Page 98 of Merciless Intents

“It wouldn’t matter,” Luna interrupted. “No, I get it. She’d go for it, thinking she could handle it, but the truth is, the moment they showed up, she’d give in. It’s not because she’s a bad person. It’s because she has way too much stuff going on. She’s confused, and she needs our help. She needs support—not more problems. I hate this but talking to her would only confuse her more. This is our only option. Just remember she’s protecting us from herself with whatever she’s got going on.”

“Right. We need to protect her from me,” I finished.

She sighed and nodded, her hand landing on my shoulder. “Right. I’m sorry, J.”

“It’s okay,” I said, even though I didn’t know if it would be.

“Wanna go to the club? I’ll be your wingman.”

I sighed, reminding myself I can’t cheat on someone I’m not with. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

DAMIAN

Word spreads through small towns and schools like wildfire, and in a place like Crestview,everyoneran around with lit matches. That was why it didn’t take me too long to figure out little Miss Wilder had been a busy girl.

A few weeks ago, both Asher and I noticed we hadn’t seen much of her. She couldn’t avoid both of usallthe time. Some of our schedules overlapped, but not all, which meant if she avoided one of us, she ran into the other. Somehow, she’d planned her routes accordingly and had successfully denied me my most favorite times of the day. She’d even taken to coming into class meresecondsbefore the bell rang—meaning all the seats were full, and she’d have to take whatever was left. Usually, that seat was far from me.

I’d wondered if she’d just gotten lucky, but then I remembered who herbestiewas. Justin fucking Blackwell.

After a full week of her avoiding us, I went to the office and flirted with Kira, the girl at the desk for that period. It didn’t take much to get her to tell me Blackwell came in and paid someone off to give him my schedule as well as Asher’s.

Well, two could play at that game—but I always played to win.

I managed to flirt my way into getting Wilder’s schedule and made my way out of there. I’d backed off after what happened with Eric. It was bad enough to rattle even me, and that didn’t happen often. So, I thought the least I could do was give her some time. I’d given her a few weeks—which had apparently been too long if she’d sought attention elsewhere.

Whatever the hell was going on with Asher, I couldn’t say. Every time he came in contact with Wilder, he was a colossal dick. It was the old Asher, which over the last year he’d gone out of his way to prove he was no longer. I wasn’t sure what had snapped with him after the night of the fight, but something had.

We’d each said some rude, crude, or otherwise snide comments in Wilder’s direction when we crossed paths with her…mighthave thrown some cheesy fries and empty bottles her way, but otherwise, she was off limits. I even told the guys to back off her, though, they hadn’t really gone after her much to avoid pissing me off.

However, after yesterday, all bets wereoff.

It appeared the lost lamb found herself in the jaws of a different predator altogether—one I had yet to figure out. She’d more than healed from what happened, and she’d taken full advantage of her time away from Asher and me.

On the hood of Blackwell’s fucking car.

Thinking about it made my blood boil.

As I stood in the bathroom of a hallway I had no business being in this time of day, preparing to execute my epically flawless plan, Istillhad no idea why I didn’t jump out of that fucking car, walk over there, and rip his head off.

Probably because we thought she saw us at first. We thought it was a joke, a fake out. We assumed there was no way in hell she’d go for something like that for real.

Most everyone was inside studying or fucking off at that lame ass engagement party in the rec building for two seventeen-year-old dumbasses, so we snuck out to Asher’s car to get high. We’d been out there about twenty minutes when we spotted them walking to his car.

While it wasn’t at all strange to see them together—mostly because the three of them seemed to be attached at the fucking hip—there were two things that rose red flags for me. First, Grey wasn’t with them. Second, they were going to his car. Every time they hung out, it was always in Wilder’s car. For some reason, it seemed… different. Date-ish.

I didn’t like it, and Asher didn’t either.

We watched them and shit-talked them, wondering what the hell they were up to. Wilder looked way too hot for it to be a casual outing. That pleated skirt and those thigh-high socks and boots.Mmm.Sexy as hell. Still, I thought I was being paranoid, and Asher agreed with me.

That was, until she stepped up to him, and he kissed her. Asher and I both froze. We had no idea what the hell to do. We were both way too shocked to say or do anything right then, but things only got worse from there.

When he lifted her up on that car, Asher had said, “Pfft. I bet they saw us. This is all to fuck with us. There’s no way in hell she’d do anything like this out in the middle of the parking lot where anyone could see. Everyone calls her a whore already. She’s smart enough to think about what would happen if Harper, Melinda, or Becky saw this.”

“Uh, I fingerfucked her in the hallway. Remember? She was reluctant, but when she made her mind up, shewentfor it. All in. I had a bruise for over a week because of how hard she bit me when she came. I’mprettysure she’s one of those good girls with a bad streak they don’t know about until someone shows it to them. Unfortunately, I’ve been pulling at that thread for awhile. I’m not entirely sure shewouldn’tdo something like this now,” I told him.

I’d meant what I said, but I also believed Asher. We were only three cars away. They easily could have seen us.

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