Free Dare to Kiss (The Maxwell Series Book 1) by S.B. Alexander

you see the way he looked at me?”
    She snorted. “Yeah, Lacey. The guy wants to do something to you, but I don’t think it has anything to do with killing.”
    “Ha ha. I’m sure he has lots of girls he can go out with.”
    “Oh, you’re right. But Kade Maxwell doesn’t do steady girlfriends. I don’t know if the triplets do. They haven’t been here since their freshman year.”
    I sat up straighter in my seat. “Where have they been?” I asked.
    She walked to the door and closed it then sat down in the seat next to me. “You’re new, and you should probably know some of the history.” She made it sound like knowing whatever she was about to tell me would condemn me.
    “Yeah, like Mandy Shears. Are you ever going to tell me about her?”
    She flinched. “Not at school.” Her gaze darted to the door then back at me.
    Wow! Something bad must’ve happened to that girl .
    “Anyway, a guy named Greg Sullivan hated Kade. Actually, they despised each other. It was an ego thing. You know how guys are. They both competed against each other for the same spots in football, basketball, and baseball. Each time, Kade won. They would always get into fights. When they both started their sophomore year, Greg thought a new year, new tryouts, and maybe this would be his year. But when Kade won again, Greg had a freaking cow. He destroyed the boys’ locker room—threw a trashcan at the mirrors. Then to top it off, the triplets got positions on the varsity baseball team that year as freshmen, even over some of the returning seniors. Then Greg made it his mission to get back at the Maxwell brothers, especially Kade. They said that Greg and his buddies beat the shit out of Kody, because he was the weakest of the brothers. When Kade found out, he went nuts. The rumor—and it was never verified—was that Kade, Kross, Kelton, and some friend of Kade’s, Hunter, jumped Greg and put him in the hospital.”
    I gasped.
    “I know, right?” she said, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “But there’s more. Kade ended up in jail. Greg’s family pressed charges against him.”
    “So why didn’t Kade go to the police when Kody was beaten?”
    “I don’t know. All I know is when school started up again the next year, the triplets were gone and so was Greg. The triplets went to some military academy. Now, they’re back at Kensington, to graduate with Kade. They tested out of most of their junior subjects. At least that’s what I heard.”
    And Kelton called me smart. “What happened to Greg?”
    “No clue.” She shook her head slightly.
    “Why didn’t Kade go with his brothers to the academy?”
    “Don’t know that either. Listen, Kade’s hot. And as a friend, I warn you. He spits out women left and right. Not to mention that he’s known for his temper.”
    Tempers didn’t bother me. I had one. “Is Kade dating anyone? Like Tammy Reese?”
    She laughed. “He dated her last year. I think it was one date. Why? You like him, don’t you?”
    I shrugged a shoulder, playing with my notebook. “He’s hot, like you said. But if he’s anything like Kelton—”
    “Nobody’s like Kelton.” She giggled. “So, why did you punch Kade?” She studied me intently.
    I hardly knew Becca, so I wasn’t ready to tell her about the panic attacks I got because half my family was violently murdered—not yet, anyway. “He was being an ass. So you don’t want me jumping his bones?” Laughing, I changed the subject quickly, hoping that she wouldn’t probe.
    “Girlfriend, I would love for you to jump his bones. But I like you a lot, Lacey, and I don’t want to see you get hurt. You don’t seem like the kind of girl that does one night stands.”
    She was so spot on. I’d only had sex once, and that had been with Brad. I thought he loved me. Boy was I wrong.
    We left and talked all the way to our cars. She filled me in on how she thought the triplets would be a shoo-in for this year’s baseball team. Kade was awesome,