Devious Kisses: A Bully Enemies -To-Lovers Romance (It's Just High School Book 1)

by Thandiwe Mpofu

  “Liam,” John chides, clearing his throat.

  “It’s the truth, Dad.” Liam chuckles lightly. “I mean, you get to know cars so well that you can easily recognize when a car is malfunctioning like I mentioned.”

  They’re silent as they watch him, so he continues a fake tale.

  “Besides all that, I drove wrong. I think there was something in the middle of the road, maybe it was a cat. You know how cats are in Palos Verdes.”

  “Sure—"

  “Yes, so I drifted off the road but couldn’t seem to control the car after that. I knew I was headed for the cliffs, so I dove before I was done for. My face isn’t fit to be smeared and plastered on cliffs, right J?”

  “Right,” I state, keeping my voice low.

  All eyes turn to me. I see the way the officers straighten, tensing up. My father eyes me for a second as Nicky steps closer to him.

  “Your face would make a fine cliff design, Liam,” I start, my words low. “Great for sightseeing.”

  “Nah, not this face!” Liam says, turning to look at the detectives. “So yeah, that’s what happened, and I would’ve been done for if it wasn’t for the girl who saved my life.”

  “Ah yes, Miss Mia Montague,” Detective potbelly says, perking up. “According to both of your statements, she found you that night because she saw the whole thing?”

  “That’s right,” Liam says, stepping forward, now paying close attention than he was before. “What about her?”

  “Mr. Fitzgerald, don’t you find that odd?”

  I stand even taller, remaining silent.

  “What’s odd?” Liam echoes, his voice dropping to a deadly pitch.

  “That Miss Montague, a student from Clintwood Academy, your rival enemy, just happened to be right behind you while your car burst into flames?”

  “What?” Nicky says, stepping forward now.

  “Hmm, nothing’s odd there, detective.” Liam shrugs, fighting to stay calm. “Especially seeing as literally everyone in Palos Verdes drives through that road at the cliffs.”

  “What about the pranks?”

  “Pranks?” Liam questions. “I’m not sure what you mean, detective.”

  “Lately, both schools have been involved in a series of unaccounted for acts of vandalism, trespassing, assault, theft, cars being lit up in school parking lots, destruction of property, and all the gory details of bloody, gutted fish left at school entrances, not to mention, football fields ruined by actual tractors,” the detective recounts from his notebook.

  “Oh yeah, I heard about that.” Liam chuckles, biting through the pain. “But nope, I don’t know anything about it.”

  “Strangely, no one in Palos Verdes seems to know about that either,” the detective says, his thin lips pressed in a fine line.

  “Damn,” Liam breathes. “I so wish I could help you with that one. Anyway, is that all?”

  “Actually, we have one more question,” detective stoic says. “Do you think maybe Miss Montague might have been involved in sabotaging your car?”

  “What on earth are you talking about?” Nicky steps in, her eyes blazing. “This is the second time you said that.”

  John holds her back now, a tight expression on his face. “Detective, what are you talking about?” he questions.

  “Sir—” Detective potbelly starts but Liam cuts him off.

  “You keep saying the car was tampered with, why?”

  “It seems our forensic team picked up something at the crash site,” he starts, looking curiously at us.

  Liam glances at me for a second, then turns around smiling.

  “Did you find the sex toys I bought from L.A?” He gasps sarcastically. “Please tell me they’re alright and you didn’t take them to your house.”

  Potbelly’s face grows red and he almost chokes on his own.

  “That’s not what we’re talking about, young man,” Detective stoic says as he steps in now. “We found samples of a type of explosive, one that we believe could have been a bomb. A time bomb by the looks of things.”

  The detective steps forward, but for some reason, he’s dead set on me. “The car that you were driving, it belongs…”

  “To me.”

  I step forward, knowing where this is going.

  “So, you boys exchanged cars that night?”

  “Yes.” I don’t elaborate. I don’t explain.

