Chapter 9

Reign

Blood rushes to my head, my veins pumping extra hard. I feel like I ran a marathon while also being so full of adrenaline I wish I could hit something. Riley. It's just like her to amp this up instead of just admit that something between us is changing. I throw my keys to Leif, to make sure he gets down there with my car for after the challenge. He nods and jogs away.

I slide into her coach's car and adjust the seat to fit my over six-foot-tall frame. Riley slips into the Saint's coach's car and I watch her patiently while she makes any adjustments. We're running out of time until the meeting concludes. We both fire up the engines at the same time and I give the little car a rev of the engine. Even through the windshield, I can see Riley roll her eyes and I chuckle to myself.

Quinn steps to the sides of the vehicles with her arm raised, her eyes blazing in a premature triumph. When I told her I'd drive instead of her, she was relieved and also thankful. From our history, she knew I'd never let Riley win and she trusted me. That was a stupid move on her part. Quinn is a great hockey player, she's the captain of our girls' team and therefore I have respect for her. But she often makes digs at Riley or gets in the middle of our challenges and our favors and that bothers me. Riley is mine to torment. She's mine, period.

I nod to Quinn, just a tilt of my chin, and her arm slashes through the air, signaling the start of our race. Riley and I both slam on the pedals and her car leaps in front of mine. I smirk in response. She's always so eager. My mind screams at me to figure out how I'll make this work. I refuse to let her win, after she offered her cherry up to me that way. I won't be winning it through a favor or a challenge. And I sure as fuck am not letting anyone on my team take it. I'll take it with her consent while she's moaning underneath me, begging me to slide in and pop it.

We race into town and I start speeding up, using the momentum from the hill to rocket this car faster. Riley glances at me once out of her driver's side window and I see her smirk. I nudge my car faster, trying to guess her game. Does she want me to win? Does she think I'm scum enough that I'll let her win this challenge just for her virginity? I roll my eyes. Keeping my vehicle a few inches in front of hers, we race around the last curve of the town square. I spot Leif in my car and Emma in Leif's truck, both waiting to get us out of there.

We swing around, and the parking lot by the bay is right ahead. The clock on the dash lets me know that the meeting is over. At any minute they'll be leaving the building. I slow at the last minute and watch as a horrified expression crosses Riley's face, before I match my bumper to hers right as we park. We tied. For the first time in all the years of challenges, there is a tie between us. I put the car in park and get out, leaving the keys on the seat. Riley is slower to get out.

I grab her hand and start jogging toward our waiting get-away cars. Her chest is rising and falling rapidly, the adrenaline hitting her hard, and maybe something else. "Breath, babe."

Her gaze swings to me, her dark eyes throwing daggers. "What was that?"

I get in her face, feeling insulted. She really thought I'd rise to her bait. "A tie."

"We never tie," she grits out.

I fold my arms over my chest. "You know I hate to lose, Riles. I won't lose you to a stupid favor on a challenge I initiated either."

Her eyes move rapidly over my face and it takes all my strength to stay where I am and not haul her into my arms and kiss the shit out of her for being stupid tonight. I'll let it slide one time because I know I backed her into a corner and made her nervous on the way over. I go to grab her and move us to the cars. Voices are getting louder and I hear the door bang open at city hall. Riley's eyes widen and she takes off running to where her friend is sitting.

"I thought you knew me better, Thorn."

My brow rises as the girls speed away. At the same time I hear Leif yell my name and a screeching noise of metal on cement echoes around us, followed by a huge splash. I swing my gaze to the parking lot by the bay right as people are running over there. My body starts to move and I jump in my car with Leif. The taillights on the Saints' coach's car are in the air, the front of the vehicle submerging in water. Right as we all start moving, I catch my principal's gaze and my own coach's.

"I don't get how you actually have the audacity to ask me for a favor when you just dumped the car of a coach at your school in the bay. You honestly think they're going to grant me anything I request?"

My father's voice is stern and gruff, while he sets down his iPad, stopping from reading the news to glare at me. It's been his constant look all weekend after the incident. Part of me is turned on by the evil mastermind that is Riley Conrad, the other is pissed off. She left, knowing it would be pinned on me. And I took full responsibility. I apologized to the girls' coach and I used my own money to pay for the damage and repairs. I wasn't forgiven by a long shot, but it helped in saving me from being expelled from All Saints or in trouble with my own team. I also have to miss our first home game, karma for what I had done to Riley at her old school.

My beautiful little nemesis. If she thought this stunt would ruin my obsession with her, she was mistaken. It's doubled. I feel the tug to have her near me, under my thumb, and at my mercy deep in my veins. The thoughts I have of her run daily in my mind and all the possibilities of what could happen if I have her with me every day, ruining her, and making her mine. School starts this week and I refuse to let her go and be surrounded by the male population at public. I've scared most of them off, but it won't last forever. I'm not dumb enough to believe that my reach will make it past graduation when eventually Riley will leave me. I don't even fucking know where she plans to go to college or what she wants to do. The urgency to fix it so this doesn't happen rides me every waking hour. I'll do just about anything to keep her with me, even if that means giving my father what he wants.

"I'll take you up on the deal to major in Business and Economics."

My father stops his rant and removes his glasses. I hold still while he looks me over, probably looking for signs of illness. I've been fighting him for months about what my major will be in the college I decide to play at. "Reign, it's not like I can just pull a scholarship out of thin air."

"I'll make Michigan my first-choice school," I counter and he freezes. As an alma mater he's been pushing hard that if I choose a D1 school to play at that it be Michigan. They're known for their Business Management major, which is his dream for me. It's not a bad choice. Play hockey, major in business like the old man wants, get drafted and play in the NHL until I have to retire and then, only then, will I relent to help with the family business. Plus, I checked and Michigan has a sick girls' hockey team as well with scholarships. Something I know Riley can have a better chance at getting if she is at All Saints.

"Let me get this straight. You want me to contact the school and open a scholarship for one student that includes tuition, books and board, —"

"And the deal with the hockey team, we talked about," I remind him, taking a bite of my bacon.

His eyes flare. "Then, in turn, you'll accept the offer from Michigan and choose Business Management as your major?" My father looks past me to my mom, who is wearing the biggest smile ever. "What do you think of this?"

My mom's a hopeless romantic and I know she's always had a soft spot for Riley. When I mentioned it earlier, I dropped Riley's name and my mom has been smiling sunshine and unicorns since then. "I think it would be good to show the town that we use our money for more than just buying team uniforms for youth sports. Besides, Riley is a good kid. She will be excellent on the girls' team this year."

"This is for a girl?" My dad swings his gaze back to me and I hold still under his scrutiny. This time he's looking at me like he doesn't know if I'm his son or not.

I roll my eyes. "She's a good player. She deserves a fair shake and a chance to make her life better."

My dad scoffs and runs a hand over his face. "I want it in writing. I want you to sign the agreement before I make the offer."

"Call the school board now. School starts this week, and she needs to be given the offer before her first day."

His brow rises. We watch each other and my mom giggles, while grabbing another breakfast pastry. "And you both thought the other was more stubborn."