Page 75 of Rockwell Academy: The Twist

“Who is it?”

“Luca Romano.”

“Fuck, Summer.” Imogen stares at me in horror. “And I thought I had problems.”

We share a smile and I reach for her hand. “Then fuck it. Let’s sign up and see where it takes us. If we like the guys and want to experience what it’s like to be part of something that could be good, we owe it to ourselves to give it a try.”

“You’re right.”

Imogen appears more relaxed now.

“I do like Jesse and I want to help him, but more than that, I want to experience what it would be like to be someone’s girl.”

“Me too.”

I reach for my phone.

“It’s time to set the cat among the birds.”

As I send the message to The Claiming WhatsApp group, Imogen does the same and I sigh. “I doubt my name will ever make it on that list because it’s Frankie’s show and yet you can’t blame a girl for trying.”

“Good luck, Summer.” Imogen smiles. “I have a feeling we are both gonna need a lot of it to survive what happens next.”

34

LUCA

It’s been a very interesting week. When we left Jenna Sloane sleeping like a baby, we returned to Rockwell and The Elusive House, where we made straight for the basement and attempted to make sense of the endless photos Frankie took of Jenna Sloane’s little black book. It was important that she didn’t remember we were there, and we left everything where it should be found. Surprise will be our best weapon and as I forwarded the images on Frankie’s phone to my uncle, I am assured he will know what to do with the information.

Our job is to locate the students on her current list and refocus their attention. There are currently three students on that list who are on varying stages of their membership trail. Jerome was on his final act, which becamehisfinal act in life. My uncle saw to that when he prevented him from showing up at the house. He had a local girl tied up and terrified in the trunk of a beat up old car and uncle Lucian and his men intervened and rescued the girl. Jerome wasn’t so lucky and his death was made to look like a car wreck and it raised no questions.

River has been brought deeper into the fold and Frankie is channeling his aggression in a more suitable way. It appears thatdrugs play a vital role in shaping their members and Frankie has arranged for River to spend some time at a rehab center where he is getting all the help he needs before returning to Rockwell. It’s a situation nobody but me, Frankie, River and Principal Constable know about and when River returns, he will be drafted in as a centurion under the watchful eyes of my fellow Elusives. Frankie assured me River is a good guy under it all and will make a valuable addition to his team post graduation.

Then there’s Jesse. Frankie presented him with the evidence soon after we returned and explained his situation. Jesse wasn’t as far down the line as the others and intends on cleaning up his act and the best way to do that is to take a steady girl who will keep him on the right track. There is only one girl for the job and Imogen is about to become that girl.

When I head into the kitchen at breakfast, Frankie is already there. Cassie is unusually missing from his side and he nods toward the stool beside him.

As I take it, he shows me his phone and I raise my eyes. “So, it’s a go.”

His eyes flash. “Yes, Imogen signed up for The Claiming at six am. She is on the list for the first one.”

“That’s a relief.” I grin. “Miss Sloane is going to be pissed that all her hard work has come to nothing.”

Frankie taps the screen and I note another name added to The Claiming list of interested participants and my heart drops.

“Summer.” I slide my gaze his way and his eyes flash as he growls, “What am I to make of this?”

“That she has made her decision.” I shrug, fixing him with a non-committal smile.

“Do we have a problem?”

Frankie’s eyes flash. “I fucking hope not Luca because if I suspect for one second your intentions aren’t honorable toward my sister, friend turns to the enemy in the blink of an eye.”

“Noted.”

I stare at her name on his screen and taking out my phone, I send the message adding my name to the list.

He raises his eyes as the text comes through and silence sits between us as it waits for his decision.

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