We both pause to wash our hands at the sinks, and I feel a hot flush creep into my cheeks.

Ugh. Gross. Blushing is most definitely not in my repertoire of tricks. I hate it. It implies a certain level of vulnerability, some physical acknowledgement of one's emotions.

After I dry my hands, Vic reaches out and takes my hand, running his thumb over my engagement ring. The whole school knows about us; I hear whispers in the hallway when I walk by.

“I'm taking you with me after school.”

“I—” I start, but Vic cocks a brow and yanks me close.

“That's an official order,” he says, and I grit my teeth. He finally lets go of me, and I head for the door before we can get caught up in each other again. Elbowing my way out, I find the halls empty … and the rest of Havoc waiting for us.

“We were trying to give you time to finish up,” Oscar says, his hands tucked into the pockets on his slacks. His gray eyes scan me with bored bemusement, but there’s something else there, a glint or a spark or whatever. He blinks once and it disappears, but I know what I saw. “But we have a problem that needs our attention now.”

“Yeah?” Vic says, lighting up a cigarette right there in the hallway. “What is it?”

“The Ensbrooks and the Charters are outside with Ivy Hightower,” Aaron says, his voice low.

Panic shoots through me, but when I glance over at Victor, he's deadly calm.

“Where?” he asks, and the boys lead us outside toward the basketball courts.

Mitch and Logan Charter, Kyler, Danny, and Timmy Ensbrook, along with Kali and Billie, are all waiting outside. Mitch and Kyler are shooting hoops while the others sort of mill around nearby. It's not hard to see who the ringleader is here. I remember Mitch and Vic standing off outside the school that day.

But Mitch Charter is no match for Victor Channing.

“What the hell do you want?” Vic asks, the cigarette hanging out of his mouth as he makes his way over to stand on the opposite side of the court. “I don't like being interrupted when I'm fucking my girl, so make this quick.”

My cheeks flush hot, but I'm not embarrassed, just irritated. Fucking Vic.

I move up to stand beside him anyway, with Aaron on his other side, and Hael, Oscar, and Callum spread out behind us.

“Ivy here had some interesting things to tell us about last weekend,” Mitch says, tossing the basketball into the hoop and fist pumping when he makes the basket. He swaggers over to us like he thinks he's Hael Harbin or something, running his fingers through his dark hair. But he's nowhere near as handsome as any of the Havoc Boys really, or maybe I'm just biased.

“And I give a shit why?” Vic asks, studying the slightly smaller boy. When I look at Victor standing there with his purple-black hair and all that ink swirling down his arms, something strange happens inside my chest. It’s that same damn pang I felt in the bathroom just now. Affection. My lip curls.

“Ivy says you killed Principal Vaughn,” Mitch announces with a smirk. But it's a smirk that doesn't last long. A very dry, very real laugh escapes Vic's throat as he reaches up and plucks the smoke from his lips, flicking it in Mitch's direction.

“We're done here,” he says, turning and heading back for the back entrance of Prescott High.

“Don't you walk away from me,” Mitch snarls, making the mistake of putting his hand on Victor's shoulder.

Holy.

Fucking.

Shit.

That man can move.

In an instant, Victor has Mitch screaming on the pavement, one arm twisted behind Mitch’s back, his knee pressing down on Mitch’s spine.

“Do not fucking touch me,” Victor says, his voice ice-cold, his expression blank but edged with violence. “That's a mistake most people only make once. The only reason you're still breathing is because we're on school grounds. I don't kill people on campus.”

“Help me, you pieces of shit!” Mitch screams at his friends, and surprisingly, they actually come forward to back him up. But as quick as Vic put Mitch on the ground, he releases him and backs up a few steps.

“Now, you listen here. We didn't kill Principal Vaughn, but ask yourselves this: even if we did, is that something you want to keep talking about?” The way Victor stares them down, it's not hard to see that he's making a very real threat.

“We'll call the fucking cops!” Mitch screams back, and only Kyler and Logan keep him from making the worst mistake of his life by rushing Vic.

“With twenty grand in product sitting your trailer?” Oscar asks, lifting up his iPad and showing off a photo I've never seen before. There are bags full of white powder stacked near a table with a scale. It's not hard to figure out what that is. “I doubt it.”

“But Ivy, that big mouth of yours,” Vic says with another dry laugh, shaking his head and wagging a finger at her. “That shit is gonna get you in loads of trouble, sweetie.”

“Screw you!” Ivy yells, stepping forward and wrapping her hands around Danny’s arm. Great. So she's shacking up with one of the Ensbrook brothers now? “I know what I saw that night.”

“You also know you've been spending Vaughn's cash and charging up his credit cards,” Hael growls out, giving me a look and leaning in close to whisper. “Bet you regret being nice to that bitch now, huh?”

“No act of kindness goes unpunished,” I reply, watching Ivy carefully. She's such a damn gossip. How did I ever think letting her go would lead to anything but this? In the past, it wouldn't have been a problem because she would've been too scared of Havoc to open that big mouth of hers. But now that she's got the Ensbrooks to hide behind?

“I've got class,” Vic says, turning away again. “And I don't have time for this shit today. You want to play games with us, Charter, you come find us at Stacey's party.”

“We'll fucking be there!” Kali screams out, dressed in a tight green dress with gold glitter on it. It's tacky as hell, but I'm not surprised. Pretty sure Kali's under the delusion that she looks nice.

“Should we be worried?” Aaron asks as we head inside, but Vic shakes his head.

“About Mitch and crew? You're joking, right?” Victor pauses as the double doors swing shut behind us, and then he turns to me, putting his big hands on either side of my face. When he kisses me, I'm too shocked to have much of a reaction. His tongue sweeps my lower lip and then dives in, consuming me, claiming me. And right there in front of all the Havoc Boys and …

“Ahem, Mr. Channing, Ms. Blackbird,” Ms. Keating says, clearing her throat. Vic chuckles and releases me, glancing over at the vice principal in her black skirt suit. “Do we all have classes we should be attending?”

“Yes, ma'am,” Vic says, sliding his inked fingers into the front pockets of his jeans. “I was just giving my girl a see you later kiss.”

“Right,” Ms. Keating says, giving me a sideways look. “Off you go, all of you.”

We all scatter our separate ways, but as I'm reaching for the door to the gym, Ms. Keating stops me.

“Bernadette, do you have a moment?” she asks, and I shrug. I'd rather get an excused absence from P.E. than have to stand around and pretend like I give a fuck about volleyball. I follow the vice principal into her neat, tidy little office. The walls are covered with inspirational posters that say things like Shoot for the Moon—If You Miss, You’ll Land Among the Stars!