  “What are you trying to say here, detective?” John steps in now, discreetly pushing me back.

  “See, it looks to us that someone planted that bomb on your son’s car, in an attempt to get your older son.”

  “Well, do you have anything other than assumptions?” John demands. “Evidence maybe?”

  “We’re working on that, sir. So far, word is, a young woman matching the description of your niece, ma’am, was overheard plotting to light up one of you.”

  My body stills, growing to granite in a split second. My neck tingles, that dull sense of arousal starts crippling from my spine, but I don’t react. I know she’s somewhere listening.

  “Are you out of your mind?” Nicky demands. “Mia would never hurt anyone.”

  “Nic,” John tries to sooth her, but she shakes him off.

  “Where is this coming from? My daug—my niece would never do such a thing.”

  “This comes after a rumor that you two boys got into a heated argument with Miss Montague earlier that night.”

  Yeah, he knows. It’s clear in his eyes. Someone told him all this information, gave him Mia’s name. And I know who.

  “That’s not true.” Liam frowns, anger flashing in his eyes, but I don’t say anything.

  “Well, there are witnesses that came forward with this information. They believe this argument you had with Miss Montague was boarderline assault.”

  “What?” Liam exhales. “What witnesses?”

  “We can’t reveal that information, but I have to ask, Mr. Fitzgerald, did you have a run-in with Miss Montague earlier that night?”

  “No.”

  “That same night, Clintwood Academy’s gymnasium was vandalized with graffiti of your school colors and other drawings that we can’t repeat. Were you there?”

  “Detective, I just told you. I have no idea who’s behind all these pranks,” Liam says. “I believe I was at a girl’s house at the time.”

  “What about you, Mr. Fitzgerald?” the cop questions me.

  “What about me?” I know exactly where he’s going with this.

  “Where were you Saturday night?” he questions.

  “Like I told you before, I was with a friend, Cole Perry. You know him.”

  “Yes, but did you have a run-in with Miss Montague earlier that day?”

  Knowing damn well that she’s listening and probably losing her shit, I step forward, staring directly at the detective.

  “Yes.”

  “Julian,” John starts, but I ignore him.

  “I did see Mia earlier that day,§” I start.

  The detective perks up, looking like a dog with a bone.

  “Can you elaborate?” he questions, glancing at his partner.

  “We met at the auto repair shop.” I keep my voice low and my eyes hooded.

  “An auto repair shop?” Liam, John, and Nicky repeat, all looking dumbfounded.

  “Yes, like I just told you, my car was acting funny and upon arriving there, I saw Mia Montague. Her car was in the shop for a custom job, I think.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “Well, she had a bit of an argument with the guys there who failed to fix the scratches on her car. If your witnesses are talking about an argument, detective,” I hold his gaze, wondering if he’s somehow connected to the Matthews. “It could be that one.”

  “But witnesses say it was an argument with you and that she might have been bitter—"

  “Bitter enough that she would purchase explosives to kill her soon to be step-brother?” Nicky argues. “My niece is not violent and I’m pretty sure she do
esn’t know a thing about explosives or what have you.”

  Err, your daughter is smar,t ma’am, she knows how to kill with nothing less than her smile.

  “That’s true, all she knows is glittery shit and shopping.” Liam steps forward, then glances at Nicky. “Besides, we’re family.”

  “So far, we just have these witnesses, a car that exploded from a bomb and a potential suspect.” Potbelly says, rubbing his beard.

  “Have you talked to her?” I question, feeling her stare on me. “Have you spoken to Miss Montague?”

  “Not since that night at the scene of the accident, unfortunately. But we’re on our way now to the Montague home.”

  “There’s no n…” Nicky starts but I effectively cut her off.

  “Good,” I step forward, blocking the woman who threw my Little Minx away she was nothing from view. “But I have to agree with my brother, your witnesses seem bogus. Her niece is nothing but a clueless little girl. Things like bombs would confuse her.”

