I could’ve backed out, but I decided not to.
Saying things without thinking was normal for me, but behaving so impulsively was not. I remembered what Blaze had told me in Poppy’s bathroom:It’s easy reading books in your room, isn’t it?
There was a huge difference between my usual, boring, monotonous life and what I was about to do then. Surely there had to be a middle ground, but it sounded like these guys didn’t know any. And I’d never expected so much initiative, or maybe foolishness, from William.
“We have to make a plan. June should distract him until we get to his office. You know that room that he always keeps locked.” Will was excited. His gray eyes shone with impatience as he spoke to James, who kept his eyes on the road.
“I might have a plan,” I interrupted.
“I’ll say it again, you two are completely insane.”
James’s comment cut through the air, but it didn’t deter Will, who continued to rub his temples.
“What are we getting?” I asked.
“Something that belongs to us,” answered a completely and utterly calm William.
“If I come with you, I at least have to know what this is about.”
“A fucking gun.”
James said it without mincing his words, throwing William for a loop. It seemed like James had said it on purpose to spite William.
My jaw dropped. “Sorry, what?”
“Fuck, James!” Will punched him in his solid shoulder.
“You wanted to bring her with us? Great, now start telling your little friend the truth.”
Will shook his head. I saw James’s usual infuriating sneer in the rearview mirror.
“Hunter, you have to stop jerking me around,” I said, then I asked, “Will, what are we taking back?”
William froze. James stretched his arm behind his friend’s seat and kept staring at me in the mirror.
“I just told you the truth. Do you still want to come with us?” he challenged, waiting for my reaction.
Oh my god, so it was true.
“I don’t need to know why you need it. Just tell me one thing: Why do they have it if it’s yours?”
The breeze that came in through the window made me shiver. I stretched my sleeves over my wrists nervously. James blew smoke out the front of the car and finally said something.
“Because they did something for us.”
“What?”
My voice trembled.
“Well . . .”
“James, no.” William quickly stopped him.
“Do you think I’d tell someone like her something like that?”
“What’s wrong with someone like her?”
“She just wants to stick her nose where it doesn’t belong,” snarled James.
