Trick Me Twice: An Enemies to Lovers High School Bully Romance Read online

  Across from me, Lena cleared her throat. “Maybe I can help with that.”

  We all stared at her. A small smile flickered across her face, before she turned her attention to her phone, her fingers flying across the screen. Eventually, she raised her head. “We just need to wait for a few minutes.”

  Standing in the cold night, we fell silent. Every one of my senses was on high alert. After the longest few minutes of my life, Lena’s phone beeped, and she smiled triumphantly. “Got it. Full name, address, date of birth. I’ll forward you the info now.”

  Less than thirty seconds later, I was staring at the information on my screen, memorising the address, committing all the details to memory, before I forwarded the information to Kian and Xavier.

  Already moving towards my car, I spun to face the others. “Ready?”

  Dylan Rossiter was going down.

  38

  When I awoke again, I was lying on a soft surface. Blinking my eyes open, I attempted to focus. My vision was blurry, and my head was swimming.

  The room eventually came into focus, although it appeared fuzzy around the edges, giving everything a dreamlike quality. I was in my bedroom. Relief flooded through me. It had been a nightmare. A very realistic nightmare, but at least it wasn’t real.

  Something was nagging at the back of my mind, though. I squinted at my bedside table. Where was my lamp? As I looked around, everything became clearer, and I let out a deep, shuddering breath.

  This room…it looked so much like my bedroom.

  Except. This wasn’t my bedroom.

  “Hello, Sleeping Beauty.”

  I jumped at the voice coming from a dark corner and spun to see a shadowy figure rise up and come to stand in front of me. He watched me carefully for a moment, before he sank down onto the bed next to me. “How are you doing? Is your head okay?” Dylan’s concern was at absolute odds with how he’d treated me so far. As the slightly hazy memories came back, it sank in that he’d drugged me not once, but twice, he’d kidnapped me, and now he was holding me somewhere that bore such a close resemblance to my own bedroom, it couldn’t be a coincidence.

  I tamped down the fear, locking it up tight. I had to be cautious and look for an opening. The courage I’d been working so hard on gaining was there inside me, I just had to do what I always did—fake it until it became real. Fear was not allowed any place here. Not now. Closing my eyes, I visualised myself putting on a mask, a mask that would hide my true face and protect me.

  I opened my eyes.

  “My head is a little fuzzy, but I’m okay.” Thankfully, my tongue didn’t feel swollen like it had done the first time, and other than my incredibly dry throat, I was able to speak almost normally, although my voice sounded hoarse and scratchy to my own ears.

  “Good.” Dylan smiled at me. “How do you like my room?”

  I stared around me, pretending to appreciate it, rather than show just how much it creeped me out. “It feels very familiar.”

  His smile widened. “I decorated it as closely to your bedroom as possible. I wanted you to feel comfortable here.”

  Smiling was an effort, yet somehow, I managed to make the corners of my lips turn up. “You did a good job.” I took a breath, my next words cautious, although I tried to keep a light tone. “How did you know what my bedroom looked like?”

  “I can’t reveal all my secrets now, can I?” He laughed, and the sound chilled me.

  “Talk to me, Dyl. I can call you Dyl, right?” My breaths were becoming shallower, and a wave of dizziness overtook me. Taking a deep breath, I counted to five in my head. I had to keep it together, to not allow my mask to slip.

  “Dyl. I like that.” He shuffled a bit closer to me on the bed and reached out, clasping my clammy palm in his cold hand. “I’m sorry I had to sedate you.” His thumb stroked across my skin, and I barely suppressed my shudder of revulsion. “I don’t want you to be afraid, Raine. I’ll never hurt you. Not unless you give me reason to.”

  “I believe you, Dyl,” I managed. “What was this big gesture all about?” I waved my hand around to encompass the room.

  “Everything I’ve been working towards is for you and me.” He shuffled back on the bed until he was resting on the headboard. “You’ve always been so sweet, so kind to me.” His grip on my hand tightened. “We’re perfect for each other. I just needed you to see it. I suppose things changed at Fright Night. You looked so beautiful, almost irresistible. From the moment I saw you there, like some kind of goddess, everything changed for me. I couldn’t get you out of my head.”

