Page 75 of Kingston
She bites down on her lip, as if she knows what I’m about to ask. “Go ahead.”
“Did something happen the night of the first game?” Her gaze slides off to the side, but I catch her chin gently yet firmly with my hand. “Elle, tell me right now.” My voice still comes out harsh, but the situation calls for it, whether I like it or not.
Elliot flinches. Wets her lips. Then finally grimaces. “I didn’t think it was worth mentioning. I figured it was all fair because of the game.”
I press my lips together but let the palms of my hands graze over her upper arms. “How about you tell me, and I’ll be the judge?” I raise my brows, studying the complex and swiftly shifting emotions as they sweep over her features.
“Um. So… on the way back—to the house, I mean—after we collected the underwear from the parties that night, we were all kinda neck and neck getting up here and running out of time, too. Taggart was slightly ahead of us and made it up the stairs and inside first, leaving only me and Bridger. Dane was at the door, watching through the little window at the side. I, uh, I don’t think Bridger realized it at the time.”
“What did he do?”
“Out of nowhere, he shoved me into the grass next to the driveway. I guess he figured maybe if I didn’t beat the clock, it was an easier way to take me out of the running.”
So, that’s what Dane didn’t want to mention.But why—
“I told Dane I didn’t want to say anything. I thought it’d be a bad move. Especially since I was pretty sure I was going to win anyway.” She chews on her lip. “Dane agreed, and we kept quiet about it. And I did win.”
Well, that explains the look on Dane’s face, and probably why he never tracked me down privately. I blow out a hard breath, vowing to keep a better eye on Bridger. Who the hell knows what the juniors have told him is acceptable and what isn’t. And you can bet your ass, the four of them are the first ones I’ll approach about these motherfucking notes, too. Because if you’re going to fuck over another initiate during The Games, you probably don’t have any issues sending them fucked-up notes either. “I’m going to take a look at them, okay?” I tap her leg to get her to climb off me.
She frowns but swings her leg over and settles herself on the bed, pulling the sheets up to her chest. “Yeah, okay.”
“By the way,”—I find my jeans where I’d tossed them before my shower and withdraw the new key to her room—“I was able to finish installing the lock for you while you were napping this morning.” I hold it up. “I’ll use it now, but then it’ll be all yours.”
The slightest hint of a smile curves her lips. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“No problem. Had I known there was bullshit going on, I would have done it sooner.” I pull my jeans over my ass, skipping the boxer briefs in my haste to see what we’re dealing with.
Elliot watches me for a moment, then a distressed noise falls from her lips and she follows it up by rubbing her hands over her face. “I’m sorry I brought all this to your attention today of all days. I should have said something earlier, I guess.”
I mean, would things have been handled a little differently if she’d come to me immediately? Yes. But there’s nothing to be done about it now. Besides, this gives me something concrete to think about. “Nah. It’s better this way. The more distractions I have today, the better.”
She bites her full lower lip, nodding, then feels around in the mess of bedding until she comes up with her phone. Glancing down, her nose scrunches up. “Shoot, it’s practically dead since I didn’t remember to charge it last night.” She meets my eyes. “Do you have a spare charger I could borrow?”
“Yep.” I point to the table next to my bed. “In the drawer there. It’s in a pouch. But, Elle, don’t mess with your phone too much. They specifically told us to minimize screen usage.”
She heaves out a sigh, pressing a few fingers to her head. “Yes, sir.” Finally. Some of her signature sass is back.
“Some of us like having you around and wouldn’t want your pretty head messed up.” I throw her a wink. “Be right back.”
In her room, I open the bottom drawer of her nightstand, like she said, and sure enough, there are a couple of notes, folded up and stashed under a book. Reading through them, I can judge by their content which she received first, second, and which is the latest. They’re all varying degrees ofGet the fuck out. You don’t belong here.The last ups the stakes quite a bit, promising harm to her if she doesn’t leave.
Blood pounds through my head, and my guts twist at the fucking audacity someone has to send this to her right under our noses. Whoever is doing this will be the recipient of every bit of my wrath crashing down on their head. Of every heavy fist I put in their face. And of the gravel chewing into their skin when I throw them out on their ass.
This is going to stop right the fuck now.
THIRTY-NINE
ELLIOT
After Kingston hurries out,I roll to my side and pull open the drawer in the table at his bedside, poking around because it’s not immediately obvious where the charger is hiding. Then again, itisa deep-ass drawer because it’s a round table. Pulling it out farther, I feel toward the back.
My fingers touch stiff fabric, so I pinch it with two fingers and drag it to the front of the drawer. I frown. Inside, there’s something rectangular and hard. This isn’t a charging cable and brick. Maybe he meant it was a charging battery? I had one of those, but it stopped working a while back, and I never replaced it. It feels a little light to be one of those. They’re always kinda heavy for their size.
I sit up, sliding my legs over the edge of the bed, and peel the Velcro apart. Immediately, the contents fall into my lap.
A phone.
I bite my lip, unease washing over me as I study it. It’s an iPhone with a black OtterBox cover on it. The corner is scuffed.
