Elite (Eagle Elite #1)(36)

“So?”

“So…” He nodded his head. “You know it’s okay for you to tell me. I won’t say anything. I mean, I know I’m an Abandonato, but it’s not like, you know, I’ll set Jimmy on your or anything.”

I burst out laughing. “Are you high?”

His eyes narrowed. “No.”

“Wow, then you have to know I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t?”

“Nope.”

“Good.” He sighed, and kicked the ground. “That’s, wow… that’s really, really good.”

“I think you must have lost more blood than you realize in that fight.” I nudged him with my elbow.

He laughed. “At least I can say I’d freaking bleed for you, if that’s what it took.”

“Took?”

He stopped and reached out to touch my chin, lifting my face toward his. “To keep you safe.”

“So you’d die for me?” I joked trying to break the awkwardness.

“Don’t you get it?”

My breathing became erratic as he leaned close enough to kiss me again. “I’d give my life for yours.”

“Why? You don’t even know me.”

His eyes closed, and when he opened them all I saw was pain and regret. “You have no idea what I know, and believe me when I say, your life is worth a hell of a lot more than mine. And yes, after tonight, you better believe I know you better than anyone, even better than you know yourself, and I hope to God it stays that way, Trace.”

Just as I was about to open my mouth to ask more questions, because basically that’s all I had ever since coming to this school, headlights were on us. The dorm was in front of us, and the road was suddenly blocked by a few expensive-looking cars.

Of course they were all black.

Did no one believe in color around here?

“Trace, go inside.”

“But…”

Nixon gripped my arm and turned me toward him. “Trace, I need you to listen to me right now. You take this.” He handed me his black key card. “You don’t walk. You run until your legs burn. You run into the building, you run into the elevator, you run down the damn hall, and you lock your door until I come and get you. Do you understand?”

Freaked out, all I could do was nod. Nixon gripped my hand closed over the key card and whispered it again. “Run.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. I ran like hell. And as I ran all I could think of was why I wasn’t safe in my own school? And how did those cars get in if they were bad?

I swiped the card and ran into the dorm. Once I was inside the elevator I looked up and saw twelve guys in suits walking toward the dorm. As the doors to the elevator closed, I could have sworn I saw Grandpa.

God, I missed him. That’s why I was freaking out.

The elevator dinged and I ran to the room and locked the door behind me. Monroe was already on the bed.

“What the hell, Trace? You got murderers on your tail?”

I shook my head and gasped for breath. “I don’t know. I just… Nixon told me to run, so I ran. And he got into a fight with Phoenix and Tim and—”

“It’s fine,” Monroe said quickly. “You saw the fight?”

I nodded.

“Then you know Nixon can take care of himself, right?”

I nodded again.

“Great, now let’s watch a movie.”

“What!” I yelled. “I can’t just watch a movie while your brother could be getting murdered!”

Monroe burst out laughing. “Believe me when I say nobody would be stupid enough to murder my brother.”

“Are you insane? I—” My phone started ringing. Well, at least it was working. I’d had my doubts after the sugar water incident. I looked at the caller ID. Oh, good. “Hi, Grandpa!” I practically shouted into the phone.

He chuckled on the other end. “Sweet pea, how was your first week of school?”

“Oh… you know. Um, boring,” I lied.

“They treating you nice up there at that fancy school?”

Immediately, I relaxed. I missed him so much. I was so freaked out, but if I told him what had happened he’d probably come up here with his shot gun and sit outside my dorm room. He and Nixon had that in common. “Yup, everyone’s super nice.”

“Oh, honey, I knew it. I’m so glad.”

It was silent for a while and then he added. “Trace? Did you open your grandma’s box?”

I sighed happily. “Yes, sir! I haven’t looked at everything, but I wore the necklace today!”

“Aw, that does my heart proud! She loved that necklace, Trace.”

I was itching to ask him more about it, but my caller ID lit up. “Hey, Gramps, can I call you back?”

“Oh no, don’t worry about me, Trace. I gotta go do the night feeding for the cows. You stay out of trouble, okay?”

“Okay! I love you!”

“Trace, I love you more. Goodnight, sweet pea.”

“Night!”

I switched lines. “Hello?”

All I could hear was creepy breathing on the end. Awesome. And my night was complete. I quickly pressed end and threw my phone against the bed.