The Game: Rebels of Ridgecrest High (Book 3)

Another day of school and things are weird.

I knew they would be, after everything that happened between us all. Mila forgiving me was a huge step forward, especially after I verbally attacked her over killing Roman’s dad. That wasn’t fair of me. But she forgave me, and I’m so grateful. But things are weird, now that they’re all together and dating and I’m left on the sidelines watching. I don’t know how to get past that. We used to do everything together, but now I feel like the fourth wheel, and I hate it.

I don’t want to watch without being able to join in. I want to be with Mila. But I don’t know how I would even fit in, if she let me. She said we all give her butterflies, and she won’t choose. Hunter agreed to that, and so did Roman. I don’t completely understand their relationship. In public, Mila and Hunter are all over each other… it’s disgusting sometimes. But with Roman, it’s different. Mila only holds hands with him. But everyone’s watching and waiting. I know better. I have seen them together, and I don’t like the jealously that rises inside me, wishing it was me.

I guess this is what I’ve always feared. Being left out. The pact was meant to stop this from happening to two of us, but because I’m a prick who went into a jealous rage, there’s now only one left out. Me. The one who set the stupid childhood pact into motion and reminded them all the day she got back, and now I’m paying for it. For being greedy.

Hunter already had a conversation with me before I apologized to Mila. He told me how he and Roman are both with her. That, if I have an issue, to go and fuck myself. So I’m keeping my jealously to myself and going with whatever they throw at me, because what else can I do? I don’t want to be left out anymore.

I’m envious. It seems so natural for them. They aren’t jealous of each other, and they don’t seem to fight over her attention. I don’t know how they do it. I would be a mess if I was Hunter or Roman. I’ve always dreamed that she would be mine and mine alone. I know that can’t happen now, and I’ve accepted that.

This is the way it is, and to be honest, it’s the only way it would have ever worked. No one is left out… well, when she finally lets me in, that is.

But I keep how much I want to be with her to myself. My big mouth and my actions got me here on the sidelines. This is my punishment for being an asshole, and the only way I can get back what we once had is to show her I’ve changed.

I thought it would be like old times with the three of them. Just hanging out and having fun. But that’s not the case, at all.

Watching Hunter kiss Mila, wishing those were my lips on hers. Yeah, I can deal with that. I fucked up. But then, watching Roman devour her, and when her eyes meet mine, it makes me wish I were next. That she would come to me and kiss me. But she doesn’t, and I know she’s punishing me for what I did with Britney. It was a low blow and one I wish I could take back.

The fact that they’re together, I can deal with that. It’s the whispering to each other when I’m around and always feeling left out I can’t deal with.

They have secrets, and they don’t want to share them with me. They whisper, and if I get too close, they stop or, a few times, I picked up the name Amato. I don’t like the way my friends don’t trust me enough to talk to me about it.

I let out a deep breath as I round the corner to the school office. My nose scrunches at the sight of Britney Montlake staring at me from where she stands. Her hip rests against the desk, and she’s wearing dark jeans and a red top that makes her red, pouty lips bigger than they are. And not in a good way.

“I know you’re ignoring me, but soon you won’t be. The truth will come out, and your friends will all be in prison, and I’m all you will have left.”

The fuck? I’ve been called to the principal’s office and wasn’t sure why, but seeing her here is bad news. Then I see him—my dad. He’s here too. He’s talking to the office assistant, and when he catches my eyes, I freeze. What’s this about?

I glare at Britney and grit my teeth. “What. Did. You. Do?” I ground out, and she just smiles and winks.

None of this makes sense. Is this about Grady? With my dad involved, it has to be. But Grady isn’t here. And why would my friends be going to prison? Britney should be the one doing time for what she did to Grady. I was the shitty boyfriend; I was the one who treated her badly, and my brother’s the one who paid for it.

“Fuck you, bitch,” I growl lowly enough for just her to hear me, but her expression doesn’t change. She merely tilts her head as if she hasn’t heard me.

The door to the principal’s office opens, but it’s not Mrs. Hadley. It’s a cop with a big belly, almost popping buttons off his uniform. I have a perfect donut joke for him, but I don’t know what this is about, so I keep my mouth shut.

“Jace Montero?” he asks, and I nod as I look around, trying to figure out what this is about. “Come inside.”

My feet feel glued to the floor. I don’t want to go in there. I don’t know what he has to say, but I’ve heard enough. My dad comes up behind me, and his hand on my back has me moving forward. He shakes the officer’s hand as I stand there confused.

