He shrugged. “Yeah, they found out.” He chuckled deeply. “But like I told them, my body, my choice.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “They video called me right after I got it, and I didn’t bother trying to hide it. Was shirtless when I answered.” He shrugged. “Figured I might as well get it done and over with, like ripping the Band-Aid off real fast.”

  “They didn’t say anything to me about it.” She wasn’t surprised though. They wouldn’t have wanted to “taint” me with the abomination they’d consider Alex’s tattoos. “I bet they freaked out.”

  His smile widened. “That’s an understatement, but what can they say? I’m an adult and pay my own bills.” He was right, but still.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  He looked at her again. “I wanted to surprise you, princess.” His words were sincere. “Wanna see it?” She nodded. He stood and lifted his shirt and turned around.

  A shocked gasp left her. The majority of his back was covered in dark, intricate lines. “Holy hell, Alex. That’s a lot of ink.” She glanced up at him.

  He dropped his shirt and sat back down. “Honestly?”

  She stared at him like he lost his mind.

  He chuckled. “It all started when I lost a bet.”

  Her eyes got bigger. “You got that because of a bet?” She could hear the incredulous note in her voice.

  At least he had the decency to look embarrassed. “Kind of. I wanted it for a while, but I got drunk with my buddies and they dared me.” He shrugged again.

  She stared at his chest as if she could still see the ink through the material. “Well, I like it. It’s shocking, but looks really good.”

  He grinned and put his hands behind his head, regarding her. She noticed he’d bulked up since the last time she saw him.

  “You’ve been working out.” She stated the obvious.

  “Yeah. Coach has been busting the guys’ balls on getting bigger and staying in shape, especially since we came to practice hungover on more than one occasion.”

  Her phone beeped with an incoming message, and she pulled it out of her pocket and glanced at the screen. A smile formed on her lips when she saw it was from Reese.

  She typed out a quick response then put her phone away. Alex watched her intently, as if he could see what she was thinking.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Don’t ‘what’ me. What was up with that text?”

  “What do you mean?” She kept playing dumb.

  “You had a look.”

  Keira feigned innocence. “What look?”

  “The look a girl gets over a guy.” His voice was even but hard, taking on a brotherly sharp edge.

  She stayed quiet, and they seemed to have some kind of stare-off. Keira wasn’t going to hide her relationship from Alex and had planned on telling him—was excited even. But the way he watched her made her rethink saying anything right now.

  “So you like some guy?” He tried to sound so nonchalant, but she wasn’t buying it. Alex was very protective, always saw her as that typical “little sister” in all ways, so that of course meant he scared off any guy who would show interest in her. Not that any guy actually did, but he’d sure as hell do it if given the chance.

  “So, princess, who do I need to put the fear of God into?”

  She laughed, but the sound died when she realized Alex was serious. “Stop it, Alex.” Shifting, Keira looked anywhere except at him. “So, football’s going good then?”

  “Don’t change the subject, Keira.”

  She shook her head and glanced back at him. “I’m not changing anything.” The hard look on his face told her he wouldn’t let this go. So she took a deep breath and decided just to get this over with. “Fine. I am seeing someone, but you don’t need to get all protective or anything.” He lifted a brow at her statement. “He’s a good guy. You’d like him.” She didn’t know that for sure, but despite Alex having gone to BMA and being one of the top football players at the academy, he wasn’t a snobby asshole like the rest of them. He was down to earth. “You have nothing to be worried about.” She laughed awkwardly, not because she didn’t believe or mean those words, but because Alex looked like he was gearing up to greet Reese with a shotgun the first time they meet.

  “I’m not supposed to be worried that my little sister is dating someone for the first time?”

  She straightened her shoulders. “When have you ever known me to do something that I wasn't absolutely sure of?” She shrugged. “Besides, there was a guy once who liked me. Remember?” God, that was ages ago, but she was trying to prove a point.

