I keep forgetting she isn’t like the rest of the girls here at Sun Valley High. She doesn’t give two shits who I am and she’s making that abundantly clear. She sticks close to Henderson all day Saturday, leaving me little room to swoop in and take her. Not unless I want to make a big show of it, and yeah, that’s not happening. So, I’m left to stew as she laughs with the motherfucker, drinks with him, lets him touch her. It’s not romantic. At least I don’t think it is for her. But every time that asshole throws an arm around her shoulders, I want to pummel his face in.
Allie Ramirez is mine. Mine to fuck. Mine to hurt. Mine to soothe, should I decide to. I’m itching to touch her and it’s doing things to my head I don’t like.
“Ro, what’s your deal, man?” Dom asks as I brood on the cabin porch sipping on a glass of water, nursing back a bit of a hangover from the night before. I don’t drink often. None of us do. Football is too important. But the few beers and the game of beer pong are leaving their mark today. “I figured you’d fuck the girl out of your system and walk away. What gives?”
I grunt. “Maybe I just want a few more fucks before I move along.”
Before I finish the sentence, he’s already shaking his head. “Nah. I’ve seen you with girls. This one is different. I get the whole mind-games shit you like to pull with chicks, but even that’s different with her. You cooked last night, and don’t try and bullshit me into believing that was for me or Emilio. You did that for her. Why?”
Emilio interrupts, stepping outside, still rocking that stupid bright ass bikini over his sweat pants. “I like Allie. Can we keep her?”
Dom and I both jerk our heads toward him. “What?” I ask, surprise coloring my voice.
“I said, can we keep her?”
"She’s not a puppy,” Dom chides, but his brows furrow like he’s wondering the same thing.
“Why?” I ask again.
Emilio rolls his eyes. “Hello, I just said because I like her. Are you even paying attention? What is up with you today, man?”
I turn to Dom but all he does is shrug and raise a brow as if to say, don’t ask me. Some help he is. I don’t get this side of Emilio. Sure, the guy’s nice to pretty much everyone, but only at face value. He doesn’t actually like people. I don’t even think he cares for Dom or I all that much and we’re his best fucking friends.
“What happened to you two fuckers saying I needed to focus on the field?”
“I changed my mind. I wanna keep her. If you’re not into her anymore now that you’ve had your fun just say the word. I don’t mind sloppy seconds. Based on the sounds I heard coming from your room last night, that girl is well worth the trouble.”
I stand and take a menacing step toward my best friend, ready to nail the asshole in the face with my fist when Dom steps between us. “What are you planning here?”
“To wipe that smug look off his face.” I point my water bottle right at Emilio and the fucker smiles at me.
Dom shakes his head. “Not with numb nuts over there. What are you planning with Allie?”
My jaw tightens and I glare at him. “I don’t have any plans,” I bite out, “Why the fuck are you two down my throat about her all of a sudden?”
“She’s not like other girls,” he says.
“I’m aware. If she was, she’d be over here kissing my boots instead of playing around with Henderson all goddamn day. What do you want from me?”
Emilio shoves himself between the two of us and flicks his gaze back and forth. “He wants you to lay out your intentions, Rome. We both do.” And for once the dude has a serious expression on his face.
I glower. “Why the hell are you two so goddamn interested in who I fuck all of a sudden?”
Dom grunts. “Because Emilio is right. We like her. Neither of us wants you to fuck things up for us.”
My mouth drops open. “For us?”
Emilio nods and smacks me in the chest light-heartedly. “Yeah, fucker. For us. Like I said, we like her. She fits in with our crew. She doesn’t see dollar signs when she looks at any of us like every other chick in this town. We could use a feminine touch up in here. Too much testosterone with you two jackasses all the time if you ask me, and your dick is going to fuck that up so this is us telling you not to do that. Lo entiendes?” Do you understand? Was he fucking with me right now? “Say whatever you need to say to her. You fucked something up this morning or she wouldn’t be hanging with that ass wipe and you wouldn’t be over here brooding.”
