The Peer and the Puppet (When Rivals Play #1) - B.B. Reid Page 0,42
riddle.
It was an order.
He’d known Thomas would look for him, and he wanted me to cover for him.
How did I go from plotting to ruin this guy to saving his ass? Thomas looked ready to explode.
“I haven’t seen him since dinner.”
“Your mother says he mentioned an errand and that you might know where he went.” My tit for tat had placed me in Thomas’s crosshairs and Ever seized the perfect opportunity to use me.
Ever - 1
Four - 0
“Yeah, he, uh…went to the store.”
“The store?” His frown pulled even deeper. Was it so unusual for the prince to do his own shopping? How freaking privileged of him.
“Yes, the store. He said he needed…deodorant.”
“Deodorant?”
“Got to have deodorant.” It wasn’t that I was a terrible liar, but he never said that I’d need to lie well for him.
“I figured he might have gone down to the school to watch his old teammates practice.”
Well shit. “Yeah, I think he mentioned something about stopping by.”
“All right…thanks, Four.” He walked away, and I shut my door with a shrug. I don’t think my story sold, but it wasn’t really my problem, was it?
Ten minutes later, my door flew open. A shirtless Jamie stood on the other side of the threshold with his hand covering his eyes.
“Are you decent?”
“Yes, but you could have knocked.”
“That’s a shame.” He sighed. “I was peeking.”
“What do you want?”
He flopped onto my bed and rolled onto his side before resting his head in his hand. “What’s the deal with you and my cousin? You boning or what?”
I sighed and slammed my textbook shut. “Not that it’s any of your business, no. I’m not screwing your cousin.”
He snorted. “Not yet anyway.”
My body heated with anticipation. God, I hated these narcissistic—
“You’re blushing,” he teased.
“Trust me, it’s never happening. Your cousin made it clear to his friends that I’m an undesirable.” I think I hated that word even more.
“He said that?” Jamie cackled. While I could only nod, his grin only grew. “That sneaky motherfucker!” Despite his words, there was admiration and delight in Jamie’s eyes.
“Want to fill me in?”
“Marking you undesirable ensures no one will pursue you.”
“Yeah, I got that. What I don’t get is why it matters to him.”
Jamie looked at me like I was dense. “My cousin doesn’t want anyone touching what’s his.”
“Give it a rest.” I groaned as I spoke. “We’re not hooking up. It’s too weird given that our parents sleep in the same bedroom.”
“So you’re saying, if they broke up, you’d be game?”
“Absolutely not. He and I are from two different worlds, and Ever has no problem making sure I remember that. Or weren’t you there this afternoon?”
“You’re talking about your welcome present?” I nodded, and he shook his head with a smile. “Ever didn’t arrange that. I did.”
What? My arms folded as my gaze narrowed. “I thought you said you weren’t getting involved?”
“I’m not, but that doesn’t mean I won’t have a little fun.”
“Either way, I’m sure he appreciated it.” I guess that answered the question about whether I could trust Jamie. He wasn’t my friend although I wasn’t entirely sure he was Ever’s either.
“I didn’t do that for Ever.” He then pointed to the bruise on his right cheek. “I did it to piss him off.”
“Why?”
Jamie’s voice flattened when he replied, “It’s complicated.”
“Complicated like you having a thing for his girlfriend?”
He stiffened before slowly rising from the bed. I couldn’t take back my words, and after what he did to me, I didn’t care to, so I stared after him as he headed for the door. He stood on the threshold, back stiff, fingers strangling the knob.
Damn it. An apology was poised on my lips because I wasn’t a vicious bitch, but then he spoke.
“She was mine first.”
I PRESSED IGNORE ON MY dad’s fifth call and slid from the Crown Vic I’d paid for with cash from a man who didn’t care who I was or what I needed it for. The Exiled had seized Queens from Thirteen, the rival gang who cast out Nathaniel Fox twenty-eight years ago. Despite the kill order, if he was ever caught within Thirteen territory, which nearly encompassed the entire east coast, he founded Exiled with his late partner Crow and had made a point to be a thorn in Thirteen’s side ever since.
Tonight’s mission was to commandeer another piece of Thirteen’s operation—a house in Long Island with half a million dollars’ worth of cocaine stashed inside. The only problem was the elderly couple currently occupying the residence.