  Nausea churned in my stomach. “You were there?” I hadn’t remembered seeing him.

  He nodded. “I was in the haunted house. Did you like my clown makeup? That took me hours.”

  “C-clown?” This time, there was no suppressing the shudder that ran through me. The one thing I hated, above anything else, was clowns.

  Laughing, he patted my hand. “Don’t worry, I won’t dress like that again. Not now I know you don’t like it.” He sighed, the smile slipping from his face. “Anyway, I wanted to talk to you, to ask you out at school on Monday, but then everything changed. Carter”—he spat the word—“Carter ruined it. I saw the picture, you see. The one from Fright Night of you and him holding hands. Yes, you had a mask on, but I’d seen you earlier, and I knew it was you.” Another heavy sigh escaped him. “I almost thought Carter had managed to ruin things for himself, when the rumours started spreading about you with the football team, but it soon became clear to me that the two of you held some kind of infatuation with each other. That’s when I knew I had to take precautions, to show you how valuable I could be.”

  “And…” I licked my dry lips, already knowing the answer to my question before I’d even asked it. “What did you do?”

  “Nothing much. Just lifted the keys from my uncle, found the combination that Mrs. Whittall keeps locked in her desk drawer, and took the money from the cash box. There was no harm done—I replaced it afterwards, didn’t I?” A pleased expression stole across his face. “That was the first time you really confided in me, and it solidified my belief that we were perfect for each other.”

  “But you—I. I paid you the money back.”

  “It’s all here. I haven’t touched a penny of it.” He shifted on the bed, angling himself to face me. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”

  How was he even justifying his behaviour? My head was spinning.

  “The money thing worked for a while, then at the party, I saw Carter kiss you. It was only a game, yet it was clear that there were still residual feelings. I couldn’t understand it. This was Carter Blackthorne. He belongs with silly, airhead girls, not with someone as special as you, Raine.” His grip on my hand tightened to the point of pain, and I hissed through my teeth. He either didn’t notice or didn’t care, because he continued talking. “I tried to get you alone at the party. I wanted to kiss you, so you could feel our connection. So you could replace his memory with mine. But you slipped away.”

  There was no disguising my shocked gasp. “That was you in the mask? Up on the walkway?”

  “Yes. All I wanted was to kiss you, and I knew that if I wore the mask I’d have more of a chance of getting close to you, knowing the way you reacted to Carter’s mask.” A disapproving note entered his voice as he continued. “You disappeared with Carter, again. So I did what I could. I managed to sneak a couple of photos, and I posted them to the gossip account, in the hope that it would make you realise that you didn’t want or need that kind of attention.” His mouth turned down. “It wasn’t me that sprayed that awful word on your locker, though, or put the picture on there. I’d never hurt you like that.”

  I almost laughed. As if that made it any better.

  He still wasn’t finished. Now he’d started telling the story, it seemed like he couldn’t get the words out fast enough. “It was Tina. Tina was the one who sprayed your locker and stuck the printout on there. Don’t worry, though, she got her punishment.”
>
  “Punishment?” I echoed, bile rising in my throat.

  “Don’t look so worried.” He gave a light laugh. “I simply slashed all the tyres on her car. Oh, and I sneaked into the headmaster’s office after hours and altered a couple of her grades. Nothing major.”

  “Oh.” It was the only reply I could give him, when he was looking at me so expectantly.

  He didn’t seem to notice my lack of response, or if he did, he didn’t comment on it. “I must admit, when I saw the photograph of you with Cassius Drummond, I was concerned, but I concluded that he wouldn’t be interested in someone like us. We…we’re not supposed to be with the popular people, the bland, good-looking ones with their empty lives, who live to crush people like us underfoot. That’s why I was so surprised by Carter’s actions today at the football match.” Finally, he released my grip, and he slid off the bed, pacing up and down. “I…I’ve had the sedatives for a little while now. They were only supposed to be a precaution. I’m so sorry I used them on you, Raine. Do you forgive me? Do you understand that I had no choice? I had to get you away from Carter.”

