Since I’ve used my data for the month and can’t access the school’s internet from my phone, I use the library computers to do a little bit of digging around on the Porterson brothers. When I type their names into the search engine, I get all sorts of hits, from petty theft, to stealing a car. How they haven’t been arrested yet is beyond me.

I also find out the names of their parents and their sister, Scarlett Porterson, has gotten into just as much trouble and has spent some time in a psychiatric facility. Their mom has been in trouble with the law so many times she makes my dad look like a saint and their dad is linked to many crimes in the town as well, a lot of the charges related to an illegal underground gambling club. Yet somehow, the guy has never been arrested.

Interesting. And maybe useful.

I continue to scroll through information, barely noticing when the bell rings.

“Interesting research.”

I jolt as Blaise’s voice sails over my shoulder.

I quickly collect myself before glancing over my shoulder at him. “Yeah, it’s definitely interesting. I really like the part where Alex was arrested for drug trafficking.” I spin the chair and face him.

He’s standing too close for comfort with a book in his hand, his expression guarded. “He wasn’t arrested for that.”

“That’s not what his records say.”

“Yeah, well, the charges were dropped.”

“So what. He was still arrested.”

“Over a misunderstanding,” he stresses, for the first time since I met him, seeming a bit uneasy.

So his brothers are his weakness. I can understand that. Doesn’t mean I’m going to go easy on him, though.

“Sure it was. Just like I’m sure the time he was arrested for stealing a car was a misunderstanding too.” I rise to my feet, collecting my bag from the back of the chair as the tardy bell rings.

Great. I’m tardy on the first day. Not a good start to a new school year.

He grinds his teeth, his gaze flicking from the computer to me. “How did you find out all that information anyway? Police records aren’t supposed to be accessible to the public.”

“Now, Blaise, lets not play dumb with each other after we’ve been so bluntly honest.” I pat his arm then sling the handle of my bag over my shoulder. “After digging up all the dirt on my family, I’m sure you can figure out the answer yourself.”

He frowns. “Well, maybe I’m a little bit slow, so please enlighten me.”

I shrug with a haughty grin. “Guess you’ll never know then.”

I swing around him, feeling pretty good about myself even though I’m late to class. But seconds later, as I’m hurrying down an aisle of books, I trip over my own feet and knock several rows of books off the shelf, causing a scene.

Awesome.

I scramble to pick up the books and shove them back on the shelves so I can get to class.

“Can I help you?” The librarian, a thirty-something-year-old woman, appears on the aisle beside me. She takes one look at the mess and frowns. “Don’t just shove them all back on the shelves. There’s a system to it.” She crouches beside me and snatches the books from my hand.

“I’m sorry.” My backpack slung over my shoulder feels as though it weighs a hundred pounds.

She slips a few books onto a shelf. “Shouldn’t you be in class? Or do you have a pass? If you don’t, I’m going to have to write you up for after school detention.”

“I have a pass,” I lie automatically. The last thing I need is to be stuck here after school and leave my sisters to have to walk home.

Her skeptical gaze settles on me. “Can I see it?”

“Sure.” I pretend to reach for my back pocket, preparing to haul ass out of there, figuring since I’m new here, it’ll be really hard for her to figure out who I am and report me.

“Hey, Ms. G., Hadley’s actually helping me this period.” Blaise materializes behind the librarian—Ms. G, I’m assuming.

Ms. G.’s eyelashes flutter as she cranes her neck to look up at Blaise. “Oh, I didn’t know that. Thank you for letting me know.”

“No problem.” He dazzles her with a smile, not the smirk he’s always throwing at me. “Do you need any help cleaning that up?”

She flashes him a flustered smile. “No, I think I got it. Thank you, though, for the offer. It’s so nice of you.”

“Anytime.” He winks at her then scoops up a handful of books and places them on a shelf. Then he arches a brow at me, taunting amusement glittering in his eyes. “You coming?”

I don’t want to accept his help. I want to run away or simply declare I’m ditching. But my desire not to get detention wins.

Nodding, I rise to my feet. “Yeah.”

Flashing me a toothy grin, he nods for me to follow him out of the library.

Once we make it into the hallway, I turn to head in the opposite direction as him. But he skitters in my path, nearly sending me tripping over my feet.

“You know, most people would thank me for coming to their rescue,” he says, crossing his arms.

“You didn’t come to my rescue,” I retort. “I totally had that handled before you showed up and flirted with poor Ms. G.”

His lips kick up into a half smile. “She didn’t seem to mind.”

“So? That doesn’t make it right.”

A smug smile plays at the corners of his lips. “Are you jealous?”

A snort escapes me. “Oh, my God, are you being serious right now?”

“You know, it’s been a long time since someone laughed in my face.” His tone is low, but not threatening. Just confused.

“That you know of.”

“The term laughed in my face means that I would know, seeing as how the act has to be done right in front of me.”

Okay, he has me there, but I’m not about to lose this battle. “I don’t know. Maybe they did laugh in your face, but you were too busy staring in a mirror, admiring your own reflection.”

His brow rises. “Are you saying I’m vain?”

I give a half-shrug. “You do seem to like yourself a lot.”

Tracing the tip of his tongue along his lips, he dips his head toward my ear. “You owe me now. You do realize that, right?”

I put my lips beside his ear, throwing his move right back at him. “You slit my cars tires, disassembled the carburetor, and basically showed the entire school my family’s entire rap sheet. I’m far from ever owing you anything.”

He leans back, his lips parting then closing. Then his expression hardens. “If you want to go up against the big boys, you should know what you’re getting into.” He lowers his voice. “Us Portersons have all sorts of connections around town and because of that, we know everything about everyone. Remember that when you’re trying to get back at me and my brothers.”

Then he turns around and swaggers off like he’s the fucking shit in this town. And maybe he is now, but when I get done with him, he sure as hell won’t be.