  He snorted and shook his head. “Letting some tuba playing guy in middle school flirt with you isn’t really a point you’re making, princess.” He was silent for a second before asking, “So, who is he? Anyone I know?”

  Her hands were extremely interesting at that moment. Alex wouldn’t know-know Reese, but he still spoke with a lot of people in Black Mountain, and getting a scholarship to BMA was a pretty big deal in this damn town, so chances were he knew of him.

  “You don't know him.”

  “Keira…” he said in a warning voice.

  “Reese Trenton.” She looked into his eyes after she spoke, and she could see he was rolling the name around in his head, as if trying to place it.

  “The scholarship dude?”

  She nodded.

  “The guy with the drunk-as-fuck parents? The one who seems to pick fights at parties and who doesn’t have two nickels to rub together—”

  “Alex,” she cut him off with her own warning tone. “Money doesn't equate to a good person.” And she sure as hell wasn't going to tell Alex about Alistor’s party, and that the fight Reese had “picked” was to save her.

  He nodded. “I know. I’m just spitting out what I’ve heard people say.” He leaned back on the couch and stared at the TV, but she could tell he wasn’t focused on the game. “I don’t like it, Keira.” He was still looking away from her. “My baby sister is dating someone who is rough around the edges.”

  “It doesn’t matter if you like it or not, Alex. I’m a big girl and can make my own decisions. I love that you look out for me, but this is my life.” He looked at her then, not saying anything for long seconds. But then he shook his head in defeat. He knew she was right. “Besides, if I believed every rumor, I would put you in the category of womanizing asshole.” She grinned, but he rolled his eyes.

  “Fair enough.” He exhaled and ran a hand over his short, dark-brown hair. “Just promise me something. Be careful, okay?”

  “I will,” she said and smiled.

  “I’m not against going to prison for killing a guy who hurt you.”

  Now it was her turn to roll her eyes. “Don’t worry.” She leaned her head against his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her, kissing her on the top of her head. “I know what I’m doing.”

  29

  “Reese, man, have you seen the pictures of you at Harrison’s party?”

  Reese slammed his locker shut and turned around to stare at Nate. “Who the fuck is Harrison?”

  “The asshole who threw that party where you kicked Sully’s ass.”

  Oh, that party. The one he went to without Keira before they made it official. Reese hadn’t seen Sully after that, which was a good thing or he’d probably kick the guy’s ass all over again. Just thinking about that prick talking about Keira that way set him on edge again.

  “No, I haven't seen them, but I don’t give a shit. All those assholes who watched are nothing but motherfuckers anyway.” Reese started walking. He didn’t give a shit about some pictures drunk-ass people took of him kicking the shit out of that douchebag Sully. The fucker deserved the beating.

  He headed into the lunchroom and grabbed a drink, and after paying for it, he headed into the main room, where he searched for Keira.

  “These, man.”

  “Shit, dude,” Reese said, not realizing Nate had followed him.

  Nate all but shoved the cell in his face, and Reese snatched it out of his hand to get this over with. The first few pictures were stills of him and Sully grappling. The others showed Reese’s fist connecting with Sully’s jaw. He went to hand the phone back, shrugging in the process.

  “Keep looking.”

  Reese felt his brows dip low and scrolled through more of the same photos, but the next one had everything inside him stopping.

  Someone had snapped several photos of the girl who’d been talking to Reese right before Sully mouthed off. The angle was awkward, the picture slightly grainy, but when she’d lost her footing and he’d reached out to stop her from falling, it made it seem like they’d been in an embrace. In fact, the longer he looked at it, the more it looked like Reese was fucking making out with her.

  Her body was bent forward, his hands around her waist, and his face was blocked by her, so it was easy enough to envision what the fuck could be going on.

  “What the fuck, man?” He swiped his finger across the screen and looked through the rest, but they were all the same. Reese noticed there were none of him shoving her away. Anger, white-hot and burning, moved through his veins. Reese shoved the phone against Nate’s chest. “How the fuck did you get them?”

