Page 15 of Ruthless Legacy

“And you are?”

He chuckles. “Me? Oh, I’m trouble, sweetheart.” He turns and heads out the side door, but before it closes, he looks over his shoulder at me. “Well, you coming?”

Curiosity has me following him outside. I catch up to him as he strides across the school grounds. “You’re not a fan of the Aces then?”

He grins as he lights up a cigarette. “Something like that. Let’s just say my family was a new addition to the area, a few years ago, and it hasn’t gone down well with your elite princes.”

“They’re not my elite princes,” I scoff.

He laughs at my answer, like he is part of some secret joke. “You’re an Alderman, whether you or they like it. You are a part of their world.”

I snort, and he leans against a tree and offers me the cigarette. I shake my head. If it had been a joint, then I might have been tempted. I lean against a tree opposite him and just observe him. “You don’t belong in this world any more than I do.”

He smiles a cunning and devilish smile. “That I don’t, princess. I come from new money, and they don’t want the likes of us in their town.”

“What kind of new money?” I ask him. Narrowing my gaze.

He walks towards me and stops before me, putting his hand on the trunk of the tree to the side of my head. He blows his smoke in my face and I cough. “The questionable kind, princess, but something tells me you’ve had brushes with the law before yourself.” One of his fingers climbs up my leg until it reaches the edge of my skirt and I grip his wrist firmly to stop his progress.

“Careful. Don’t touch what isn’t yours.”

“You heard her, Silver. Take your fucking hands off her,” growls a deep voice from behind me.

I startle when I look over his shoulder to see the three Aces and Verity hovering behind him. Savage grinds his fist into his other hand, fixing a menacing look on the guy that I now know to be Silver.

Silver laughs, not turning to face them. “Oh, I see. This one is yours, is she Savage?” He laughs. “I have to say, I think you’re going to have your hand full here. Must cut deep knowing she’s been brought up poor.”

Archer takes a step forward and his voice somehow becomes more threatening. “I said remove yourself from what doesn’t belong to you.”

Silver winks at me and drops a quick kiss on my cheek before he turns and shoulders his way past the three boys. Savage turns and looks like he’s about to go after him, but Seb and Rafe hold him back. “Don’t,” Seb hisses in his ear.

My laughter has them all turning back to face me. “Well, this is hilarious. I really can’t keep up here. Firstly, you feed me to the wolves and then you come to my rescue!” The fucking audacity of these three.

Savage stalks towards me, then leans both his hands on either side of the trunk beside my face. “Stay away from Silver.”

I sigh, watching Silver’s retreating figure with more interest than I really feel. “I don’t know. I kind of like Silver. I think he and I could have a whole lot of fun.”

His jaw grinds in anger and I love that I am getting under his skin.

“You think he’s genuinely interested in you, Scarlet? He’s not, he’s just testing to see who you belong to.”

I place my hands on my hips, stepping forward so we are right in each other’s space. “Oh, and who is it you seem to think I belong to?”

Savage glares down at me and softly brushes a hand over my cheek. A caress that does not match his icy eyes. “Haven’t you figured that one out yet, Scarlet? You are mine.”

“Yours to what?” I challenge. Who does this pretentious prick think he is? I don’t belong to anyone.

He leans down so that I feel his breath across my face when he speaks. “You’re mine to torment. Mine to play with. Mine to do with as I please.”

“Wow, you really believe that, don’t you Savage?” I chuckle. “Let’s set the record straight here. I belong to no one. Not you. Not Silver. Not any prick in this little elitist bay or school. Now if you don’t mind, I have lessons to get to.” I duck under his arm, but he is quick and grabs me, pulling me flush to him.

“Stay away from Silver. Stay away or we won’t be so nice to your little brother.”

I eye him. “Leave my brother out of this,” I snarl. Savage can threaten me, but no one threatens my brother.

Savage smiles, knowing he has me by the lady balls. “Then just be a good girl and do as you're told. You know our word is law around here. So far, we have given no orders for your brother to be ostracised, but I can change that in a heartbeat.”

How is it he has worked out my weakness so quickly? Looks like I need to up my game if I want to be a step ahead of this guy.

“Fine,” I snap. “I’ll stay away from Silver, but not because you ordered me to; but because I don’t like guys who get handsy without asking first.” I look down at his firm grip on my arm and he releases me, causing me to stumble slightly on my feet. With one last glare his way, I storm past the others and back inside.

“Wait up,” Verity shouts after me. “You don’t know which way to go!”

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