Colton’s scowl flicked up into a smirk. “You should see the other guy.”
“No thanks.” Reed glanced toward Thomas. “I have to say, Walsh—so far your friends are way more interesting than you are.”
“So are yours,” said Thomas, “so it looks like we both turned out to be a surprise. Tell me about the House of Hades. What is it? A cult? A club?”
Reed’s jaw wired tight. “I’m not at liberty to say.”
“That’s fine. I don’t need the backstory. Just give me an address.”
“This is a little outside your job description, don’t you think?”
Anger blistered through Thomas in a white-out heat. “You think this is still about a paycheck?”
“Anyone with eyes can see this has nothing to do with money,” Reed spat. “I mean, look at you. It’s pathetic. You’re chasing after a girl who doesn’t even want to be found.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“God, you’re fucking clueless. You think any part of this wasn’t planned by Vivienne?”
It was a direct mirror of what Hudson told them out in the driveway:Vivienne Farrow does whatever feels right for Vivienne Farrow.At Colton’s feet, Judd let out a whine. Reed poked at the bridge of his nose, wincing as he did. Already, two angry bruises had begun to yellow under his eyes.
“How much did Vivienne pay you and your friends to kick the shit out of Walsh?” asked Colton.
“Nothing,” admitted Reed. “They did that part for free. They weren’t supposed to hurt anyone. They were just supposed to cause a little anarchy so Vivienne could leave unnoticed.”
“That’s why you bailed? You were part of the raid?” Hudson looked appalled. “Jesus, Reed. You and your asshole friends did thousands of dollars worth of damage. My parents are pissed.”
Reed appeared to chew on his words for a beat before replying. “I thought that was the goal. Pissing off your parents, I mean. Isn’t that the whole reason you brought a punk townie as your date last night?”
Hudson reared back as if he’d been struck. “Who told you that?”
“People talk,” said Reed. “Congratulations. Looks like we both got what we wanted.”
“That’s a good point,” cut in Thomas. “What exactlydidyou get out of helping Vivienne?”
“She pays my tuition,” said Reed, still glowering at Hudson. “I help her out when she needs it, and in exchange I get to graduate debt free. Not all of us have trust funds.”
Thomas barely heard him. He felt as though the entire world had been tipped on its head and turned inside out.
She’d played him.
She’dplayed him.
That day in the solarium, she’d promised to make him quit. And he had, hadn’t he? He didn’t know which was worse—that she’d done exactly as she’d said she would, or that he’d let her corner him into it. He hadn’t even seen it coming.
“Why?” His voice came out hoarse.
“You’ll have to be more specific than that, Walsh,” said Reed.
“Why did Vivienne feel like she needed to disappear?”
“Wouldn’t you?” asked Reed. “If you had a stepfather like Philip Farrow?”
“That’s not an answer, and you know it.”
“She needed ketamine,” said Hudson, who was staring over at Reed like he was seeing him for the first time. “That’s what she wanted to talk to me about, that day at the restaurant.”
“That shit’s potent,” said Eric. He sat backward in a nearby chair, his arms folded over the spine, looking riveted. “They gave it to my grandma when she had hip replacement surgery. One dose and she went right out.”