“And I’m Daniel Montero, Jace’s father.”

The cop nods and ushers us into the office. I turn to see Britney with a huge grin on her face just as another officer closes the door. He’s a big man, and I recognize that face. It’s Britney’s dad. Fuck sake.

“Take a seat, please. It’s nice to see you again, Daniel. It’s been a while.” He shakes my father’s hand. They know each other because of my former relationship with Britney. “We have some questions we would like to ask you, Jace.”

I keep standing and cross my arms. Fuck this shit. I did nothing wrong, and if Britney put them up to this, I’m gonna kill her.

I look at Dad, but he just shakes his head and gestures for me to sit.

“Jace, we would like to talk to you about Mila Hart, Roman Valentine, and Hunter West.” What? I look at the big-bellied cop and back to my dad.

“Take a seat, boy.” Officer Montlake’s voice grows louder. He isn’t asking.

Dad’s eyes meet mine, and they plead for me to sit. Not to cause a scene. My arms drop to my sides and my hands fist. I don’t like the way this cop is asking about my friends.

The cops bringing me in here can’t be good for Mila and the guys. My heart races, and a wave of cold rushes through me as my stomach drops.

It’s got to be about Mila killing Roman’s dad. It has to be. What did Britney say to her dad to get them here, questioning me at school?

I know Mila’s been making Britney’s life a living hell after what she did to Grady. But Britney’s a bitch and has been calling her names like “killer.”

“As you know, there was an incident involving the three of them recently. And I have it on good authority that you were friends with them up until a few weeks before this happened. Is that correct?” the other cop asks.

I look back to the closed door, as though I can see Britney standing there with that grin on her face. It was an accident. It was self-defense. I never asked Mila directly, but I know she wouldn’t have killed Roman’s dad if she had any other choice. For me to be here, questioned by the cops…

What did I say when I was angry and venting my shit out loud with Britney around? She’s angry and just trying to get back at me. That’s all this is. Just a fallen queen trying to regain her crown.

I sit up straighter. “Why do you have me here?”

“We are looking into an ongoing investigation. One that involves your three friends. And we have questions for you,” Officer Montlake explains. And he would know… he knew me growing up. He knew us all.

“We’ve had a witness come forward with some information, and we need you to tell us what you know about the incident that resulted in the death of Mr. Damon Valentine.”

I shake my head. “I don’t know anything about it. I wasn’t there.”

“Well, I don’t know. You have always been thick as thieves, you four. I would find it highly unlikely you don’t know anything.”

I don’t answer; I just sit there silently. I don’t know anything, and I’m not about to talk. I’m not stupid.

The other cop starts speaking, and I try to ignore him until he asks a question that I’ve been asking myself. “What’s their association with the Amato Family?”

When my eyes find the officer, he tilts his head and smiles. I curse myself. Fuck.

Amato. I’ve heard the three of them use that name a few times while whispering. I googled it and it came up with the Amato crime family and I knew that had to be wrong, but for him to ask this. It can’t be wrong. And I just said without words, that they have a connection to this family. Fuck. I don’t say anything, and he stares me down.

“Tell us about their relationship,” Officer Montlake says. “There’s some talk about the three of them being all involved with each other… sexually. But Jace, you’re not involved with them sexually?”

My eyes meet his, and I narrow them. This fucker has gone too far. I edge forward, and I can see the smile forming on his face. He knows I’m left out. He would have gotten that much from Britney and is trying to play it, so I will rise and talk. I tend to get angry and run my mouth. Not anymore.

“I wasn’t aware this was what you were going to be asking when you called us down here,” Dad tells them both. “You haven’t even read my son his rights. If you want to ask any more questions, you can ask through our lawyer.” He stands and I do too. Officer Montlake watches me as I leave the office.

“You will hear from our lawyer,” Dad says as he closes the door on them and takes my arm, leading me away from the room.

We walk away until we’re out of earshot, and Dad turns to me. “Never talk to them without a lawyer. I don’t know what they’re after. That thing with Mila, it was self-defense, so I don’t understand what’s happening right now, but don’t speak to them. They can twist words. Go home, and I’ll meet you there. First, I’m going to call James and let him know the police are questioning you.”

Dad leaves, and I stand there, trying to wrap my head around what just happened. I didn’t even know we had a lawyer. But I’m smart enough to know that I need to keep my mouth shut and not speak to the police again without one. I could say one thing, and they will twist it to make it fit whatever agenda they have.

“So, do you trust your so-called friends? Have they told you the truth of what really happened?”

