Page 53 of Ruin Me
Alex leans back, his expression unreadable. “That’s a heavy accusation, Vogue. You better have proof to back it up.”
I lean in, bracing my hands against the worn wood of the table. “Proof? How about common sense? Your group whispers behind closed doors, and now you’re stonewalling me on every damn term we try to negotiate. What am I supposed to think?”
Alex’s eyes harden, and his jaw sets. “You want transparency? Here it is—I don’t trust you any morethan you trust me. The Crowned Syndicate isn’t exactly squeaky clean.”
“Trust goes both ways,” I shoot back, feeling the heat rising in my chest. “But right now, it looks like your house needs cleaning first.”
“Look, Vogue,” he starts, his voice low. “There is a lot of shit going down right now. We’ve got bigger shit to worry about than our turf war.”
“Like staying alive?”
“Exactly.” He runs a hand through his hair, a gesture of frustration I recognise all too well. “Let’s put the bullshit aside. I’ll find this mole, if there is one, and plug the leak. Agreed?”
“Agreed.” There’s no room for ego when your life’s on the line. And right now, I need him as much as he needs me because he’s right. Shit is getting real, and whether it was always here and I’m just joining the party isn’t a concern for right now.
“I’ll be in touch,” he says and rises, walking out without a look back, his guys and girls on his tail. I watch Jess. She’s good at the acting thing. She had me fooled, but she is in this mafia shit deep.
“You are in so much fucking trouble, princess,” Callum states from over the top of my head in the opposite direction. “Do I need to keep a tracker on you?”
Turning to him with a wicked smile, I say, “Try and find out what happens. Spoiler alert: your dick doesn’t get wet, at least not by me.”
He narrows his eyes at my obvious fish. “Then it doesn’t get wet.”
Those words are commitment coming from the guy who has killed for me, rescued me, intimidated me and fucked me senseless, not necessarily in that order.
He bends to give me a kiss on the top of my head and then takes my hand to help me up. “You don’t go anywhere alone.”
“It took you long enough to find me. You’re not very good at guard dogging.”
He snorts at the word dogging, and I feel my cheeks heat up. “We can go dogging if you want, princess. Maybe we’ll grab the van later and meet some guys I know out in the woods.”
Leaning over to press my lips to his, I murmur, “Would they happen to be Thayer and Harry?”
“Maybe,” he replies slyly. “But maybe not.”
My heart pounds at the provocative nature of this conversation. I decide to call his bluff. “You’re on then.”
His mouth drops open in surprise, but then he presses his lips together and gives me a searching stare. “You’re naughtier than you let on, aren’t you, Vogue?”
You have no idea.
“Let’s just say I have my secrets, and you are going to have to work harder to learn them.”
“Oh?” He arches an eyebrow.
I give him an innocent smile and push that from my mind, buried deep where it stays. There’s no need to drag all that up right now. Not when shit is about to hit the fan. “Let’s go.”
He links our fingers, and he leads me out of the back door of the cafe, where I assume he came in, we walk across campus, enjoying this feeling of being wanted when the feeling of abandonment still cuts across my soul, deeper now than ever.
29
VOGUE
On my mid-morning break,I head to the quad to meet Thayer. He’s already there waiting. When I reach him, my phone buzzes in my pocket, and I slip it out to see Alex’s name flashing on the screen. “Meet me in the northwest courtyard.” The message is cryptic, setting off alarm bells in my mind. Thayer peers at the screen when I hold it up for him, his gaze sharp as he senses my unease.
Thayer’s eyes narrow when he reads it, protective instincts kicking in immediately. “I’m coming with you,” he insists, and I don’t argue.
The campus is busy as we make our way to the designated spot, the overcast day throwing a chill in the air.