  I know she’s listening to every word and the fact that no one knows she’s there means one thing. She’s terrified right now. She should be. She just became the number one suspect in an attempted murder.

  “You know her well?” the stoic detective questions.

  “I don’t need to, when it’s obvious that someone who knows cars, like I do, knows that my brother is right. There was something wrong with the car that day even when I was driving it, but I couldn’t place my finger on it. So, whatever investigation you’re conducting on whatever basis, drop it.”

  “That’s—”

  “There wasn’t any foul play, detective.” Liam steps forward, now standing side by side with me. “We don’t have any enemies that would go to those lengths. The car malfunctioned.”

  “And the explosive?” the detective questions, a suspicious look on his face.

  “Detective, you’re smart enough to know that when engines are overheated, over worked and all that jazz, especially engines of Camaros, they tend to explode at times. I mean, have you driven those beasts? They can blow up.”

  “But there were traces of—”

  “Yes, traces of explosives. Tell me, did your team find that from the car itself or from around that area?” I question.

  “Well, from the crash site, but that’s hardly…” he starts, but I smoothly cut him off.

  “And you also know that same area is used by so many people to set off fireworks for celebrations, right?” I don’t relent, I don’t look away, I just watch him.

  “We’re well aware of those activities happening at the cliffs, but still—”

  “So, we both agree that there might be a chance that these ‘traces of explosives’ found by your team, actually came from those fireworks and not the car itself?”

  A heavy silence falls over the great foyer. I can see my father’s jaw ticking from the corner of my eye and Nicky has unshed tears in her eyes, her facial features twisted in shock.

  “The chances of that are, in fact, possible, Mr. Fitzgerald.” The detective finally relents, his eyes narrowed.

  “Then we’re done here. My brother is not pressing charges and as the owner of that car, I’m telling you to back off and let my brother rest.”

  “Son.” John steps forward then. With a slight shake of his head, I know he wants me to stand down and back away. “Detectives, I apologize for my sons’ behavior. I have to say, it’s been one week from hell around here but both of them are right. We’re not pressing charges on anyone, as we all know that there’s no one to press charges against.”

  “But, with what we’ve been hearing from witnesses—”

  “Witnesses from where, detective?” Liam says. “There aren’t a lot of people that just happen to hang around the cliffs that late at night.”

  The clearing where everyone was when the race started was deserted by the time the ambulance and police arrived. Hell, when Cole and I passed, it looked like nothing ever happened but the accident.

  “Yes but, Miss Montague…” the stoic officer scrambles to grab on to something.

  “Is a wonderful young lady who isn’t involved in any of this,” Nicky steps forward again. “My niece helped save a life. Why would she stop and help the medics revive and handle that same victim with care if she wanted them to suffer?”

  The detectives stand there, blinking rapidly, but they don’t say anything else.

  “Detectives, it seems we’ve reached an agreement,” John starts, a passive look on his face. He knows Liam and I did shit, caused mayhem here and there, set fire to shit, but as always, he’s covering it all up, getting us out of trouble. “Thank you for stopping by and for making sure to look into these matters, but I assure you, it was just an accident. Thankfully, no one was hurt or seriously injured.”

  Liam clears his throat dramatically.

  “Yes, well, besides my son, who’s clearly well on his way to a full recovery, if his mouthy attitude is anything to show for it.”

  I watch as both detectives step back and then John whisks them out of the house. Liam turns to leave but I stay put, waiting for the fireworks. John walks the detectives out but is back in a flash. Shutting the door with a soft click, he turns around, a thunderous look in his eyes.

  Here we go.

  “What the hell was that?” he explodes, and I grin. “What’s this about witnesses and Mia’s name in this?”

  Before I can say anything, the culprit steps from the shadows, her face as pale as the glass of milk that she’s gripping, her fingers practically glued to the glass.

  “I think I know,” she murmurs, her lips trembling.

