Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 68308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Here we go. I’m already shaking my head no. “I don’t do boys.”
“Fine, a girl then,” Mary offers up next. I take the extra Gushers because why not? Plus, she might stop with the whole dating thing if I agree.
“You’re supposed to tell me to stay away from boys,” I remind her.
Mary waves off my comment. “I want you to stay away from dark alleys and buildings.”
“You're strange," I tell her, pretending I have no clue why she would suggest I would be near those places to begin with.
Mary shakes her head at me. I know she’s worried, and honestly, it’s kind of nice. If not for her and the random other staff that my parents hire to come and go around here, I could be missing for a few weeks before anyone would notice.
“Kinsley.” There is a warning in her tone; this time, she’s dead serious.
“I should get going.” I shove my lunch in my bag. “And I promise I have no plans today for dark alleys and buildings.”
“Until new plans pop up.”
“I should be so lucky.” I kiss her on the cheek before I head out the door and down the elevator. When I step out onto the sidewalk, the city is already alive with energy. I make my way toward the school. The same walk I’ve been making for years now.
With each step that I draw closer to Golden Prep, my mind ventures toward Jax Marino. I could shove the vape into his locker and get him tossed off the football team.
As if that could happen. He could be busted with a human head in his bag, and the principals would offer to get the bag dry-cleaned for him to remove any signs of blood. That is how it goes when you’re a member of the Marino family. They are the most powerful family in this city. It’s annoying and oddly alluring at the same time.
The thing is, I don’t really see Jax abuse his power. He earned his spot on the football team. Jax handles a football like it’s a part of him, but more often than not, he seems bored on the field. I don't know what to make of him.
Is that the reason I'm so fascinated by him? I can never quite put my finger on it. I can't even say that it's because he's so attractive. There are lots of attractive people, and my eyes aren't always searching them out. Then, when I do find him in the crowd, he's always staring right at me. He doesn't try to hide it at all.
But he is a Marino; they don't have to hide. You're supposed to be hiding from them.
Chapter Three
JAX
The car is barely in my normal parking spot that I claimed years ago, and Nix is pushing at the back of Damon’s seat, wanting out.
“Fucking hell, Nix. Calm—”
“Do not tell me to calm down.” Yeah, you don’t say that to a girl. Damon holds his hands up in defeat, getting out of our sister's way. She takes off like a freight train, almost tripping over her own feet. When she does, she shoots us back a glare like we’re the ones who almost tripped her.
“Is this the teen girl years we heard about?” I ask my brother, grabbing my bag out of my car.
Since it’s the first day of school, we don’t have practice this morning. I still got up early and worked out with Damon. You need to burn off that energy.
"I hope this will forever be her normal."
"Fair point." If she's prickly with us and we spoil her for the most part, then no boy will ever stand a chance. She'd murder them.
My eyes slide across the parking lot again, scanning the area. I did it when I first pulled in, too. It’s a habit both my parents taught me at a young age. You pay attention to your surroundings at all times.
The Marino family might have spent almost two decades cleaning up our dealings, as my dad would call them, but old habits die hard. It’s not as though I haven’t borne witness to many events that would land most people in prison for the rest of their lives.
I give a few people a chin nod but ignore most everyone. There is only one person in this school that isn't my blood that I give a shit about, and I don't see her yet. Is that cold? Sure, but I don’t care. This is high school. After graduation, I’ll likely never see many of these people ever again.
Kinsley is an interesting girl to try to understand. There are parts of her life that are chaotic and others that are very organized. One thing I know for sure is when I do eventually spot her, she’ll have one of those notebooks gripped tightly in one hand and a pen in the breast pocket of the collared white polo shirt we all have to wear.