This Fearless Girl (St. Clary's University #2) - E. M. Moore Page 0,75

territory is always rocky at first.”

I nod like I have any idea what he’s talking about. I don’t know anything about the gang life. Maybe I should read some books on it?

“Come, sit down,” Cole offers. He takes me through to a small seating area with a black leather couch. “Do you want anything?”

I take in my surroundings. I feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. I’m certainly not in Clary anymore. “Where am I?”

“Rawley Heights.”

I try to hide my reaction. I know that name—Wyatt read it earlier when he told us where Cole was born. So, this is his hometown, and he came back to acquire it after becoming leader of the Dragons. It must mean something to him, this place.

I get comfortable on the couch. So far, there’s no one in here but us, and Cole seems much more relaxed than when I’ve seen him in the past. For one, there’s no gun in sight, and he doesn’t look quite so angry.

“I’m glad you called,” he tells me. “I was worried you were going to force me to make first contact again.”

I swallow. “No one wants that.”

His lip turns up. “You sure you don’t want anything? I want you to be comfortable here while we talk. A drink? Dessert? I feel like you might need something to celebrate today.”

I raise an eyebrow at him. “Celebrate?”

His grin widens. “I hear you almost clocked that bitchy girl at your school who’s always picking on you.”

“You watch me at school?”

“Not me personally. We’re there to make sure nothing happens to you. But when I heard that, I wished I was there.” He’s silent for a moment. “If your stepbrother hadn’t swooped in to save the day with the dean, we would’ve.”

“O-kay,” I say hesitantly. “Why do you care?”

“You’re an...asset of mine,” Cole quips, though he looks as if he’s not too happy with that word either. “I’ll do everything possible to make sure you’re safe while you find the treasure.”

I don’t even know what to say to the intensity of his words. I barely know the guy. As far as I know, he only wants me to find the treasure for him so he can have the clout and the money. But everything about Cole is contradictory. He almost seems nice here. I’m more at ease than I thought I would be, which immediately makes me apprehensive.

“Let me get you something,” Cole offers. “I have bottled water, ice cream, soda. If you’re hungry, I can send someone out for something.”

I shake my head. “Water is fine.”

He gets up from the opposite couch and jogs to the kitchen, returning with two waters and setting them on the coffee table in front of us.

“So,” I hesitate, running my hands down my pants. “Today, we went to an antique jeweler to see if he could tell us more about a ring that’s been in my family for years,” I inform him, using the plan I came up with on the ride back to Jacobs Manor. “It’s thought that maybe it came from the treasure, so Stone got this guy to look at it.”

My story is so disjointed, I’m sure he knows I’m lying, but he doesn’t act like it. “Any news?”

“He said he thought the ring was European, but that he’d have to do more research.”

“Lance Jacobs doesn’t know about this ring, does he?” he asks.

I shake my head, my skin running cold. “No.”

“Don’t trust him. I saw the article in the paper today.”

“Jeez, what don’t you see?”

“And if I were you, I wouldn’t trust his son either.”

“Stone? No, you’re wrong about him. He’s nothing like Lance.”

“Really? Because if I were in his position, I wouldn’t let anything get in my way of having you. I’d tell my father and his rich fucking friends to go fuck themselves.” When I don’t say anything, he keeps going. “Don’t deny there’s nothing between you two. I only wonder why you’re sticking around for someone who’s put you second?”

I swallow, my mouth suddenly dry.

“There’s more to the story and honestly, Cole, Dragon leader, whoever you are, it’s none of your damn business.”

He sits back, eyeing me. “You are my business, and if the stepbrother or the cowboy or the messy looking one even so much as hurts you, they won’t be breathing for long.”

26

I stare at Cole sitting across from me. By any regards, he looks like a normal guy. The earrings in his ears, the peek of black marks from tattoos might have told me