Avery's eyes narrow when he uses her nickname, and instead of answering, she slips her arm fully into mine where everyone can see. I try not to flinch, because I know if I push her away now, it will only make things worse for me. She doesn't get the chance to destroy him, though, as the far door leading into the courtyard opens and Rory walks out.
Ash does a double-take when he spots the scratches down his cheeks and the black eye. He looks back, and I watch as he takes inventory of all the marks on Avery, and then, as if an afterthought, the ones on me. I watch as everything clicks into place in his head. It's clear to everyone what has happened. Harley’s face turns thunderous. Blaise’s cool and unaffected mask finally drops, and his jaw clenches.
I watch as Ash’s entire body begins to shake, the need tobreakandsmashanddestroywhoever has touched his sister so strong that the other students begin to back away slowly, and Blaise steps up to join him, his eyes dark swirling pits. Harley calls out to Rory, and when he turns fearful eyes on them, he signs his own death warrant. The guilt is written on every fiber of his being.
“Where did you get those from, dickhead?” Harley says, gesturing at the scratches. He has always hated Rory, but now his voice is dark and taunting. There is blood in the water and sharks are beginning to circle.
“We had a misunderstanding. It's not a big deal.” Rory sounds arrogant, even with the quaking look on his face, and it makes me see red.
“I hope your broken ribs puncture your lungs and you drown in your own blood,” I hiss at him. I would say more, but Avery starts tugging me away. She never did enjoy watching her brother mete out his physical punishments. I’m not sure if Rory will make it out alive.
“I told you, I don't want your protection,” I murmur. I can't be too loud about it in case any of the students hear and it gets back to Ash.
“This isn’t payment, it’s a white flag. And an olive branch. I want to be your friend.”
I stop dead in my tracks. I can hear screaming and yelling starting in the chapel, and I flinch. Memories of my time in the Game surface, and I shove them away. I don’t have time to deal with my own issues right now.
“What?”
“I don't have friends either. I want one, and I want one as fierce as you.”
“You can't just—Blaise is your friend.”
She shakes her head dismissively, and I roll my eyes at her. Had she not just seen their reactions to her injuries? I’d kill to have them defend me like that, to have my back and expect nothing but friendship in return.
“No, he’s Ash’s friend, and he both loves and respects me well enough, but he will always defer back to him. I want a real friend that's mine.”
“You can't just claim me. I'm not property,” I sputter, and my voice is louder than I intend on being. I glance around, but the halls have deserted. Everyone wants to watch Rory die. I kind of do, too. Mostly because there’s something about watching justice being served that makes my dark heart sing. Plus, the boys were hot at the best of times. Watching their fists fly and beat Rory bloody? Um, yes, please. I just need a pair of earplugs to drown out the yelling, and I’m good to watch the whole damn thing.
Avery huffs and pulls me into the study den. There's a group of students packing up, and at her sharp look, they high-tail it out of there.
“I know you don't trust me, and I deserve that. I'm going to give you something as insurance, so we know we’re both in this for the right reasons. That is, if you want a friend?”
I do. Desperately really, but how can I trust this girl that looks like an angel but is really a crossroads demon, bargaining and making deals with mere mortals for their souls? She can be just as twisted as Joey; they are siblings, after all. I know in my heart she isn’t a sociopath like him, but she could be just as ruthless.She could survive the Wolf,my mind whispers unbidden. She’s probably the only girl I’d ever met who could.
“Why did Joey call a ceasefire?” she asks with a raised brow. It’s a test, one last hurdle to leap before we can be friends. Could I do it? Could I take the leap?
“We have a… mutual acquaintance. Joey thought this person was under his thumb, but he was wrong. He was told that under no uncertain circumstances could he harm me again.”
Avery leans forward and whispers in my ear, “The Jackal?” and I nod. A smile flits at the corners of her mouth.
She hands me an envelope. I open it and, after leafing through the papers for a second, I scrunch it up hurriedly. I’m holding the missing piece of the puzzle. I’m holding the records of the Beaumonts’ mother’s death. Alice Beaumont, nee Arbour, was murdered.
“Why the hell—”
“That's your insurance. It would destroy both me and my brother if that got out. I've spent years keeping that out of people’s hands. Everything I do is to keep Ash and the boys safe. Everything I did to you was to keep us safe.” She doesn't look sorry at all, like my year of torture was reasonable. I don't know what to do with that, or with the envelope in my hand.
“I want a friend I can trust to have my back completely, and no girl has ever looked at me as anything other than competition or a way to get in with my brothers. You took everything I threw at you, and you're still here. Unbroken. Are you in, or not?”
God help me, but I was so in. My hands begin to shake.
“I don't want you to speak to them for me. The boys.”
“Well, I don't want to speak to them at all, so you're safe there. I promise I won't tell them to be nice, but if we're friends, then I'm on your side from here out.”
I bite my lip. I want this so bad, and the envelope in my hand makes me believe this is legit. I might regret it later, but I nod.
“Friends it is, then.”