I spin to face Britney. She just won’t give up. Or give me up as she traces a finger up my arm, and I bat her arm away. She pouts her red lips. Ugh, why did I ever fuck her in the first place? I never should have gone out with her; she just won’t leave me alone.

“What do you know that you’re not telling me?” If she’d overheard her father, I want to know, and maybe she will tell me. Like why they’re still investigating this. This is bullshit. Self-defense, they said it was. So, what’s got them asking questions now?

“Not what I heard… what I saw.” She smirks and turns on her heel and walks away, swinging her hips as she leaves.

I stand there, rolling her words around in my head. Not what she heard.

Then, what did she see?

I knock on Mila’s door. I know she’s home; she walked inside with Hunter and Roman only moments before. I’d been waiting for them to come back so I could talk to them in person. I no longer trust that their phones aren’t bugged or some crazy shit.

“Jace?” Hunter calls out as I push the door, but it’s locked.

“Yeah, it’s me,” I call back.

The door opens, and I see Roman’s back to me in the kitchen, where he’s eating something. Hunter waves for me to go in, but I can’t see Mila. Not until I walk closer and see she’s on the kitchen counter, and Roman’s eating her face. Fuck, here we go again. It’s been a week of this, nonstop. It’s starting to be too much. Well, too much because I’m not a part of it. I want to eat Mila… and not just her face.

“So, the cops came to school to question me.” And that was enough for them to break apart and see me standing there at last.

“Is that why you weren’t at practice?” Roman asks.

I nod.

“What did they want? Why are you even being questioned?” Mila asks as she jumps to the floor on bare feet. She’s wearing the same ass-hugging jeans as she did at school, but now she’s added Roman’s hoodie, and it makes her look so small. But incredibly sexy.

She comes to me, and I look down into her blue eyes, and my hand itches to brush her hair back behind her ear and to run my thumb over her plump lips. Fuck, I want to kiss her so badly.

“You.” Her brows furrow, and I want to touch them too, to ease her worry. Would she let me? I clench my hands as she takes a step away from me before I get the chance to try. It’s for the best. This isn’t the right time.

“What? Me? They asked you about me? The investigation’s over, I thought. It was self-defense.”

I nod. “Yeah, well, they seem to be very interested in your relationship with Hunter and Roman. The Amato family. And they think I know something because we’re friends. I don’t know shit. But Britney Montlake seems to think you’re all going to prison.”

Mila gasps. Hunter wraps his arms around her as Roman paces in the kitchen. He looks to the window and the door. Fuck, what have they gotten themselves into?

“What do you mean, Britney thinks we’re going to prison?” Hunter questions as he rubs a palm up and down Mila’s arm. Ugh… it’s getting to me. Watching them and wanting it to be me holding her.

I throw my hands up to stop myself from taking her into my arms and soothing her worries. “I don’t know. I asked her what she’d heard, and she told me it wasn’t what she heard but what she saw. Britney’s just mad at me, and I think she’s trying to start shit. Unless something did happen?”

Hunter shakes his head. “She saw nothing because nothing happened.”

His eye twitches, and I know he’s lying. I point to him. I hate being in the dark, and this… I need to know the truth.

“I hear you all whispering, and I know about the Amato Family. You whisper loudly. So, tell me now. Are you involved with them? Are you all fucking each other? And, yes, the cops asked me that, in front of my dad.”

Hunter looks to Roman behind him, and I know I’m being unfair. They have only just forgiven me, but I don’t know what I’m supposed to say to the police if they come knocking again. I want to be a part of whatever’s going on, like I was before I fucked it up. I want Mila to see me as more than the screwed-up asshole she forgave, but still can’t trust. Pushing her for this won’t win me any points with her, but I need to know.

“Fuck.” Roman throws his hands up and storms over to the sofa. He flops down and cradles his head. Shit, how deep are they?

“Fuck, just tell me. So, when they come back to question me, I know what I need to hide.”

“But that’s the thing,” Mila says. “If we tell you, you’ll have to lie. The more you know, the deeper you get.”

“We can’t tell you without you now being involved. If something were to come out, you would be an accessory to the… crime,” Hunter finishes and shakes his head at me. He lets out a deep breath, letting go of Mila and taking a few steps away from her to pace.

“Crime?” Fuck, I just didn’t want to be left out. But now I’m worried this is something much bigger than I thought. Self-defense. That’s not what I would call a crime. Murder… now, that’s a crime.

Roman stands up abruptly, his eyes meeting mine. He says four words that I never expected.

“I killed my dad.”

Well… fuck.