Page 2 of Welcome to the Sins of Blackstone
Sebastian smiles, nudging my arm. "You got that look, Massimo. The one where you're about to do something reckless."
I take a slow sip of my drink, my lips curling at the edge. "Reckless? No. Just determined."
"Same thing with you." He laughs, shaking his head. "But hey, don’t say I didn’t warn you. That girl… I have a feeling it’sgoing to be harder than you think. Plus, Jo won’t make this easy for you."
Jo’s always been a thorn in my side, one of the few people at Blackstone Academy who doesn’t fall in line when I walk into a room. She’s actually challenging me. I respect her for it. And I will be the first to admit, the girl is amazing in bed.
But that doesn’t mean she will stop me from getting what I want.
I push off the wall, handing my empty glass to Sebastian as I scan the room. The house is getting fuller, music thrumming, bodies moving, the air thick with sweat, liquor, and the scent of expensive perfume. But all of it fades into the background as I watch her.
She’s leaning on the wall, in the corner sipping from a glass, and it looks like water. Her hair spills over her shoulder as she listens to her friends talk. The dim lighting catches the delicate slope of her neck, the sharp line of her collarbone.
It still makes me wonder why I don’t know her. I've known Jo for a long time and never seen that girl around here.
God, this girl is hooking me to her.
She’s new here, I know that much. But how? Nobody justappearsat Blackstone Hollow, never mind the Academy. Every student is handpicked, their last names carrying weight like currency.
I need to know more.
I start pushing through the crowd, toward her, but before I can get there, a heavy hand lands on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks.
"Messina," a voice grunts.
I recognize who it is before I turn around.
Liam O'Brien.
The fucking Irish.
Why the fuck is he here? Number one rule: they stay away from us, we stay away from them. They have their small side of the city and college, and we have ours. So why the fuck is he here?
I exhale slowly through my nose, schooling my expression before I meet his gaze. He’s standing there, arms crossed, his jaw tight. Around us, people are watching. The music is still loud, but there’s a shift in the air. They can feel the tension, the undercurrent of something that could ignite at any moment.
"You lost, O'Brien?" I ask, tilting my head.
He grins, but there’s no humor behind it. "Just admiring the view. Seems like you’ve got your eye on something, which I will be having as I saw her first."
I glance back toward the corner of the room, but she’s not there.
Fuck.
My jaw tenses. I turn my focus back to Liam, stepping in closer, my voice dropping so only he can hear me.
"I’d be careful where you step, Liam. You’re in my city. My college. My world."
He laughs, shaking his head. "We’ll see about that, Messina. Things are changing."
I don’t blink. I don’t react. I just smirk, because Liam doesn’t realize—he just gave me exactly what I needed.
Confirmation that something’s coming.
My dad and I have been thinking for a while they are up to something, because they have been quiet.
And now, we’ll be ready for them.
I step back, completely unfazed. "Enjoy your night, O'Brien. While you still can."
