Page 60 of Deliverance

“Because I told you to,” Asher snaps back before taking a drink of his beer.

When he finishes it, he tosses it to the side before grabbing another bottle.

“Yeah, be a good girl for us, will you Bridgey?” Liam snickers as he sits on the edge of an empty grave, swinging his legs back and forth.

“C’mon, babe. Go get her and I’ll take you back to my room and eat your cunt all night. Promise.”

He never offers to go down on me. It’s always the opposite. For Asher Putnam, trading sexual favors is the closest thing he has to a love language. Am I wearing him down? Is he finally starting to give in?

“Fine.” I sigh. “But I better come at least twice.”

“Whatever you want.” Asher chuckles as he lifts the bottle to his mouth.

“And if he falls short, I could take one for the team,” Liam says with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Honestly, not the worst offer I’ve received. I’ve only hooked up with Liam the one time, but it was absolutely memorable. And all those piercings? Yeah, the guy definitely knew what he was doing when he got that done.

Making my way through the cemetery, I can’t fight off the chill that runs down my back. It’s bad enough that it’s a cemetery and it’s the middle of the night, but it’s easily one of the most haunted cemeteries in the world. Over three hundred years ago, dozens of people were hung on this very hill where this university was built…hence the name Gallows Hill University. It’s kind of sick when you think about it. The Brethren’s Elder families were some of the many responsible for eradicating witches from Salem all those hundreds of years ago. Then, as a big fuck you to any they had missed, they built an entire school on top of the ground where so many were killed. God knows what else the Brethren did to this land over the years.

The faint glow of the bonfire shines up ahead like a beacon. I don’t know why Asher even wastes his time with her, but if I’m honest, I don’t really care. In case it wasn’t clear, I’m not a fan of Skyla Parris. Not one bit.

When I make it through the wrought-iron gates of the cemetery and back to the party, I pause, scanning the area before my eyes land on my target. Maggie is with her, dancing and laughing, and before she rests her hands on Skyla’s hips, and my blood boils. Fucking slut.

It doesn’t last long, though. Soon Maggie is making her way towards a girl from across the way. Maria or Maryia. Something like that. She wastes no time either.

I rip a cup out of a girl’s hand passing me by, taking a large sip of it before pasting on a big smile. Forcing myself to sway a bit as I walk, I wave and make my way over to the bitch I’m here for.

“Hey! You’re Skyla, right?” I slur slightly, because who wouldn’t trust a slightly buzzed girl?

She looks at me with a look of disdain before giving me a brief nod.

“I’m Bridgetteeee,” I say with an exaggerated giggle.

She gives me a tight smile as she looks me up and down.

“I remember, you were bent over my bed.”

Shit. I almost forgot about that. Not dropping the act, I snicker and cover my mouth.

“Sorry about that. You know how it is; when Asher Putnam asks you to jump, you fling yourself right off the bridge.”

Skyla looks at me like she couldn’t agree less, but gives me a nod to pacify me. Aw, what a good little girl. Daddy must be so proud. I do my best to hold in my smirk as I keep my smile in place. She takes a step like she is going to walk away when I panic.

Reaching out for her, I hold on to her arm, digging my nails in a little deeper than necessary because I never said I wasn’t a bitch.

“Wait, I wanted to say I’m sorry and I hope we can start fresh. I swear, I’m not the bitch I seem to be. I just like him,” I say softly.

Or I did. I don’t know anymore. I like his attention. I like what he can offer me. Him as a person? Yeah, no, he’s a selfish prick.

Skyla shrugs. “Well, you can have him. Honestly, I have zero interest.”

I laugh, but when I realize she isn’t playing a game or something, I stare at her. Wow. I mean, I know she’s new, but doesn’t she understand how lucky she is? How set for life she is? She will be the most powerful, the most protected, the most revered woman in the entire society.

“Have you been to the spot yet?” I ask, doing my best to move on with this whole thing.

She frowns. “The spot?”

I roll my eyes and squeal in a pitch that even irritates me.

---