My jaw clenches. “This isn’t how things roll with us.” There’s a bite in my tone I usually reserve for everyone but the two people beside me. Dominique and Emilio are like my brothers. They’re family. But I don’t take orders from anyone and I don’t have to explain myself to them.
Emilio meets my stare and his eyes narrow, sparking with something I’m not used to seeing in his gaze. “She’s the relationship type.”
I work my jaw harder. “And this matters to you because…”
“You’re not.”
“Never tried to claim I was,” I remind him. And then I add in for good measure, “She laid her cards out first. She wants fun. No strings. Don’t jump down my throat for giving the girl exactly what she asked for.”
Both their expressions consider me for a moment, searching for any deception. Then Dom asks, “She really said that?” He doesn’t sound convinced.
“Yeah, fucker. She did. So calm down.”
“Fine, let’s assume we buy that. What’d you do to piss her off?”
My shoulders sag and I grit my teeth.
“Come on, fucker. Spill.” Emilio says, all but bouncing beside me. The guy is wired this morning. I need to remember to hide the coffee from him.
“I fucked her.”
“And…?”
I huff out a breath. “And I withheld her orgasm when she refused to beg for it.”
Dominique whistles and Emilio whoops, then says, “I always knew you were a shady asshole with control issues but fuck, man, that’s cold. And let me guess, you still got yours?”
I nod.
Emilio cackles, covering his mouth as he folds over at the waist before he straightens. There are tears of laughter shining in his eyes. “Damn. If you want inside that pussy anytime soon, expect to do some groveling.”
Not. Fucking. Happening.
Allie
The hallway is teeming with activity as I walk toward my first class Monday morning. I ignore the looks directed my way as I have been since I transferred here, but something about a few of them make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge.
There’s more hostility in them now. Not just the usual indifference I’d grown used to last week.
I’m not winning any popularity contests this year, not that I expected to being the new girl, but I have a feeling the camping trip is why I’ve suddenly earned the extra attention, in particular from the girls of this school. If looks could kill, let me tell you, it’s like I just walked onto the set of Mean Girls and every girl walking past is another Regina George with their eyes locked on me, marking me as prey.
I shiver and cast a quick glance over my shoulder as I head to my English class. Spotting Silvia and a group of her friends, I step to the side, hugging close to the lockers to avoid her, but of course she sees me, and before I can slip into my first period, she’s shoving her way through the crowded halls right toward me.
I cringe. This isn’t going to end well.
I’d kind of expected a confrontation up at Shadle Creek and was relieved when one never happened, but it looks like she’s been biding her time and now this seems to be her golden opportunity to put the new girl in her place.
Her upper lip curls into a sneer and four more girls close in beside her. I brace myself for whatever verbal lashing she has to offer, knowing it likely has to do with her being kicked out of the Devil’s cabin that first night, when the next thing I know, an open palm slaps me across the face. My head snaps to the side, my mouth dropping open as
my hand jerks up to clutch my cheek. I barely register the sting and all I’m thinking is, WHAT. THE. HELL?
The blow had come out of nowhere. I’m so startled by the violence that I don’t react other than to clutch at my face, my eyes wide and my body immobile.
“You’re such a stupid whore,” she snarls, spittle flying toward me coupled with her vile words. All eyes turn toward us, the silence in the previously boisterous hallway deafening.
Goddammit. I can’t hit her back. Her friends have stepped forward, forming a half circle around me. If I hit her, they’ll step in and help. I don’t have friends here and I don’t feel like being jumped, but the urge to fight back has me clenching my hands beside me into tight fists as I take a deep breath, my nostrils flaring.
I step forward determined to force my way past her but she shoves me back into the lockers. My back slams into the cool metal surface and a single manicured finger lifts and points arrogantly in my face.
