My jaw dropped a little at the idea that he’d remembered such a small detail from when they were all hating on me. “Well, you still didn’t have to get me anything,” I murmured, accepting the box nonetheless.

It was all white, tied with an expensive looking satin bow and when I opened it up, I needed to dig through layer upon layer of tissue paper to reach the gift inside. When I finally got to it, I pulled it out and inspected it—speechless.

“It’s...” I trailed off, turning the clutch bag around to look at it from all sides. It was small, the sort of thing I’d use if I was going on a date, but instead of a normal clasp at the top, there were four loops with huge precious stones on top of each. So if I were to carry it, it’d look like I was wearing rings on all four of those fingers. “It’s stunning, and way, way too expensive.”

I knew designer and high quality when I saw it these days.

Dylan smiled. “It’s not just a vanity item,” he informed me. “Look.” He slid the fingers of my right hand into the loops and positioned the clutch bag in my palm. “Now, what would you do if someone attacked you?”

“Huh?” I frowned up at him and he just waited patiently for me to click on. “Oh, my god. You bought me a knuckle duster purse?” I burst out laughing and simulated a punch to his face with the bejeweled bag. “Dylan, this is seriously the most amazing present.”

He nodded, satisfied. “Not to mention functional.”

Not wanting to let go of my awesome new bag, I gave him a quick one armed hug and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks, Dylan. You’re the best.”

“Careful, Riles,” he teased, but there was an edge of tension in his face. “I really don’t need another lecture from Beck about getting too friendly with you.”

I gasped, mortified. “He didn’t. Did he?”

Dylan grimaced, and shrugged. “Come on, let’s get to school. Jasper filled me in on your new determination to pass classes legitimately, so we should stop skipping.”

“Fair point,” I agreed. I tucked my awesome present back in the tissue paper and left it on the counter top to fetch my school bag. “Let’s roll.”

“Hopefully we can make it through your whole birthday without anyone dying,” Dylan muttered as he followed me out of my apartment. It seemed like sort of an odd thing to say, but then again ... this was Delta.

27

During study period, Dylan joined me in a quiet corner of the library and peered over my shoulder at my open laptop screen.

“Ah, I remember that assignment,” he commented, coming around the table and taking the seat opposite me. “Can’t believe Mr. Matherson hasn’t changed his course material.”

I smiled. “Well then, would you care to read over what I have so far?” I turned my laptop around and pushed it toward him. “I’ll be back in a sec.”

“Why? Where are you going?” He made as if to get out of his seat and join me, but I waved him off.

“To pee, shadowmaster. I highly doubt Beck would appreciate you holding my hand while I did that.” I snickered at the thought, and Dylan cringed.

“Fair point,” he agreed, relaxing back into his chair. “Be quick though, or I’m coming to check on you.”

Totally straight faced, I nodded. “So, don’t take my time on a huge poop then?”

The look of abject horror on Dylan’s face kept me chuckling all the way out of the library and down the corridor to the nearest restroom. Right up until I pushed open the door and found Katelyn Huntley holding court with her minions.

“Yay, my favorite person,” I muttered with heavy sarcasm when she glared daggers at me. It probably would have been smarter to just turn the fuck around and walk away, but stupid me was all buzzed on how pleasant my birthday had been so far. That, and I was pretty confident Katelyn would never actually get her own hands dirty in trying to tear me down.

“Where do you think you’re going, slut?” Brittley sneered, stepping in front of me when I made to pass her.

I took a deep breath to try and calm myself before replying. “To pee, Brittley. That’s what you usually do in restrooms. Not stand around and compare lip gloss shades.” I flicked a contemptuous look at Katelyn, who was currently applying another coat to her lips, as I said this.

“You’re going to want to mind your manners, Riley Jameson,” Katelyn said, smirking at me in the mirror. “You don’t have your lap dogs in here to protect you.”

I met her gaze dead on, not a single ounce of fear projected from me. “I don’t need them.”

The other chick, who I hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting, turned to join Britters and Katelyn. Great, three against one. Were these bitches actually serious?

I had a brief eight-second daydream about Dylan busting in here and using his kung fu skills on the three of their perfect bitch-faces, but then I remembered that I was a strong, confident chick, with half a day of fight training. I’d survived a lot lately, and I would survive these bitches.

“Where’s Sebastian?” Katelyn said, and all of a sudden I was fucking pissed. I called him Sebastian. She could call him nothing, because she shouldn’t even say his name.

“None of your fucking business.”

She smirked harder. “Oh, I wasn’t asking because I didn’t know. I was just pointing out that he’s been gone a lot lately and you should maybe find out why that is.”

Her implication that he was out fucking someone else was very clear.

“I know exactly where Sebastian is, and I don’t have any worries when he’s not here, because we trust each other.”

Saying it out loud cemented that truth for me. I really did trust them again, maybe I’d never stopped—I’d mostly been pissed by their actions, but I was coming to learn that was a part of being in Delta. Not everything was above board, and now that I was a Delta heir, I had to readjust my expectations of life.

Fury pulsed through me as I pushed closer. “What sort of woman pays a group of guys to gang rape someone? You should have your tits ripped off and your vag glued closed. You’ve officially lost your chick card.”

Brittley gasped, swinging her head to stare at Katelyn. “I thought you said they were just going to scare her?”