Page 173 of Ruthless Legacy

I study his face as I ask the next question. “Does she know you’re out here?”

He bangs the back of his head against the wall as he nods. “She put me out. Said she wouldn’t be able to prepare for her next round of challenges if I was in there distracting her with my disapproving glares.”

“Were you glaring?”

“Of course I was.”

Pax is missing his usual scowl when he talks about Thea. The hint of a smile plays across his lips. His voice is soft. Almost friendly. I definitely hear some admiration that wasn’t there before. And I know he finds her attractive. He’s had his dick inside her twice. He can say it was business or doing what needed to be done, but he could have found another way, or could have let her struggle. He didn’t. Both times, he chose to help.

At first, I was upset when he told us they chose her to be his companion. Now, I’m glad he’s forced to spend this time with her. I won’t mention it. Not yet. I’ll keep observing, but I’m hopeful it’s finally coming together and things will end with Thea tied to the three of us. Four, if you count Deacon, but that’ll be a side arrangement we make without The League knowing.

Chapter69

Pax

Things have been quiet these last few weeks. Thea had two more challenges, but they weren’t as arduous as her previous ones. The League deducted twenty points from her score for missing her check-in time. It would have been more, but she was in the hospital, and still had the item she was supposed to present to the council in her possession.

Something’s shifted between us. Being forced to interact with Thea on a daily basis has me seeing her differently. I don’t hate having her around as much as I thought I would. She’s cordial to the other legacy students and committed to learning about the town and the families. I doubted her commitment and ability to navigate through this life. I’ve been waiting for her to prove that she has ulterior motives for being here. I’ve been waiting for her to fail, but so far, all she’s done is proven how much of a judgmental ass I’ve been.

It’s hard rewiring my brain, and letting myself trust someone other than Finn and Holden. The more time Thea spends around us the more I start to think, I can. Finn and Holden are obsessed with her behind closed doors, but the four of us fall into an easy rhythm when we’re out in public.

It hasn’t been a drama free transition. A lot of legacy students think Thea’s grandfather cheated his way to the head of the line, and question why she’s my companion.

The forty-eight hour rule is no longer in affect, but there are other threats out there. Thea’s a first year prospect, doing something no one’s attempted in years. Those points she’s accumulating make her the prime target for everyone else.

We’re trying to keep Thea out of the spotlight, but she refuses to be contained. We’re doing what we can to keep her safe. Part of that is making sure we reassert the control we lost on campus when I was so busy trying to make her life miserable.

Finn’s in a tough position. His companionship arrangement with Eloise, and her status as a prospect, makes it impossible for him to completely distance himself from her. That means Holden and I can’t do anything to her either. Finn’s promise to protect her would put us at odds, but we’re making it clear that the unconditional support she bragged about having from us, doesn’t exist.

Thea keeps telling us, she can fight her own battles. But now, some of our battles have become hers. Her feelings for Finn and Holden bleed into her interactions with people on campus. She seems to unconsciously drift to one of them, depending on the situation we’re in. Or maybe it’s intentional. Sometimes it’s hard to tell.

If there are unhinged threats being made, she’s side by side with Finn. Her knife whips out as frequently as his. Maybe even more.

Or she quietly scopes out the scene with Holden. They don’t talk much when other people are around. They communicate through a bunch of shared looks, head tilts, eyebrow raises, and narrowed gazes.

I fit into this club they’re building as well. I’m who Thea comes to with an attitude. She questions everything she sees and hears, but in a stunning turn of events, she’s quick to shut down anyone else who tries to do it.

Thea’s competitive as hell and as much as we bicker, when it comes time to be on display, she plays her part as my companion well. Like now, when she’s trying to piss off the other prospect groups, we’re totally in sync.

Ordinarily, we’re oil and water. Fire and wood. Combustible. But there’s something more significant buried underneath it all. Or at least that’s how I’m starting to feel. I could be imagining it all. Letting the moments when we have to be flirty, the times when we have to make a big show of touching, cloud my judgement.

Like now, when she’s walking towards me, and I know before she reaches me what she’s about to do. I know. I’m ready. I’m prepared, and yet I’m still flooded with a boost of endorphins. This rush of need.

She sits next to me, propping her back against my shoulder. That’s enough. It makes a statement on its own. But that doesn’t stop me from offering her a slice of the orange I’m eating, and it doesn’t stop me from enjoying the way she settles more comfortably against me afterwards.

It’s like she’s always on edge. Unsure of how I’ll react to her touching me. I’ve fucked her and I’ve watched her fuck my friends. We spar in the ring all the time and yet, she’s worried about my boundaries when nobody else would be.

Every girl I know thinks they own the guy they’re matched with and they’re looking to make it a permanent arrangement. It’s why they’re all so territorial. I like that Thea’s not making any demands on me.

Today, we’re eating outside, because Holden said he and Thea needed fresh air. We’re surrounded by a lot of the same people we eat with in the dining hall, but she does seem more relaxed.

I’ll take that over her table dancing any day of the week. Not that I didn’t enjoy the show. I did. A little too much. So did everyone else. And if I want to make it through this month without splitting my knuckles open, I need her to save her dancing for parties and our dorm rooms.

* * *

Thea

I settle against Pax’s shoulder as if I don’t have a care in the world. It’s a lie. I don’t feel any of the peace I’m projecting. I go about my day attending classes, hanging out with LJ and my friends. I’ve gone to the parties the guys have dragged me to, and I train with Wolfe. I pretend things are fine, but I’m really making plans for what to do when someone confronts me with what I’ve done.

---