Page 18 of Shadow and Skulls

“Do I look like a snitch?”

My gaze falls to his green eyes. “Yes. Yes, you do.”

He tips his head back and laughs at this. I cross my arms over my stomach, demanding it stop whatever it’s doing. I turn back to the ceiling.

“I’m not one of them either, if that makes you feel better.”

“You’re a fucking VP. Give me a break.”

“What if I told you I’m a spy?”

I jump up and storm away from him. He’s making fun of me, and I put up with enough of that at school. I’m not going to tolerate it here.

“Leave me alone, Tank,” I spit out his name, ignoring how it makes me feel to say it out loud. I hurry out of the building.

“Go back to school tomorrow!” he yells before the door closes behind me.

My feet slow as I step away from the church. Is there nowhere that’s safe from him? He shows up everywhere I go. I’m sure there are more important things going on in the club besides me and my bullying problem.

I startle, tripping over my own two feet when he steps outside and leans his back against the door of the church. A grin pulls at the corner of his mouth. He’s enjoying my internal struggle. He pulls something out of his pocket, bringing it to his nose. My mouth falls open. Are those …are those my panties?

Oh my god, they are! They’re my favorite ones, too. The navy blue ones with little gold stars on them.

I nonchalantly make my way to my car, struggling not to run. I don’t want him to know how much he flusters me. When I’m safely sitting in the driver’s seat, with the doors locked, I lift my gaze to meet his through the windshield. He winks at me and smirks.

“Stop it,” I whisper harshly to my stomach after it does a complete somersault in response to the look on his face.

As soon as I’m home, I run up to my room. I pull open my panty drawer to see what else he may have stolen. My hand wraps around a box. What is this?Oh!I drop the item and back away from the dresser.

He didn’t take anything else, but he did leave something.

I have to tell someone about this … it’s … it’s crossing a line, right?

My stomach flips again as I picture him in my room, touching my intimate things.

“Kelsie.” My mom knocks on the door.

I throw myself at my dresser, slamming the drawer shut right as she steps in. Her gaze travels over my space, looking for anything amiss. “Everything okay?” she asks. “You didn’t even stop to say hello.”

“I’m sorry, Mom. I was just in a hurry to change.”

“Oh good. Dad must have told you about the party then. We’re going early to help Jesse set up.”

Inwardly, I groan. I love club parties, but Tank will be there, and I cannot face him right now.

“I meant I was going to change into my comfy clothes. I think maybe I’ll just hang here tonight.”

Her face falls. “Kelsie, Dad expects you to be there. I’m sorry, but we want to keep an eye on you right now. You just haven’t been yourself.”

“Fine, but I don’t want to go early. I’ll meet you guys there.”

“But Billie Rose will be there with the kids. I’m sure she would love your help with the baby.”

I give in. “Yeah, okay. Sure.”

She smiles, patting me on the cheek with her dainty hand before turning away from me. “We’ll leave as soon as Dad gets home.”

When we get to the warehouse later that evening, I make a beeline for Billie Rose. She immediately dumps Tate in my arms.

---