All Chapters of The Darkest Devotion: Chapter 11 - Chapter 17

LEONThe bench is cool beneath me, hidden away in a trimmed patch of garden near the school parking lot. The late afternoon sun filters through the leaves over my head, scattering shadows across the cobblestones. Several students wander past, some in groups, some walking alone. They’re all different, individual people, yet so alike in more ways than one. Dripped in expensive clothing, polished shoes, and the latest designer bags swinging at their sides, it’s obvious to anyone with eyes that this is an environment only the wealthy can thrive in. They move with a certain kind of carelessness and reckless abandon that comes from not having a worry in the world. Their only concern is probably what to wear to the next party, and for the academically serious ones, they have the luxury of focusing on that without any outside distractions. That’s a privilege people like me are never afforded to have. I lean back with one arm stretched across the bench and drag my eyes away from the students

GABRIELLAMy heart does a flip in my chest. Jack freezes. His lips hover close to mine, but his eyes flick past my shoulder to stare at Leon, and I see the way his confident playboy persona shrinks under Leon’s gaze. He doesn’t wait for Leon to repeat himself. One look at Leon’s intimidating, quite terrifying expression is enough.My heart pounds so hard I feel it in my throat. Around us, I see a couple of students stop to see what is happening. Some are pretending not to stare; others are staring blankly. The air tenses, filled with whispers of confusion and a hint of excitement at what is going to happen.Jack takes a step back. His face is red with anger, his jaw flexing repeatedly. For a second, I think he’s about to say something to Leon. I badly want him to. I want someone else to look Leon in the face and tell him off. But Jack doesn’t do that. He seems to weigh his options and maybe realizes that it’s not worth it—I’m not worth it—before his eyes turn to meet mine instead. “I

LEONEverything about her gets under my skin and lingers there, from the hair on her head to the tips of her painted toes. She’s the physical, present embodiment of everything I’ve spent my whole life hating, wrapped in a pretty package. I can’t decide what I hate more: her, for existing, or myself, for letting her little acts of mischief get to me.The past few days have been a distraction I can’t afford. Every second I waste watching her, tolerating her excesses, and holding myself back from acting on my anger is a second lost from the mission. But I can’t lose sight of the game plan. Tomaso still doesn’t trust me, and I know better than to rush it. I haven’t worked that long for him to gain his trust. And trust takes time. Trust makes people let their guard down. It makes them sloppy. And when Tomaso becomes sloppy, I’ll strike.My goal is to serve justice, and that doesn’t come cheap. It demands patience. I replay the reminder in my head every time Gabriella opens her mouth.I c