  “Fucking Lindy, man. But the whole school heard about the fight, and then this shit got passed around.”

  “It looks like I’m fucking making out with that drunk chick.”

  Nate nodded slowly. “No shit.”

  “I didn’t do shit,” Reese said, his thoughts instantly going to Keira. “Man, if Keira sees that….”

  “I know. She’s gonna think you fucked around.”

  Fuck.

  Looking around the cafeteria showed him Keira hadn’t arrived yet. He needed to get to her and explain it all, because the way this fucking school was, she'd no doubt heard already about this bullshit.

  He didn’t want her to get the wrong idea, but shit, the pictures looked bad. What in the hell would she think if she thought he’d been all over some other girl then was intimate with her?

  Christ.

  A sick feeling spread through him. “I need to find Keira.”

  “Hey, girl.”

  Just hearing Lindy's voice had the hairs on Keira’s neck standing on end and her stomach churning in disgust. Keira turned around; the false sweetness in Lindy’s voice, coupled with the fake smile on her face, told her whatever was about to happen wasn’t good.

  Lindy wore her cheerleading outfit, her bitch squad right behind her, all of them wearing the same sickening smile. Before Keira could say anything, Lindy was talking again.

  “You hear the gossip?” Lindy stood a foot from her and arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow.

  “I don't follow the rumor mill, Lindy. I have enough toxic crap to surround me.”

  “You didn’t hear about your boy-toy?”

  Keira shook her head, exasperated. “I don’t have time for this.” She went to turn, but Lindy’s next comment stopped her.

  “You didn’t hear what Reese was doing at the party he beat Sully’s ass at?”

  Keira didn’t say anything, didn't even show any emotion. That’s what Lindy wanted, to get under her skin and piss her off.

  “I understand you’re upset because Reese doesn’t want you, but playing dumb really doesn’t suit you.”

  Keira couldn't hide the surprise she felt move across her face. And Lindy, being a fucking piranha, smelled that unease and grinned wider.

  “What in the hell are you talking about?”

  “Oh, honey, you didn’t hear?” She feigned like she felt bad. “Reese doesn't want you. You’re not special to him, not when he all but felt up and made out with a girl at that party.”

  Keira’s pulse instantly started racing, and she felt her cheeks heat.

  “You’re mistaken.” Her voice was whisper-thin, and she cleared her throat, wanting to seem stronger, like Lindy’s words didn’t affect her.

  “Honey, I’m not.” She said that with a bite in her voice. “No doubt he wanted to break that virginal thing you have going on. Now that he has,” Lindy said with a smirk, “you’re damaged goods. He’ll come to the real thing now.” She smoothed her hands over her cheerleading outfit, emphasizing she meant herself.

  Before Keira could walk away and talk to Reese, clear this whole thing up, Lindy held out her phone. The image on the screen had Keira’s heart stopping momentarily.

  Lindy’s grin was malicious. “Thought maybe you’d like to really get a look at what your boy has been up to when you’re not with him.”

  Lindy started sliding her finger across the screen, showing her more photos. Some were of Reese fighting, but the others were of what looked like Reese and some girl in an embrace. The angle was weird, and it definitely looked like he was making out with her with how the girl’s head tilted.

  “I’m done here, Lindy.” Fire licked through Keira’s blood. She felt dizzy, like she was dreaming. She kept thinking about her night with Reese, how he’d made her feel, how she’d given herself to him. She loved him.

  She was in love with him.

  And as much as she wanted to push this away, talk to him and see if this was a misunderstanding, she didn’t want to face him and see the truth in his eyes when she confronted him. Not yet. Not right now.

  “There it is,” Lindy cooed. “That broken heart expression on your face. Oh, girl, you really cared for him, didn’t you?”

  Anger the likes of which Keira had never felt before rose up in her. She saw red, felt hatred. She didn’t realize what she was doing until she slapped Lindy across the face.

