Page 5 of Now You're Mine

I only have one class today, and as soon as it’s over, I walk back to the house, where Wyn meets me. She’s sitting by the back door when I get back.

“Hey, girl,” she says, looking up from her phone. She stands up to hug me, then pulls back to look at me like she’s worried. “How are you doing?”

I laugh. “I’m fine.”

“Really? Because I heard you lost it on Roman and the guys yesterday. Something about setting Roman’s stuff on fire?”

“Yeah,” I nod, pointing to the charred remains that are still in the yard, just a few feet away. Then I open the back door, and we walk into the kitchen. She follows me up the back stairs to Roman’s bedroom.

Once we’re alone with the bedroom door shut, Wyn sits on the bed.

I’m leaning against the desk, arms crossed over my chest. “Can I ask you something, Wyn?”

She adjusts to get more comfortable. “Sure, what’s up?”

“Did you know?” I ask, my stomach tense.

She looks lost. “Know what?”

“That Roman’s brother was my attacker, and that the Sacred Sons brought me here, to ExU, so they could manipulate me, and convince me to exonerate him…”

Her eyes go wide. “Wait,what?!” She looks genuinely shocked, her mouth falling open. “Hold on. Back up. Start from the beginning.James Chandlerwas your attacker?”

I slowly release the breath I’d been holding, relieved. Thank God Wyn wasn’t involved. She’s theoneperson I can trust right now, and if she’d betrayed me, too, then I have no idea what I’d do.

She leans forward. “Tell meeverything.”

The entire story pours out of me. Every lie Roman told, every manipulation. And thankfully, she’s a society member, so I don’t have to censor anything. By the end, her mouth is gaping open, like she can’t believe what she’s hearing.

“No! What? Are youserious?Those fucking cunts,” she says, finally. “When did you discover all this?”

“The PI told me yesterday,” I answer, sitting at the desk, in front of the open book of bylaws. I probably should have put it back in its hidey-hole while I was out of the room, but I had the door locked.

“And you didn’t tell me?” She looks offended.

I push out a breath. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t really thinking straight. All I could see was red, and then…yeah, everything just kindahappened.”

She nods. “I get that, I guess. So what happens now?”

I glance down at the book of bylaws. “I’m not sure, exactly, but I’ve called an all-hands meeting for tonight.”

“Yeah, I saw that. Bold move. But what’s the plan?”

I purse my lips. “Well, I’ve been reading through these articles, and I have an idea. Can I run it by you?”

She knows the rules of the Burning Crown a lot better than me, and I want everything by the book. No room for argument or interpretation. No loopholes, unless I’m the one exploiting them. This has to be clean.

Wyn flashes me a smile, and adjusts herself on the bed, turning to face me more fully. “Does it involve pissing off the Sacred Sons?”

I snort. “Oh, definitely. And if I can pull this off, they won’t even see it coming.”

“Fuck, yeah,” she says with a laugh, settling against the pillows to get comfortable. “I’msoin. How can I help?”

CHAPTER FOUR

Roman

My life has become a wakingnightmare, and staying away from Lux is nearly impossible, especially with her still living in my house, sleeping inmyfucking bed. The urge to see her is so strong, it takes every ounce of my control to stay away.

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