Dynasty (Boys of Winter #1) - Sheridan Anne Page 0,3

to get enrolled in this place. Some serious strings must have been pulled. This school is for rich kids, and the last time I was enrolled at a place like this, they had some bullshit community service program where they took in less fortunate students. I’m sure this is going to be the same deal, which means that from the very beginning, I’m going to get their pitying stares and snide comments.

I can’t wait. It’s going to be a blast … not.

Though, I can’t say it’s any different from any other school I’ve been to. I’ve always been the ‘poor foster girl’ or the ‘troubled girl’ who needs to be kept away. Everywhere I go, it’s always the same. There’s no point trying to clear my name because, for the most part, it’s true. Other kids’ parents are scared of me. They don’t want me hanging out with their precious babies, they don’t want me getting cozy with their sons, they just want me away, but fuck them. I’m not here to impress other people; I’m here to make it through school and get the hell out.

It’s getting late and instead of heading straight back to my eighteenth home from hell, I make a detour. Taking the long way means I’ll avoid the inevitable bullshit from Irene and Kurt. They hate me, but I don’t care. I hate them too. They’re assholes. It’s as though we have a silent agreement between us. I stay out of their way, and they get to cash a check at the end of the month. It’s only two months anyway, which only goes to show how desperate they are for cash. If Kurt wasn’t so dependent on alcohol and Irene stepped away from the slot machines, they probably wouldn’t be in this position. In fact, I don’t even know how they got themselves in this position. Surely there must be a red flag against their names.

I can’t believe it’s already been three days living with them. It’s going to be hard, but I’ve been through worse.

The Ducati finally takes me out of the city and deeper into Ravenwood Heights. I ease up on the throttle and bring the roaring engine to a soft hum. There are homes all around, and I don’t exactly want to spend my night behind bars because of a noise complaint. These rich people can be assholes, and they won’t hesitate to try and teach me a lesson about disturbing their peace. Kids like me who can’t afford to fight the legal system make perfect targets, and those rich assholes get off on it.

I take a look around, trying to get used to my new surroundings when a black SUV creeps up behind me. I glance in my mirrors before discreetly looking back over my shoulder, realizing it’s an Escalade—and a fucking sexy one at that. I’m a car girl. Not many chicks are, but when cars, bikes, boats, and anything with a motor is a form of escape that could take me away from all the bullshit, I tend to fall hard and fast. Hence why I love my bike like it was my firstborn child.

Not wanting to become roadkill, I move over to the side to let the Escalade pass, and as it does, I can’t help but roam my eyes over it. The windows are darkly tinted, so dark that I’m positive it’s not legal, but there’s something about this SUV that makes it impossible to look away. A shiver passes over my skin, and something screams at me that the people inside this car are watching me closely. I can’t see shit, but I feel their heavy stares piercing into me like the sharpest knives right through my soul.

The Escalade passes in front of me, and I keep up with it, sitting on its tail and following it through the streets. I know I shouldn’t. The crawling feeling over my skin is a big sign telling me to fuck right off and get my ass home. But I can’t.

I ride along with it, taking every corner, every straight. We pull up at a set of lights, and just like when it passed me, I feel their stares again.

The light turns green and I follow the Escalade around one more corner until it’s pulling into a cemetery. My brows furrow. Who the fuck pulls into a cemetery at this time of night? I creep behind it slowly while putting some distance between us. I watch as it