Page 109 of Torment Her (Rebels at Sterling Prep 5)

“Just drive, Cole.”

We ride in thick silence. I feel Cole’s eyes flick to me a few times. He does it again, and I finally cave.

“What?”

“I’m just trying to figure out how this happened. Shit, K, you’re so strong.”

“People change.” I don’t look at him. I can’t. “I always thought me and Conner would end up together. It’s all I ever wanted. Then after we slept together, he pulled away.”

“Yeah, because he’s a fucking pussy.”

My lip quirks at that.

“Warren started paying me attention and Conner seemed to encourage it. I thought he wasn’t interested. Then your mom died and everything changed.”

“When did it start... you know... him hurting you?”

I shrug, fighting the wave of emotion rising inside me. “It wasn’t like a switch went off or anything. It was gradual. He was always intense. Didn’t like me being around other guys. Wearing anything too revealing. I thought he was being protective. For a while it was nice, ya know? Like I was the most important person in his life.”

“Motherfucker.” I glance over at Cole. He’s white knuckling the steering wheel, his teeth clenched painfully tight.

“It’s okay, Cole. I’m okay.”

“Nothing about this is okay, Kenny. Not a single fucking thing.” He slams his fist against the wheel, making me flinch. “Conner will fix this, I promise you. He’ll fix it. And if he doesn’t,” his eyes lock on mine, “I will.”

Chapter Thirty

Conner

Sweat trickles down my spine as the guy Daz thought would be a good match for me bounces in front of me, his fists pulled up to his face, ready to make his next move.

I know I shouldn't be doing this. But fuck what everyone else thinks.

That last message I got from Kenny on the weekend repeats over and over.

She wants me to sort my shit out, but how can I do that when he's still walking around somewhere like he did nothing wrong?

The guy in front of me suddenly morphs into Warren, and I take him by surprise. My fist connects with his ribs, forcing his arms to drop so I can move in on his face.

My heart races, adrenaline pumping as I tell myself that this is him. This is the motherfucker who needs to pay for fucking everything up.

I trusted him with Kenny. I only ever wanted the best for her. If I had any idea that he'd...

The roar that rips from my throat is one I barely recognize as I continue laying into this guy. The crowd goes crazy as I take the upper hand. But after a minute or two, I discover why Daz thought putting the two of us together would be a good idea, because somehow, he manages to turn the tables.

My eye burns when he gets a solid punch in before another splits my lip wide open.

Twisting my head to the side, I spit the blood that pools in my mouth. But as I do, my eyes find someone I wasn't expecting standing right at the front of the crowd.

Kennedy.

My entire body stills for a beat. A beat too long, because it gives my opponent the advantage. This is exactly why she shouldn't be here. This is one of the reasons this shit stays underground.

The guy’s fist connects with my jaw, snapping my head to the side, but now I have another reason to fight.

Adrenaline like I've never felt before races through me. My muscles that were starting to tire wake back up, and my need to put him down takes on a life of its own.

I turn on him and don't stop until he's on the floor and I'm being declared the winner, but I don't hang around for the celebration. I've got someone else who needs my attention more.

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