Page 38 of Cruel Games

I turned around to find Orlando, Maxwell, and Kendrick, blocking the path behind me with their broad bodies. As usual, Orlando stood between the twins, the sun bouncing off his blond hair and lighting it up like a buttercup. The sight of them shot a jolt of excitement straight through my heart and between my legs.

Placing a hand on my hip, I smirked. “Did little brother come to the rescue then?”

“Where are my cameras?” Orlando snarled.

“The ones you set up to record me having sex?” I snapped. “Next time you plan on humiliating a girl and getting her expelled, don’t talk about it outside her bathroom stall.”

Kendrick’s head swung from Maxwell to Orlando, his eyes bulging with disbelief. Orlando’s lips tightened with annoyance, but he remained silent. I couldn’t tell what had shocked the quieter twin. The fact that the boys had schemed to make a sex tape or that they’d been stupid enough to talk about it within my earshot.

“What will you do with the videos?” asked Maxwell.

Thanks to Gideon, I’d destroyed them all, but I wasn’t about to tell them that and lose my advantage. Rubbing my chin, I said, “That depends entirely on you.”

“Explain,” said Orlando.

I strolled ahead to the fountain at the end of the gardens. A wooden bench sat behind the fountain, acting as a border between the manicured side of the gardens and vast acres of meadowland beyond. Gravel crunched behind me, indicating that the boys were following.

When I reached my destination, I turned around. “Put an end to all this whipping girl crap.”

Maxwell frowned, moving the ring around his eyebrow. “It’s not our decision—”

“But you’re Elizabeth’s closest friends, right? She called you her knights.”

Orlando turned to Kendrick, who I was beginning to believe had the closest friendship with Elizabeth. When the quieter twin shrugged, he turned to Maxwell, who nodded. “What else?”

“And stop harassing me in the hallways.” I folded my arms across my chest. “Nothing’s ever going to happen between us.”

Maxwell’s lips pressed together in a thin line. “That’s not what you were saying last night.”

I smirked. “That was before I saw what was on offer. And I stand by what I said. I’ve had bigger and better.”

Orlando’s features sagged, and Maxwell glanced down at his boots. My stomach twisted into confused knots, and I ignored the guilt twanging at my conscience. He should be lucky to escape with a bruised ego. It was nothing compared to what he had planned to do to me.

Kendrick stepped forward, his eyes hard. “If we convince Elizabeth to back off, you’ll hand over the memory cards?”

My back stiffened. This was the first time Kendrick had ever spoken to me. “I’ll delete the footage first.”

“Fine.” He turned to the others. “Let’s go.”

The trio walked back to the main building, leaving me watching their broad backs. I rubbed my temple, wondering why on earth Orlando and Maxwell had appeared visibly upset at a bit of trash talk.

They liked Elizabeth, not me. Wanted to impress her so much that they were willing to have a threesome with me on camera to get me expelled.

I shook my head and turned my gaze to the jet of water shooting out of the fountain. “Sometimes, I really don’t understand boys.”

Chapter 14

On Sunday evening, I sat with Gideon, enjoying a meal of toad in the hole. Instead of the usual sausages baked in batter, the cooks had added sprigs of thyme and red onions into the mix.

Throughout the meal, Orlando and Maxwell cast me furtive glances, making me wonder if they had meant what they had said about convincing Elizabeth to call off the whipping girl bullshit.

Gideon pulled his phone out of his pocket and smiled at the screen.

“Another message from you-know-who?”

A smile lifted his features. “He’s thinking about me.”

I leaned toward him and whispered, “Have you been with a guy before?”