Page 100 of Cruel Legacy

“I know, but the hat doesn’t really fit.”

“It’s my favorite hat.” He says in a tone that suggests she’s supposed to know this. As hisfiancé, sheshouldknow this.

“But babe, couldn’t you have just left it home tonight?” She pouts.

He drags his attention from the room and focuses it on her. A hard glint in his eyes. “You don’t want me wearing it tonight?”

“It doesn’t match your outfit or the theme we have going on.”

“I’d be willing to take it off, but you’ll have to take something off for me, too.” He caresses her cheek and her eyes go all soft and dewey. A little gasp slipping through her lips when he brushes his mouth against hers.

Finn has been playing these games with Eloise for years and she still hasn’t learned there’s no way to get him to do what she wants without giving up something in return.

“Will you take off something for me, Ellie?”

“Of course. My watch, the necklace. Anything you want.”

“Good.” He leans closer, lowering his voice so only the two of us can hear. “I’ll take off my hat right here and now, if you take off your panties.”

I chuckle at the horrified expression on her face. This is why Eloise will never win against Finn. She’s too worried about her reputation, putting on this act of being such a perfect legacy daughter.

I don’t know when she’s going to wise up and realize that what Finn wants right now is the opposite of perfect. He’s rebelling against his future and will continue to do so for as long as he can.

His request serves its purpose. Eloise stops asking him to take off his hat and when he doesn’t give her the attention she’s craving, she stalks off in search of something else to complain about.

Finn and I mingle with the pledges and try to get to know some of the girls better. Or rather, he mingles. I’m just standing around with them, silently watching. I spot Pax off in the corner with Eloise. She’s gesturing around and looks pissed. I guess she’s got an issue with what he’s wearing, too. She’s probably telling him his tattoos on display are not formal enough.

When he catches me looking, I walk over to rescue him. None of us can stand to be in Eloise’s company for long, although he’s been spending more time with her lately because of our combined pledge events.

Before I reach where they’re standing, he pulls out his phone and steps out of the room to answer the call. Rescue mission aborted, I go back to the other side of the room, in search of Finn. When I find him, he has Thea in a corner.

As I get closer, I hear him say, “Nice try, Pet.”

I step up beside them to watch their interaction. She flicks her eyes over at me, then shifts to the left before addressing Finn. “With what?”

“Making my clothes smell like swamp water. I don’t know how you managed to do that, but I’m impressed. I’m also pissed that I have to toss out half a wardrobe, but impressed all the same.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Is that really how you wanna play this?” Finn gives her a look that says he’s being generous about letting her reconsider her answer.

“I’m not playing anything. I didn’t mess with any clothes.”

I’m watching her micro expressions as she talks. She’s a helluva actress. It’s hard to pick out anything that suggests she’s lying, but we all know she is. I just wanna know how she got Austin on our floor without being caught by the cameras.

I say, “Look. We don’t care that you did it. But there’s a breach in our security and we need to know how Austin bypassed it.”

Finn adds, “And how you got into my room.”

“I wasn’t in your room.”

“You weren’t?”

Just so she gets an idea of how bad an idea it is to continue lying to us, I warn, “Be very careful about how you answer next. Ask around and they’ll tell you how we deal with liars.”

“I wasn’t in your room.”

Finn and I share a look. I guess she wants to find out firsthand what happens when you lie to a Trium.

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