“Why the hell would you go in there?” Kai asks, and the face he wears is almost identical to my brothers.
“Because I wanted to know why my twin was dressed up as if he was going out at midnight on a school night.”
“Did nothing we discussed the last time we were here sink into that obstinate skull of yours?” Drew shouts, and I’ve never seen him so enraged. “Fucking hell, A!” He grabs fistfuls of his dark hair and starts pacing. “If they’d caught you in there…” He shivers uncontrollably.
“Well.” I wipe my clammy hands down my jeans, trying to prepare for the second detonation. “I was just leavingwhencharliecaughtme.”
Drew storms around the room like a madman, racing to the wall and pounding his fists against it in a scary display of aggression. Xavier doesn’t call him out on the damage he’s doing because even he’s a teeny bit afraid of Drew right now.
Jackson and I trade similar tormented expressions.
Kai gets up, walking to Drew, and they converse in low tones.
“What are they whispering about?” I ask Jackson, leaning into his ear.
“Fucked if I know,” he says in a low voice.
“While they’re distracted,” I whisper again, pressing my mouth more fully to his ear. “You got any weed?”
“Is that a serious question?”
“Well, yeah, because I don’t see you smoking it much anymore.”
“I’m trying to cut back, but that doesn’t mean I’m not packing.” He slides a joint out of his back pocket, slyly passing it to me. “If you’re caught with that, I’ll deny all knowledge.”
“It will be long gone before I’m caught.” I just need something to take the edge off on nights when I’m bored and lonely in my bedroom.
“What are you two talking about?” Kai asks, dropping into his seat beside me.
I kiss him to distract him while I slip the joint into the pocket of my hoodie. “We were just wondering the same thing about you two?”
Drew is back in his seat, and while he appears under control, he still looks like he wants to throttle sense into me.
“We were comparing notes on how stubborn you are.” Kai levels me with a stern look.
“We were comparing notes on how overprotective you are,” I toss back with a fake sugary smile.
“We might as well call this meeting to a close,” Sawyer says, crossing his arms and sighing impatiently.
“I’m finding it entertaining myself.” Xavier scratches the side of his blood-red hair as he winks at Sawyer.
“You would.”
“Enough,” Drew snaps, pinning me with a frosty look. “Tell me and leave nothing out.”
So, I do, and it doesn’t take long for the jovial atmosphere to evaporate completely.
“Shit, A.” Drew cradles his head in his hands, and his breathing is labored. Kai links his fingers through mine. “I never wanted you to see any of that.”
“One part of me wishes I hadn’t, but another part is glad I did, because now, I’m even more determined to take him down. And I think we need to add the order and Parkhurst to our list.”
“Are you truly that insane or that naïve?” Drew barks.
“I’m not fucking naïve,” I snap back. “Or insane. I’m fucking disgusted.” I stand, bracing my palms on the table, and leaning across at him. “How are you not absolutely sickened at what is going on down there?”
“Trust me, I’m sickened!” he yells. “You think I wanted to be there?”
I remember his stiff stature. “I know you didn’t want to be there, but how can you do nothing about it?”
