Page 82 of The Devils They Are
"Tai Beckett's twin sister," I interject playfully.
Arch has already met Soph, but I see the rest of our group stare on in disbelief. Soph, on the other hand, elbows me again, making me wince. Unbeknownst to everyone at the table, I'm currently sporting some interesting bruises from myfightwith Rylan.
"Don't associate me with that asshat," she grumbles. "And don't think I know that you two had some type of argument. He got home with the pups and I realized your car was gone."
I shrug nonchalantly. "To be fair, I have arguments with everyone."
"It's true," Arch interrupts. "It's a right of passage. You have to have at least one argument with Bexley before graduation."
Millie pipes up, intrigued. "I haven't had an argument yet."
"That's because I'm a little scared of you," I joke. "And Parker too."
"Oh, please." Millie rolls her eyes. "I've seen you fight. You could handle me. Speaking of fighting—when do I get my turn?"
Parker's face hardens. I can see the battle behind his eyes but he's out of luck. A deal's a deal.
"Next fight night," I answer, glancing over at Sophia. I wonder if she knows that her brother's best friend arranged the best damn cage I've ever seen in my life.
My cheeks heat up at the memory, deliberately knocking my fork off the table so I have an excuse to duck underneath. As I reach for the fork slowly, I catch sight of Arch and Abby's hands linked in her lap, and I snicker, tickling his hand with the prongs. A foot swings at me in retaliation, and I reappear from under the table, grinning at his annoyed look.
"Way to change the subject," Soph mumbles, turning to Abby. "I'm Sophia. Bexley's new BFF."
"Only because we share a common enemy and I can use you for intel."
"What common enemy is that?"
The whole table turns at the sound of the deep voice, eyes landing on the three men who haunt my nightmares in different ways. For a second, Rylan and I lock eyes, his blue irises dancing slightly. Quickly, I look at Tai, replying, "You. Obviously."
His mouth snaps shut, glaring at his twin with some weird loving-hateful sibling glance. "Traitor."
Surprisingly, there's zero malice in his tone, but he's still annoyed at her presence at our table. Sharp eyes grab my attention and I cock an eyebrow at Hunter, who lingers on Tai's left.
"Lannister," I greet coolly. "Got something on your mind?"
His eyes narrow, a stark contrast to his blue-eyed friend. I'd almost say that the hatred comes from fucking his best friend, but I'm fairly certain it's just pure hate.
"This isn't over yet, Duchess," he quips. "Not by a long shot."
My lady boner at Rylan's presence is instantly eradicated, anger taking its place as I stand up from the bench. Hooking my leg over, I stand toe-to-toe with Hunter, silently telling myself not to throw hands.
"You started this mess. Don't blame me because you don't like the consequences of your own actions."
His bicep flexes as he pushes back his hair, the red tips melting into the obsidian mess. "You'll have to do better than a little glue. I'd sleep with one eye open if I were you."
Smiling, I gently press the tip of my nail into his chest—today's color is a bright shade of pink. It reminds me of the pink hues on our skin after our tumble in the new cage, but I'll never admit that to anyone.
"I sleep soundly, Lannister. In fact, my dreams often feature tubes of superglue and your ass on Mrs. Smythson's desk."
I can feel Rylan's gaze on the side of my face, but I ignore it. I don't trust myself to break character if we lock eyes.
"Are you going to the dance, Sophia?" he asks, and I can still see him watching me through my peripheral vision.
She jumps up, picking up the flyer and waving it excitedly again. "Hell yes. We're all going. Aren't we, Bex?"
Is it possible to get away with murder? I mean, I know I have a room full of witnesses, but a little homicide can be disguised… right?
"Soph," I warn.