  “Y-yes,” I managed to choke out.

  His expression smoothed, and then he pounced, dragging me down the bed and throwing his weight across my body. Although he was much smaller than Carter, he managed to pin me, despite me trying to buck him off. My muscles felt so heavy. It was like they were refusing to work properly. Maybe it was the after-effects of the sedative, I didn’t know. I froze as he lowered his head to mine. It didn’t escape me that Carter had pinned me so many times, and yet, I’d always responded in pleasure, even when I hadn’t wanted to. Now, all I felt was fear and revulsion.

  “I’d planned to wait, to let you come to me, to choose me, but Carter gave me no choice.” Dylan’s mouth hovered over my cheek, and bile rose in my throat as he brushed his lips over my skin.

  His hand went to the button of my jeans, and that was it. I would not let him do this. My mind raced. Maybe there was a way I could reason with him. “Dyl?” My voice was a soft whisper. I let my hand run up his arm, hoping he couldn’t feel me shake. “Not like this. We need to wipe away all the memories of Carter.”

  He stiffened above me, and then he spoke. “What do you mean?” There was a note of intrigue in his voice, and I blew out a heavy breath, psyching myself up for the performance of my life.

  “Well, what if we replace all of his memories with memories of our own? Carter loved chasing me…would you like that, too? Would you like to catch me all for yourself?”

  His breath hitched, and he pressed into me. I bit down on my lip so hard that I tasted blood, lying completely still. After the longest moment of my life, he replied with one word that sparked a tiny ember of hope inside me. “Yes.”

  39

  We parked a little way away from Dylan’s house, not wanting to alert him to our presence. “Masks.” I hissed the word, grabbing a handful of our LED masks from the boot. “If there are cameras around, we don’t want to be recognised.” My voice lowered. “Take precautions and stay safe.” Everyone put on a mask without protest, keeping the lights switched off this time, and we headed towards Dylan’s house, keeping to the shadows as much as we could. Attempting to keep my mind clear was a losing battle, but I focused on the task at hand. The only task—getting Raine out of there as quickly and safely as I could.

  The house was just as it had looked on Google Street View—a sprawling bungalow, with unnecessary ornate pillars and faux-Grecian sculptures draped over the outside. According to Dylan’s records, he lived with his grandmother. There seemed to be a distinct lack of security around the property, other than a couple of outdoor lights with motion sensors. Peering in the front window, I could see an elderly woman, who must be the grandmother, sitting in a rocking chair, the TV cranked so high that I was able to make out all the dialogue from the show she was watching. We moved down the side of the house in a line, slipping through the night like shadows, avoiding the range of the motion-sensor lights which seemed to only be focused on the doors.

  Reaching the back of the house, I stopped dead, a combination of rage and fear so all-encompassing filling me that everything else faded into nothingness, and I saw red.

  “Carter!” Kian’s sharp hiss sounded in my ear, his arms grabbing mine and lowering them—what the fuck? When had I raised my fists? “Carter!” His voice was more insistent, as he struggled to hold me in place. “Wait. We can’t. Raine.” The words penetrated the fog surrounding me, and I stopped struggling against him.

  “Look, though.” My voice was hoarse and desperate. “Look.”

  Through the tiny gap in the curtains we took in the scene playing out in front of us. Dylan had Raine pinned on the bed. From where I stood, I could see her face, turned slightly to the side. She was barely fucking keeping herself together.

  Raine.

  I knew she was important to me, but until that moment, I didn’t realise how much.

  I’d burn the world down for her.

  Why the fuck had I pushed her away? Let my own issues fuck everything up? If I’d got my shit together sooner, maybe we wouldn’t be here right now.

  Dylan’s hand moved between them, and I tensed, every single part of me on edge, needing to get her out of danger, when I saw her lips move, and after a few moments, Dylan moved off her.

  My relief was instantaneous.

