can cope with having coffee with someone,” I tell him. “Anyway, we’re going during our free period this afternoon. I’ll be back at the Academy in time for us to go home together so I won’t be late for dinner, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I’m only worried aboutyou,” Romy tells me, kissing me on the forehead. “This guy is a mystery to all of us. For all we know, he could have a wicked plan to kidnap you and whisk you off somewhere I’ll never be able to find. It would kill me to lose you.”

“Don’t be daft.”

“I’m not. When you’re an heir to a House, you’re always a target for kidnappers. And it’s not like this would be the first time your father got caught up in something like this, remember?”

My stomach clenches as I think of how my father imprisoned Romy, Archer, and Declan just a few months ago. “You don’t really think Lucas would do something like that, do you?”

“Anything’s possible.” Romy shrugs. “We don’t know this man. Until we know what he’s up to, it’s always best to be on the safe side.”

“Okay. I’ll make sure the GPS tracker on my phone is on,” I promise. “If it looks like we’re going anywhere other than the coffee shop near school, send in the cavalry.”

For the first time, I feel grateful Romy’s dad has insisted we both install apps on our phones so he could track where we were. I’d rebelled and switched mine off at random times just to annoy him, but now it seemed like he had a good reason to keep tabs on us. I don’t think my father would do anything to hurt me, but then again, he seemed to view me as more of a pawn in his games than his own flesh and blood. And, of course, there is always the chance Lucas would have a scheme of his own, possibly even wanting to use me against my father.

This is why I’d need time out by myself. Having to think three steps ahead all the time is exhausting.

When we get to the Academy, Romy kisses me before heading off in the direction of the economics department while I wander off to the music practice rooms. As I walk down the corridor, I see Archer heading towards me. My heart beats faster. Archer is just my type, and if I am honest with myself, if I’d met him in a less fucked up situation, he’d have been the one I’d have gone for out of the three men who complicated my life.

“Hey, Archer.” I smile at him, but he ignores me. I frown, wondering what I’d done to make him be so rude, but as he walks past, he subtly presses a piece of paper into my hands. He glances at me and subtly shakes his head, warning me not to open it just yet.

I know when to take a hint, so I palm the paper, heading into the nearest bathroom to read the note. Locking myself in a cubicle, I open it up.

Meet me behind the gym at lunch. I have information you need to hear. Make sure no one follows you, and don’t tell Romy.

I read the note a couple of times. What could he possibly have to tell me?

There is only one way to find out.

I tear the note up into little pieces and flush it down the toilet so no one would be able to read it. It is going to kill me having to wait for lunch to find out what is going on. I’ve never been good at being patient, and I am desperate to know what is so important it merited this kind of secret squirrel behaviour.

* * *

“Everything okay?”Lucas asks as the bell rings for lunch. “You’ve been jumpy all morning and you’ve paid more attention to the clock than the teacher.”

“Isn’t it a little creepy that you know that?” I point out. “I mean, shouldn’tyouhave been focused on the teacher instead of watching me?”

“I can’t help myself.” Lucas shrugs affably. “You’re much easier on the eye than Ms Dupree. So what’s the matter? Didn’t you have breakfast or something? Let’s go to the cafeteria. I’ll buy you lunch.”

“You’re buying me coffee later, remember?” I remind him. “You go on ahead. I’ve got to find Mr Metcalf. I need to check the details of the latest composition assignment.”

“Okay. But we are definitely going for coffee, aren’t we?”

“I said we were, didn’t I? You go have lunch and I’ll see you in business later. We’ll go straight to the coffee house afterwards.”

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