Page 6 of Defiant
“What’s wrong?” Jaz’s voice broke into my head, causing me to glance at her.
I was a stranger to her, a stranger who’d been more than a little overconfident, and yet she truly sounded as if she cared about what that phone call was about. Hmm. She was probably smart enough to know it was about her, in a way.
“Thanks for asking, but it’s family business,” I muttered, running my thumb over the screen of her phone. An old model, its case scuffed up. It wasn’t the kind of phone I expected to see on any kid in Midpark, and yet I knew Jaz wasn’t from there. She was a lamb tossed to the rich wolves for sport.
“It didn’t sound good, from what I heard,” she said, moving to hug her knees to her chest. Jaz studied me with those huge, dark, knowing eyes, and I had to turn away. It was almost funny how easily she could affect me, though I supposed I was partially to blame for that, since I’d been obsessing over her ever since I’d found out what would’ve happened if her mother had never taken her away.
I didn’t like the thought of being exiled, but maybe this would work out for the best. Maybe, by the time Skull called me again and forgave me for my mistake, I’d have Jaz on my arm. She’d be my girl, just as she should’ve always been.
“It’ll be fine,” I said, turning to face her on the bed. “But there is a change of plans. I can’t bring you home.”
“You still could, because my home now is in Midpark,” Jaz quipped with a small grin. “I don’t know where yours is, though.”
“I can take you back,” I said, giving her a smirk. “But first, how about you agree to play a full day of hooky with me?” I watched as she thought it over, knowing Jaz was the sort of girl who liked playing by the rules, but was also the kind who liked playing games. She was a goodie-goodie on occasion, but not all of the time.
Sometimes she was very, very bad.
I hoped, someday soon, she’d show her naughty side to me, like she’d started doing earlier.
“Hooky?” Jaz repeated, incredulous. “First you want to kidnap me—at knifepoint—and now you want to play hooky with me? What’s next? You going to threaten my mom again?” Still angry about that, apparently.
“Look, I’m sorry I threatened your mom,” I told her. “I had to get you to come with me, and with how much you care about her, I figured she was the best way.” Shrugging, I added, “It was nothing personal against you or your mom.”
Jaz was silent for a while, sizing me up. “How can I trust a single word you say?”
“I’m many things, but I’m no liar.” My gaze fell to the phones in my hands, and I was slow in handing hers back. “There. You want to call someone—your mom, the cops, whoever—go ahead. If not…you can show me around Midpark. Give me the tour. Maybe I’ll even buy you lunch.”
I could tell she didn’t know what to do, didn’t know whether to trust me. “And then what?”
And then what? That was the question of the morning, because I sure as hell couldn’t afford this hotel room for more than a few nights. I’d…have to figure out something. I could be resourceful when I had to be.
“Then…then I take you home, and you go about your life.” That was as simple as I could get without telling her, pointblank, I wasn’t going anywhere. I didn’t want her hightailing it and running the other way, away from me. Not when I knew she had other guys in her life right now that would easily take her in.
Jaz looked like she debated on calling someone, but in the end, she set her phone aside. “All right,” she spoke slowly, “I’ll play hooky with you, as long as you drop me off at the high school before it lets out.”
I nodded once, figuring she didn’t want her dear mother to realize she’d been away the entire day. If her mother kept a tight leash on her now, imagine how short it would be if she found out about me basically kidnapping her.
I got off the bed, moving to get her backpack on the floor. I set it beside her, eyeing her up. I still wouldn’t mind continuing where we’d left off, but…probably best to get my mind off that right now.
It was only a matter of time until she succumbed to me, mark my words.
“Where to?” Jaz asked, sliding her backpack over her shoulders as she stood. Her slender, curvy figure reached my chin, the perfect height for me to tuck her under there, hold her against me, and refuse to let her go.
Hmm. I supposed that would be a little much, considering everything. I had to remind myself to take baby steps. She didn’t know me, after all. To her, I was nothing but a stranger who’d threatened her mother.
“You tell me,” I spoke with a grin.
Oh, today was going to be fun. I might be feeling upset over what Skull had told me, but if I focused on Jaz, everything would be okay. I’d get through it. She would help me, even if she was unaware of it.
Chapter Three – Archer
Jaz wasn’t in class today. It wasn’t surprising, given what happened on Friday, what I did to her, what everyone else did, but still…I guess a part of me wanted to see her, as stupid as it was. I knew I didn’t deserve to ever lay eyes on her again, not after what I did, but that didn’t stop my heart from secretly aching.
I hated it. I hated it all—what we did, what I’d done to her. Fooling her was never part of the plan, but then, when I’d invited her over to study, when things spiraled and we hooked up in my bed, I’d known I couldn’t keep it to myself. It was only a matter of time before she found out.
And by she, I meant Brittany. Brittany had eyes and ears everywhere in this school. She had all the teachers on her side, too. All she had to do was pout, or bat her eyelashes, or flash her family’s money, and everyone bent to her will.
Me? It took a bit more to get me to bend to her.
