Page 93 of Cruel Elite (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 3)

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“I knew you’d come around,” Noah says by way of a greeting when I get into the passenger seat.

His car smells like him, woodsy and spicy.

It’s clean, too. Spotless.

I’m not surprised. He never was the messy teenager type.

Noah has a place for everything and everything has a place, his emotions included. He sets aside what isn’t currently serving him in favor of whatever best suits the moment.

When I’m around, it seems cold displeasure is his baseline.

“What changed your mind?”

The three most vexing things in my life converged on a single issue,is what I want to say.

I don’t, of course.

Because that would break my deal with the Hell Princes.

And my mom’s plan of marrying me off to the first rich boy who comes along, regardless of how gross the whole arrangement feels, would probably fall through if I told the boy in question about the plan.

Men don’t often like being taken advantage of. Though, Noah sure enjoys taking advantage.

Unfortunately, for him, he’s fucked with the wrong girl.

Whatever he has planned for me, I can endure.

I know how this is going to end.

“I need a drink.” I buckle my seatbelt and lean back in the seat. “Drive.”

28

Noah

Penny’s lemon and cinnamon scent fills my car. It makes me want to roll down the windows.

It’s only been a day since she came to my house and we had sex in the basement, andwhat the fuck was that?

Not part of the plan, that’s what.

My schoolboy crush on Penny is over, done. This party tonight is the way to show her that, once and for all.

I’m a man of my word. I promised her misery.

And Iwilldeliver.

The house is on the edge of town, a renovated barn house with two giant wings added on to each side and a two-story addition on the back. Massive floor-to-ceiling windows reveal our classmates drinking and dancing inside.

“Whose house is this?” Penny asks, leaning forward to look out the windshield. “Not great in terms of privacy.”

“Are we going to need privacy?”

She glares at me. “I meant in case the cops get called.”

I pull the key out of the ignition and twirl the keyring on my finger. “We’re covered if that happens. This is Brian Murphy’s house.”

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