He doesn’t even look at the girls, but I expected that. He hasn’t seen anyone else but his Annie for a while.
We walk over to a cooler and grab a couple of beers.
Hawk lifts his brow, but I just shake my head. It’s easier to talk to others with something in your hand. It makes them more comfortable approaching you. I casually tip some out into a nearby potted plant—sorry plant—and hand one to Hawk. He lifts it to his mouth like he’s going to drink and then lowers it.
“Enemy territory.” I glance around. I haven’t seen anyone from either of our schools here. I’m not surprised. It was a drive, and there’s a small party in town tonight.
“You brought us here. Do you see your target?” He leans back against the exterior of the house and looks around lazily, but he’s scanning.
“It would help if I knew what she looked like.” I found an old news article. Even Brandt doesn’t have pictures of his sister on his social media. And she sticks to pictures without her face in them. Damon gave me a description. Well, height, hair, maybe color of eye. Hoity-toity, stuck up, rich girl.
Unfortunately, that description applies to most of these girls.
Hawk glances at the picture of the friend on my phone and then looks around again. He bumps my arm and heads toward a group of girls in some chairs.
“Raven,” he says as we approach.
A dark-haired girl looks up at him and the confusion on her face clears as she checks him out. “Do I know you?”
Hawk smirks. “I’ve been sliding into your DMs for weeks now. I hope so.”
Raven smiles. She doesn’t know who he is, but she doesn’t want to admit it. “That’s right. How are you?”
The other girls drink their pink cocktails slowly, eating up every minute of this interaction. I take them all in. I don’t think any of them are Elizabeth.
Hawk keeps up a conversation with Raven that’s just this side of not talking about anything specific. Poor Raven. A few of the other girls are glassy-eyed and stare at the two of them like a tennis match.
One girl looks me over and nods for me to come closer. Her makeup is dark around her eyes. Fuck it. I need a break.
She leans into me, making sure her mouth isn’t in the direction of her friends. “He doesn’t know her, does he?”
Her pale blue eyes lift to mine. I smile cockily and shake my head just slightly.
She smirks and looks me over again. “What’s your deal?”
“Looking for a chick to ask her something.”
“I’m a chick.” She takes a drink of her beer. She’s the only one in this group drinking a beer instead of a pink cocktail.
“Are you Elizabeth Stanwell?”
The girl chokes on a laugh. “No, not even close.”
“You know her?”
She snorts and takes a long pull of her beer. “Yeah, everyone here does. She’s got a famous as fuck father. Everyone wants to be her friend. Is that why you’re looking for her?”
Her eyes narrow on me.
“Nah.” I take a sip of my beer and glance at Hawk. He’s still chatting with Raven while the others continue to be mesmerized.
“What do you need her for then?” the girl asks.
“I got this theory I want to find out.”
“You a stalker?” The girl arches her eyebrow.
“Would I tell you if I were?”
