Kai throws me a sideways glance, and I see the humor dancing in his eyes as well.
‘You’re naughty,’ he mouths.
‘You started it,” I mouth back.
Then he grabs my hand. “Come on. We’re leaving,” he says.
“What?!” I whisper.
“Um, Mr. Pierce and Ms. Moore, where do you think you’re going during my class?”
Kai gives her a look I don’t see, but it must be terrifying because she suddenly looks nervous and turns away, ignoring us.
The rest of the school day was awkward as fuck, thanks to our earlier shenanigans. As we step outside, I think I’m about to finally find some relief and fresh air, but I’m sorely mistaken.
Chad fucking stands out in the school parking lot as we’re leaving today. The clouds are dark behind him, making the entire situation seem darker and more ominous.
“Why the fuck are you here, Anderson? You know I give no fucks I’m not afraid to commit murder on school grounds,” Kai warns.
Chad stalks forward, getting directly in Kai’s face. “You weren’t that hard to get rid of last time, Pierce.”
Kai smiles a cold, vicious smile. One filled with nightmares. One a king gives to a prisoner he’s about to have executed. “You snuck up on me in the night with five of your pricks because you’re scared to face me yourself. But here we are,” Kai says, spreading his arms wide. “Get rid of me now, Anderson. Come on, let’s see what the fuck you’ve got,” Kai says, low and dangerous.
Chad bares his teeth, Kai’s words struck a nerve. “Big words for someone whose ass I kicked once.”
Kai laughs and the sound sends shivers down my spine. “Let’s be real, Chad,” Kai spits his name out like it's a bad taste. “You ambushed me. If you were as big and bad as you say, you would’ve killed me, but you know you could never. You’ll never be good enough or strong enough,” Kai says, enunciating every word, giving Chad a little push at the end—an added little kick to his words.
“What does Des think about me sending her new little fuck toy to juvie like the little bitch he is?” Chad asks.
I tense. Chad sent Kai to juvie? What?
Now Chad stares me up and down meaningfully, but then Kai steps in front of me. “You never had her, bitch. And you never will,” Kai says.
Chad laughs maniacally. “I’ve had her sweet little cunt too, Pierce. Can’t trust her, she’s nothing but a hoe.”
As soon as the words leave Chad’s mouth, Kai pummels him to the concrete. I stand rooted to the spot in fear as I watch Kai’s fist fly at Chad’s face so fast it’s like he’s not even human, but a machine instead.
Sirens echo in the background, and I glance up and notice there are some more people starting to gather now. Kai’s gotta stop. He’s gonna kill him right here in the school parking lot.
But then he’s in front of me, leading me to sit in the car. It isn’t until he gets in the driver’s seat that I notice the bloody knife he puts under his shirt.
“Did you stab him?” I ask.
He doesn’t answer and wastes no time starting the car and peeling out of the parking lot. As the tires squeal, I turn around and see Chad lying on the ground with one of his friends kneeling at his side.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“Away from here,” Kai says. I look over at him and notice his eyes intent on the rearview mirror. I look behind us and notice several sports cars following us and gaining speed rapidly.
“Kai?” I ask hesitantly, my voice shaky.
A muscle tics in his jaw, but he is otherwise completely controlled. The side of his mouth lifts in an easy smirk.
“Ever been in a car chase, love?” he asks.
“Yeah, it’s just a typical Tuesday for me.”
His eyes whip to mine and I sigh, throwing my arms out. “Fuck no, I haven’t been in a car chase, you idiot!”
An evil laugh escapes his cruel plump lips. “Hang tight then, love.”
And then the engine revs, and my head slams back into the seat with the force of speed. Tires squeal behind us, and in my peripheral I see Kai push harder on the gas pedal.
I check the rearview mirror and see the other cars gaining on us quickly, two red sports cars.
Then I see Killian’s sports car driving in front of us.
“We’re going to switch cars,” Kai says.
Our car is jolted as someone sideswipes us, and Kai’s hand covers my chest as if to protect me. I glance up at him in surprise, but his eyes are on the road, calculating.
I shake my head. “We can’t fucking switch cars. Are you insane?”
“Brakes are out. We can either die or switch. You choose,” he says calmly as if we’re talking over tea and crumpets.
I lean my head back against the seat with a soft thud, focusing on my breathing. When I’ve collected myself enough, I turn to him in the driver’s seat. “What do we need to do?”
He hands me his phone. “Call Killian.”
15
Desiree
“What is he doing?” I ask Killian, because even though I’m not new to this whole high speed chase with the Pierce brothers situation, I’ve never seen Kai drive so recklessly.
“Something’s wrong,” Killian grunts, twisting his back to get a better look at Kai’s car. “Shift for me,” he tells me, gesturing toward the gearshift. I move it into a higher gear, just like old times. Killian’s phone starts buzzing and he tosses it to me. It’s Kai’s phone, but when I put it on speaker I realize that it’s Desiree yelling over the loud roar of the engine.
“Brakes are out, Kai wants you guys to pull up next to us. There’s no other way.” I can hear
