When her dad’s gone, Emma moves to a new academy for a fresh start, but the town’s BIG FOUR, Rowan, August, Liam and Karl, rule everything. Each dangerous, magnetic, and unpredictable, they pull her into their dark world. But the real danger isn’t them—it’s the secret deal that ties her to a deadly game she was never meant to play.
“Oh, you better run, Angel, because the next time I catch you, you’re mine,” Karl exclaims. I hear him drawing closer, the thud of his feet against the grass growing louder. But I don’t dare turn back. That’s how you sprain an ankle and get caught. I dart into the woods, hopping over rocks and…
“Emma, please, ” Karl pleads, but I will not be deterred. “No.” “Angel,” he mutters. This time more in warning. I know I’m pushing him. I know from seeing him over the last couple of months he’s struggling, and I shouldn’t goad him, but I still don’t take heed. “You need to get the fuck…
“Don’t,” Karl pleads, and before I can ask, he lowers his mouth to mine. Then he’s gone, and I’m uncertain of everything. “You were gone for a very long time. I didn’t know pregnancy meant having fifteen-plus-minute bathroom breaks,” Shay teases. I know my cheeks are red with embarrassment when she giggles. “Your secret is…
“Heads, Lincoln-Wood gets it,” the ref booms, and our quarterback decides to defer the kickoff, setting us up to receive the ball during the second half. Then, the game begins. I watch the game but keep a steady eye on Emma, hoping for a moment to strike. We’re halfway through quarter one, and neither team…
The shades of red Rowan’s father turns in the span of ten seconds has to be a world record. Mr. Calloway works his jaw, the muscles flexing before he responds. “All the more reason to stop going off half-cocked. Calloway-the Fraternitas are under immense scrutiny. Any more fuck ups, as you’ve so nicely mentioned, and…
My gaze volleys between them. Dad’s nostrils flare as my doctor crosses her arms. What do we have here? “Back to your designated corners,” I joke, grinning at the sparks between them before continuing, “It’s fine. He can stay.” “Very well,” Dr. Jaffri concedes, breaking their stare off to grab a blood pressure cuff. She…
I leave Liam to stew. The more I examine Samantha’s behavior, the more I see I’m not who she wants. I’m what she needs to get what she wants. The unfortunate part for her is that I don’t want her, and the Bradfords are the true power. Emma’s return stalled her plans. She still had…
We all grunt our agreement, then rehash our plan, going through what evidence we have and what we still need. Forty minutes later, we’re discussing the status of where Teagan is with deactivating the chip in Karl’s arms when a squawky whine bleeds my ear drums. “Rowaniel,” Samantha croaks, and I turn in time to…
“Silly boys,” she chortles. “You must know by now the Fraternitas answers to powers greater than themselves. Did you honestly think they were in charge?” “Just answer the fucking question,” Sebastian barks. Blair crosses her arms and sits back in her chair. “There isn’t enough time to discuss all the Novus Ordo Seclorum entails. Just…
Samantha’s mother is a glimpse into the future of what Samantha might look like if she weren’t going to suffer a timely end. Decades of plastic surgery, lip fillers, and Botox have made it impossible to see some of their genetic similarities. Aside from their piercing crystal-blue eyes, both mother and daughter have had so…