Page 82 of Sinful Desires

The cool air had goosebumps peppering against my skin and that reminded me…

“Where can a girl wash her clothes?” I queried.

“In the main building on the third floor. There’s a laundromat. But it’s creepy as shit in there. Pretty sure this place is haunted.” A laugh escaped her, but she didn’t appear to be joking.

I smashed my lips together thoughtfully. Come to think of it, there was something about this place that seemed incredibly off. If what Myles said was true, every building here was connected to the next either through a tunnel or secret passageway. Hell, what school had a dungeon?

We remained silent as we reached the elevator and scrambled inside. It didn’t take long for us to make it back to my room. Raven was nowhere to be seen, which was a little unusual since school wasn’t in session today and by the looks of it, her and Hunter weren’t on the best terms right now.

Waving it off, I gathered all the things I’d need and made my way to the bathroom. Gia offered to come with me just in case someone decided to try sneaking up on me—like Foster or one of his friends.

I got to work washing my body as fast as humanly possible. As much as I wanted to revel in the warm water against my skin, the liquid only irritated the cuts embedded within me. Hissing through the pain, I finished up my shower and stepped out, wrapping a towel around my body.

I tugged on a black T-shirt and a pair of yoga pants before slipping on my shoes and towel drying my hair the rest of the way. This was probably going to be my only opportunity to change before the fight tonight, and I wasn’t wasting it.

Gia was waiting near the front as promised, her phone clutched in her hand as she scrolled through it. Once she heard me approach, her gaze locked on mine and she stuffed the device into the pocket of her skinny jeans.

“Spill,” she ordered, propping a hand on her hip as she looked at me with accusation.

I reeled back, confusion filtering through me. “What?”

“While you were showering, I was thinking,” she began. “Your story about what’s happening with them keeps changing and none of it adds up.”

Heaving a sigh, I nodded. “Come on and I’ll tell you.” The last thing I needed was someone overhearing our conversation.

This seemed to satisfy her because she motioned toward the door and I strode forward, propping it open for her. My door was only a few rooms down, so it took no time for us to reach our destination.

Once we made it inside, I threw my dirty clothes in the closet and drifted over to my bed where I sat on the edge. Gia wasn’t far behind, sitting beside me as she shot me an expectant look—clearly not going to let this go.

It took me a moment to think back to where it all began. So, I started from the moment where I first laid eyes on Myles, and how he’d become a permanent fissure in my life. She knew that part, so I didn’t have to spend too much time on that subject. I told her the events that led up to me sleeping with Collin, and then how they all burned me with cigarettes.

I told her everything.

By the time I was done, her eyes were wide. “Girl,” she said. “You’ve gotten yourself in deep with them.”

I shrugged. Backing down wasn’t my style. That’s what they expected me to do. “It is what it is,” I murmured, knowing deep down she was right. There wasn’t anything I could do to change it now.

She shook her head and tucked her legs beneath her. “I’m not sure why,” she began. “But they’ve been going easy on you. The more you keep pushing back against them, the worse it’s going to be for you.” Myles’ earlier words rang through my head. That was child’s play. You honestly don’t think we’re capable of more? My throat tightened in response.

“I’ll be okay,” I assured her, not completely believing it myself.

She blew out a shaky breath, frustration contorting her face. She probably thought I was being stubborn and wasn’t listening. I was. My options were just limited. “I know you think that,” she started again. “But Dory did too. Right now, they’re toying with you—testing the waters. But once they get bored of that, then it’s game over.”

A cold chill rippled through my body at that declaration. Has this been a game all along? Even if I hadn’t punched Foster in the doorway of Collin’s room that one day, would this all still have happened? If what she was saying was true, then there was a lot more in store for me than I realized.

The gym was bustling when I arrived. As I navigated my way to the side of the room I was meant to be on, I could feel their eyes on me. Refusing to give them the satisfaction by looking in their direction, I continued on until Rocky came into view.

Once I approached, Gia’s face split into a relieved grin. She insisted on walking here with me, but I assured her I was fine. She had to stop by her room, and it just made more sense for us to meet here.

A startled gasp left me as Rocky tugged me into a hug, his strong, musky scent invading my nostrils.

“Still don’t need my protection?” he whispered into my ear, eliciting a series of goosebumps.

Shoving away from him, I put space between us. “I’m a big girl,” I reminded him.

“I’m sure you are,” he agreed. “But there’s nothing wrong with asking for help every now and then.” He shot me a wink. “This is my last free offer.” He smirked. “The next one comes with a price.” His tongue slipped free of his mouth and swiped against his lower lip, a hungry intent flickering within his gaze.

I rolled my eyes but nodded. I wasn’t about to pimp myself out for his protection. Foster was the one sporting the fucked up face right now, not me.

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