“Stabbing him was to cover your tracks?” Theo asks.
“No, that was pure enjoyment.” Caz chuckles, and Bry grins. Saint continues boring holes in my head. “It only occurred to me after I plunged the knife in his thigh that it gave him the alibi he needed to explain my escape.”
“What did you agree to?” Saint asks, already racing ahead of the conversation.
“I agreed to spy for him and provide intel he could use to take The Sainthood down.”
“Were you planning on delivering?” Bry asks.
“Dude,” Caz intervenes. “Of course, she wasn’t. It was all part of the plan.”
I blow Caz a kiss, loving how confident he is in my motives and how easily and quickly he jumped to my defense. “Right. Playing both sides against one another feeds into our overall agenda.”
Saint loudly clears his throat, sending a subtle glance in Bry’s direction. And I get it. I don’t trust him yet either. He must earn our honesty.
“Let’s park that,” Saint says, and Bry stares at him. “What?” Saint snaps.
“You don’t trust me. I respect that.”
Saint stares at him for a few beats before focusing on me. “What tasks were you set?”
I flick my gaze at Caz. “You might need to sit on him for this.”
For once, Caz isn’t laughing. “We’re expecting the worst. Just tell us.”
“I’m to help you get control of the drug supply in Lowell Academy, show up at HQ once a month to be gang-raped, and kill Commissioner Leydon,” I reply in a level tone. No point in hysterics.
Saint explodes, as predicted, stomping around the basement, throwing shit at the walls, pacing, and cursing while we wait him out.
“Fuck,” Galen murmurs. “That is messed up.”
“No shit, Sherlock.” Saint fumes, stalking to the couch and dropping beside me. He hauls me into his lap, circling his arms around my waist and holding me tight. He leans his chin on my shoulder, keeping me close, cocooning me in his protective embrace.
A messy ball of emotion clogs my throat as warmth spreads across my chest. I feel safe in his arms. Cherished and protected. And it’s an unfamiliar feeling even though Dad and Diesel have gone to great lengths to keep me safe.
This feels different, and in this moment, I realize there is nothing I can do to shield my heart from this onslaught.
The guys have me, and my heart is already invested.
There’s no way I can get out of this now without getting hurt.
“You can’t murder the fucking commissioner,” Bry says, looking genuinely shocked.
“Do I look dumb to you?” I ask, glaring at him, because that is a fucking given.
“I say we slaughter the board in their sleep,” Caz suggests, and Saint whips his head up, warning him with his eyes. Then, he stares at Bry. “Get out.”
“I can help. I—”
“Get the fuck out,” Saint says, whipping his gun out and leveling it at Bry. “I don’t care if you’re one of us.”
Bry smirks, grabbing the gun and moving it to his brow. “Go ahead, asshole. Do it.”
I wrap my hand around the gun. “No one else is getting shot today.” I turn my head, eyeballing Saint. “Put it away. Bry is leaving.” Slowly, Saint pulls back. I stand. “I’ll show you out.” Saint opens his mouth to protest, but I clamp my hand over his lips. “Nope. Not listening to it. Switch your brain back on, and be ready for a serious conversation when I return.”
I escort Bry outside and lean against the side of his truck. “We want to trust you, but it’ll take time.”
“It’s smart, Lo, and what I would do. I’ve defected, and I need to prove my worth. I intend to follow through as fast as I can.”
