This Fearless Girl (St. Clary's University #2) - E. M. Moore Page 0,58

what she sees because she marches up to him and slaps him across the face. “Fuck you, Stone Jacobs.” Her glare moves to me.

Cole moves in front of her view. “Not the girl.”

Marissa screams in frustration, ripping the engagement ring off her finger and throwing it at Stone. It bounces off his chest, taking a journey down the stonework steps until it spins out on the final one.

She runs away, and Cole grins. I can’t say that anything about that bothered me, but I understand the consequences. At least, I think I do.

“Pretty soon, she’ll be telling her old man about your indiscretion with a woman who is, admittedly, ten times better than her. However,” Cole points out, “you and I both know what that means. Her father won’t be helping your father anymore.” He moves his arm through the air and makes a plane-crash sound. “The Jacobses are one friend away from being nobodies. You know that, don’t you, Stone? It’s why you tried so hard to forget about Dakota and make it work with Marissa.” He screws up his face. “Actually, the only thing I saw you working so hard at was giving Dakota multiple orgasms. It was three, wasn’t it? Pretty sure I counted three.”

Tires squeal out of the parking lot, and Stone’s shoulders pull back. “Congratulations. You ruined a girl’s life.” He shrugs, but I sense the fear wafting off him.

“Don’t act so nonchalant. We know how much that alliance meant to your father’s estate. If one more pillar crumbles under the weight of Lance’s stupid mistakes, you’ll have nothing. Trust me, I know. I learned so much by joining the good ol’ boys’ club.”

I peer at Stone. It’s written all over his face that Cole is right.

“That was a warning,” Cole states. “I don’t give many. Next time, I’ll just take Dakota for myself until you get it through your heads that I mean business.” He turns toward me and gives me a soft smile. “Bye, baby girl.” He winks, and I want to hurl. It must show on my face because he says, “You don’t get to be head of an organization like mine without being the bad guy once in a while. Lance knows. His hands are dirty, too. The higher up you are, the dirtier you get.”

His posh car pulls up, and he tips his head before getting in the backseat.

“Stone....” I start. He walks down the steps and picks up the engagement ring, pocketing it.

When he lifts his troubled gaze, I see the broken pieces he tries to hide. I see it all.

20

Stone takes off. Wyatt, Lucas, and I go through the day like zombies. They rearrange their schedules to make sure they can attend the classes Stone was supposed to be in with me in case Cole decides to show up again. Between classes and during lunch, the strain weighs so heavy on us that we barely even talk.

I don’t give a fuck about Lance Jacobs. His whole world could crumble for all I care, but I don’t want anything affecting Stone.

Obviously, the engagement to Marissa was important, but what I don’t understand is what Cole had to say about the Jacobs’ business. He made it sound like they were one wrong step away from being destitute.

That doesn’t compute for me. I’ve spent the bulk of my life being jealous of the Jacobses for what they had. Of course, I hated them, but I was jealous of them at the same time. I didn’t understand why my father and I tried so hard and got nothing while the Jacobses seemed to get everything. Attention. Fame. They practically had hero status in Clary when my family was looked at like we were freaks.

But what if all that was a mirage?

Any other time, I would probably be laughing my ass off to see the Jacobses taken down a peg or two, but things with Stone are different now.

I spent all those years hating him when I never really knew him. Sure, he’s a cocky asshole, but he has good qualities, too—an open heart, the ability to care about others that I thought was severely lacking.

Of course, I have to wonder what’s going to happen to his mom now. God, his dad is such a piece of fucking shit.

“Maybe I should tell Lance it was my fault?” I offer on the way to Jacobs Manor. Wherever Stone went, he left the Audi with the keys in it, so we’d be able to get