Page 46 of Royal
And you’re the only one who knows.
You aren’t overreacting.
I think it’s perfectly understandable.
You’re not somewhere freaking out, are you?
No.
Just leaving class to go home now.
Need a ride?
Nah. I could use the fresh air.
And some time to think.
Okay, text me when you get there.
I’m glad you reached out.
Let me know if you need me.
I’m glad I texted him, too. There’s something about Emory I can’t put my finger on, but even via text, he has an immediate calming effect on me.
With a deep breath, I push the door open and walk out into the night.
TWENTY-TWO
BECKHAM
It’s beena good five minutes since Professor Silverton’s English lecture let out, but still no Echo. I work my jaw to the side. Since visiting her last night, I’ve been jonesing for another hit of her. I’ve replayed over and over again every moment we had together. I loved every single second of getting to know her. The whole shower ritual. What she wears to bed. How she prefers to get off. But it’s not enough. I need the real thing.
She was worth each of Royal’s blows I took to the face and all the punches to the gut, too. And the thing is, Royal should tell us if he wants us to stop. Only I can’t. No matter what he says, I have a Sin Keeper card that tells me to watch her, not to mention the twisted-up part of my brain that wouldn’t let me walk away from her now, anyway. And she needs me. I know she does. She just may not realize it yet.
The front door of the building clangs open. A couple more students dribble out. Still nothing. I do a quick check of myself while I wait. I have my mask at the ready. My gloves. An all-black, head-to-toe outfit that will probably have me sweating out every ounce of alcohol I’ve ever drank until I’m dried up like a mummy. At a slight creak at the front of the building, my gaze zooms back to the door. This time, my girl slips out, shoving something into the pocket of her shorts as she goes.
I love the way the moonlight bounces off her red hair, like a flashing warning of what I’ll get if I keep after her. But to me, she’s enticing. Everything about her screamsI’m a spitfire, come and get me!I was made for you, Beckham.I’m not so easily deterred, so follow her, I will.
From a good distance, I begin the trek back to TZE with her, my eyes drifting over her as she walks. She’s temptation incarnate to me in her sexy shorts with a backpack secured on her back, resting just over that fine ass. I swallow hard when a flash of her writhing on the bed floats around in my head. I’d had a dream later after Royal beat the shit out of me. A few fingers drift up to my lip that he’d bloodied, and I smile, but then wince as the healing skin splits again and I taste blood. Fucker. He’s lucky I figured he owed me a few hits.
The dream, though—it’d been a fantasy inside a dream, really. And in it, Echo had been busy fiddling her Skittle when I came in, crawled on top of her, and pushed inside her tight little cunt. Really, in my wildest dreams, Wilder would join us, too. My tongue darts out, swiping over my lower lip, the metallic flavor exploding on my tongue. Hell, maybe I’d throw Royal into the mix. I chuckle to myself. No. There’s no way Royal would ever come with us to Sausageville. He likes pussy. Echo’s in particular. I reach between my legs, readjusting things as I walk. Fuck. I’m distracting myself from my mission.
A moment later, I realize I need to pay more attention because at first, I’d been sure Echo was heading toward TZE, but she’s made a sudden cut across the field that will take her past the parking lot we use for bonfires if she walks far enough in that direction. Where the hell is she going?
She’s picking up speed. Shit, did she see me tailing her? Doubtful, as I’m being careful to stay out of sight, but I duck close to a building and put my mask on, just in case. It’s way dark out here on the outskirts of campus. This area is a ghost town. It serves my purposes, honestly. No one will see me in a ski mask in September and wonder what the fuck I’m up to following this girl. The last thing I need is the cops being called out here.
Another few minutes go by, and it’s now very clear that she’s going to walk along a trail that circles the university, but also has paths into some of the neighboring residential areas. I have no idea where she’s going, but I will absolutely follow.
Our girl is full of surprises. I shake my head, watching as she dives off the dirt trail, through an expansive backyard, and right up to a door at the back of a decent-size house. Frowning, I pause at a distance to watch. A security light goes on, bathing the backyard in soft light, but she doesn’t seem bothered by it at all. Instead, she shrugs her backpack from her shoulders, setting it on the decking. Squatting down, she rummages around in the front pocket.
The faint jingle of keys travels to me through the night air as she stands up, quietly opens the door, and lets herself in.
I don’t dare go closer, or I’ll probably set off the security light or a camera or something. I watch through the glass-paned back door as a woman greets her. Not old enough to be her mother. Maybe a sister. They are of similar height, the older girl is just a little more voluptuous through the hips.
Watching them carefully, I pull my phone from my pocket to shoot Royal a quick couple of texts.
Hey.
