by Erin Trejo
Dance For Me
Alder Academy Book 1
Erin trejo
Copyright © 2020 by Erin trejo
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Contents
1. Whisper
2. Steele
3. Whisper
4. Steele
5. Whisper
6. Steele
7. Whisper
8. Steele
9. Whisper
10. Steele
11. Whisper
12. Steele
13. Whisper
14. Steele
15. Whisper
16. Steele
17. Whisper
18. Steele
19. Whisper
20. Steele
21. Whisper
22. Steele
23. Whisper
24. Steele
25. Whisper
26. Steele
27. Whisper
Epilogue
Afterword
1
Whisper
“I don’t understand what any of this means,” I say rubbing at my temples. This is all a headache. Everything in my life has been a headache. Day after day, year after year.
“It means that they have decided to take you in while you’re in college. This is amazing news, Whisper.” I stare at her. Really look at her. My caseworker. She isn’t your typical looking caseworker, not like the ones I’ve had in the past. She’s taller, more poised, but she has the personality of a street kid which is why I get along with her so well. She’s treated me with respect over the last four years and for that I’m grateful.
“Why would some family decide to take an eighteen-year-old girl in? I haven’t been adopted before now,” I say rolling my eyes. Asia sits forward, resting her elbows on her knees as she glares at me.
“Maybe they’re nice people?” she says.
“Or maybe they’re psychotic killers. Human traffickers. Hell, maybe they are going to cut me up and eat me,” I say sitting back in my chair. Neither of us speak for a long second before she bursts into laughter.
“Eat you? Really? I’d be more afraid for them, Whisper. This is your chance to go to college, have a shot at a real family. The Remington’s are wealthy and have stability. They are offering you the chance to further your education. You’re going.”
“Technically, I am eighteen and don’t have to follow these rules,” I add raising an eyebrow.
“If you didn’t get into so much trouble, that might be true, but you Miss Whisper are hell on earth. Which means the judge already signed off on all of this,” she says with a smirk. One I’d like to slap off her face. I don’t like being told what to do. In fact, I don’t do well with authority at all.
“This is bullshit.”
“Maybe, but I see it as a chance for you to make something out of your life. Besides, I hear Alder Academy has an amazing dance program.”
“Considering I sing, that won’t do me any good,” I snap back. She raises her eyebrow and shakes her head.
“Considering I have seen you dance; I think you’re full of shit.” This is why I like her. She challenges me even when she shouldn’t. She makes me feel like there is something out there for me even when I don’t see it myself. Hell, I don’t believe there is anything in this life that I can do right.
“This is stupid,” I say once more.
“Too bad. It can be stupid all you want it to be but you’re going.” She shoves out of the chair and walks toward the door as I watch her. This is it. The last time I have to see her. Alder Academy? I’ve looked it up. All it is, is a bunch of entitled spoiled rich fucks. Not where I want to be, and it sure as hell isn’t somewhere I plan to stay. I won’t fit in there just like I don’t fit in anywhere. I watch the back of Asia’s head as she heads out the door before flipping her off. Fuck her. With a sigh, I stand from the bed and grab my bag before following the way she went out. I’m down the stairs of my current girls’ home when I see the couple standing outside with smiles on their overly perfect faces. She’s gorgeous, could pass as a supermodel. He isn’t bad himself.
Stepping outside, everyone’s eyes come to meet mine. She steps forward first, holding her hand out.
“I’m Debra. It’s so nice to meet you,” she says pleasantly. I’m not completely rude so I step forward and take her hand.
“Whisper.”
“I love that name. It’s one I’ve never heard before. So unique.”
“It’s stupid,” I inform her, pulling my hand back and letting my arm fall to my side.
“Well, I think it’s beautiful.”
“You would,” I grumble.
“Whisper! Your manners,” Asia reminds me.
“Sorry,” I say sweetly batting my lashes at Debra. She isn’t going to be able to handle me. This isn’t going to work.
“Well, I’m Nathan. It’s nice to meet you as well and if you don’t like your name, what would you like to be called?” Jesus, even his voice is as pleasant as Debra’s. I roll my eyes and shake my head, my long dark hair falling over my shoulder.
“Whisper. Just like everyone else calls me. Are we going?” Nathan doesn’t look shocked at my outburst as he nods his head and holds his hand out for my bags. Shaking my head, I walk to the trunk of his SUV and toss them in before slamming it closed. Asia grabs my arm and pulls me against her.
“Be nice, Whisper. They seem great.”
“She’s a pushover.”
“Don’t push her then,” she says with a smile. A fake front for the fake parents.
“Fine.” I’ll say anything to get her off my ass right now. I want to get the hell out of here and get on with this bullshit of a life. Stepping away from Asia, I climb into the back of the SUV and slam the door closed. Debra and Nathan share a smile before climbing in.
