Page 99 of Cruel Prep (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 1)

“It’s Bring Your Own Alcohol,” Viktor mumbles, rolling his eyes. “The party has been here all along.”

“I think she meant her presence was the party,” Lily says, looking equally unconvinced.

“My presenceisthe party.” Cora rounds the couch, eyes narrowed on Lily. “Do you have something to say about it?”

Caleb wraps his arm around Lily and grins up at Cora, ever the charmer. “She was just clarifying your meaning. No harm meant.”

“Even if there was harm meant, what the hell are you going to do about it?” I ask, walking over and squeezing myself between Caleb and Lily.

Cora does not want to mess with me tonight, and she knows it.

Regardless of how she feels about Lily, I still have shit on her. Unless she wants everyone to know about her almost-baby with Viktor, she better keep her distance.

So, she grabs her biker and wheels him into the kitchen to make some drinks.

I lean in and press my lips to Lily’s ear. “We could always leave and get a hotel room.”

“I’ve had enough of hotel rooms for a lifetime.” She reaches over and squeezes my knee. “Plus, I’ve waited this long. I can wait a little longer.”

“I can’t.”

She squints one eye at me, smiling. “You have barely touched me all night.”

“And I’m still dying to get you alone,” I say. “Imagine how much worse it would be if I hadn’t kept my distance.”

Her cheeks flush a delicious pink, pleased to know I’m in as much pain as she is. I bite the corner of my lip to keep back a smile.

Cora strolls back into the room with a plastic cup in her hand and her biker’s arm draped over her shoulder. He follows behind her, going wherever she leads, though I can’t help but notice his eyes keep flicking over in my direction.

At first, I think he is looking at Lily, but it becomes apparent after a while that he is watching me.

When Viktor suggests Truth or Dare, everyone groans collectively, but the Hell Prince stands up and points to me. “Truth or Dare.”

I feign thinking about it for a moment. “How about … you fuck off.”

“Sounds like you want truth to me.” He is smiling, swaggering around the couch and plopping down across from me like we are old friends. He leans forward, elbows on his knees, his bloodshot eyes on me. “Let’s start with an easy one: what happened to Dallas Martin?”

The conversations around us go quiet, and it is obvious the asshole thinks he is clever. His date, however, looks nervous. Cora knows what I can do to both of them.

“That’s not good party chatter, Ryan,” she says, nudging him.

“Shut up,” he snaps. “Let the rich boy answer.”

“Fuck off,” I snarl, leaning back into the couch cushions, cradling Lily into my side. She has gone oddly still, but I just hope her face isn’t an open book like it normally is.

“That isn’t an answer.”

“I don’t owe you an answer.”

Ryan shrugs. “I don’t know. Everyone knows Dallas was last seen at your house getting in a fight with you. That seems pretty suspicious.”

“Everyone doesn’t know shit,” Viktor says.

“The Hell Princes know a lot more than you think.” Ryan sits back like he just dropped a bomb.

Truth be told, he kind of did.

I feel the couch shift as Caleb and J.C. turn towards me. Viktor’s nostrils flare as he stares at Ryan, a tell-tale sign that he is confused and trying to make up his mind. Noah is thankfully in the other room, because I could not handle the weight of his judgmental gaze on top of everything else.

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