I grit my teeth together, refusing to rise to the bait. The shove was hard. The slap harder. But she isn’t that strong. Neither have done more than surprise me and I refuse to stand here and cower to the school’s resident mean girl.
I tilt my chin up, meeting her emerald gaze head on.
Silvia’s one of the it girls. In the eyes of the students here, she’s at the top. And I’m at the bottom. I don’t expect anyone to come to my aid, which is why I’m surprised when the crowd parts and Emilio swaggers toward me, an easy grin on his face—but I don’t miss the bright hot fury in his eyes.
He assesses the situation before him, a tick forming along his jaw and between one second and the next, I can tell he’s come to some sort of conclusion about what’s going on here.
A flash of concern crosses over Silvia’s face when she spots him before she tries to mask it with cool indifference. Hands propped on her hips she purses her lips while she continues to stare down her nose at me.
Emilio makes a noise to catch her attention before snapping his fingers like he’s just realized something interesting. “You were at the campout this weekend, right?” he asks, moving closer toward us.
When he’s only a foot away, he leans next to the lockers beside me, lifts one hand and rubs his bottom lip with his thumb as he gives Silvia a considering look as though he’s trying to place her.
She mistakes it for interest and turns her full attention toward him. Her scowl is now a seductive smile, and at this point I’m all but forgotten. “I was.” Her words are breathy. She pushes her shoulders back, ensuring her breasts are thrust out toward him before lowering her head so she can look up at him through her lashes.
I roll my eyes, at her come-hither expression. It’s so blatantly obvious I can’t imagine guys actually fall for this crap.
Emilio pushes off from the locker, his eyes darkening as he closes the distance between them. I guess her little seduction tactics really do work.
“Yeah, I remember you. I almost fucked you.” His words are husky, shot full of arrogance.
When he’s a scant few inches away, he raises his hand to cup the side of her neck, his thumb resting in the center of her throat. “MmmHmm. We can rectify that anytime you’d like.” She leans toward him as he dips his head to whisper just loud enough for our ears to hear.
“Pass. You must either be blind or stupid then, because if you were paying attention, you’d know Allie’s with us. She’s Devil property and we don’t take kindly to people fucking with what’s ours.”
His thumb presses firmly against her throat and she gasps. The skin around his grip whitens and her eyes are wide, suddenly filled with fear.
Then he releases her and steps back as if nothing happened. An easy smile slips into place and he tosses an arm around my shoulder, drawing me in to his side.
“We gonna have problems, Silvia?”
Her lips tighten, heat now coloring her face and neck.
“She’s an outsider,” one of the girls beside Silvia spits out.
It’s the wrong answer to Emilio’s question. His fists clench at his sides and he looks around the hallway, all eyes still glued to the scene in front of us.
“Ice them out,” he says to no one in particular, but heads all around us nod.
Silvia sucks in a breath as her four friends all take quick steps back, putting distance between themselves and her. “You can’t do that.”
He chuckles, but it’s a dark, dangerous sound. “I can do whatever the fuck I want. You made a mistake. I suggest you learn from it.”
She opens her mouth to respond just as another voice calls out over the sea of students.
“What’s going on over here?” A man’s voice booms through the hallway. “Break it up. Everyone get to class.” The hall empties just as the first bell rings and everyone heads to their first period.
Silvia waits for a beat before she, too, leaves, but not before I see the hate-filled look in her eyes telling me things between us are far from over. If anything, Emilio stepping in only added fuel to the fire. If she didn’t hate me before, she certainly does now.
Mr. Alvarez—the school principal—comes into view, eyeing Emilio and me warily. “Mr. Chavez, Ms. Ramirez, get to class.” He claps his hands and I jump and move to do as I’ve been told but Emilio’s grip on my wrist stops me from making my escape.
“That shit happens again, you find me. Got it?” His dark brown eyes meet mine.