I watch out the window as a part of my life passes by. A past that I hate. A past that I love. A past that made me who I am. I’m not sure who this new Whisper will be once I settle in and make myself a place at Alder Academy. Something tells me that I will still be me. Just which version?
2
Steele
“You see Tricia today?” Knox, one of my brothers asks as we walk the long hallway.
“Don’t I see her every day?” He chuckles when Callan, our other brother steps up next to us.
“What are we talking about?”
“Tricia and how good her ass looks in those little shorts she had on,” Knox states. I roll my eyes as we make our way into the coach’s office. His eyes come up to see it’s the three of us before he drops what he’s doing.
“You three. Why the hell can’t you just stay out of trouble?” he snaps, resting his hands on his hips.
“What trouble?” I ask tilting my head to the side with my signature smirk on my face. We’re known for trouble. Around here we’re known as the Triple A’s. This is our school. We run it, we own it. Nothing happens in this town without our knowledge. We are the fucking Alder’s.
“Really, Steele? Do I need to remind your asses that even though you run the world in these parts, you still have to put in some kind of effort?” I love when he gets all pissed off like this. It makes me hard.
“Need I remind you that I don’t give two shits about any of this?”
“Not even football?” He woul
d pull that card. Alder Academy is number one in college football. That’s because my brothers and I are top fucking athletes. Without us, this team would fall to shit. We keep it running.
“Don’t pull the football card, Ray,” Knox chimes in.
“I have to or you three don’t listen. Your dad’s been up my ass about your grades.” I see the look in his eyes, and I know that it’s hard for him to deal with us and the football team. Dad is always off on business and leaves Ray to pick up the pieces. Ray is like a father figure to the three of us but that doesn’t mean that we don’t give him hell.
“Why? Who’s failing now?” I ask glancing over at Callan. He’s the youngest of the three of us.
“Fuck off, Steele,” he grumbles.
“Get your shit together, Cal! We don’t need him breathing down our backs,” I growl turning to face my brother, Cal.
“It’s not just his grades, Steele. You boys are stirring up shit with your undercover searching that isn’t as secretive as you think it is,” Ray tells me.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Now my anger is directed back at him.
“It means your dad knows you’re looking into the shit with the Macron family history.” That has us all stopping in our tracks.
“What’s he care?” Knox asks stepping closer to the desk. Ray looks around making sure no one is within hearing distance before he walks around the desk crossing his arms over his chest.
“You know why he cares. There’s a reason that those things are kept secret, Steele.” He always directs shit at me since I’m the oldest.
“And? If he wants us to handle things accordingly, we need to know these things. It would be a shit ton easier if he would just tell us,” I remind him.
“Well, tonight might be your chance. He’s on his way back to Rolling Springs.”
“What for?” Callan asks standing up straighter. We all know that when Dad comes around, shit usually gets bad and involves us.
“Don’t know, don’t care. He said he wants to see you all at the house at seven after practice.” Knox huffs out a breath that I understand all too well. No one is in the mood to deal with our dad tonight. We have games coming up and need to practice.
“I’ll think about it,” I say, turning and heading toward the door.
“Don’t you dare think about it. Show your ass up, Steele!” Flipping him off over my shoulder, I step back into the hallway with my brothers right behind me.
“What do you think this shit is?”
“How the hell do I know. Why don’t you get your shit together and get your grades up before it’s all of our asses on the line, Callan!” My father has made it very clear that we are all to graduate college here with a degree in business. The problem is, none of us really give a shit about the business. We like the dark side of things, the back side that not many know about. We like getting our hands dirty. I don’t see myself ever working in an office the way my father does. Callan maybe, but not me or Knox. Nevertheless, if we want our share of the income we have to do as he says.
“Fuck off,” he roars before walking away.
“Why do you like pissing him off?”
“I don’t. I like my money, that’s it. Callan is fucking around and going to get us all in trouble if he doesn’t pull his head out of Sandra’s ass.”
“Jealous, Steele? Oh, shit. You are huh?” Knox asks.
“Of Sandra? Fuck no. I could fuck her in the hall closet just like high school.”
“You didn’t?” His face is full of interest now. His blue eyes light up like a Christmas tree.
“The fuck I didn’t. Right down the ninth hall, man.” Slapping a hand on his shoulder, he laughs loudly as I turn and walk away when I see her. Tricia. She rushes toward me as she covers her lips in lip gloss. I want to roll my eyes but then I wouldn’t be getting any pussy later. Instead, I let her push up against me, pressing her freshly glossed lips to mine.
“Where have you been?”
“Talking to Coach. Why?”
