Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 125121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Everleigh walked away.
“I didn’t— Everleigh! Everleigh, get back here!”
A low whistle brought me back to Lucien. “I didn’t appreciate until now what a lethal combination you and Wilder make.”
I smirked. “One little hacked messaging account and that’s one Royal Highness knocked off her throne. I swear, Wilder could rule the world if he wanted to.”
“Don’t put the idea in his head.” Lucien jerked his chin toward the balcony. “Was she covering? Did Everleigh admit to having feelings for Piper in one of the messages?”
“Nope,” I breezed. “I made up number five so that Piper would do exactly what she did and get her hopes up. Once she proved one truth was real, no one would believe the other three were false. Now everyone knows she messed around with her cousin, is addicted to pills, and is in love with Everleigh... and they know it because one of her best friends since diapers cruelly spilled it to the entire campus.”
“Lethal.”
I shrugged. “I try.”
“Was this punishment for Piper or Saylor?”
I looked up as Saylor stormed away. “I never could’ve predicted she’d punch the girl out,” I said, laughing. “But it’s for both of them. It’s for all of them. Gabriella, Everleigh, and Piper joined in on Saylor’s sick revenge, and dressed as my dead sister. They’re all going to pay, but I’m happy to let them fight Saylor for the life vest on the way down.”
Lucien and I snuck away, leaving the Royals overhead to gush about what happened, and spread it to everybody.
“I can’t tell you what’s going to happen,” Lucien said. “In the years I’ve been going to school with them, Saylor and her friends have gotten into fights, but it was only ever Katie who was willing to really tell her off. The others quickly backed down from any true confrontation. And none of them— Scratch that, no one in Saylor’s whole life has hit her other than you.
“Don’t know what she’s going to do next, but Saylor can’t sit back and take that kind of thing. Even so, everyone thinks she kicked this off by making that list, so anything she does to Piper now—”
“—will still make her look bad,” I finished. I wished I could stop smirking. It’d been so long since I used my smile muscles, my face was starting to ache. “No doubt my first plan against Owen, Wesley, Levi, and the others wasn’t good, but I’ve been learning from the best since then. No amount of money, privilege, or status will save Saylor Burkhardt from what I’ve got planned for her.
“The destruction started at the top and spreads all the way down. I promised her she wouldn’t need that scroll anymore because I was bringing every Royal to their knees. I keep my promises.”
I SAID BYE TO LUCIEN at the door. I was a little early, but that was the point. I knew he’d be there.
Professor Anthony didn’t look up from his laptop. “Good morning.”
“Morning.”
He flicked up and landed on me, and my outfit. Adonis quickly schooled his face, though not quick enough to stop me catching the quick widening of his eyes, and the lust burning inside them.
“Miss Sinclair.”
I came toward him, internally chuckling at the stiffening of his shoulders. This man couldn’t be afraid of little old me. More like afraid of what he’d do to me. On this desk.
I glanced behind at the half a dozen students who came to class early too. Not likely.
“You can take your seat, Miss Sinclair.”
“If I did that, how would I give you this?” I fished that week’s writing assignment out of my backpack—the picture of innocence.
His hand brushed mine taking it from me and I bit hard on my lip. I was real excited that morning to put on the sexiest dress I’d ever seen, and come in there and tease him, but I underestimated the effect he’d have on me.
Adonis chose a simple button-up and tie that morning, but that was all the man needed. His shirt hung tight on his frame, outlining the muscles that rippled up his biceps as he moved. Tousled locks hung over piercing eyes that focused so firmly on my face, I knew what he really wanted to look at—and was fighting not to—was my cleavage.
He leaned forward to place my paper with the rest and a wave of citrus and sage washed over me. In a blink I was in that office with him, moaning into his palm while he pounded me from behind. If you had told me, the fresh-from-Catholic-school girl, that I’d hold the memory of a professor coming on my face, I would’ve cursed you out for being crude and creepy. Wild how quickly life and people can change.
“Is that all, Miss Sinclair?”
“When will you talk to him?” I dropped, blunt as a truck. “Are you doing it today?”