Page 57 of Rockwell Academy: The Twist

“Have you told her that?” Jesse asks, thinking I’m a fool and I nod. “As it happens, I have, and she’s good with it. We are free but bound together by desire and not because of the rules of The Claiming. She wants me for me and not because I claimed her.”

“So, that’s why you did it?” Santi chuckles softly. “I’m guessing there is more to your madness than you’re letting on, but we’ll run with that if you like.”

I shrug.

“It’s the truth. Cassie is my girl and I don’t want anyone else, and we don’t require a vow made at a stone altar to change that.”

I turn to Jesse. “So, are you throwing your hat into the ring this semester, or are you so tied up with your biggest mistake to try?”

“I haven’t decided yet?” He is noncommittal and as he hangs up his mask, he nods to Santi. “Let’s leave them with their twisted imagination and grab the beer before it all goes.”

As they leave, Luca makes to hang up his mask and I stop him. “We’ll face River as centurions, but first I want to know what you said to him when you led him away.”

Luca’s eyes gleam, and I recognize the spark of excitement in his eye as he nods toward the far end of the chamber.

As I follow him, he leans against the wall and whispers, “I had information about a secret he is hiding—quite well, as it happens and I revealed it to him.”

“What secret?”

His eyes darken. “River isn’t who you think he is.”

Now he has my full attention, and he leans a little closer.

“The Serpent Society?”

Fuck! That again and I’m guarded as I nod. “What do you know?”

Luca nods. “A few hours ago, I received a text from my Uncle Lucian. It was a warning.”

My heart is beating like a drum as he whispers, “Miss Sloane, as you know, is their recruitment officer and has done a remarkable job of sending students their way. She is one of many dotted around the country.”

I nod. “I know, and I was going to talk to you about accelerating my plan for that.”

“And say what?”

I lean against the wall and speak in dark undertones. “You already know that Jesse is being groomed. She is hooking him on drugs and feeding his mind with images, using sex to control him.”

Luca says nothing and I wonder if he would be up for what I’m about to suggest.

“As it turns out, I have an uncle who shares the same opinion as yours, and the guy was removed to his hospitality in return for information. My mission this semester is to break Miss Sloane’s hold on Jesse and ruin her trade, and as you mentioned a honey trap when we last spoke about this, I was kind of hoping you are still up for helping me with that.”

“On one condition.”

I raise my eyes. “Name it.”

“I get to enter the next Claiming challenge.”

“Is that all?”

I kind of think there’s more and I am right to be concerned when he adds. “And I want you to add your sister’s name to the list.”

As his words register, I’m liable to explode.

“What the fuck!”

I glare at him and wonder why I’m not holding him against the wall right now as I punch his face in.

“Think about it?” He stares at me with a hard expression. “You want to protect her. Were you aware she was heading out on a date with some jock before I intervened the other day?”

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