“You’re really freaking me the fuck out,” Bram said.
“Me too,” Remy said from the kitchen.
“Do you want some privacy?” Maeve asked, standing next to Bram with her hand on his shoulder. “We can leave you alone.”
I shook my head. “It’s not going to matter, and you all need to know anyway.”
If anything, I hoped that having Maeve there would be a calming influence on Bram. She had that effect on him, except when someone hurt her or did her wrong, in which case Bram turned absolutely murderous.
She sat next to Bram, her light blue eyes bright with concern.
The room grew silent. It was now or never and since never wasn’t an option the decision was made for me.
“I joined the Hunt,” I said. “While you were in Bali.”
Bram looks as confused as I’d ever seen him. “You… what?”
Maeve’s eyes were wide.
“Holy fuck,” Remy said.
Poe glared at him.
“I joined the Hunt,” I said. “I knew you wouldn’t want me to so I waited for you to leave and I?— ”
Bram was off the couch.
I stood. “Where are you going?”
I hadn’t even gotten to the part about the Hawks yet.
“I’m going to end Titus.”
“You said you’d hear me out.”
“I never said that.” He was almost to the stairs. “You asked me to do it but I never said I would.”
“Wait…”
Maeve stood. “Sit down, Bram.” He froze and looked back at her. “Your sister has something she wants to say to you. Don’t you think you should listen?”
Bram hesitated, then stalked back to the sofa like a chastised Rottweiler.
He wiped his hands on his jeans. “Someone is going to die for this. But go ahead and finish.”
“I joined the Hunt and I lost.” I hesitated, knowing once I said the next thing I wouldn’t be able to go back. “To the Hawks. I lost to the Hawks.”
Bram was on his feet again, but Maeve blocked him from heading for the stairs.
“She’s not done.”
His right eye twitched as he sat down. “I’m going to rip their heads off. But keep going.”
“It was no one’s fault but mine. I wanted to win, and also I… I wanted to play.”
“Why, Cass?” There was nothing but sympathy in Maeve’s eyes. “Why did you want to play?”
I glanced at Poe and Remy, then took a deep breath. “Because I’m still a virgin.”
