Playboy Princes (Royals of Arbon Academy, #2)(22)

Figuring she’d tell me when she was finished, I went back to the message.

Me: I think you’re forgetting who’s the lamb and who’s the wolf.

I sent it before I could think about the repercussions. I wasn’t exactly scared of Alex, but I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit that he made me uneasy. I couldn’t tell what he was going to do next, unpredictable lunatic that he was.

Alex: If you’re a wolf, prove it. Come to Drake’s party.

A derisive snort left me. If he thought I was going to get into a dick-measuring contest with him, he was sadly mistaken. I had nothing to prove to that lying piece of shit.

Mattie was finished with her call now, her face slightly pinked for the exertion of all the yelling and probably cursing she had been doing. “Okay, so three things,” she said, leading me toward her room. “First, I’m having someone look into Alex. Let’s find the dirt we need to take him down.” I wondered if that was what her phone call had been about. “Two, we are going to have our own party tonight, and no fucking assholes allowed.” Okay, but that ruled out half this school. Still, it would be a nice way to stick it to Alex and Drake, his sycophant. “And three… we need to look hot. Non-negotiable. End of story.”

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "Well, obviously."

Mattie grinned at me with a wicked twinkle. "Excellent. I'll accept that as your agreement."

"As tempting as that is, we don't have anywhere to host a party. Drake lives off campus, remember?" Despite how relevant my point was, Mattie just shrugged it off.

"Don't underestimate me, girl. Head up to your room and order us some champagne. I'll swing past with makeup and outfits after I sort a few things out." She gave me a joking butt-slap and pushed me in the direction of the dorms. When I narrowed my eyes at her in suspicion, she sighed dramatically. "Just trust me, Vi. I got this."

As curious as I was about what this might be, I did trust her. So when she gave me a little finger wave and sashayed her way back into the crowd of soccer fans, I just watched her go and shook my head.

"Huh, she's still alive," some random girl giggled to her friend as they passed me. The way their eyes raked over me left little doubt who "she" was.

Her friend sneered, not bothering to lower her voice as she replied. "I guess Alex hasn't seen the way Jordan's been sniffing around her this week."

The first girl snickered again, then turned to give me a pitying look as they continued down the corridor. "I'm sure your funeral will be lovely, Charity."

I just gave her a bored glare back and muttered an insult under my breath before walking off. I didn’t waste my time on chicks like that. Their entire aim in life was to make themselves feel superior by bringing others down.

Arbon students mixed with Princeton fans, all flowing down the main arterial corridor toward both the dorms and the main foyer. Not wanting to run into any more concerned girls, I decided to take a longer route back to my room. One that went past the locker rooms, too, so I could check on Jordan.

Not because I was afraid of what Alex might do—fuck that prick—but because of that scene with Jordan's half brother on the field.

By the time I reached the locker area, the hall was deserted. A shiver of fear and anticipation zapped through me. The new knowledge that Jasmine had been murdered sat heavy in my gut, and I rubbed at my upper arms in an attempt to chase away the goosebumps that had suddenly appeared.

Just as I made the mental decision to bypass the locker rooms and carry on to my room without seeing Jordan, the door on the visiting team's side slammed open and a tall guy exited with a sports bag slung over his shoulder.

"Hey," he greeted me, pausing with one eyebrow cocked. Admittedly, I probably looked a bit strange just standing there in the middle of the empty corridor, lost in my own thoughts. Or rather, frozen in shock. Trust my luck. It wasn't any random Princeton player, it was Mattie's fiancé. Jordan's half brother.

Zachary.

"Hi," I replied, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from saying anything more.

He narrowed his eyes at me, and now that I was up close, I could see the familial resemblance. He shared the same coffee-and-cognac colored eyes as Jordan, and their lips curved the same way.

"Are you looking for someone?" he asked, tilting his head to the side slightly.

I shook my head. "Nope, just... taking a shortcut."

The half-truth fell flat, and Zachary Westbridge gave me a small, mocking smile.

"Sure." The word was deadpanned, and my cheeks heated. "Didn't I see you sitting with my fiancée during the game?"

This time it was my brows that hitched. "Your fiancée is my best friend, and she's never mentioned you until today. That's got to tell you something, huh?"

Zachary laughed, which wasn't the reaction I'd expected. "Cute." His attention shifted over my shoulder, and he gave a small nod. "Rafe. Hey man."

My shoulders stiffened, and I resisted the urge to turn around. I hadn't even heard the door to the Arbon locker room open. Sneaky fuck.

"Zach." Rafe's deep voice was like ice. "Don't you have somewhere to be? A flight home, perhaps?"

Mattie's fiancé just grinned, and it was one of those mocking, knowing kind of grins that suggested he knew something we didn't. "Nah, no rush. Your dean kindly offered us lodging for the night. I sure hope someone throws a party while we're here. No one parties like the royal sluts of Arbon Academy, am I right?" His joke was aimed at Rafe, but the sly wink was all for me. Ugh. What a creep.