Page 140 of Heartless Legacy

“Do not let Holden hear you call his dad sexy.” Finn warns.

“Why not? It’s true, and Holden’s probably gonna be a zaddy too. He’s already one of the prettiest boys I know.”

He chuckles, “Definitely let him hear you saythat.” When his laughter dies down, he asks, “Do you know where you’re going?”

“I know how to read a map and catch a bus. Don’t you?”

Finn pauses, his brows scrunched up. “As a matter of fact, I do. It’s just been a long time since I’ve done it.” He turns to wave at someone, then turns back around, smacking me on the ass. “We’ve got an appointment to keep. Lead the way.”

We’re one of the last ones to arrive at the school. Some prospects called friends for rides, others used the family car service to bring them here. Faster, yes, but also more expensive. We walk up just in time to see Parker go into each of their envelopes and pull out the cost of gas money for the trip from Canyon Falls, and hear him say, the next time they take a shortcut we’ll be locked out of the dining hall. I’d love to see them survive on PB&J sandwiches, hot pockets and ramen noodles.

“Hayden? What are you doing here?” Holden asks, rushing over to a girl holding a broom.

His father walks up behind us. Draping an arm around her shoulder, he says, “She begged me to bring her. Can you believe she gave up sleeping in and lounging by the pool to do this? Surprised the hell out of me that she was up on time, too.”

“Da-aad.” Her eyes dart around, but she doesn’t try to shrug him off.

Finn says, “Thatissurprising. Hayden is always the last person ready to go anywhere. How many outfit changes did it take for you to settle on this masterpiece? Did you even sleep last night?”

“Oh, shut up Finn. You’re the fashion snob around here.”

He smiles and walks over to ruffle her hair, which makes her even more frustrated. Pax also joins in on the teasing. I stand back, watching. It’s so fuckingnormal.Hayden smiles and laughs, but the corners of her lips pull tight around her smile, her eyes darting around as if she’s looking to escape.

After a few more moments, we’re put to work pulling weeds, cutting down shrubs and scrubbing graffiti off the doors and sides of the building. The school has also provided bodies to help, and some of the prospect family members are here.

It’s about twenty minutes later when Hayden says she needs to use the bathroom and rushes into the building. When she comes back, she spends more time staring at her phone than she does scrubbing the door she’s working on. She visibly exhales when it chimes, then tucks it back into her pocket. An hour later, she disappears again.

I don’t know Hayden, but I do know suspicious behavior when I see it. I’ve damn near wrote the book on it. I’m taking my bag of pulled weeds and cut shrubbery branches to the dumpster when I see a flash of dark hair peeking out from the gym door. Hayden uses a book to keep the door open, then hurries back inside.

I stand watching the door. A few minutes later, a girl carrying a backpack crosses the parking lot and walks through the propped open door, picking up the book as she passes. I return to the front of the school to find Hayden talking to another volunteer with too much cheer in her voice. This is obviously her first time breaking the rules. If she doesn’t pull it together, she’s gonna get herself caught.

When she runs off again right before we break for lunch, Holden gets up to follow her. Running him down will make me look suspicious, but I need his attention. I drop the sponge I’m holding into the bucket, and pull it out without squeezing out the water and throw it at his back. It lands between his shoulder blades and neck.

The wet splat sound draws attention from the people close by, but my eyes are on Holden. The look of disbelief on his face, when he turns to face me, is so comical that my plans to pretend I didn’t do it fail. I’m so focused on Holden’s reaction that I don’t notice someone walking up behind me. Water cascades down my head. I shriek, jumping out of the way of the stream of the water.

“Finn!”

He jumps out of the way when I swipe at him, throwing a sponge as he retreats. This one hits me in my chest. His smile grows wider as the fabric clings to me. My nipples pebble from the water. I grab my bucket, rushing after him. When I’m close enough, I fling the water his way. It hits him and Pax. I pause to stare at three Trium members standing in front of me like contestants in a wet t-shirt contest.

“It is so on, now, Pet.” Finn threatens. The three of them rush at me. I run towards the side of the building to refill my bucket and grab more sponges. Our fight spills over to some of the other workers. My jaw drops open, then I snort out a laugh when Holden’s dad shoves a sponge up the back of his son’s shirt and pats him on the back.

My sides hurt from laughing and running around with buckets of water. Holden catches me and scoops me up, carrying me to the side of the building, away from the group. “Put me down.” I demand, slapping his wet back. He does, shaking his head, flicking water on me. “What are-”

His mouth meets mine, silencing my question. I’m stunned, then slowly melt into it. He’s never kissed me this slowly. Thissweetlybefore. Holden’s always about dominating power and the chase. I like that with him. It gets me out of my head, but this kiss is just as mind numbing. It chases all sensible thought away.

My hands are under his shirt, my leg hitched up around his hip, as the heat coils through my core. He breaks the kiss, smiling down at me with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. I yelp as I’m doused in water, and sputter, “What the fuck?”

Pax and Finn are standing on either side of me with their now empty buckets. Holden backs away and says, “That’s how you distract somebody.” I can’t even get mad at him because it is. He pulls me into him again, whispering in my ear. “Thanks for trying to cover for my sister.”

Chapter 83

Pax

The community outreach event was the most fun I’ve ever had at a league sponsored event. I enjoyed helping to clean up the school and goofing off with my friends with the water fight Thea started. It felt good just to be a college student and not the son or grandson of a league member who has to act a certain way or be a certain thing.

Those two men are on campus right now, at a Town hall Dean Gibson threw together to address the complaints about the Vale Tower situation. I’m in the back of the room listening to the bitch session. I’d rather be somewhere else, but with my modes of transportation missing and my accounts frozen, I’m confined to campus.

The displaced families are actually claiming they should be allowed to keep their assignment in Vale Tower, even though they’re not connected to one of the twelve, just because their current net worth exceeds the original donations that were given. It’s a valid argument, but that’s not the way this works.

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