Page 21 of Reckless
I looked at her hard, wondering if she didn’t think she was strong enough, or if this place’s machinations had gotten to her. Midpark was not the same as my hometown, not even close. The ways of the rich and the ways of the poor were two totally different things. Everything that was going on here was a bit crazy, although maybe I was just saying that because I was used to things back home.
“I think you’re stronger than you give yourself credit for,” I told her, causing her to inhale sharply and those tan cheeks of hers to blush.
Jaz looked away. “I’m glad you think I am, but…” She let out a sigh before giving me a gentle smile, a smile that made heat creep up my spine and my hands to itch. I wanted to touch her so fucking bad, it was unreal. “Thank you for telling me, Dante.”
Her thanks was sincere, and yet I was still stuck on what she’d said first. Jaz clearly didn’t think she was strong enough to handle it, and I wondered if she’d ever want to meet her father now that she knew who he was, that he wasn’t a squeaky-clean law-abiding citizen. Who the hell was? She knew what I did to Ryan and his friends, and I bet, sooner or later, she’d find out that Vaughn had ended Ryan.
She was surrounded by psychos, and she seemed fine with it. The thing Jaz was having the most trouble with was Brittany’s murder and the fact that her body was gone—and how she was somehow being accused of it.
I would never force her to go with me to meet Skull, but I really hoped she would change her mind eventually.
Eventually, you know, once all this shit was taken care of.
The end of the day arrived, and I didn’t bother swinging by my locker. I headed straight outside, moving not to my bike, but to another car. The parking lot, where the rich students would park their fancy Mercedes Benz and other sports cars, was mostly empty. The car I wanted was still there.
Archer Vega didn’t go to Ryan’s funeral; why would he? He caught Ryan and his friends about to do something unspeakable to Jaz.
I stood near his car, folding my arms across my chest and leaning against the driver’s door. This way, he’d have to go through me to get in. He and I needed to have a chat. Archer didn’t know that I was more than willing to get my hands dirty for Jaz, to keep her safe, but that was something he should know. Unlike Vaughn, I still thought the lying jock was guilty, so I was going to treat him as such.
When I saw Archer emerge from the doors of the school, his bag slung over his shoulder and a vacant look on his face, I braced myself. He was a few inches shorter than me, but he did have some muscle on him. I’d gotten into it with him when I caught him with Jaz in the woods, all by their lonesome, his body stuck to hers like glue.
The fucker.
Didn’t he already fuck her over enough? No more Jaz for Archer Vega.
Jaz seemed to like him too much, even if everything was fishy around him. But that was fine—I would be Jaz’s common sense. I didn’t mind being the stronger arm here, teaching that guy a lesson yet again.
Archer’s blue eyes spotted me instantly, and his vacant stare morphed into one of distrust and disgust. I could tell he didn’t like me, but the feeling was mutual. He carried his head high as he met me near his vehicle, his keys in his hand. He fiddled with them as he held my stare, his square jaw tense.
“You’re in my way,” he said, as if I was just going to move.
Hah, yeah, right.
“Deal with it,” I growled out, wishing I had my switchblade on me. Archer was one I’d stab a few times, just for fun. Alas, that switchblade was tucked safely away in my motel room, since Midpark High had metal detectors and all that shit. I also refused to take the chance of getting caught with a murder weapon.
Archer’s gaze narrowed, and he sized me up. I hope the bastard was remembering how I’d pounded him when I caught him with Jaz. “What do you want?”
“I want you to own up,” I said. “Man up, nut up—whatever you want to call it—because I’m tired of seeing Jaz worry.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
My head was slow to tilt, and I glared at him, the glare of a man who was ready to kill for his girl. Whether or not I stared at another killer remained to be seen. Did Archer have it in him? Did he kill Brittany and try to frame Jaz for the murder? Maybe. Time would tell. Right now I wanted to put the fear of God in him, though.
And by God, I meant the Storm. As in me.
“Don’t be stupid,” I said, the sun hidden by light grey clouds over our heads.
Archer let out an annoyed sigh. “What do you want? Did Jaz put you up to this? Dude, I’m done, okay? It’s all done. You guys won. Ryan and his friends are dead, and now Brittany’s dead. My family is torn apart. Jaz got back at us all.”
It sure sounded like Archer was blaming Jaz for everything bad that had happened in the last few weeks.
“Jaz had nothing to do with it,” I said. “She had a plan for the dance, but that’s it. Whatever happened to Brittany, and whatever the fuck happened to you—she had no part in it.”
“And Ryan and his friends?”
I wasn’t about to admit it to him, so I simply said, “They got what was coming to them.”
Archer shook his head. “Maybe, but murder is still murder.”
