Enforce(5)

“You earn the right to use what we have.” Actually that was only partially true, but I wanted her to be too terrified to question me. “The elevators are locked. The Elect have copies of the keycard. The pools, the weight rooms — everything you have access to, even your food, has a keycard.”

I reached into my pocket and pulled out one of the extras that I’d made for Chase earlier that week. It wasn’t the typical card we gave to new students, but it would do the job. Chances were, since Mo had put her under her own protection, it would just be a matter of time before she weaseled her way into our lunch hour. May as well invite her first — plus. I could watch her.

Not that I wanted to be creepy and stalk her.

It was from a business standpoint — nothing else. She needed to stay silent; she needed to appear to be our plaything.

And no chance in hell was I putting her with the rest of the student body.

“Say thank you.” I was a jackass.

“For what?” Her eyes pooled with tears.

“Allowing you to eat, of course,” I said in a smooth voice. Hating that her tears were making me want to hold her close — but mostly, hating that her tears reminded me of the girl who still haunted my dreams.

“What?”

“I’m not finished talking.” I was pissed she wasn’t afraid, that she reminded me of a past I couldn’t forget — and a future I couldn’t escape. “This key card gains you access into the elevator only once a week. It also gains you access into the cafeteria, twice a day. Not three times. We don’t want you gaining weight.” Another lie. I was going to freaking add protein powder to her food if she got too skinny, but I needed her insecure, so insecure that she’d rely on us for everything, so insecure that she wanted to leave Eagle Elite at break. “Use it wisely, and if you impress me with your ability to follow directions, I may just up your freedom. Until then…” I shrugged and cleared my throat. “…move aside.”

She didn’t budge.

I repeated myself — I never repeated myself.

Slamming my hand on the door beside her head, I leaned in, my lips almost brushing hers. Blood roared in my ears as my body scolded me for not taking what was right in front of me. It would be. So. Damn. Easy.

Too bad I wanted hard.

It was my life motto. If it wasn’t hard — it wasn’t worth having.

Unexpectedly, while I was in my daydream, her little hands pushed against my chest.

They were warm.

If I got shot that night, I’d still remember that one thing. Her hands were warm.

I liked it.

Too much.

And I hated being touched.

She pissed me off.

“Did you just touch me?”

“You threatened me!”

“I threaten everyone.” I tried not to crack a smile at her huffy attitude.

“Then you’re a bully.”

I hadn’t been called a bully since sixth grade. I opened my mouth to say something rude then snapped it shut. “So you wanted to touch me?”

Her face erupted in flames. Interesting.

“No.” Her teeth clenched. “I want you to leave me the hell alone!”

“Say please.” God, I could just devour her.

“Please?” she begged. What I wouldn’t do to hear her say my name, to beg me over and over again.

She wasn’t for me, I reminded myself. This wasn’t a game. I blocked out the emotions, the warm feeling surging through my blood. “Hell. No.” My lips did touch hers then, briefly, enough for me to memorize the texture of her mouth — enough for me to torture myself for the next five years of my life, if I lived that long.

I reached for the door and jerked it open.

Mo stood there, a cheerful look on her face, and then she looked behind me, and I could have sworn she was ready to reach for a gun.

I slammed the door again.

“I thought you were leaving.” Smart-ass New Girl said.

“Change of plans,” I muttered then went over to the window. Good, the games were still set up. Elite was all about extreme sports. Kids had been jumping out of their windows all day instead of taking the elevators. I’d never actually participated in welcome day or the games, but it was clearly a day of firsts.

“What are you going to do?” she shrieked. “Shimmy down the drain pipe?”

“Nixon! Open the damn door!” my sister shouted.

With a laugh, I stepped out onto the ledge.

New Girl shrieked.

It was cute that she was concerned, and here I’d thought she was going to push me.

She grabbed my shirt. “Are you insane?”

Yes. Very much so.

“Hands off,” I yelled and then jumped into the air. I freefell for a total of three seconds before I hit the blown-up tarp.