Harlow
BY WEDNESDAY, NEWSof Parker’s murder is all over school and splashed across the airwaves. The media speculation over Finn’s and Brooklyn’s disappearance is a bonus as they debate the possibility they’ve fled the scene of their crime.
I dump my keys on the kitchen counter when I arrive home after visiting Sariah at the hospital, rubbing my sore temples. A dull ache has taken up residence in my skull all day, and I can’t shake the sense of impending doom. Caz removes two beers from the refrigerator, handing one to me as he slings his arm around my shoulders. “You hanging in there, babe?”
I shrug, feeling sadder every day that passes when my bestie doesn’t wake up. Even news of Beth McCoy’s arrest has done little to help my depressed mood. Two other girls were arrested too, and they are all being detained for further questioning, pending assault charges.
The guys look up as our footsteps thud on the basement stairs. Theo strides toward us, pulling me into his comforting arms when I reach the last step. “I take it there’s no change?”
I shake my head against his chest.
“Unfortunately, not,” Caz confirms. “Sean is totally messed up.”
Theo steers me to the couch, placing me beside Saint, before sitting down on my other side. I rest my head against Saint’s shoulder as his hand lands on my knee. “Do we have any clue where Finn and Brooklyn are, and should we be worried?” I ask, because right now, I need to focus on something else.
“We don’t know is the answer to both questions,” Saint admits, caressing my thigh.
“I have their images uploaded to the facial recognition software system I use, but it’s like they’ve disappeared off the face of the Earth,” Theo admits. “I’ve messaged Diesel in our private chat room to see if he can help. I don’t like not having eyes on all the moving parts.”
“He respond?” Saint asks, leaning his head back so he’s looking at Theo.
Theo shakes his head. “He’s been offline the past few days.”
“I got a message from him an hour ago,” I say. “He can meet Sunday, but he wants me to come alone.”
Saint harrumphs. “Yeah, so not happening.” He tilts my head around to his. “Tell him we all meet at the barn or we don’t meet at all.”
I press a kiss to the underside of his jaw. “Already done.”
He squeezes my thigh as a genuine smile lifts the corners of his mouth.
“What are we going to do about Taylor Tamlin?” Galen asks, sitting up straighter on the other couch.
“We need to find out what she knows,” Theo says.
“Maybe our princess should befriend her,” Caz suggests.
I shake my head. “That won’t work. She’s Tempest’s cousin, and Tempest hates my guts. Besides, it’s pretty much common knowledge I’m your girl. She’ll instantly smell a rat.”
“We need someone she won’t know,” Galen says.
“Emmett,” Saint supplies.
I tilt my face up to his. “No way. We do not involve him in any of this. And he won’t do shit for you after you threatened his sister.”
Saint smirks. “He’d jump off a cliff for you.”
“It’s too risky. Dar might remember him from a party we were at a while back. I won’t put Emmett in harm’s way.”
“We’re low on options,” Theo says.
“No, we’re not.” I drag my lower lip between my teeth as I think about it. “She’s important to The Bulls because she’s the connection between them and The Arrows and she had an in with The Sainthood, something she is probably reworking now she’s lost her puppet.” I stand, pacing as my mind works through it. “She’s not some inconsequential hoodrat. She successfully feeds intel among the different crews, and that is not something that can be easily replicated, so let’s make things harder for them.”
“I like where this is going,” Saint says. “What exactly do you have in mind?”
“Let’s kidnap the bitch’s ass and torture her until we get answers.”
Caz whistles under his breath, crossing one leg over his knee, as he lights up a joint. “Sign me up if you’re doing the torturing.” He grabs his crotch. “I’m already hard thinking about it.”
