Page 34 of Cruel Prep (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 1)

“Oh,” he calls just before leaving. “And buy a fucking lock, alright?”

16

Finn

“Why were you two late?” Caleb is pissy and drenched in sweat. I can’t entirely blame him. Coach made us run an extra mile to make up for Viktor and I both being five minutes tardy.

“He had to get his dick wet again,” Viktor cackles.

I chuck my cleat at his chest, but Viktor catches it, laughing even harder.

“The new girl?” Caleb groans and shoves his soiled tank top in his duffel bag. “I know you’ve got some big plans for her, but if you aren’t going to let the rest of us participate, then make sure we don’t suffer the consequences.Comprende?”

“No,pendejo,no comprende.” I smack him in the back of the head and drop down on the bench. I want to get out of my sweaty clothes, but I don’t have anything to change into after I gave the DeVry girl my shirt.

I should have made Lily walk out of the school in her underwear. She would have been humiliated, which would have served my purposes, but damn, she looked too good to let her go traipsing around like that. Right now, everyone knows she is mine, and I don’t want that to change. “I do whatever the fuck I want.”

“That’s all fine and well as long as we get to do whatever the fuck we want at the auction this weekend.” Viktor wags his brows at me suggestively. “Or,whoeverthe fuck we want, if you know what I mean.”

“We always know what you mean.” Noah is already showered with a towel wrapped around his waist, and he walks through our group to get to his locker.

“Wait.” Caleb holds up both hands to silence everyone and then turns to me. “You’re bringing her to the auction? Is that in the plan?”

Ruin her, my dad said.Destroy her reputation. Knowing you, it shouldn’t be that hard.

I nod. “Why not?”

The look of delight that crosses Caleb’s face is exactlywhy not. Because the idea of anyone else touching Lily makes me murderous.

It shouldn’t matter. I shouldn’t care.

I’m notsupposedto care.

That is certainly not in the plan.

Yet, I found myself looking for her today while I moved from class to class. I wanted to see her.

When she left early Saturday morning, she was pale and shaking and terrified. But before that, there was fire. More than I expected from her.

Maybe that’s it. My feelings towards Lily have nothing to do with Lily, per se. It’s just that she surprised me. Usually, I get exactly what I expect. I’ve always been good at sizing people up, at understanding how to read and manipulate them, but Lily surprised me.

So, I’m reacting to that. My interest in her is purely scientific. I want to understand how she ticks, how she operates.

After our rendezvous in the girls’ locker room, I’m no closer to finding out.

Even after everything she saw on Friday, Lily wanted me to touch her. She was dripping for me. What does that mean?

“Like you can afford her anyway,” Viktor says, derailing my train of thought. “Finn’s offering is going to be a hot commodity.”

Caleb puffs up his chest. “I’ve been saving up. I’m ready to have a good time.”

“Do you even know who you’re bringing?”

“Do you?” he shoots back at Viktor.

Viktor licks his lips. “The girl from the party Friday night. She already agreed. She practically begged for it. Among other things.”

He thrusts his hips suggestively, letting us all know he got laid.

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