  32

  My heart’s literally in my throat, my palms are sweaty, and I think I need to run away to another country all together. The police are looking for me, for crying out loud!

  “Mia?” Nicky gasps, her beautiful face scrunched up in a frown. I don’t know if it’s possible to see a stroke coming on a person, but the shadows in her eyes are seriously stressing me out. “What’s going on?”

  Over her shoulder, I notice the way both Liam and Julian tense up, both of them eyeing me, waiting for me to snitch and make the situation worse.

  I think of the incident at the car shop, I didn’t even see Julian there, but he saw me. How’s that even possible?

  And now the detectives are looking for me. I’m the prime suspect of a set up. All because I accepted Shane Matthews’ freaking ‘good luck charm’ in the name of ‘I’ll kiss you later.’

  Asshole.

  “Well, you uprooted me and my mother for your own interests, only to put us in this house with them, the famous Fitz brothers of St. Jude high.”

  “Okay, but what does that have—”

  “It has everything to do with literally everything,” I almost shout, as fear and trepidation pool in the pit of my stomach, making my insides shrink with pain. “Did you ever stop to think about what would happen to my life because of all of this?”

  “Mia—” she starts but I cut her off.

  “My life’s been flipped upside down since that night. You moved us, and you never asked about what I felt or what might happen. Hell, I bet you ignored the fact that my school and theirs are intense rivals.”

  “Mia, I didn’t think it would matter.”

  “Well, it does!” I throw my hands in the air. “It matters because look what’s going on now. The police have my name, going about making accusations that I tried to blow him up.”

  “Well, I’m still here, so…” Liam interrupts but at this point, I can’t even find it funny.

  “Sweetheart, that’s what we’re trying to figure out. Why anyone would say that about you?”

  “It’s because of them!” I stare pointedly at Liam and Julian, ignoring the expressionless look Julian is giving me.

  “What?” Nicky questions. “What about them?”

  “There are people at my school who are intensely jealous of the Fitz brothers. People who do shitty things to make one’s high sch
ool experience messy and fucked up and now, they’re after me.”

  “Sweetheart, you never told me,” she murmurs softly.

  “Yeah, well, you never told me that you were getting married either,” I mutter.

  “Oh, and the fact that you’re actually my mother.” As much as I want to divert the situation from what’s happening with the police, I can’t help but speak the truth. “And now, I work extra hard to make sure that no one knows where I live.”

  “Well damn,” Liam whistles, looking thoroughly amused.

  “But Mia, we talked about this. I thought you were okay with this.”

  “I only moved in because you gave me no choice!” She looks sad now, but I keep going. “She was my mother before all this. I’d have laid my life down for her and now she’s my aunt and you threw me away. I’m a glutton for punishment, and I think I’m going mad. Dad hasn’t bothered to call and everything at school blew up in my face.”

  “Mia, I never meant to hurt you, sweetheart,” she starts, tears running down her cheeks.

  Can this fucked up day end?

  “I never believed that you would but, you did.”

  “Mia.”

  “I know what you want. I know you want to talk, but I’m not ready for that right now.”

  She nods, her hand covering her mouth. Fuck, there’s entirely way too much water works, dramatics and over the top feelings here. Time for me to bow out.

  With that, I leave the room, passing a smirking Liam and an impassive looking Julian who I know is still mad about the kiss from earlier, but whatever.

  “Mia, fucking Mia!” Liam whistles, pushing my door open like he owns the place.

  “Liam!” I yell then duck back into the walk-in closet.

  “Oops.” He laughs his signature hyena laugh, strutting into MY room while I’m half naked like he owns the place.

  “Knock much?” I growl. It’s been hours since the clever thing I did with Julian in front of Nicky and I’m now suffering the shock of what I did. But am I going to let the world know how shaken I am? No.

  Is Julian fucking pissed at me for using him when he explicitly warned me that he wasn’t my sex doll to use whenever I wanted? Yes.