  “What’s going on?” Kian murmured, although I knew he wasn’t really asking me a question. They both disappeared from the room, and then a minute later, the back door was sliding open, and the security light came on. We barely jumped back in time, escaping to the shadows where the others waited.

  “You’ve got ten seconds.” Dylan’s nasally voice sounded loud in the quiet night. “Ten…”

  Before the word had even left his lips, Raine was running, her movements almost sluggish, slower than usual. What had that fucker done to her?

  My eyes returned to Dylan. At this moment in time, it was more important that I keep an eye on him. He stepped out of the house, closing the door behind him, still counting. I watched him move further away from the house, my whole body vibrating with the need to run at him.

  “What do you say?” Kian’s low voice sounded close to my ear. “Shall we give him a show?”

  I smiled at the dark intent in his tone. “Fuck, yes. One he’ll never forget.” Turning, I spun my finger in a circle, seeing Xavier’s nod, and we began to move towards Dylan, keeping to the shadows. Reaching up, I set the switch for my mask to the flashing position as Kian did the same, knowing the others would follow our cue.

  “Oh, Dylan?” I called out. “I think you have something that belongs to me.”

  He spun in a circle, all the colour draining from his face, and then he swayed on his feet. He knew he was trapped, surrounded by us, and he had nowhere to go.

  “Get Raine,” I said softly, trusting that the girls would help her out. She needed her friends right now, and I needed to teach Dylan Rossiter a lesson he’d never forget.

  Stepping forwards, I got right in Dylan’s face. I watched as the light from my mask flashed across his terrified features. My rage was boiling out of control as I looked down at him, and I raised my arm.

  A small body came barrelling into me from the side, and suddenly everything else was forgotten as I swept a shuddering Raine into my arms, breathing in her caramel apple scent. “You came,” she choked out. “You came for me.”

  “Always.” That was the only word I could get out, because the lump in my throat was too fucking big. Taking a huge step back from Dylan, I held on to her, trusting the others to keep Dylan cornered. Eventually, I lowered her to the ground. “Did he hurt you?” I asked in a low voice.

  She hesitated, and dread crawled through me. “Not physically. He-he drugged me. Twice. And it was him. Be-behind all the other stuff.” Her voice trembled.

  I spoke very calmly. “Listen to me. I want you to go and wait for me in my car. Can you do that?” She nodded, and I ran a
reassuring hand down her back before I released her. “You’re safe now,” I murmured, before glancing over at Preston. He nodded, coming forwards and taking hold of her arm gently, and I handed him my keys before I returned my attention to a struggling Dylan, who was being restrained by a masked Kian.

  “Everyone else can leave us.” I raised my voice. “This is between me and Rossiter.”

  “I’m staying.” Kian’s voice was threaded with excitement, and it almost brought a smile to my face. Almost.

  “I’ll keep an eye on the grandma,” Lena muttered, before following the others down the side of the house. Once they were gone, I stretched out my arms, cracking my knuckles, enjoying the anticipation, before I nodded at Kian to release Dylan.

  “I’ll give you a ten-second head start. Just like you did for Raine. Ten…”

  As Dylan stumbled away from us, I laughed, letting him run down the garden, losing himself in the shadows. “Make sure he doesn’t escape down the side of the house,” I told Kian, then flicked the switch on my mask to turn it off.

  “On it, but I’m playing, too.”

  Instead of answering, I started stalking down the garden, Kian moving down the opposite side, ready to block Dylan if he made a run for it. Both of us moved silently, listening out for the telltale sound of Dylan’s breathing.

  There.

  The panicked sound carried across the night air, and I struck at the dark shadow crouched beside the hedge, grabbing him easily. “You picked the wrong girl for your sick obsession,” I gritted out, as I dragged him back up towards the house, throwing him down on the grass. He collapsed in a heap like the coward he was, whimpering and covering his face.

  “Don’t hurt me.” His pathetic, shaky voice grated on me, and it was all I could do to restrain myself from—

  He lunged for me, something sharp and metallic gleaming in his hand. I twisted away at the last moment, my reflexes honed from countless fights at the bowl, and snapped his arm back.