Devils' Day Party: A High School Bully Romance - C.M. Stunich Page 0,61

dig deep into the lives of the people around me. At the very least, if I ever get to see tomorrow, I'll have emotional ammo to use against the Knight Crew. “We're not going to the gun shop.”

“Have you forgotten whose car you're driving? I'm taking you to the party tonight as my guest. Try to be grateful you're not spending the night in the school cellar.”

Without warning, I turn the wheel sharply and send us flying down a narrow gravel road toward Black Bass Lake. One of my aunts—I have a lot of aunts, only one of which is actually related to me, while the rest are just good friends of my mothers—owns a house down here that she rents out on Airbnb. It's usually unoccupied at this time of year and stocked with plenty of coffee for future guests.

“What the actual fuck?” Raz snaps as we hurdle down the road and turn right toward the open gate. Two other neighbors live down this way, and they usually don't bother closing the gate. We come to a screeching stop in front of the house—this adorable little two-story cottage full of old wood floors, quilts, and happy memories. I need this right now.

I turn the engine off and snatch the keys away from Raz when he lunges for them.

“Get your ass back here!” he shouts as I take off up the steps toward the front door. There's a keycode lock for the Airbnb guests and since I know the code, I'm inside in a matter of seconds. Part of me considers locking Raz out of the house, but that's something regular old Karma would do.

Whoever it is that I am today is reckless. Uninhibited. Fuck it. Let him come in here and rage at me. He needs someone in his life to tell him no for once. Maybe it'll straighten him out a bit?

I shove the keys between the pages of the guest book as I pass by, heading into the kitchen to start up some coffee.

We're about two hours away from the woods where the party's being held, so we're likely to be late, but screw it, it's Devils' Day. Nobody cares what time we show up.

The screen door slams closed as Raz storms into the house, pausing briefly in the living room before moving into the kitchen to glare at me. He takes his lit joint and stabs it out on my aunt's rustic table, making my blood boil.

My eyes snap up to his and fury takes over me.

I know in my heart that I'm not getting away with my shitty take on today. I'm not waking up tomorrow. No, I'm going to open my eyes and find blood on my steering wheel. My Aunt Donna's table will be fine.

But I don't care.

Raz needs to learn that the world is not a playground for his arrogant ass.

“Why would you do that?” I ask, gesturing at the table, surprised at how calm I am right now.

“Where are my fucking keys, Trailer Park? We're going to the gun shop and then heading back to the party.” He takes a menacing step toward me, but I'm not afraid of him. Raz thinks he's some terrifying force to be reckoned with, but in reality, he's nothing but a spoiled rotten brat who needs a good spanking.

“We? Why don't you just find the keys and leave me here?” I grind out, watching his feral face as he moves up to the peninsula and slams his palms on the epoxied brick surface. My brow goes up as he curls his lip into a sneer.

“Because it's more fun with you around, Karma. What good are tricks with nobody to play them on? Get the keys. Now.”

“Get fucked, Loveren,” I snap back, pushing the button to start the coffee maker. It gurgles to life as my eyes stay locked with Raz's in a life or death struggle. When he moves to come at me, he's almost too quick. I have barely enough time to grab the bag of coffee grounds and throw them in his face. Raz howls in pain, much the same way he did when I threw sand in his face that first day, and takes off after me as I snatch the keys and flee out the side door.

I'm far enough ahead of Raz that I don't expect him to catch up to me. Instead, I've just decided I'm going to drive his car into the creek near the house, swollen with the