Teaser 1

Tomás
I shifted in my seat. This was a prison. “Are we able to go off campus?” 

The smile of his remained. “There may be field trips, teacher sponsored events, and special accommodations for a release, but that would need to be approved by your sponsor. Everything you need— convenience stores, clothing stores, restaurants, are all within campus.” He looked at Mad Dog. 

It took me a moment to absorb what he was saying. Mad Dog held the keys to my prison. I shot to my feet. “No way.” 

Dr. Casera seemed to have expected this, giving me time to process, but a prison warden was a prison warden. “If freedom outside these campus walls is what you need, we can make arrangements. This is not a prison.” 

“Bullshit. This is a prison.” I glared at Mad Dog who didn’t even move. 

What are your options? that fucker’s body language said. No skin off his back. I’d die here or out there. Pick one. 

I walked to the back of the room, running through shit in my head. I could try Nick. He’d probably let me hang out with him. I could try Aunt Tita. She was my mom’s oldest sister. She would take me in. I had uncles too. I could go back to family. Any one of them would take me in. 

But then what? What if moms wanted me back? She always knew which buttons to push to get me back. The thought had me vibrating. 

A chair scraped the floor behind me, and I turned to see Maddox climb to his feet. Not Mad Dog as I knew him but the killer, Maddox Brennan. He remained on his feet, leaning against the arm of his chair, just watching me play this shit out in my head. 

I paced for a few seconds and then stopped at the window, looking out over the green grass and trees. I felt trapped. An animal in a cage. A fancy cage, but a cage. I’d been in this position before. A feeling of hopelessness poured over me, and I planted my forehead on the cool windowpane. The glass in front of me misted as I exhaled, and I drew a happy face. I used to draw them all over Daniel’s car windows so when he’d be making out with a girl and the car windows misted, he’d see all of them. He used to get pissed and chase me around the trailer for it. Shit, it hurt not having him anymore. It was like a part of me had died too. 

Maddox Brennan had killed him and then bought me. Despite him not wanting sexual favors, he still controlled me. He’d wanted me here and here I was. Everything paid for—housing, food, books, tutoring—by him. I had nothing he didn’t give me. I’d sold my soul to the man who killed my family. 

And it stung. 

Dr. Casera and Mad Dog remained silent behind me, letting me process my shit. 

“What would you have done if I killed your brothers?” I asked into the window. I didn’t care that Casera was in the office. Dealing with the mafia, cartel, whatever, he probably knew everything about everybody.

“I would’ve killed you,” he said. “Slowly.” 

My eyes burned and I shut them. I didn’t want to see my own reflection anymore. 

Teaser 2

Kieran 
I’d been here five minutes and already got a text from Wren. 

Wren: Fox is in the henhouse. Almost killed a dude. 

The little information I could gather was that someone had broken into our house and kicked Fox’s ass. So help me, Fox had better have put that fucker down. Dr. Casera as headmaster knew his place. He enforced the same rules we did. Don’t unbalance the status quo and Fox, Wren, Henry, River, and I were the status quo in this school. We had built a legacy and no one. No. One. was taking that away from us. 

I pushed into the main office and Dasher lifted his eyes to me. Dasher being here put everything in perspective. Fox had one weakness—Dasher. After the initial shock of my arrival wore off, he scowled. Dasher and I had a very complicated relationship. If it hadn’t been for Fox, the fucker would be six feet under, crutches and all. 

Mrs. Perkins, Casera’s assistant, gave me a wide-eyed look. She popped out of her chair, her breasts bobbing in that low cut dress she wore. The best feature on her, truth be told. I’m sure she used a year’s worth of pay at this school to get them done. I’m thinking that’s why Casera kept her on staff. “Kieran,” she said, “perhaps you should wait.” 

I didn’t wait. I barged in. “What happened?”

Fox sat in one of the chairs, his long lithe body stretched back, feet extended and crossed at the ankles. Out of all of us, even me, Fox was the most volatile, but he had the grace of a swan. “Meet Tommy R, our new roommate.” Fox’s smirk made him look two seconds away from bashing something. Insanity dripped behind his vivid blue eyes. He sported a bruise on his chin and a swollen bottom lip. 

“It’s Tomás.”

I turned to the intruder and almost lost the ability to breathe. The guy’s brown hair fell around his face in curls. Thick lashes framed his large dark eyes. Like two dark pits that threatened to pull me under. His nose a perfect feature on his face, and his lips were full but not pouty. The fucker was beautiful. And every part of me took notice. The compulsion to inspect his body had me vibrating along the edge of my skin. I instantly nipped the desire and turned it to anger instead.