Page 43 of Disobedient Pawn

This place was the coolest coffee shop I’d ever set foot in. The selection of coffees and sweet treats was overwhelming, but I finally settled on a French vanilla latte with a piece of Triple Threat Chocolate cake. Hello sugar high. Now I was sugar high and couldn’t stop laughing. As annoying as Myles and Blake could be, they were also extremely funny and had stories that kept Ivy and me in stitches.

“Nope, no arguments. I get the bill,” Myles said, slapping his hand down on the table as the waitress came around and dropped it off.

“You won’t see me complain,” Blake said, leaning back in his chair.

“This is not a date. I’ll pay for my own,” I said to Myles as I grabbed my purse, but his hand landed on mine, stopping me.

“It’s my treat for all of you. I know it’s not a date,” he said, linking our fingers under the table. His hand felt so incredibly hot, and my traitorous pulse pounded harder as our eyes locked.

I’d never had a guy be this persistent. What was I thinking I’d never had anyone show this kind of interest. It was confusing. I was momentarily frozen, unsure what to do, but he only squeezed my hand and let go. He got up and went to the front to pay, and I found myself following his movements.

“I’ll be right back. I need to use the bathroom before we leave.” Ivy scooted away from the table and left Blake and me alone.

“So, did you want to head back to the academy with me or Myles?”

Blake crossed his arms, seeming genuinely annoyed, and I had no idea why. Blake didn’t seem like the dating type, and I didn’t think I’d be his first choice. If Lisa weren’t his cousin, I would’ve said she was exactly what he liked. Tall with long blonde hair and a glowing pageant smile.

“I promised Myles I’d talk to him on the way back to the academy, so I’ll go with him. Unless, of course, there is some reason you don’t think I should go with Myles?” My brow lifted slightly as I wondered what Blake was up to with his questioning. We’d discussed this and it was already decided.

“No, it’s just that I don’t want to see you get hurt.” Blake leaned his arms on the table and lowered his voice. “Myles has a reputation with the girls. I just wouldn’t want you to fall prey, is all.”

I smiled at him. “Well, isn’t that sweet of you.” My tone dripped with cynicism. “I’ll be honest, that comment seems funny coming from you.” Blake’s friendly, ‘I’m only here for you, kid’ smile slipped. “From what I hear, other than your brother Theo, you’re all the same. I’m pretty sure I heard you bragging that you slept with five different girls last week. Needed to cram them in before the meet.” I made little air quotes with my fingers. “Thanks for the warning, but I learned a long time ago how to take care of myself. I’m certainly not going to…fall prey, as you put it, but I appreciate your concern, even if it is self-serving.”

Blake’s mouth fell open, while the look in his eyes was caught between baffled and annoyed.

“Is everything okay here,” Myles asked as he stepped up to the table. I could feel his gaze flicking from Blake to myself and back again.

“All good,” Blake drawled out.

“Yup, I’m good too,” I said and stood as Ivy returned.

“Why is it that I’m getting the feeling ya aren’t being completely honest with me?” Myles challenged, his eyes going to Blake and narrowing into a glare.

Blake pushed away from the table. “Come on, Ivy. We better get you back before your father knows you escaped.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” She smirked, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Standing, I hugged her before we followed Blake outside.

Myles was still staring at me again, but I wasn’t going to say any more about my conversation with Blake. There had to be a reason for how Blake and Myles, and even Nash, were acting, but I hadn’t figured out what that reason was yet. They all seemed a little too interested, way too quickly and all at once. Was it a challenge of some sort? I didn’t get that feeling off Myles as much. I couldn’t put my finger on why that was, he just seemed more genuine, but it was hard to tell with the other two. Blake was trying too hard, and Nash was terrifying. It made it very difficult to get an accurate read.

As soon as we got inside the Ferrari, Myles looked at me. “What did Blake say that had ya upset?”

“Nothing, I promise. He was giving me a rundown on who I should avoid in the school. I told him I didn’t need that as I planned to stay away from everyone until I graduate and get the hell out of here.”

Myles's eyes hardened. “Ya wanna leave?”

“Don’t you? I mean, what is tying you here?”

“Nash and the boys and my work,” he said.

“I didn’t know you had a job. What do you do?” I snapped my seatbelt in place.

Myles rubbed the back of his neck before starting the car and pulling out of the parking spot. “I do deliveries and sometimes guard.”

“You’re seventeen. How did you get a guard job?”

We pulled out onto the main street and headed toward the academy. My mum used to have me memorize the route we took to get places and then map in my head how I would leave and get myself home. My mum would say that you never knew what could happen, and if I was ever kidnapped, I wanted to remember everything I could. It seemed like a strange exercise and one that was designed to scare me away from talking to strangers, but I did as she asked anyway. Now it was habit.

“It’s for my Da and sometimes for Nash’s father. It pays well.”