“Did I break down a few times today? Maybe,” Zane admits. “And did I think about drinking until I passed out and saw Grey in my dreams…” He pauses as his Adam’s apple bobs. “But I’m not going to do it, Finn. I promised Grey I’d be a better man. I’m not going to back out on that promise. She needs me now more than ever. I won’t disappear into booze, no matter how hard it is.”
It’s a surprisingly mature take and I didn’t know Zane had it in him.
“How’s Vi?” I ask, thinking of Cadence’s little sister. The two were close. “Did she settle in okay?”
“Sol personally escorted her and Ryan to our country house. Even if we weren’t paying him, he’d watch her like a hawk. They’re family.”
I nod. Ryan, Cadence’s half-brother, used to be a security guard, so I know he and his girlfriend will watch over Vi well.
“Nothing can happen to Viola,” I mumble. “Or Cadence will never forgive us when she comes back.”
“Grey won’t either. She loves that kid.”
That much is true. Viola is chatty, but she has a habit of wearing people down with her sunniness.
Zane’s attention shifts to the girl behind me again. “So… are you going to explain that?”
“That” is a good description of Jinx because half the time, I’m not even sure if she’s human.
“Since when did you get close enough to bring a girl around?”
“We’re not close.”
“Okay… how’d you meet her?”
I don’t want to tell him I got beat up bad enough that I went to the hospital, so I say, “She shared her bed with me.”
“Herwhat?”
I shrug.
Zane shakes his head as if to say “I don’t want to know.” “By the way, I read your texts. What did you mean when you said Mom has the girls?”
“I’ll explain more when Dutch comes.”
Just then, I hear tires rolling over pavement. Two piercing headlights slice through the darkness, and I recognize my brother’s car.
Dutch throws the driver’s side door open and stalks out.
Sol hops out of the passenger side.
“Finn.” Dutch jogs to me, his eyes lingering on the bruises on my face. “The hell happened to you?”
“Were you initiated into the… you know?” Sol’s eyebrows climb to the top of his forehead.
Out of all three of us, Sol lived in the worst neighborhood and has far more knowledge about gang life.
I shoot a quick glance over my shoulder. J is now taking pictures of Redwood Prep like a tourist fresh off the plane, but I can’t trust that she’s not listening to our every word.
Jinx doesn’t know that I’m yakuza by blood. I can’t imagine the kind of havoc she would wreak if she held that information over my head.
I need to protect my secret at all costs.
Dutch sees my attention wavering to J, and he straightens. “Who’s that?”
Sol laughs in astonishment. “Finn,youhave a chick?”
I shake my head. “I’ll explain in the practice room.”