  A look of surprise flared on Lindy’s face right before she cupped her cheek. Keira hadn’t missed the angry red handprint that started to mar Lindy’s alabaster skin.

  “You fucking bitch.” The words spilled from Keira before she could stop herself. She would not cry in front of Lindy, so she turned and left, heading past her next class and right out the front doors.

  30

  Keira had called Alex as soon as she stepped out of the school, and now that she was in his SUV, the thick silence stretching out and uncomfortable, her tears drying on her cheeks, she knew her brother wouldn’t let this go.

  “Tell me what’s wrong,” Alex demanded for the fifth time since he picked her up.

  Her cell phone went off again, and a look at the screen showed Reese’s number. He’d called her repeatedly since she left, which meant he knew what she knew and was trying to do damage control. But she didn’t want to deal with that right now, not when her mind and body were volatile with each other.

  Her heart said to talk to Reese, hear his side of the story. But her mind said she didn’t want to risk it and didn't want to know the truth. She needed to think, get her thoughts in order. She needed to breathe.

  “Keira, what the hell is wrong?” Alex sounded more impatient, getting angrier by the second.

  She didn’t respond, just stared out the window and tried to force herself to stop crying. She wiped angrily at her tears, willing them to stop. She was stronger than this. She was better than it.

  Another few minutes passed before he was asking her again. “Keira, tell me what the fuck is wrong.”

  She closed her eyes and exhaled. He wouldn’t let this go.

  Before she could say anything, he veered the truck off to the side of the road so abruptly she had to brace her hands on the dash or she would have slammed into it.

  “Shit, Alex. What the hell?” She snapped her head in his direction.

  “You’ll tell me what the fuck is going on, Keira. I’m not moving until you do.” His voice had dropped to a low growl.

  She whispered, “It’s nothing.”

  His face grew darker. “Bullshit.” His jaw worked, and he looked out the windshield. “Was it that guy you’re seeing? Did he hurt you?”

  When she didn’t answer right away, his head snapped toward her again. The muscles under his jaw ticked, and she could tell he was barely controlling his temper.

  “That’s it. I’m going to that fucking academy and beating the shit out of that motherfucker.” He slammed the truck into gear and pulled back onto the road.

  Keira reached out and placed a hand on his forearm. The muscles under the skin were hard and tense.

  “He didn’t hurt me, not in the way I’m sure you’re thinking.”

  “Keira, you’re crying because of him. I don’t care if he snubbed you in the cafeteria. He hurt you, and I’m going to make him realize that if he fucks with you, he fucks with me.”

  Keira closed her eyes, not wanting this to escalate. She hadn’t even spoken to Reese, hadn’t even had time to think to herself and figure out what the hell was going on. For all she knew, this was all a huge misunderstanding.

  “I just want to go home,” she said softly. “Please, Alex.” The breath she’d been holding came out of her in a rush when, after several long seconds, he finally started heading to their house. “Thank you, Alex,” she whispered.

  “Don’t thank me yet, princess.”

  She didn’t need to ask what he meant, because the unspoken threat was there.

  As soon as he pulled into the driveway, she didn’t wait for him. Climbing out, she made a beeline right to her room. Her parents thankfully seemed to be gone. Last thing she needed was them wondering why she wasn’t in school and why she was upset.

  She closed her bedroom door and leaned against it. Taking a deep breath, she knew she had to clear her head and confront Reese about this. She loved him. She’d given him her virginity. He hadn’t done anything to break her trust, but the pictures and Lindy’s words repeated in her head.

  Reaching for her phone, she turned it back on. The messages and missed calls flooded her screen. And then it started vibrating with an incoming call. Molly’s smiling face illuminated the screen. She thought about ignoring it, but no doubt by now everyone in the school knew about those pictures. The rumors would spread and twist, and she’d be known as the girl Reese used.