Midnight Assassins: Book 1

Part 1

Alice Ravenheart peeked at him from behind the long fringe seemed decided to hang in front of her face no matter how many times she tried to tuck it behind her ears.

Oh, she supposed she could always just tie her hair up and pin the unruly things on top of her head but since she was at school, it wasn't necessary for such a rigid hairstyle. Besides, her hair as it was for her comfort as much as it was so that she could look at him without being noticed.

Jackson turned his head to talk to one of his teammates on the school soccer team giving Alice a clearer view of Jackson's profile. Her heart skipped a beat at his dazzling smile and she couldn't help a sigh from escaping her.

"What are you doing?"

Alice jumped in surprise. Turning around, she saw Peter, her cousin, standing behind her, one hand on a shoulder strap and the other in his pocket. His eyebrow was raised in question.

Basing on her reaction, Peter's puzzled look was replaced with an understanding one.

"Stalking Jackson Masters again, I take it."

"I am not stalking him!"

Peter couldn't see it but he was that Alice was blushing. He chuckled. "Fine then. You were admiring him from afar, crouched behind a locker."

Alice rolled her eyes at him. Peter should have known that she was engrossed once again in the soccer team's captain, the only guy she had a crush on to the best of his knowledge. His cousin wasn't exactly one given to girlish tendencies. He was happy for her but was it a good thing that she was experiencing feelings like this, however, is a different matter.

"I wasn't doing that either." Alice huffed.

"Really? I wouldn't have been able to sneak up on you otherwise." Peter teased her. He laughed when Alice frowned at him.

His smile slipped giving way to a frown of his own. "Your affection for Masters could become a problem, you know."

Alice straightened at that and her face cooled. "I am perfectly aware of that."

Peter threw her a sideways glance. "It's difficult but you must keep that in mind."

"Thank you for reminding me but I will be all right."

"Oh, I don't doubt that. I am not worried about you—I'm worried for him."

Alice pursed her lips and looked at Jackson with a hint of longing that Peter knew Alice wasn't even aware of. He sighed. "I'm sorry for being such a spoilsport Alice. You deserve a break."

The corners of Alice's lips turned up in a small smile and shook her head. "No, you were right to remind me. And speaking of deserving a break," Alice said as the sound of a familiar feminine giggle reached their ears. She turned to look at the source of the sound, who at the moment was busy letting some muscled jock grope her. Alice felt disgusted at the display. "What are you going to do about her?"

Peter stood still, suddenly as frigid as a rock. Alice saw the flash of hurt on her cousin's face before it disappeared beneath a mask of studied nonchalance.

"Nothing." Peter's features tightened when the girl cuddled up with the guy. "Absolutely nothing."

Alice shook her head. "I'd feel sorry for you Peter if I knew you didn't have any other choice but you do. Why you don't just break off the engagement is beyond me. It isn't as if you need to marry her. It's you we're talking about here after all."

Alice's face scrunched up imperceptibly—a feat for nothing ever really affected her except for Jackson Masters—when the girl in question started kissing the guy she'd been cozying up with.

"Let's go." She said pulling on her cousin's arm. She wanted to get away not so much because of the disgusting behavior before her than for Peter's feelings. He hid it well but she knows just how much it hurt him to see his fiancee with her boyfriends.

Peter lingered for a while before he let his cousin lead him away.