Page 117 of Cruel Prep (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 1)

Finn

I don’t want to risk going out the front door and running into any of the Hell Princes who may still be lingering around the property, so I lead Lily down the back stairs and through a hidden door behind a set of shelves into the garage.

“This house is absurd,” Lily whispers.

Once we get in the car, we can lock the doors and pull down the drive regardless of who is in front of us.

From there, we’ll go get Lily’s mom, then drive as far as we can until we want to stop.

And after that … well, I have no idea.

This is reckless, but there doesn’t seem to be another option. We can’t stay in Ravenlake.

Not while my father is running the place and has people like Officer Ingram working underneath him.

Not while the Hell Princes think I killed one of their own.

I have to get myself and Lily away from here and safe. Then, we’ll figure out how to set everything right.

We load our bags into the trunk and climb in the car. Lily presses her hands together between her thighs, her legs bouncing. She is nervous, and I want to comfort her, but I’m just as nervous.

I don’t know how to be this guy I’ve become with her. I don’t know how to care about her openly.

Hopefully, I have plenty of time to learn.

The garage door opens, and I’m ready on the gas to floor it and blow past anyone who may pop up to stop us, but the drive is clear. There are blood smears here and there, but otherwise, nothing.

“I guess they all left?” Lily squints through the windshield, studying the shrubs and trees along the edge of the property.

“Or went looking for us,” I shrug. Either way, we have an opening, and I don’t want to miss it.

As I pull out of the garage, I keep expecting someone to pop up. To appear out of nowhere and try to stop us.

It just seems too good to be true that everyone is simply … gone.

But by the time we make it to the end of the driveway, I’m convinced we have well and truly lucked out.

Until I go to turn and see Officer Ingram’s patrol car blocking the road.

He is standing in front of it…

Gun leveled at us.

Lily yelps and ducks down. I slam on the brakes.

Ingram smiles and waves for us to get out of the car.

“We can’t get out,” Lily says. “We can’t trust him.”

Before she can even get the words entirely out, there is a shot. She screams again, and I lunge across the seat to try and shield her.

There is another shot. And another.

Four shots in total, and I realize Ingram has shot out my tires. Every single one of them.

“Fuck.” I slam my hands on the wheel, angry at myself for not being more careful. For thinking it could be this easy.

“Finn, what do we do?” Lily whispers. “Can we run?”

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