“This is college. College parties, unprotected sex, and, dare I say it, date rape.” I blanched at the thought. Then I thought of Red needing a job. “Student debt.”
“Unwanted pregnancies and the easy answer waiting with the promise of a payout, or at least no more cost,” Gray murmured as he looked at me. “The bitch was waiting for Quinn outside the medical center. If they are placed in locations where the girls are vulnerable, they can swoop in and get them whenthey’re weak. Quinn said she came out crying, the leaflets in her hand. A janitor . . .”
“Sees and hears everything because they’re skilled at blending in as they do their job,” I finished.
“They’re working the medical centers and campuses to find girls,” Gray said with clear understanding.
“We need to make a list of all the people who have dropped out or taken a break of nine months or more.”
“And then find out if they were approached,” Gray said excitedly.
“And maybe even put a name to the girls we have film of,” I added quietly.
“This could be it,” Gray said to me eagerly. “This could be the break we need.”
We shared a smile, but in truth, neither of us was really happy. How could you really be happy knowing you were maybe going to find out someone’s misery?
“You need to tell Onyx. He can run this faster than you,” Gray told me as we walked up the steps. “I mean, I know you can do it, but—”
“Your brother is better, I know,” I said as I punched his arm playfully. “I’m not offended. I would also rather Onyx did this; I don’t know if I can cope with much more of this misery.”
As we approached the locker room, Gray turned to me. “You and me, we’ll be okay.”
Slightly taken aback at his bluntness, I nodded slowly. “Yeah, we’re family.”
Gray watched me for a long moment. “We are, but we’re also friends, aren’t we?”
Was Gray Santo waving the white flag? “Didn’t know we needed peace talks?”
He let out a low laugh and grinned at me. “We don’t, we’re not at war, we never were.”
“I know.”
“I shouldn’t have lied. About how I feel about her.”
“I agree.”
He looked away for a minute. “I really thought she knew how it was for me. I thought she knew that I didn’t want . . . anyone but her.” He gave a small half shrug that really showed me for the first time in my life, that my cousin was truly vulnerable in front of me.
How the hell did I navigate this conversation? I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t prepared for everything I wanted to say to him. I should have written it down in my journal.
My journal.
“I didn’t leave my journal out. I don’t know how Tilly found out,” I blurted. “But she’s so sorry, she keeps crying whenever Quinn’s mentioned.”
Gray gave a slight shake of his head as his lips pursed in anger. “I truly didn’t think it was my big brother,” he said half to himself.
“I don’t believe he would,” I advised cautiously. “Onyx is wild, we all know that, and he really does dislike Quinn immensely, but he . . .”
“He loves Tilly,” Gray finished dryly. “How did it even happen then?”
“I dunno.” Running my hand through my hair, I looked at him. “I wouldn’t do that,” I told him again.
“I know, I never once thought you would.”
Just then, Jett opened the door to the locker room and stopped in surprise when he saw us. “I was about to come looking for you both. What’s going on?”
Gray shifted slightly on his feet, and it was all the warning I had before he punched his twin and sent him flying, landing on his ass.
