Hunter:Hello, Kitten.
Bay responded fast, giving away that he’d been waiting.
Kitten:Don’t hello me. I want answers. How do you know Nate?
Hunter:You asked him that already, didn’t you? What’d he tell you, Kitten?”
There was a brief pause this time. He’d hit a nerve.
Kitten:Where are you?
He thought Sila was there watching him again, probably expected that he’d overheard whatever conversation had taken place between him and Nate and wasn’t serious in asking. Obviously Sila hadn’t been anywhere near the campus where Bay no doubt was, but he didn’t need to be to guess what Nate would have told him.
Nate had never seen Sila’s face. He couldn’t give Bay any details even if he wanted to and, considering the guy was nice, he probably wanted to.
Hunter:I’m right behind you, baby. I’m always right behind you.
Sila gave it a moment and then sent off another text before Bay could freak out for too long.
Hunter:Kidding. I’m at home. But I’ll be there tomorrow. Going to impress me with your skills, Kitten?
Kitten:Whatever this is, stop it.
Hunter:No.
Kitten:I’m not interested.
Sila’s tablet dinged, indicating the spyware he’d placed on Bay’s work computer had picked up on something, but he didn’t look just yet, focused on the conversation at hand for now.
Hunter:How do you know he’s better for you than I am?
Kitten:I know what he looks like, for one.
Hunter:Is that it? I didn’t take you for the shallow type, Professor. Looks matter that much to you?
Kitten:His do.
Sila grinned. If only Bay knew. Perhaps he should have done this sooner, reached out anonymously and reeled him in through light conversation first. Sila had no interest in rushing things, but he’d been making them both wait for a while already and maybe that hadn’t been entirely necessary.
His tablet emitted another sound and he pulled his eyes off his multi-slate to check the screen. He’d set the program to alert him if Bay ever pulled up photos of him or wrote anything with his name on it, this way he could also spy on his grades. Since he already knew about Bay’s collection, he’d expected for there to be photos eventually.
But not this one.
While Bay was talking to him, he’d opened an image on his computer and left it in the center, which meant he was probably staring at it right now.
The picture wasn’t one of Sila’s Inspire posts and had been taken sometime last year, a student dressed in white with his head tipped down. He was reading something, probably class notes, and there was a deep furrow between his brow giving away that he wasn’t pleased with whatever he found there. The slight snarl to his full lips implied he was also a little ticked off.
His brother was always like that though. Always a bit angry even when there was nothing to be mad about.
Sila’s good mood vanished in a puff of smoke and, ironically, he had no doubt he probably mirrored the image of his brother a lot better now. Unlike him, it was rare for him to lose his temper, but the tight way his chest was cinching was a clear indicator he was getting there now.
Logically, he knew Bay couldn’t tell them apart. He’d always known that. Few people ever could, and that’d always worked in their favor. But for some reason, Sila wasn’t pleased that Bay was currently talking to him yet drooling over a photo he’d snuck of his brother.
In the past, all of Sila’s actions against people had been driven by curiosity and boredom. Even his plans involving his father, the one man he truly hated, were completely devoid of petty things such as revenge. He didn’t react with anger. Negative emotions like that led to impulsivity and he didn’t operate that way.
Which was why it was so strange when he found himself immediately typing out a message on his multi-slate without first stopping to think things through. It was the closest he’d ever come to an out of body experience, but even aware of that, he couldn’t stop himself from bitterly hitting send.
Hunter:You, me, tomorrow. It’s going to be a rough ride, Kitten. And this time? I give you permission to be afraid.