“Why?” I'm so confused as to why he’d help me in the first place. Is this because I slept with his friend? Emilio comes off like the nice guy, sure. He reminds me a lot of my friend Felix back home. Which is how I know Emilio never makes a move that isn’t calculated and he had no reason to step in just now and help me.
He frowns at me. “That’s a dumb-ass question, vanilla. What do you mean, why?”
I shrug my shoulders and rather than answering him, I say, “Fine. I’ll find you.”
“See that you do.” Satisfied, he releases me and we both head off to our first class. I spot Roman waiting for me outside the door leading into English. He doesn’t say anything. His dark brown eyes meet mine but I can’t get a read on him. I know he saw what just happened but whether he cares or not is a complete mystery to me. I wish I could crack his hard exterior shell. I’m still pissed at him. He was a complete ass Saturday morning and never bothered apologizing for it afterward, not that I’d expected him to. However, I did expect him to talk to me again, but I got nothing. Not even a goodbye on Sunday as everyone drove out heading back into town.
Without a word he turns and heads into class. I sigh. I do not have the energy to deal with both Silvia and Roman today.
By lunch, the entire school is buzzing with news that the Devils have claimed me. And not just one Devil. No, though that would have been more than enough, but Emilio made sure to say ours as if he speaks for all of them, making me the property of not one asshole but three. I’m not entirely sure what being claimed by them means, but the stares and whispers have definitely increased tenfold. If I thought this morning was bad, the afternoon is even worse.
So much for flying under the radar till graduation.
I grab my lunch as quickly as possible, intending to take it and hide out in the library, but Dominique puts an end to that idea when he lifts my tray from my hands and with his own, carries them both over to the table in the corner forcing me to follow if I want to eat. I almost consider letting him just have my food. It’s not like I plan on eating much of it anyway.
I’ve lost six pounds since mom died. I should eat more but I just can’t seem to stomach it. Though I had no problems eating the albóndigas Roman made for us.
Dom sets my tray down on the table beside Roman before rounding to the other side and taking a seat next to Emilio. No one says anything about my arrival, they just dive into conversation about an upcoming game like nothing is weird about me sitting with them.
Alrighty then.
I poke at my lunch—a chicken patty with mashed potatoes and gravy on the s
ide. The lunch lady said it was chicken fried steak day but nothing about this looks like chicken fried steak. Still, I make an effort to swallow a bite before using my fork to move things around so it at least looks like I ate something.
I spot Aaron a few tables away, his gaze trained on me. When he realizes I’m looking at him, he flicks on his mirrored shades and turns back to the guys he was talking to.
I deflate and look away only to see Roman’s gaze lasered in on me. His mouth is set in a hard line as dark brown eyes search mine. “Something going on between you and Henderson?” he asks.
I roll my eyes. “He’s my friend and he doesn’t seem all that fond of you three. That answer your question?”
Roman nods and sucks his bottom lip into his mouth before throwing an arm over my shoulder and giving Aaron a fuck-you grin. God. Guys can be such assholes sometimes.
I shrug out from under his hold. “Stop trying to stir up trouble,” I tell him, smacking his arm.
He grips my chin and turns my face toward him. I lick my lips and his eyes track the movement, hunger in his gaze. “Allie, haven’t you learned I’m nothing but trouble?”
His head dips and he presses his lips to mine. At first, it’s a soft press but then his teeth are tugging on my bottom lip, urging me to open for him. I do and his tongue darts in for a quick taste that leaves me reeling in my seat.
He pulls back, cocky arrogance stamped on his face before I catch him looking over my shoulder. I don’t need to turn to know he and Aaron are locked in a stare down. My cheeks heat and anger unfurls inside of me.
“When you decide to stop being a jerk, let me know.” I stand to leave the table but his hand around the back of my thigh stops me.
Wicked Devil: An Enemies to Lovers, High School Bully Romance (Devils of Sun Valley High Book 1) Page 10
