Page 73 of Wicked Legacy

“You don’t smoke.”

“Yes, I do. No one knows. So, I sneaked out and hid down at the lake while I did it. I guess someone saw me leave and sent a tip to Dirt.”

“Why would you care if anyone saw you smoking?”

Her eyes wavered. “Because it’s super passé to smoke these days, and people would totally judge me if they saw me. So I hide it from everyone. Okay?”

“No, it’s not okay,” Jax said, nostrils flaring. “You’re obviously lying.”

“I’m not.” A mask of calm descended over Cerina’s pretty face, and she turned her gaze to me. “Believe me, Kinsey… if I wanted to kill you, I’d succeed.”

Jax held a protective arm out in front of me. “Stay the fuck away from her,” he growled, fury flaring in his dark eyes.

Cerina’s upper lip curled. “Gladly.”

“I mean it. I don’t want you anywhere near her ever again.”

“Jesus. Whatever,” Cerina scoffed. “Can you get the hell out now?”

Without another word, Jax took my hand and led me out onto the front porch. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close. “Are you okay?” he murmured against my ear.

“Yeah.” I swallowed thickly and drew my head back so I could look up at him. “She totally did it, right?”

“I think so, yeah. She was obviously lying about the smoking thing. I could tell by her eyes. And that stuff she said about how she’d succeed if she wanted to kill you…” He trailed off and shook his head. “She’s totally lost her shit.”

“I just wish we could prove it.”

“Me too. But don’t worry.” Jax pulled me close again, letting me nestle my head against his chest. “I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”

I believed him.

20

Kinsey

“One, two, three… drink!”

A chorus of cheers rose from inside the limousine as everyone tipped back their champagne flutes. I joined in, grinning as the bubbly liquid slid down my throat.

Erin accidentally spilled some of her drink on Brent’s lap and laughed as he freaked out, swatting at his suit pants to remove the fizzing white froth. At the same time, someone flipped a switch on the side of their black leather seat. Pulsing dance music began to play, making the seats vibrate beneath us, and colorful strobe lights flashed on the interior roof at the same time, making it look like we were sitting in a nightclub.

Jax smiled and squeezed my arm, pulling me closer. I let out a contented sigh and snuggled into his arms. “You look amazing,” he murmured in my ear. “Did I tell you that already?”

I quirked a brow. “Three times. But I don’t mind.”

“I’ll keep telling you, then,” he said, hand lingering on my knee.

“Urgh, you two!” Brent called out. “Get a fucking room!”

Erin elbowed him. “You’re just jealous because no one wants to feelyouup in the back of a car,” she said, rolling her eyes. In response, Brent chuckled and shook his head before leaning forward to pour everyone another round of drinks from the champagne bucket.

I took mine and knocked it back, still giggling at Erin’s snippy retort to Brent.

Three weeks had passed since the school trip, and I was finally starting to feel settled at CPA. Everyone knew Jax and I were together now, and the bullying from the first couple of months was beginning to feel like a distant memory. However, part of me was still on edge. I kept trying to tell myself that everything was fine now, but every so often, a false alarm would happen and I’d find myself losing my breath and slipping right back into that same old fraught mental state.

Last week, I lost my phone, and I instantly became paranoid that someone had stolen it out of my bag for nefarious purposes. Then Erin came over and dropped it off. It turned out I’d accidentally left it at her house while we were studying the night before. Crisis averted.

The other major false alarm was the discovery of an envelope stuffed in my locker two weeks ago. As soon as I saw it, I silently spiraled, heart hammering painfully in my chest as I wondered what sort of threats the letter contained. Instead, it turned out to be a cute little invitation from Jax, asking me to be his date to the school’s annual Sweetheart dance.

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