“Why are you always so short with me?” She flips her long blonde hair over her shoulder as she stares me down.
“You’re too damn needy. That’s why,” I say as I try to walk past her. I don’t get far which I already figured.
“You used to like it when I needed you.”
“No, you thought I liked it,” I remind her as she falls into step next to me. That’s when I notice a girl I’ve never seen before standing outside with a cigarette between her lips. I tilt my head to the side and study her a second. There’s no smoking allowed on campus but that doesn’t mean that us guys couldn’t do it. We can do anything.
“Who is she?” Tricia asks as she pulls her lipstick out of her purse.
“Don’t know. I’m about to find out.” Moving away from Tricia quickly, I walk out the side door and straight toward the girl. When I’m close enough, I grab the cigarette from her fingers, bringing it to my lips and inhaling. She looks up at me, light brown eyes bordering on the edge of anger.
“Didn’t your mother teach you not to take things from others?” she asks cocking her head to the side to stare up at me.
“No. Actually, she taught me I should play nicely with others.”
“And you think this is playing nicely?” I inhale another long drag before flicking it to the ground. Leaning down so I’m eye level with her, I blow the smoke in her face.
“One thing you will learn around here, new girl, is that we don’t play nicely. Ever.”
3
Whisper
I make my way to the dance studio, yes, a dance studio in the damn academy. I was lucky to get into this class to begin with and the fact that I’m late isn’t going to sit well with these uptight teachers. Not like I could have been on time in this giant ass maze of a school anyhow. As soon as I step in, everyone in the class stares.
“You must be Miss Sullens,” the teacher says as she looks me up and down. I don’t miss the look in her eye either. They aren’t used to seeing people like me, apparently. Where most of the girls here wear fancy designer clothes, I’m walking around in torn jeans, combat boots and a band tee shirt.
“That’s me,” I say shoving my hands in my pockets.
“You’re late. I don’t appreciate you showing up to my class late,” she snaps. I nod my head and walk to the corner of the room making sure to stand behind the other students. It isn’t until the music starts playing that another guy walks in. He’s tall, looks a lot like the one that took my cigarette earlier. Prick. He grins at the teacher and I watch as she just scowls back. That’s when his eyes come to stop on me. His head tilts as he takes me in much the same as I’m doing to him. Then he moves. Right toward me as I uncap my water and take a long pull.
When he stops in front of me, I know we’re going to have an issue. I can see the look in his eyes. He reaches up and takes my water from my hand bringing it to his lips, my mouth drops open. I reach up and snatch the bottle out of his hand causing some of to spill down his chin. He smiles and my heart nearly stops. Two dimples peek out of his cheeks.
“That wasn’t very nice,” he says, his tone sexual as hell. He drips sex appeal just like that other one but in a different way. Where this one is clearly a little friendlier, the other was dark and brooding.
“I’m not known for being nice. And to be honest, I don’t know why you men around here think you can take whatever you want.” Finding myself talking back to something as gorgeous as this man is a little strange.
“What does that mean?” he asks clearly intrigued by my words. I want to roll my eyes and walk away but there’s something in his stare that makes me stay. Or maybe it’s just the stupid side of me.
“It means first my cigarette and now my water. You men need to rethink who it is you’re messing with,” I add with a slight growl in my tone.
“Partners!” The teacher calls out as I drop my bottle onto my bag. As soon as I turn back, I’m in the arms of the man that pissed me off. He smirks and sp
ins us around onto the dancefloor.
“I didn’t say I wanted to partner with you,” I hiss. He just chuckles and pulls my body closer to his. The music is fast; a hip-hop beat, yet he keeps me tucked closely to his hard frame.
“I don’t ask, sweetheart. I just take, remember?” He grabs my wrist and spins me away from him before jerking me back in. His hips move, pressing into me as he dances. With a sigh and knowing that I’m not going to get out of this, I let him lead me. I let the music, the thump of the bass swirl through my body, taking control. My hips begin to move, my feet taking on a life of their own. In seconds, I’m lost in my own little world of dance and there is nothing or no one that could take this from me. The music keeps going and so do I. My partner grabs my hips, jerking me back into him. Our bodies move as one when suddenly the music stops.
Sweat drips down my temples as we both suck in air. Heaving for breath, our eyes clash when the teacher clears her throat. I step back, blinking rapidly.
“I wasn’t aware you knew how to dance, Miss Sullens,” she says as she walks closer to me and the mystery man.
“I… uh… I used to dance a lot back home. Not in a class or anything. More street dancing,” I say. I hear a few laughs and giggles, but I don’t give a shit. I’m not here for these stuck-up bitches.
“You move very freely. I think you’ll do just fine in this class, although, we don’t always have this type of music.” I nod my head when her eyes move over my shoulder.
